Product sales system, notification method, and program

Abstract

To provide a commodity sales system, a notification method, and a program capable of preventing fraudulent purchase of a commodity in a store.SOLUTION: The product sales system 100 includes an acquisition processing unit 111 that acquires product information of a product read by a user using the user terminal 3 in the store 200, a registration processing unit 112 that registers the product information, a cancellation processing unit 113 that cancels a registered product, a cancellation determination processing unit 116 that determines whether or not a predetermined condition is satisfied, and an output processing unit 117 that outputs predetermined information when the cancellation determination processing unit 116 determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a product sales system, a notification method, and a program that are applied to a store that sells products. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a self-checkout system has been known in stores in which a user (e.g., a shopper) uses an operation terminal to read the barcode of a product and then check out for that product (see Patent Document 1). In general, the act of a user reading the barcode of a product using an operation terminal is called self-scanning.

[0003] In the self-checkout system, when paying for the items they have scanned themselves, the user operates the payment button on the screen of the operation terminal (payment operation). This causes the shopping list to be sent to the server, and the system performs the payment process. When the payment is complete, a payment completion code indicating the completion of the payment is sent from the server to the operation terminal and displayed on the screen of the operation terminal. After completing the payment, the user can have a specified reading device read the payment completion code, and receive a receipt for the purchased items from the reading device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-86182 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the self-checkout system is prone to fraudulent transactions, such as canceling scanned items before checkout but not returning the canceled items to the shelves. It is also possible that a customer cancels scanned items but then forgets to return them to the shelves, resulting in a transaction that does not include the canceled items, even though the customer has no intention of committing fraud. In either case, the system allows unpaid items to be taken out of the store, regardless of whether the customer is malicious or well-intentioned, potentially resulting in a problem of fraudulent purchases being overlooked.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a product sales system, a notification method, and a program that can prevent fraudulent purchases of products in a store. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A product sales system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a registration processing unit that registers product information of a product entered by a user at a store using an operation terminal; a cancellation processing unit that cancels the registration of a registered product registered by the registration processing unit in response to a cancellation operation by the user on the operation terminal; a first determination processing unit that determines whether or not a predetermined condition determined based on the cancellation content of the registered product by the cancellation processing unit is satisfied; and an output processing unit that outputs predetermined information to notify an alert when the first determination processing unit determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied.

[0008] A notification method according to another aspect of the present invention is a method in which one or more processors execute the following steps: a registration step of registering product information of a product entered by a user at a store via an operation terminal as a payment target; a cancellation step of canceling the registration of the registered product registered via the registration step in response to a cancellation operation by the user on the operation terminal; a determination step of determining whether or not predetermined conditions set based on the cancellation content of the registered product via the cancellation step are met; and an output step of outputting predetermined information to notify the user if it is determined by the determination step that the predetermined conditions are met.

[0009] A program relating to another aspect of the present invention is a program for causing one or more processors to execute the following steps: a registration step of registering product information of a product entered by a user at a store via an operation terminal as a payment target; a cancellation step of canceling the registration of the registered product registered via the registration step in response to a cancellation operation by the user on the operation terminal; a determination step of determining whether or not predetermined conditions set based on the cancellation content of the registered product via the cancellation step are met; and an output step of outputting predetermined information to notify the user if it is determined by the determination step that the predetermined conditions are met. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to effectively prevent fraudulent purchases of goods in stores. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of a product sales system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a store in which a product sales system according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a user terminal of the product sales system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a user terminal of the product sales system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a user terminal of the product sales system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a user terminal of the product sales system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a user terminal of the product sales system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8]FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a user terminal of the product sales system according to the embodiment of the present invention, and an example of a gate device. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the gate device of the merchandise sales system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the gate device of the product sales system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of a product sales system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of shopping information used in the product sales system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for a product sales process executed in the product sales system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of a first processing example of a notification process executed in the product sales system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of a second processing example of the notification processing executed in the product sales system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of a third processing example of the notification processing executed in the product sales system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the fourth processing example of the notification processing executed in the product sales system according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are merely examples of the present invention and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0013] [Product Sales System 100] As shown in FIG. 1, a product sales system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a management server 1, a gate device 2, a user terminal 3, a checkout device 5, and a payment server 6. The user terminal 3 is an example of an operation terminal according to the present invention. The gate device 2 is an example of a store exit device according to the present invention. There may be one or more gate devices 2 and user terminals 3. The user terminal 3 is an operation terminal carried by a user (shopper) who uses a store 200 (see FIG. 2), and is, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, mobile phone, or tablet terminal.

[0014] The user terminal 3 is, for example, a mobile terminal device owned by the store 200 and loaned to the user when the user goes shopping. The user terminal 3 may also be an operating terminal owned by the user himself. Furthermore, if the store 200 is a retail store such as a supermarket, the user terminal 3 may also be a terminal device attached to a shopping basket or shopping cart for placing products in the store 200.

[0015] The management server 1 and gate device 2 are installed in a store 200. The management server 1, user terminal 3, and settlement device 5 can communicate with each other via a communication network N1, such as a wireless LAN (in-store LAN) installed in the store 200. The management server 1 and gate device 2 can also communicate with each other via a communication network N3, such as a wired LAN or wireless LAN (in-store LAN) installed in the store 200. The gate device 2 and user terminal 3 can also communicate with each other via a communication network N2 that uses a short-range wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0016] The payment server 6 is a server device managed by a payment business operator (for example, a credit card company or an electronic payment operating company). The management server 1 and the payment server 6 can communicate with each other via a communication network N4 such as the Internet, a LAN, a WAN, or a public telephone line.

[0017] The product sales system 100 is installed in a store 200 such as a retail store. Specific examples of the store 200 include a supermarket that mainly sells food and beverages, a sporting goods store that sells multiple types of products, a liquor store that mainly sells alcoholic beverages, a convenience store that sells food and beverages, an apparel shop that sells apparel items such as clothes and shoes, an auto parts store that sells tires and car parts, a home improvement store that mainly sells daily necessities and home appliances, or a store that sells hobby-related products such as fishing equipment.

[0018] In this embodiment, a retail store is used as an example of the store 200, but the store 200 may be a restaurant that serves ordered drinks or food to customers (users) in the store, or a restaurant that serves ordered drinks or food to customers (users) for takeout. In this case, the drinks, food, and services served at the restaurant correspond to the products of the present invention.

[0019] For example, when a user visits store 200, the user uses a loaned user terminal 3 installed in the store to input product information (such as reading the product's barcode) to purchase a desired product. After the product information input operation, a payment execution instruction is input through the user terminal 3, and then the payment process (accounting) for the product purchase is executed. Once the payment process is properly completed, the user passes through the passage beside gate device 2, returns the user terminal 3 to a designated return location, and then leaves the store. From the time the user arrives until the time they leave the store, the user terminal 3 exchanges various information with the management server 1, the settlement device 5, the gate device 2, etc.

[0020] Here, an example of the flow of processing (product sales processing) executed in the product sales system 100 will be described below, showing a specific usage scenario. Also shown are examples of each screen displayed on the operation display unit 33 of the user terminal 3 in response to the product sales processing.

[0021] FIG. 2 shows an outline of store 200. A checkout area A1 is located near the entrance of store 200. Multiple gate devices 2 are installed in checkout area A1. Furthermore, checkout area A1 includes area M1 and area M2.

[0022] Area M1 is an area where customers can pay for products they wish to purchase (purchase-desired products) without the assistance of store staff using the user terminal 3 and the payment device 5. For this reason, the payment device 5 is installed near the exit of area M1.

[0023] Area M2 is an area where users can use the user terminal 3 to make payments (mobile payments) for products they wish to purchase without the assistance of store staff.

[0024] The following describes an example of a series of steps from when user X arrives at store 200, when he or she pays for the products he or she registered while shopping in the store in checkout area A1, and when he or she leaves the store through gate device 2.

[0025] First, user X, who has come to store 200, enters the store through the entrance carrying user terminal 3. An entrance gate may be provided at the entrance. When user X operates user terminal 3 inside the store to launch a predetermined shopping application, screen D1 (code reading screen D1) shown in FIG. 3(a) is displayed on user terminal 3 of user X. Specifically, screen D1 is displayed on operation display unit 33 of user terminal 3. This allows user X to perform an operation to input product information about a product he or she wishes to purchase (product information input operation) inside the store.

[0026] User X captures (scans) an information code (e.g., a barcode) attached to a product he or she wishes to purchase using the camera 35 of the user terminal 3 (see FIG. 11). The user terminal 3 reads the product information (product name, price, etc.) included in the information code and displays it on the screen. For example, when user X scans the information code of product a1, screen D2 (product screen D2) shown in FIG. 3(b) containing product information about product a1 is displayed on the operation display unit 33 of the user terminal 3. In addition, product a1 scanned by user X is registered in a shopping list 33A (see FIG. 4(a)) on the shopping application.

[0027] The product information included in the information code includes the product name, the sales price, etc., as well as the type of product, the category to which the product belongs, etc. The product types include, for items sold in supermarkets, groups such as meat, seafood, vegetables, fruits, prepared foods, frozen and refrigerated foods, confectioneries, grains, beverages, seasonings, and household goods.

[0028] The product information registered in the shopping list 33A is transmitted from the user terminal 3 to the management server 1 and registered as a product to be purchased in the shopping data 121 (see FIG. 12) in the storage unit 12 of the management server 1.

[0029] If the product desired to be purchased does not have the information code attached, the user X can select the product desired to be purchased from a list of products not having the information code attached by pressing the operation button T1 (for manual input) provided on the screen D1 shown in Fig. 3(a). By performing this selection operation, the user X can input the product information of the product desired to be purchased into the user terminal 3 and register the product in the shopping list 33A on the shopping application.

[0030] For example, if user X scans the information codes of three items a1, b1, and c1, items a1, b1, and c1 are registered in the shopping list 33A on the shopping application. When user X wishes to pay for the three scanned items, he or she presses operation button T2 (for displaying the shopping list) on screen D1 or screen D2 of the user terminal 3. This causes the user terminal 3 to display screen D3 (shopping list screen D3) shown in FIG. 4(a) on the operation display unit 33, which includes the shopping list 33A showing each scanned item.

[0031] Thereafter, when user X presses operation button T3 (for starting checkout) on screen D3 shown in Fig. 4(a), screen D4 for confirming the checkout method (checkout confirmation screen D4) shown in Fig. 4(b) is displayed on operation display unit 33 of user terminal 3. Operation button T3 is an operation button for starting checkout for the desired products in shopping list 33A.

[0032] Furthermore, for example, when canceling (deregistering) registered products from the shopping list 33A including products a1, b1, and c1 that have been registered once, the user X presses the operation button T4 (for deregistering) provided on the screen D3 of the user terminal 3. As a result, the user terminal 3 displays on the operation display unit 33 a screen D5 (product deregister screen D5) shown in Fig. 5(a) for deregistering each scanned product.

[0033] By pressing the selection key T41 displayed in the display frame 33B of the screen D5, user X can display in the display frame 33B any product that user X wishes to cancel from the registered products in the shopping list 33A. When the operation button T42 (for executing cancellation) is pressed while the product to be canceled is displayed in the display frame 33B, the user terminal 3 deletes the product to be canceled from the shopping list 33A and displays the screen D3 (see FIG. 5(b)) including the shopping list 33A from which the product has been deleted on the operation display unit 33. The operation button T42 is an operation button for canceling the registration of the product that user X selected from the shopping list 33A.

[0034] Furthermore, when operation button T42 (for executing cancellation) is pressed, user terminal 3 transmits a product cancellation execution instruction to management server 1 to request cancellation of the product to be canceled (cancellation product). Upon receiving the product cancellation execution instruction, management server 1 deletes the product information of the canceled product from shopping data 121 (see FIG. 12), and further registers user X's cancellation history in shopping data 121. The shopping data 121 will be described later.

[0035] When user X wishes to pay for items in the shopping list 33A at the checkout device 5, user X moves to area M1 with the items he or she wishes to purchase and presses operation button T5 on screen D4 shown in FIG. 4(b). When operation button T5 is pressed, screen D6 (accounting code reading screen D6) shown in FIG. 6(a) is displayed on the operation display unit 33 of the user terminal 3. Screen D6 is a screen that can read the identification code 4A (see FIG. 2) of the checkout device 5 that will perform the payment process (accounting). The identification code 4A is, for example, a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark). Operation button T5 is an operation button for specifying the payment process (accounting) at the checkout device 5.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 2, the identification code 4A is displayed on a notice board 4 installed near the entrance to area M1 of store 200. When user X captures (scans) the identification code 4A (see Fig. 2) on notice board 4 with camera 35 (see Fig. 11) of user terminal 3, a payment request is sent from user terminal 3 to management server 1, and a process is performed to verify the payment amount of the items in shopping list 33A. Until this verification process is completed, screen D7 (standby screen D7) shown in Fig. 6(b) is displayed on operation display unit 33 of user terminal 3.

[0037] When the settlement amount verification process is completed, screen D8 (amount confirmation screen D8) shown in FIG. 7(a), which shows the payment amount, is displayed on the operation display unit 33 of the user terminal 3. When user X presses operation button T7 (for amount confirmation) on screen D8, an amount confirmation request and information necessary for settlement (such as product information) are sent from the user terminal 3 to the settlement device 5, which executes the payment process. Note that operation button T7 is an operation button for confirming the payment amount and inputting approval.

[0038] Thereafter, the user X proceeds to the settlement device 5 corresponding to the number displayed on the screen D8 shown in FIG. 7(a), and executes the settlement process at the settlement device 5 based on the predetermined settlement method.

[0039] The settlement device 5 allows users to select payment methods such as cash, electronic money, prepaid cards, credit cards, and points issued by the store 200, and the user X selects one of the payment methods on the screen of the settlement device 5 and then performs the payment process by following the instructions displayed thereafter.

[0040] In this embodiment, when operation button T7 on screen D8 shown in Fig. 7(a) is pressed, screen D9 (settlement completion confirmation screen D9) shown in Fig. 7(b) is displayed on the operation display unit 33 of the user terminal 3. This screen D9 includes operation button T8 that can be operated by user X and a message urging the user to press operation button T8 after the settlement process at the settlement device 5 has been completed. Note that operation button T8 is an operation button that is provided with the intention of having the user operate it after the settlement process at the settlement device 5 has been completed.

[0041] When the operation button T8 is pressed on the screen D9 shown in FIG. 7(b) and the settlement completion is then confirmed by the settlement device 5, the user terminal 3 displays the screen D10 (exit code display screen D10) shown in FIG. 8(a) on the operation display unit 33, which includes a two-dimensional code Q for exiting the store (hereinafter referred to as the exit code Q). The exit code Q is, for example, a QR code (registered trademark). The exit code Q displayed on the operation display unit 33 is an example of the read information of the present invention.

[0042] When mobile payment is performed using the user terminal 3, user X proceeds to area M2, where mobile payment is available, and presses operation button T6 on screen D4 shown in FIG. 4(b) while in area M2. When operation button T6 (for mobile payment) is pressed, the user terminal 3 transmits payment information for the desired item in the shopping list 33A to the management server 1. Based on the payment information, the management server 1 transmits a payment request to the payment server 6. The payment server 6 executes payment processing using a payment system corresponding to the payment service provider. In this case, when operation button T6 on screen D4 shown in FIG. 4(b) is pressed and the completion of the mobile payment is confirmed, the user terminal 3 displays screen D10 (exit code display screen D10) shown in FIG. 8(a) containing the store exit code Q on the operation display unit 33. Operation button T6 is an operation button for specifying mobile payment as the payment method.

[0043] After completing the payment process at the settlement device 5 or the mobile payment using the user terminal 3, the user X holds the store exit code Q displayed on the user terminal 3 up to the reading camera 25 (see FIG. 8(b)) of the gate device 2. This causes the store exit process to be executed at the gate device 2.

[0044] In this embodiment, there are two types of store exit codes Q displayed on the operation display unit 33. Specifically, a first code Q1 (first read information) that does not include condition fulfillment information indicating that a predetermined condition described below is met, and a second code Q2 (second read information) that includes the condition fulfillment information are used as the store exit codes Q. Hereinafter, the first code Q1 and the second code Q2 will be collectively referred to as the store exit codes Q.

[0045] In this embodiment, the store exit process executed by the gate device 2 differs between when the first code Q1 is read by the gate device 2 and when the second code Q2 is read by the gate device 2.

[0046] When the gate device 2 acquires the information read from the store exit code Q, it performs store exit processing based on the acquired information.

[0047] For example, when the first code Q1 is read, the gate device 2 allows user X, who has read the first code Q1, to leave the store. Specifically, when the gate device 2 reads the first code Q1, it displays, for example, screen D11 shown in FIG. 9 on the display unit 23 of the gate device 2 and lights up the indicator light 26 in a color (e.g., green) indicating permission to pass through. This allows the store staff to understand, from the indicator light 26 turning green, that there is a low possibility that the items purchased by user X, who is about to pass through the gate device 2, include items that have not yet been paid for. In this case, the gate device 2 sends completion information (completion notice) to the management server 1 indicating that the shopping using the user terminal 3 has been completed.

[0048] Furthermore, for example, if the second code Q2 is read, the gate device 2 does not allow User X, who has read the second code Q2, to leave the store. Specifically, when the gate device 2 reads the second code Q2, it displays, for example, screen D12 shown in FIG. 10 on the display unit 23 of the gate device 2 and causes the indicator light 26 to light up or flash in a color indicating no passage (e.g., red). This forces the user to wait where they are until a store staff member arrives. Furthermore, the indicator light 26 lighting up or flashing red allows the store staff to know that the items purchased by User X, who is about to pass through the gate device 2, may include items that have not yet been paid for. In this case, the gate device 2 reserves the completion information without sending it to the management server 1.

[0049] If the gate device 2 is provided with a sound generating device such as a speaker or buzzer, the messages displayed on the screens D11 and D12 may be output as voice from the sound generating device. Alternatively, the sound generating device may not be activated when the first code Q1 is read, and may output a call sound to call a store staff member when the second code Q2 is read.

[0050] In this way, user X can shop at store 200.

[0051] The product sales system 100 of this embodiment supports and manages user shopping. In particular, the product sales system 100 can prevent and deter unauthorized purchases of products in stores, regardless of whether they are made by good or bad people.

[0052] The specific configuration of the product sales system 100 of this embodiment will be described below.

[0053] [User terminal 3] 11, the user terminal 3 includes a control unit 31, a memory unit 32, an operation display unit 33, a communication I / F 34, and a camera 35. The user terminal 3 is, for example, a rental operation terminal provided by the store 200 and used by the user while shopping in the store. The user terminal 3 is, for example, a portable terminal device such as a smartphone, a mobile phone, or a tablet terminal.

[0054] Camera 35 is a digital camera that captures an image of a subject and outputs the image as digital image data. For example, camera 35 captures an information code (barcode) attached to a product, an identification code 4A (see FIG. 2) on a notice board 4 installed in area M1, and the like.

[0055] The communication I / F 34 is a communication interface for connecting the user terminal 3 to the communication network N1 by wire or wirelessly and for executing data communication with the management server 1 via the communication network N1 in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol. The communication I / F 34 may also connect the user terminal 3 wirelessly (for example, by short-range wireless such as Bluetooth) to the communication network N2 and be capable of data communication with the gate device 2 via the communication network N2.

[0056] The operation display unit 33 is a user interface that includes a display unit such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display that displays various information, and an operation unit such as a mouse, keyboard, or touch panel that accepts user operations. In this embodiment, the operation display unit 33 is exemplified by a touch panel that combines a liquid crystal panel that displays various information with a pointing device that allows touch input.

[0057] The storage unit 32 is a non-volatile storage unit such as a flash memory that stores various types of information. For example, the storage unit 32 stores a control program such as a product sales program for causing the control unit 31 to execute a product sales process (see FIG. 13 ), which will be described later. For example, the product sales program is non-temporarily recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as an internet storage or a USB memory, and is read from the storage or the USB memory and stored in the storage unit 32. The recording medium may be, for example, a computer-readable CD or DVD, and the product sales program may be read by a reading device such as a CD drive or a DVD drive and stored in the storage unit 32.

[0058] The control unit 31 has control devices such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various types of arithmetic processing. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit that stores control programs for causing the CPU to execute various types of processing. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage unit that stores various types of information and is used as a temporary storage memory (work area) for the various types of processing executed by the CPU. The control unit 31 controls the user terminal 3 by having the CPU execute various control programs that are stored in advance in the ROM or the storage unit 32.

[0059] For example, when a shopping application (product sales program) for a user to use the user terminal 3 to shop at the store 200 is stored in the memory unit 32, the control unit 31 launches the shopping application, accepts the user's operations related to shopping, and executes each process.

[0060] In addition, if the user terminal 3 is owned by the user, for example, the user can register as a member of the store 200 in advance and download (install) the shopping application software program to the user terminal 3, thereby enabling the user to use the shopping application at the store 200 using their own user terminal 3.

[0061] The control unit 31 includes various processing units such as a reading processing unit 311, an input reception processing unit 312, a display processing unit 313 (an example of a display processing unit of the present invention), and an output processing unit 314. The control unit 31 functions as the various processing units by executing various processes in accordance with the control program using the CPU. Some or all of the processing units included in the control unit 31 may be configured with electronic circuits. The control program may be a program for causing multiple processors to function as the various processing units.

[0062] The reading processing unit 311 reads the information code (for example, a barcode) attached to the product based on the digital image data captured by the camera 35, and acquires product information (product name, price, etc.) relating to the product.

[0063] In addition, when the operation button T1 (manual input) provided on the screen D1 (see Figure 3(a)) is pressed to select a product that the user wishes to purchase from a list of products that do not have an information code, the reading processing unit 311 obtains product information about the selected product.

[0064] The product information acquired by the reading processing unit 311 is registered as a desired product in the shopping list 33A on the shopping application running on the user terminal 3.

[0065] Each time the product information registered in the shopping list 33A is registered, it is sent from the user terminal 3 to the management server 1 and registered as a product to be purchased in the shopping data 121 (see Figure 12) in the memory unit 12 of the management server 1.

[0066] In addition, the reading processing unit 311 reads the identification code 4A of the display board 4 installed in area M1 based on the digital image data captured by the camera 35, and obtains information (identification information) for identifying the settlement device 5 corresponding to the identification code 4A.

[0067] When an operation button on each screen displayed on the operation display unit 33 is operated, the input reception processing unit 312 acquires instruction information corresponding to the operation button.

[0068] Specifically, when operation button T5 or operation button T6 on screen D4 (see Figure 4(b)) is pressed, input reception processing unit 312 receives input of a payment execution instruction to execute the payment process for the desired item in shopping list 33A.

[0069] The display processing unit 313 causes the operation display unit 33 to display the store exit code Q (see FIG. 8( a )), which can be read by the gate device 2 of the store 200.

[0070] Specifically, when the display processing unit 313 receives the store exit code Q (first code Q1 or second code Q2) from the management server 1, it displays the store exit code Q on the operation display unit 33. For example, the display processing unit 313 may cause the store exit code Q to be displayed on the operation display unit 33 when an operation button T8 on screen D9 (see FIG. 7(b)) is pressed after the payment execution instruction has been input. The display processing unit 313 may also cause the store exit code Q to be displayed on the operation display unit 33 when an operation button T7 on screen D8 (see FIG. 7(a)) is pressed after the payment execution instruction has been input.

[0071] The store exit code Q can be generated by the management server 1 and obtained from the management server 1. The store exit code Q may also be generated by the user terminal 3. For example, when the management server 1 sends the condition fulfillment information and the payment completion notice described below to the user terminal 3 and the user terminal 3 receives the condition fulfillment information and the payment completion notice, the user terminal 3 may generate the second code Q2 including the condition fulfillment information. Furthermore, when the user terminal 3 receives only the payment completion notice, the user terminal 3 may generate the first code Q1 not including the condition fulfillment information.

[0072] In this embodiment, the display processing unit 313 displays the store exit code Q on the operation display unit 33 when the payment determination processing unit 115 described below determines that payment for the desired items in the shopping list 33A has been completed.

[0073] Furthermore, the display processing unit 313 displays the product information read by the reading processing unit 311 on the operation display unit 33 (see FIG. 3(b)).

[0074] The output processing unit 314 transmits the product information read by the reading processing unit 311 to the management server 1.

[0075] Furthermore, when a product that was once registered is deleted from the shopping list 33A by operating the operation button T4 on screen D3 or the selection key T41 or operation button T42 on screen D5, the output processing unit 314 sends a cancellation request for the deleted product (cancelled product) to the management server 1. Specifically, when the operation button T42 (for executing cancellation) is pressed, the output processing unit 314 sends the product cancellation execution instruction to the management server 1 to request the cancellation of the product to be canceled (cancelled product). Upon receiving the product cancellation execution instruction, the management server 1 deletes the product information of the canceled product from the "registered products" in the shopping data 121 (see FIG. 12), and further registers product cancellation information related to the cancellation of the product in the "cancellation history" of the shopping data 121.

[0076] Furthermore, when the user performs an operation in response to the payment execution instruction, the output processing unit 314 transmits information related to the payment (payment information) to the management server 1. The payment information includes information about the user (user ID, payment method, etc.), store identification information, etc. Based on the payment information, the management server 1 executes payment processing for registered products associated with the user ID, i.e., products registered in the shopping data 121.

[0077] When the payment is completed, the user holds the store exit code Q displayed on the operation display unit 33 over the gate device 2, causing the gate device 2 to read the store exit code Q. This causes the gate device 2 to execute a predetermined store exit process.

[0078] The control unit 31 may function as a browser processing unit by executing the above-mentioned processes in accordance with a browser program stored in the storage unit 32. For example, the browser processing unit can execute browser processing to display a web page provided from the management server 1 via the communication network N1 on the operation display unit 33 and input operations on the operation display unit 33 to the management server 1. In other words, the user terminal 3 can function as an operation terminal for the management server 1 by the control unit 31 executing the browser program.

[0079] [Administration Server 1] 11, the management server 1 is a server computer including a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, an operation display unit 13, and a communication I / F 14. The management server 1 is not limited to a single computer, but may be a computer system in which multiple computers operate in cooperation. Furthermore, one or multiple processors may execute various processes executed by the management server 1 in a distributed manner.

[0080] The communication I / F 14 is a communication interface that connects the management server 1 to the communication network N1 by wire or wirelessly and executes data communication with the user terminal 3 via the communication network N1 in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol. The communication I / F 14 also connects the management server 1 to the communication network N3 by wire or wirelessly and executes data communication with the gate device 2 via the communication network N3 in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol. The communication I / F 14 also connects the management server 1 to the communication network N4 by wire or wirelessly and executes data communication with the payment server 6 via the communication network N4 in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol.

[0081] The operation display unit 13 is a user interface that includes a display unit such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display that displays various information, and an operation unit such as a mouse, keyboard, or touch panel that accepts operations.

[0082] The storage unit 12 is a non-volatile storage unit that stores various types of information and includes a semiconductor memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flash memory, and the like.

[0083] Storage unit 12 stores control programs such as a product sales program for causing control unit 11 to execute a product sales process (see FIG. 13 ), which will be described later. For example, the product sales program is non-temporarily recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD or DVD, and is read by a reading device (not shown) such as a CD drive or DVD drive provided in management server 1 and stored in storage unit 12. Alternatively, the product sales program may be non-temporarily recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as an internet storage device or a USB memory, and may be read from the storage device or the USB memory and stored in storage unit 12.

[0084] The memory unit 12 also stores data such as shopping data 121. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the shopping data 121. In the shopping data 121, information related to shopping is registered for each user terminal 3 used by a user at the store 200. As shown in Fig. 12, the shopping data 121 includes information such as "terminal ID," which is identification information of the user terminal 3, "registered products," "product number," "cancellation history," and "payment status."

[0085] The registered product is information indicating registered products (products desired for purchase) that the user selected and registered (scanned) while shopping in the store. The number of products is information indicating the number of registered products.

[0086] The cancellation history indicates information (product cancellation information) regarding cancellation of a registered product (registered product) that a user registered while shopping in a store. Shopping data 121 shown in FIG. 12 includes, as cancellation history, an identifier "Yes" indicating that the registered product was canceled before payment and an identifier "No" indicating that cancellation was not performed until payment was completed. When a registered product is canceled, control unit 11 registers the identifier "Yes" indicating that cancellation was performed in the cancellation history field. When a cancellation is not performed, control unit 11 registers the identifier "No" indicating that cancellation was not performed in the cancellation history field. Although not shown in FIG. 12, when a registered product is canceled, the cancellation history includes, as the product cancellation information, product information such as the product name and price of the canceled product (cancelled product), the number of cancellations if multiple cancellations have been performed, and the number of canceled products.

[0087] The payment status is information indicating whether or not payment for the registered product has been completed. If payment has been completed, the control unit 11 registers the identifier "Completed" in the payment status field, indicating that payment has been completed. If payment has not been completed, the control unit 11 registers the identifier "Unsettled" in the payment status field, indicating that payment has not been completed. For example, when a user visits the store 200 and starts shopping (logs in to the shopping application), the control unit 11 registers the identifier "Unsettled" in the payment status field, and when the user's payment process is completed, the control unit 11 updates the identifier "Unsettled" to the identifier "Completed." The control unit 11 may also delete a paid record in which the identifier "Completed" has been registered from the shopping data 121 at a predetermined timing.

[0088] Furthermore, the storage unit 12 may also store information about the user (such as name, address, contact information, credit card information, number of points held, purchase history, etc.).

[0089] In another embodiment, part or all of the shopping data 121 may be stored in another server or network storage accessible from the management server 1 via the communication network N4. In this case, the control unit 11 of the management server 1 may acquire various information from the server or the like as needed to execute each process, such as the product sales process. In another embodiment, part or all of the shopping data 121 may be stored in the user terminal 3. In this case, the control unit 11 of the management server 1 may acquire various information from the user terminal 3 as needed to execute each process, such as the product sales process.

[0090] The control unit 11 has control devices such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various types of arithmetic processing. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit in which control programs for causing the CPU to execute various types of arithmetic processing are stored in advance. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage unit that stores various types of information and is used as a temporary storage memory (work area) for the various types of processing executed by the CPU. The control unit 11 controls the management server 1 by having the CPU execute various control programs that are stored in advance in the ROM or the storage unit 12.

[0091] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11 , the control unit 11 includes various processing units such as an acquisition processing unit 111, a registration processing unit 112 (an example of a registration processing unit of the present invention), a cancellation processing unit 113 (an example of a cancellation processing unit of the present invention), a payment processing unit 114, a payment determination processing unit 115, a cancellation determination processing unit 116 (an example of a first determination processing unit of the present invention), an output processing unit 117 (an example of an output processing unit of the present invention), a type determination processing unit 118 (an example of a second determination processing unit of the present invention), and a code generation processing unit 119. Note that the control unit 11 functions as the various processing units by executing various processes in accordance with the product sales program using the CPU. Also, some or all of the processing units included in the control unit 11 may be configured with electronic circuits. Note that the product sales program may be a program for causing multiple processors to function as the various processing units.

[0092] The acquisition processing unit 111 performs processing to acquire product information read by the user terminal 3 while the user is shopping. For example, when the camera 35 of the user terminal 3 captures (scans) an image of an information code (barcode) attached to a product that the user wishes to purchase (a product desired to be purchased), the user terminal 3 reads product information (product name, price, type, etc.) of the product desired to be purchased and transmits it to the management server 1. The acquisition processing unit 111 acquires the product information from the user terminal 3.

[0093] The registration processing unit 112 performs a process of registering product information (product name, price, type, etc.) of the product desired to be purchased that the user inputs by operating the user terminal 3. Specifically, the registration processing unit 112 registers the product information of the product desired to be purchased acquired by the acquisition processing unit 111 in shopping data 121 (see FIG. 12) as a product to be paid for. When the acquisition processing unit 111 acquires the product information of the product desired to be purchased from each of the multiple user terminals 3, the registration processing unit 112 accumulates the product information in shopping data 121 for each user terminal 3.

[0094] Furthermore, when a user performs a cancellation operation for a registered product using the user terminal 3 while shopping, the acquisition processing unit 111 performs processing to acquire information about the product to be canceled along with a product cancellation execution instruction, which is a request to cancel the product to be canceled. For example, when a user selects a desired product displayed in the display frame 33B and presses the operation button T42 (cancel execution key), the user terminal 3 transmits the product cancellation execution instruction for the desired product to be canceled and product information about the product (product name, price, type, etc.) to the management server 1. The acquisition processing unit 111 acquires the product cancellation execution instruction, etc. from the user terminal 3.

[0095] The cancellation processing unit 113 performs processing to cancel the registration of the registered product registered by the registration processing unit 112 in response to the cancellation operation by the user on the user terminal 3. Specifically, the cancellation processing unit 113 deletes the corresponding product information from the shopping data 121 (see FIG. 12 ) based on the product cancellation execution instruction acquired by the acquisition processing unit 111 and the product information of the product to be canceled. Furthermore, the cancellation processing unit 113 registers, as the cancellation history, in the shopping data 121 the identifier "Yes" indicating that the registration has been canceled, the product cancellation information including the product information of the canceled product, etc.

[0096] The payment processing unit 114 executes payment processing for the products. Specifically, when the user inputs a payment instruction for the products in the shopping cart into the payment device 5, the payment processing unit 114 acquires payment information transmitted from the payment device 5. Furthermore, when the user inputs a payment instruction for the mobile payment into the user terminal 3, the payment processing unit 114 acquires payment information transmitted from the user terminal 3. The payment processing unit 114 transmits payment authentication information (payment request) to the payment server 6 that provides electronic payment services at the payment service provider identified by the information included in the payment information (information about the payment service provider), and executes payment processing for the amount charged for the products. The payment authentication information includes the amount included in the payment information (amount charged), the user's ID and password, store identification information, etc.

[0097] When the payment process is completed, the payment processing unit 114 registers the payment status ("Completed" or "Unsettled") in the shopping data 121 (see FIG. 11). For example, when a user logs in to the shopping application, the payment processing unit 114 registers the identifier "Unsettled" in the payment status field in the shopping data 121, and when the user's payment process is completed, the payment processing unit 114 updates the identifier "Unsettled" to the identifier "Completed." Note that the control unit 11 may delete from the shopping data 121 a record in which the identifier "Completed" is registered at a predetermined time.

[0098] Possible payment methods include credit cards, electronic money, prepaid cards, points, etc.

[0099] The payment determination processing unit 115 determines whether the payment process for the items in the shopping cart has been completed. The payment determination processing unit 115 determines whether the payment has been completed by referencing the information in the payment status item of the shopping data 121. Alternatively, the payment determination processing unit 115 determines that the payment has been completed when a payment completion notice is received from the settlement device 5. Alternatively, the payment determination processing unit 115 determines that the payment has been completed when a payment completion notice indicating that the payment for the electronic payment service by the payment processing unit 114 has been completed is received from the payment server 6.

[0100] The cancellation determination processing unit 116 performs processing to determine whether or not a predetermined condition is satisfied based on the cancellation content of the registered product by the cancellation processing unit 113. In this embodiment, based on the predetermined condition, it determines whether or not the cancellation of the registered product from the user terminal 3 to be determined differs from the cancellation state of registered products performed by a typical shopper. In other words, the cancellation determination processing unit 116 determines whether or not the cancellation of the registered product from the user terminal 3 to be determined is an irregular cancellation.

[0101] One example of the predetermined condition is that the cancellation product whose registration has been cancelled by the cancellation processing unit 113 is a product with a sales price equal to or greater than a predetermined amount. That is, the cancellation determination processing unit 116 determines whether the sales price of the cancellation product is equal to or greater than the predetermined amount. If the sales price of the cancellation product is equal to or greater than the predetermined amount, the cancellation of the cancellation product can be determined to be an irregular cancellation that differs from a typical cancellation pattern. In this case, the predetermined amount may be arbitrarily determined based on the price of each product sold at the store 200, or may be determined based on the average purchase price (average price per product) of each user at the store 200. For example, the predetermined amount is set to an amount obtained by multiplying the average purchase price by a predetermined increase rate (a rate equal to or greater than 1).

[0102] Another example of the predetermined condition is whether the number of cancellations of a registered product that has already been registered is equal to or greater than a predetermined number. That is, the cancellation determination processing unit 116 determines whether the number of cancellations of a registered product that has already been registered is equal to or greater than a predetermined number. If it is determined that the number of cancellations is equal to or greater than the predetermined number, it can be determined that the cancellation of the registered product is an irregular cancellation that differs from typical cancellation patterns. In this case, the predetermined number may be determined arbitrarily, or may be determined based on the average number of cancellations of each user at the store 200. For example, the predetermined number is set to the number obtained by multiplying the average number of cancellations by a predetermined increase rate (a rate of 1 or greater).

[0103] Another example of the predetermined condition is that a cancellation operation for a registered product that has already been registered has been performed consecutively. In other words, the cancellation determination processing unit 116 determines whether a cancellation operation for a registered product that has already been registered has been performed consecutively. For example, if it is determined that the cancellation operation has been performed a predetermined number of times consecutively, it can be determined that the cancellation of the registered product is an irregular cancellation that differs from a typical cancellation pattern. In this case, the set number of times may be determined arbitrarily, or may be determined based on the average number of consecutive times for each user at the store 200. For example, the set number of times is set to the number obtained by multiplying the average number of consecutive times by a predetermined increase rate (a rate of 1 or more).

[0104] Another example of the predetermined condition is the cancellation of the registration of multiple registered products among two or more registered products. That is, the cancellation determination processing unit 116 determines whether the registration of multiple registered products among two or more registered products has been canceled. For example, if n (two or more) registered products are registered and a predetermined set number k1 (k1 is a positive integer less than n) of registered products are canceled, the cancellation of the registered products can be determined to be an irregular cancellation that differs from a typical cancellation pattern. The set number k1 may be set arbitrarily or based on the average number of canceled products for each user at the store 200. For example, the set number k1 is set to a value obtained by multiplying the average number of canceled products by a predetermined increase rate (a rate of 1 or more). Note that the greater the number of canceled products, the more likely it is an irregular cancellation.

[0105] Another example of the predetermined condition is when the registration of multiple registered products of the same type has been cancelled. In other words, when two or more registered products of the same type have been registered, the cancellation determination processing unit 116 determines whether the registration of multiple registered products has been cancelled. For example, when n (two or more) beverages have been registered as registered products, if a predetermined number k2 (k2 is a positive integer less than n) of beverages (registered products) have been cancelled, the cancellation of the registered products can be determined to be an irregular cancellation that differs from a typical cancellation pattern. The predetermined number k2 can be set arbitrarily. Note that when a large number of registered products of the same type are registered, the greater the number of cancellations of registered products of the same type, the greater the likelihood of irregular cancellation.

[0106] When the cancellation determination processing unit 116 determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied, the output processing unit 117 outputs predetermined information to notify the outside. Specifically, the output processing unit 117 outputs information according to the determination result by the cancellation determination processing unit 116 to notify the outside.

[0107] When a purchase is cancelled, the customer must remove the cancelled item from the shopping basket or cart and return it to the display shelf. If the customer pays for the cancelled item without returning it to the shelf, the customer will leave the store without paying for the cancelled item, resulting in a fraudulent purchase, regardless of whether or not there was any fraudulent intent. In particular, in so-called self-checkout systems where customers themselves scan and register product information codes, such fraudulent purchases are easily overlooked.

[0108] In response to such a situation, in the product sales system 100 of this embodiment, in view of the fact that the fraudulent purchase is more likely to occur when the cancellation of a registered product differs from the cancellation state of a registered product performed by a typical shopper, when the cancellation determination processing unit 116 determines that the specified conditions are met, the output processing unit 117 outputs the specified information.

[0109] For example, when the output destination is a display panel (an example of a notification unit) provided in the store 200, an information terminal (an example of a notification unit) carried by a store staff member, or an information terminal (an example of a notification unit) installed in the backroom or management room of the store 200, the predetermined information is irregular cancellation information indicating that an irregular product cancellation has been made. The irregular cancellation information is information to be notified to store staff and store personnel, and includes information such as a message that a user has made an irregular cancellation, information about the user, and a request to check the products purchased by the user at the gate device 2.

[0110] Furthermore, if the output destination is an in-store speaker (an example of an alarm unit) installed in store 200, the irregular cancellation information (predetermined information) is information indicating that a user has performed an irregular cancellation, and is a voice message, alarm sound, music, etc. that can only be understood by store staff and store personnel.

[0111] Furthermore, when the output destination is an in-store indicator light (an example of an alarm unit) such as an LED or rotating light installed in the store 200, or the indicator light 26 (an example of an alarm unit) of the gate device 2, the irregular cancellation information (predetermined information) is information indicating that a user has performed an irregular cancellation, and is, for example, a display signal that lights up in a color or lighting pattern that can only be understood by store staff or store personnel.

[0112] Furthermore, when the output destination is the display unit 23 (an example of a notification unit) of the gate device 2 installed in the store 200, the predetermined information is a waiting message (see FIG. 10) that urges the user who has read the store exit code Q to wait where they are until a store staff member arrives. In this case, the predetermined information may also be a message informing the user that the purchased items may include unpaid items, or a message indicating that a store staff member will check the purchased items.

[0113] The output destination of the wait message may be the user terminal 3 used by the user for shopping. In this case, the wait message is displayed on the operation display unit 33 of the user terminal 3.

[0114] The type determination processing unit 118 performs processing to determine whether a registered product newly registered after cancellation by the cancellation processing unit 113 is a product of the same type or category as the canceled product. The type of product is included in the product's information code, and when the information code is read, the type of product is also acquired as product information and registered in shopping data 121 (see FIG. 12). The type determination processing unit 118 refers to shopping data 121 (see FIG. 12) to determine whether the registered product newly registered after cancellation of a product is a product of the same type as the canceled product.

[0115] Even if the cancellation determination processing unit 116 determines that a cancellation is irregular because a product has been cancelled, if a new product of the same type is subsequently registered, it is unlikely that the cancellation of the previously cancelled product is irregular. In this case, for example, it is highly likely that a user mistakenly registered an unintended product, cancelled the registration of that product, and re-registered another product of the same type. Alternatively, it is highly likely that a user registered a product they wanted to purchase, but then discovered a more desirable product, cancelled the registration of the previously registered product, and re-registered another product of the same type in order to exchange it. In such cases, because the user has a strong desire to exchange the product, it is highly likely that when re-registering the product, they will return the previously registered product of the same type to the shelf. In such cases, the likelihood of a fraudulent purchase is low, and therefore it is considered unlikely that the above-mentioned predetermined information needs to be output for the cancellation.

[0116] Therefore, the output processing unit 117 does not output the specified information when the type determination processing unit 118 determines that the product is a similar product, and outputs and notifies the user of the specified information when the product is not determined to be a similar product.

[0117] For example, if the registration of n meat products is cancelled and then k other meat products are registered, the type determination processing unit 118 will determine that the newly registered products are of the same type (similar products) as the cancelled products. It is preferable that the number n of cancelled products and the number k of newly registered products of the same type are the same (n=k), but even if the difference in quantity between the number n and the number k is within a predetermined allowable range, the type determination processing unit 118 may determine that the n cancelled products and the k newly registered products are similar products.

[0118] It is not necessary that the number n of cancelled products and the number k of newly registered similar products are the same or the difference between them is within an acceptable range, but the number n and the number k may be significantly different.

[0119] For example, if the difference in price between the total sales amount of n canceled products and the total sales amount of k registered products is not within a predetermined allowable range, the type determination processing unit 118 may determine that these are similar products.

[0120] Also, for example, if the product information code includes the weight or volume of the product's contents, the type determination processing unit 118 may determine that the products are of the same type if the total weight or volume of n canceled products and the total weight or volume of k registered products are approximately the same or the difference is within a specified allowable range.

[0121] The code generation processing unit 119 generates the store exit code Q to be read by the gate device 2 when leaving the store. Specifically, when the payment process is completed or when the control unit 11 receives a notification of completion of payment by cash or the like from the settlement device 5, the control unit 11 generates the store exit code Q including the terminal ID of the user terminal 3, the product information on the purchased product, and payment completion information.

[0122] In this embodiment, the code generation processing unit 119 generates either the first code Q1 or the second code Q2 as the store exit code Q. Specifically, when the cancellation determination processing unit 116 determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied, the code generation processing unit 119 generates, as the store exit code Q, the second code Q2 including the condition satisfaction information, which includes an identifier indicating that the predetermined condition is satisfied and output information to be output to the display unit 23 and the indicator light 26 of the gate device 2. Furthermore, when the cancellation determination processing unit 116 does not determine that the predetermined condition is satisfied, the code generation processing unit 119 generates, as the store exit code Q, the first code Q1 which does not include the condition satisfaction information.

[0123] The output processing unit 117 transmits the store exit code Q (the first code Q1 or the second code Q2) generated by the code generation processing unit 119 to the user terminal 3.

[0124] When the user terminal 3 acquires the store exit code Q from the management server 1, it displays the store exit code Q on the operation display unit 33, as shown in FIG. 8(a). In order to leave the store, the user must hold the store exit code Q displayed on the user terminal 3 over the gate device 2 to have it read. Once the store exit code Q is read, the gate device 2 performs the store exit process.

[0125] [Gate device 2] 11, the gate device 2 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a display unit 23, a communication I / F 24, a camera 25, and an indicator light 26. The gate device 2 is placed near the exit of the store 200.

[0126] The camera 25 is a digital camera that captures an image of a subject and outputs the image as digital image data. For example, the camera 25 captures an image of the store exit code Q of the user terminal 3 held up to the gate device 2.

[0127] The indicator light 26 is provided at the upper end of a support pole extending upward from the main body of the gate device 2. The indicator light 26 is a light-emitting unit that emits light of a predetermined color. The indicator light 26 lights up in a color according to a command from the control unit 21, or flashes or lights up according to a predetermined lighting pattern.

[0128] The communication I / F 24 connects the gate device 2 to a communication network N3 such as a wired LAN or a wireless LAN (in-store LAN), and enables data communication with the management server 1 via the communication network N3. The communication I / F 24 may also connect the gate device 2 to a wireless (for example, short-range wireless such as Bluetooth) communication network N2, and enable data communication with the user terminal 3 via the communication network N2.

[0129] The display unit 23 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display that displays various types of information.

[0130] The storage unit 22 is a non-volatile storage unit such as a flash memory that stores various types of information. For example, the storage unit 22 stores a control program such as a merchandise sales program for causing the control unit 21 to execute a merchandise sales process (see FIG. 12 ), which will be described later. For example, the merchandise sales process is non-temporarily recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD or a DVD, and is read by a reading device (not shown) such as a CD drive or a DVD drive electrically connected to the gate device 2 and stored in the storage unit 22. The merchandise sales program may also be non-temporarily recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as an internet storage device or a USB memory, and may be read from the storage device or the USB memory and stored in the storage unit 22.

[0131] The control unit 21 has control devices such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various types of arithmetic processing. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit that pre-stores control programs for causing the CPU to execute various types of processing. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage unit that stores various types of information and is used as a temporary storage memory (work area) for the various types of processing executed by the CPU. The control unit 21 controls the gate device 2 by having the CPU execute various control programs pre-stored in the ROM or the storage unit 22.

[0132] Specifically, control unit 21 includes various processing units such as reading processing unit 211, determination processing unit 212, notification processing unit 213, and output processing unit 214 (an example of an output processing unit of the present invention). Control unit 21 functions as the various processing units by executing various processes in accordance with the product sales program using the CPU. Some or all of the processing units included in control unit 21 may be configured with electronic circuits. The product sales program may be a program for causing multiple processors to function as the various processing units.

[0133] When a user holds the store exit code Q displayed on the user terminal 3 up to the camera 35, the reading processing unit 211 acquires an image of the store exit code Q captured by the camera 35 and reads information contained in the store exit code Q. Specifically, the reading processing unit 211 reads the store exit code Q and acquires the terminal ID of the user terminal 3, product information, and information indicating the payment status (payment completion information).

[0134] Furthermore, the reading processing unit 211 also acquires the condition fulfillment information if the condition fulfillment information is included in the store exit code Q. That is, when the reading processing unit 211 acquires an image of the second code Q2 captured by the camera 35, it reads the information included in the second code Q2.

[0135] The determination processing unit 212 determines whether the payment is complete or incomplete based on the payment status acquired by the reading processing unit 211. If the acquired store exit code Q does not include the payment completion information, the determination processing unit 212 determines that the payment is incomplete. On the other hand, if the acquired store exit code Q includes the payment completion information, the determination processing unit 212 determines that the payment has been completed.

[0136] Furthermore, if the acquired store exit code Q includes the condition fulfillment information, the determination processing unit 212 determines that the irregular cancellation described above has been performed on the user terminal 3 with the terminal ID included in the store exit code Q. The store exit code Q read in this case is the second code Q2.

[0137] Furthermore, if the acquired store exit code Q does not include the condition fulfillment information, the determination processing unit 212 determines that a cancellation suspected of fraudulent purchase has not been made at the user terminal 3 with the terminal ID included in the store exit code Q. The store exit code Q read in this case is the first code Q1.

[0138] The notification processor 213 notifies information according to the determination result by the determination processor 212. Specifically, if the store exit code Q read by the gate device 2 from the user terminal 3 does not include the payment completion information, the notification processor 213 displays a warning message indicating that the payment has not been completed on the display unit 23, and also lights or flashes the indicator light 26 in a predetermined color (e.g., red) corresponding to the unpaid transaction.

[0139] In addition, if the store exit code Q read by the gate device 2 from the user terminal 3 is the first code Q1, that is, if the store exit code Q includes the payment completion information and does not include the condition fulfillment information, the notification processing unit 213 displays an exit guidance message (see Figure 9) indicating that the payment has been completed on the display unit 23, and also lights up the indicator light 26 in a predetermined color (e.g., green) corresponding to the completion of the payment.

[0140] Furthermore, if the exit code Q read by the gate device 2 from the user terminal 3 is the second code Q2, that is, if the exit code Q includes the payment completion information and the condition fulfillment information, the notification processing unit 213 displays a waiting message (see Figure 10) on the display unit 23 requesting the user to wait for a while while an attendant is being called to confirm the purchased items, and also lights or flashes the indicator light 26 in a predetermined color (e.g., yellow) corresponding to the waiting request.

[0141] If the exit code Q contains the payment completion information and does not contain the condition fulfillment information, the output processing unit 214 transmits completion information indicating that the user has finished shopping (left the store) to the management server 1. When the control unit 11 of the management server 1 receives the completion information, it deletes the record of the corresponding terminal ID from the shopping data 121.

[0142] Here, by checking the color of the indicator light 26 when the customer holds the exit code Q over the gate device 2, the store staff can determine whether the customer who is about to pass through the gate device 2 has made the payment properly or is a fraudster who is about to leave the store without making a payment.

[0143] Furthermore, by checking the color of the indicator light 26 of the gate device 2, the store staff can determine whether or not the user is the user who performed the irregular cancellation and is likely to be attempting to make the fraudulent purchase by taking unpaid merchandise out of the store.

[0144] For example, when the store staff sees that the indicator light 26 is lit green, they can understand that the user who is about to pass through the gate device 2 has made an appropriate payment.

[0145] Furthermore, when store staff sees the indicator light 26 lit or flashing red, they can determine that the user passing through the gate device 2 is a fraudster who is trying to leave the store without making a payment. In this case, the alarm processing unit 213 displays the warning message indicating that payment has not been made on the display unit 23, so the user himself can also determine that payment has not been made. When the store staff sees the content displayed by the indicator light 26, they rush to the gate device 2 and urge the user to complete the payment process (checkout). The alarm processing unit 213 may also cause the gate device 2 to output an alarm sound with a sound pattern or tone that allows store staff to identify that payment has not been made, or may increase the flashing speed of the indicator light 26. The alarm processing unit 213 may also notify the information terminal used by the store staff to perform payment confirmation work.

[0146] Furthermore, when a store staff member sees the indicator light 26 lit or flashing yellow, the store staff member recognizes that the user attempting to pass through the gate device 2 is a user who has made a payment but has irregularly canceled the transaction and is likely to have made a fraudulent purchase by removing unpaid items. In this case, the alarm processing unit 213 displays the wait message on the display unit 23, forcing the user to wait where they are until an attendant arrives. Upon seeing the display content of the indicator light 26, the store staff member rushes to the gate device 2 and compares the purchased items in the bag the user is attempting to remove with the product information regarding the items actually paid for to confirm whether the purchased items include unpaid items. If unpaid items are included, the store staff member prompts the user to complete payment (checkout) for the unpaid items. If the purchased items do not include unpaid items, the store staff member prompts the user to leave the store. The alarm processing unit 213 may also cause the gate device 2 to output a warning sound with a sound pattern or tone that can identify the fraudulent purchase, or increase the flashing rate of the indicator light 26. The notification processor 213 may also notify the information terminal used by the store staff to carry out work on the purchased item.

[0147] In another embodiment, the gate device 2 may include an openable gate (door). When the gate is opened and the passage is open, the user can pass through the gate passage, and when the gate is closed and the passage is blocked, the user cannot pass through the gate passage. The gate may be configured as a physical door that can be opened and closed, or may be an electronic door that uses light, or may be an audio door that allows or prohibits the user from passing through by audio. For example, the control unit 21 closes the gate if payment has not been completed or if there is a high possibility of fraudulent purchase, and opens the gate if payment has been completed.

[0148] [Product sales processing] Hereinafter, the product sales process executed in the product sales system 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 13. For example, the product sales process is started when a user logs in to the shopping application using the user terminal 3 at the store 200 (see Fig. 2). Note that the product sales process may be terminated midway in response to a predetermined operation performed by the user on the user terminal 3.

[0149] Note that one or more steps included in the product sales process described here may be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, the steps in the product sales process may be executed in a different order as long as the same operational effect is achieved. Furthermore, while the explanation here takes as an example a case where the control unit 11 of the management server 1, the control unit 21 of the gate device 2, and the control unit 31 of the user terminal 3 execute the steps in the product sales process, in other embodiments, the steps in the product sales process may be executed in a distributed manner by multiple other processors.

[0150] <Step S1> In step S1, the control unit 31 of the user terminal 3 and the control unit 11 of the management server 1 execute a login process to log in to the shopping application. For example, when a user visits the store 200 and starts the shopping application on the user terminal 3, the control unit 31 of the user terminal 3 sends the terminal ID of the user terminal 3 to the management server 1, and the control unit 11 of the management server 1 permits the login and registers the terminal ID in the shopping data 121 (see FIG. 12).

[0151] <Step S2> In step S2, the control unit 31 of the user terminal 3 acquires information about the product (product name, price, type, etc.) that the user scanned with the camera 35 of the user terminal 3. For example, when the user scans a barcode of a product with the camera 35 of the user terminal 3, the control unit 31 reads the barcode and acquires the product information (product name, price, type, etc.). The control unit 31 transmits the acquired product information to the management server 1.

[0152] <Step S3> In step S3, when the control unit 11 of the management server 1 acquires the product information transmitted from the user terminal 3, it registers the product as a registered product in the shopping data 121. For example, when acquiring product information from the user terminal 3 of the user, the control unit 11 registers the product information as a product in the user's cart in the shopping data 121 (see FIG. 10). Note that step S3 is an example of a registration step of the present invention.

[0153] <Step S4> In step S4, the control unit 31 of the user terminal 3 determines whether or not the product cancellation execution instruction has been received from the user. For example, when the user presses the operation button T42 on the operation screen (see FIG. 5(a)), the control unit 31 receives the product cancellation execution instruction. If the control unit 31 receives the product cancellation execution instruction from the user (S4: Yes), the control unit 31 shifts the process to step S5. On the other hand, if the control unit 31 does not receive the product cancellation execution instruction from the user (S4: No), the control unit 31 shifts the process to step S8.

[0154] <Step S5> Upon receiving the product cancellation execution instruction, in step S5, the control unit 31 of the user terminal 3 transmits the product cancellation information for canceling the product to the management server 1. For example, the control unit 31 of the user terminal 3 transmits product cancellation information to the management server 1, including the terminal ID of the user terminal 3 and product information (product name, price, type, etc.) of the registered product to be canceled.

[0155] <Step S6> When the control unit 11 of the management server 1 acquires the product cancellation information from the user terminal 3, the control unit 11 executes a product cancellation process in step S6. For example, the control unit 11 deletes the product indicated by the product cancellation information from the registered products associated with the terminal ID of the user terminal 3 used by the user in the shopping data 121. Step S6 is an example of a cancellation step of the present invention.

[0156] <Step S7> When the product cancellation process is completed, in the next step S7, the control unit 11 of the management server 1 registers the product cancellation information relating to the cancellation of the product in the cancellation history item of the shopping data 121.

[0157] <Step S8> If the product cancellation execution instruction has not been acquired, in step S8, the control unit 31 of the user terminal 3 determines whether or not the payment execution instruction has been acquired from the user. For example, when the user presses operation button T3 on the operation screen (see FIG. 4(a)), the control unit 31 acquires the payment execution instruction. If the control unit 31 acquires the payment execution instruction from the user (S8: Yes), it shifts the process to step S9. On the other hand, if the control unit 31 does not acquire the payment execution instruction from the user (S8: No), it shifts the process to step S2. The control unit 31 of the user terminal 3 and the control unit 11 of the management server 1 repeatedly execute the processes from step S2 onwards until the payment execution instruction is acquired from the user.

[0158] <Step S9> If the payment execution instruction is an instruction to execute a mobile payment, in step S9, the control unit 31 of the user terminal 3 transmits payment information required for the mobile payment to the management server 1. For example, the control unit 31 of the user terminal 3 transmits payment information including information about the user (user ID, payment method, etc.), store identification information, etc. to the management server 1.

[0159] On the other hand, if the payment execution instruction is an instruction to execute payment at the settlement device 5, the control unit 31 does not transmit the payment information, and waits for a payment completion notification in the next step S15.

[0160] When a user executes a payment process on the settlement device 5, if a payment method other than cash payment is selected, the settlement device 5 transmits payment information to the management server 1. Note that if cash payment is selected, once the payment is completed, the settlement device 5 transmits a payment completion notification to the management server 1 and the user terminal 3.

[0161] <Step S10> When the control unit 11 of the management server 1 acquires the payment information from the user terminal 3 or the settlement device 5, it executes the payment process in step S10. For example, the control unit 11 executes the payment process by sending payment authentication information (payment request) to the payment server 6 for the total amount (billing amount) of registered products associated with the terminal ID of the user terminal 3 used by the user in the shopping data 121. When the payment process is completed, the payment server 6 sends a payment completion notification.

[0162] <Step S11> In step S11, the control unit 11 of the management server 1 determines whether or not the payment completion notice has been received.

[0163] <Step S12> Upon receiving the payment completion notice, in step S12, the control unit 11 of the management server 1 registers the identifier "Completed" in the payment status item of the shopping data 121. The control unit 11 also transmits the payment completion notice to the user terminal 3.

[0164] <Step S13> When the payment process is completed, in step S13, the control unit 11 performs a code generation process to generate the store exit code Q including the payment completion information. Specifically, the control unit 11 generates either the first code Q1 or the second code Q2 as the store exit code Q. The code generation process will be described later using FIG. 14 etc.

[0165] <Step S14> In step S14, the control unit 11 transmits information about the generated store exit code Q to the user terminal 3.

[0166] <Step S15> In step S15, the control unit 31 of the user terminal 3 determines whether or not a payment completion notice has been received.

[0167] <Step S16> When the payment completion notice is received and the store exit code Q is also received, the control unit 31 of the user terminal 3 performs a code display process to display the store exit code Q on the operation display unit 33 in step S16.

[0168] <Step S17> In step S11, the control unit 21 of the gate device 2 reads the store exit code Q displayed on the user terminal 3. For example, when a user holds the store exit code Q displayed on the operation display unit 33 of the user terminal 3 up to the camera 25 of the gate device 2, the control unit 21 reads the store exit code Q and acquires information such as the payment completion information included in the store exit code Q.

[0169] <Step S18> In step S18, the control unit 21 of the gate device 2 performs a store exit determination process based on the information read from the store exit code Q. The store exit determination process will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0170] <Step S19> In the store exit determination process of step S18, if the payment completion information is acquired from the store exit code Q but the condition fulfillment information is not acquired, in step S19, the control unit 21 of the gate device 2 sends completion information indicating that the user has properly performed the payment process and properly finished shopping (left the store) to the management server 1. Note that if the control unit 21 does not acquire the payment completion information from the store exit code Q or acquires the condition fulfillment information, it is considered that the user is likely to be a person (a fraudster or fraudulent purchaser) who has not properly performed the payment process and is trying to take unpaid items outside the gate device 2. In this case, the control unit 21 does not send the completion information to the management server 1.

[0171] <Step S20> In step S20, when the control unit 11 of the management server 1 acquires the completion information from the gate device 2, the control unit 11 deletes the record of the shopping data 121.

[0172] When the record of the shopping data 121 is deleted, the merchandise sales system 100 ends the merchandise sales process. The merchandise sales system 100 executes the merchandise sales process in parallel for each user.

[0173] [Notification process (first processing example)] Hereinafter, a first processing example of the notification processing executed in the product sales system 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 14, and a notification method of the present invention will be described. Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the first processing example of the notification processing. This processing includes the code generation processing of step S13 in Fig. 13.

[0174] <Step S31> When the notice of completion of payment is received in step S11 of FIG. 13, the control unit 11 of the management server 1 determines in step S31 whether the cancellation history is registered in the shopping data 121 or not.

[0175] <Step S32> If the cancellation history is not registered in the shopping data 121, in step S32, the control unit 11 generates the first code Q1 that does not include the condition fulfillment information as the store exit code Q. The generated store exit code Q (first code Q1) is sent to the user terminal 3 (see step S14 in FIG. 13). Then, the process proceeds to step S35. Step S32 is an example of the code generation process in step S13 in FIG. 13.

[0176] <Step S33> If the cancellation history is registered in shopping data 121, in step S33, control unit 11 performs a condition satisfaction determination process to determine whether the predetermined condition is satisfied by referring to the product cancellation information included in the cancellation history and product information of the registered product registered in shopping data 121. Step S33 is an example of a determination step of the present invention. The condition satisfaction determination process is executed by cancellation determination processing unit 116 of control unit 11 (see FIG. 11).

[0177] <Step S34> If it is determined in the condition satisfaction determination process of step S33 that the predetermined condition is satisfied, then in the next step S34, the control unit 11 generates the second code Q2 including the condition satisfaction information as the store exit code Q. The condition satisfaction information includes an identifier indicating that the predetermined condition has been satisfied, and output information that is output to the display unit 23 and the indicator light 26 of the gate device 2. The generated store exit code Q (second code Q2) is sent to the user terminal 3 (see step S14 of FIG. 13), and then the process proceeds to step S35. Step S34 is an example of the code generation process of step S13 of FIG. 13.

[0178] <Step S35> In step S35, the control unit 11 determines whether or not a second code read notification indicating that the second code Q2 has been read has been received from the gate device 2. The second code read notification is transmitted from the gate device 2 to the management server 1 in a store exit determination process executed by the gate device 2, which will be described later.

[0179] <Step S36> Upon receiving the second code read notification, in step S36, the control unit 11 performs a process of outputting predetermined information to notify the outside. Step S36 is an example of an output step of the present invention. In this case, the predetermined information is irregular cancellation information indicating that the above-mentioned irregular product cancellation has been performed. The irregular cancellation information is information to notify store staff and store personnel, and includes, for example, information that a user has performed the above-mentioned irregular cancellation, information about the user, a message requesting that the gate device 2 check the purchased products of the user, etc. Specifically, the control unit 11 outputs the irregular cancellation information (predetermined information) to a display panel (an example of an alarm unit) installed in the store 200, an information terminal carried by store staff (an example of an alarm unit), an information terminal (an example of an alarm unit) installed in the back room or management room of the store 200, etc., and causes the irregular cancellation information to be displayed on the screen of each device, causes an indicator light installed in each device to light up or flash in a display color corresponding to the irregular cancellation information, and causes each device to emit a warning sound corresponding to the irregular cancellation information.

[0180] In addition, the control unit 11 outputs voice messages, alarm sounds, music, etc. that can only be understood by store staff and store personnel as output information corresponding to the irregular cancellation information (predetermined information) from an in-store speaker (an example of an alarm unit).

[0181] Furthermore, the control unit 11 lights up an in-store indicator light (an example of a notification unit) such as an LED or a rotating light in a color (e.g., yellow) or a lighting pattern that can only be recognized by store staff or store personnel, as output information corresponding to the irregular cancellation information (predetermined information). The in-store indicator light may be the indicator light 26 of the gate device 2.

[0182] In the above-described first processing example, the irregular cancellation information is output and notified when the second code read notification is received, but the irregular cancellation information may be output and notified after it is determined in step S33 that the predetermined condition is met. In this case, the store staff member who has confirmed the irregular cancellation information can rush to the gate device 2 and wait there before the user who performed the irregular cancellation arrives at the gate device 2.

[0183] [Notification process (second processing example)] Hereinafter, a second example of the notification process executed in the product sales system 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 15, and the notification method of the present invention will be described. Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the second example of the notification process. This process includes the store exit determination process of step S18 in Fig. 13.

[0184] <Step S41> 13, when the exit code Q is read, in step S17, the control unit 21 of the gate device 2 determines in step S41 whether the read exit code Q is the first code Q1. For example, if the information acquired from the exit code Q includes the payment completion information but does not include the condition fulfillment information, the control unit 21 determines that the exit code Q is the first code Q1. If it is determined that the exit code Q is the first code Q1, the process proceeds to step S43.

[0185] <Step S42> If it is determined that the store exit code Q is not the first code Q1, in the next step S42, the control unit 21 determines whether the read store exit code Q is the second code Q2. For example, if the information acquired from the store exit code Q includes the payment completion information and the condition fulfillment information, the control unit 21 determines that the store exit code Q is the second code Q2. If it is determined that the store exit code Q is the second code Q2, the process proceeds to step S45.

[0186] Although not shown in Figure 15, if the information obtained from the store exit code Q does not include the payment completion information, the control unit 21 determines that the store exit code Q is an invalid code (e.g., a counterfeit code), displays a message refusing to allow the customer to leave the store on the display unit 23, and lights or flashes the indicator light 26 in an alarm color (e.g., red).

[0187] <Steps S43 and S44> If it is determined in step S41 that the code is the first code Q1, then in the next step S43, the control unit 21 displays the store exit guidance message (see FIG. 9) indicating that the payment has been completed on the display unit 23. Furthermore, in step S44, the control unit 21 lights up the indicator light 26 in a predetermined color (e.g., green) corresponding to the completion of the payment. Thereafter, the completion information is sent to the management server 1 (see step S19 in FIG. 13).

[0188] <Steps S45 and S46> If it is determined in step S42 that the code is the second code Q2, the control unit 21 performs processing to output and notify the predetermined information in steps S45 and S46. Specifically, in the next step S45, the control unit 21 displays, as the predetermined information, the wait message (see FIG. 10) on the display unit 23, requesting the user to wait for a while while an attendant is being called to confirm the purchased product. Furthermore, in step S46, the control unit 21 lights or flashes the indicator light 26 in a predetermined color (e.g., yellow) corresponding to the wait request. Thus, the lighting or flashing of the indicator light 26 is an example of the predetermined information. Note that steps S45 and S46 are examples of output steps of the present invention.

[0189] <Step S47> Thereafter, in step S47, the control unit 21 transmits the second code read notification indicating that the second code Q2 has been read to the management server 1. The control unit 21 may output the second code read notification to a display panel (an example of a notification unit) provided in the store 200, an information terminal carried by a store staff member (an example of a notification unit), an information terminal (an example of a notification unit) provided in the back room or management room of the store 200, or the like, to cause each device to display the predetermined information.

[0190] As described above, in the product sales system 100 according to this embodiment, the notification process (first processing example) described above is performed, and predetermined information is notified in step S36 of FIG. 14. As a result, for example, store staff can easily know that a user has performed the above-mentioned irregular cancellation by checking the content of the notification on a display panel in the store 200, a mobile information terminal of the store staff, or an information terminal in the store. After checking the content of the notification, the store staff can rush to the gate device 2 and check the products purchased by the user.

[0191] Furthermore, by performing the above-described notification process (second processing example), predetermined information is notified to the indicator light 26 or the like in step S45 of Fig. 15. In this case, the store staff can easily know that a user has performed the above-described irregular cancellation by checking the display content of the indicator light 26 of the gate device 2. Furthermore, the store staff can easily identify the gate device 2 that they should rush to.

[0192] Furthermore, the waiting message can be communicated to the user via the display unit 23 of the gate device 2. This allows a user who did not intend to cancel a purchase to be more careful when returning the canceled item to the shelf if the store staff checks the purchased items and finds that there are unpaid items. Furthermore, for a user who intentionally attempts a fraudulent purchase, this can prevent that user from making future fraudulent purchases. Furthermore, it can deter nearby users who are attempting to make a fraudulent purchase from making a fraudulent purchase, thereby reducing losses due to fraudulent purchases at the store 200.

[0193] In addition, the store staff only needs to rush to the gate device 2 to check the purchased items when predetermined information is notified, so there is no need to have the store staff always stationed at the gate device 2, thereby reducing the burden on the store staff.

[0194] [Notification process (third processing example)] Next, a third processing example of the notification processing will be described with reference to Fig. 16. Fig. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the third processing example of the notification processing. The third processing example differs from the first processing example in that, when it is determined in step S33 that the predetermined condition is satisfied, a determination process of step S331 is performed.

[0195] 16, in the third processing example, if it is determined in step S33 that the predetermined condition is satisfied, the control unit 11 of the management server 1 performs processing in the next step S331 to determine whether the registered product newly registered after the cancellation of the product in step S6 of Fig. 13 is a product of the same type or category as the canceled product. This determination processing is performed by the type determination processing unit 118 of the control unit 11.

[0196] In step S331, if it is determined that the newly registered product is a product of the same type as the canceled product, it is considered that the cancellation of the canceled product is unlikely to be an irregular cancellation. In this case, the control unit 11 generates the first code Q1 as the store exit code Q (S32).

[0197] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S331 that the newly registered product is not the same type of product as the canceled product, it is highly likely that the cancellation of the canceled product is an irregular cancellation. In this case, the control unit 11 generates the second code Q2 as the store exit code Q (S33).

[0198] In this way, by performing the determination process of step S331 before generating the store exit code Q, it is possible to improve the accuracy of determining whether or not the cancellation is an irregular one.

[0199] [Notification process (fourth processing example)] Next, a fourth processing example of the notification processing will be described with reference to Fig. 17. Fig. 17 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the fourth processing example of the notification processing. The fourth processing example differs from the first processing example in that an exit code Q is generated and transmitted before the determination in step S31, and the irregular cancellation information and the standby message are output after the determination in step S33.

[0200] 17, in the fourth processing example, when the control unit 11 of the management server 1 determines in step S11 that the payment completion notice has been received, the control unit 11 generates the store exit code Q (S51) and transmits the generated store exit code Q (S52). The store exit code Q generated here is the first code Q1 that does not include the condition fulfillment information.

[0201] Thereafter, if it is determined in step S31 that a cancellation history has been registered, and if it is further determined in step S33 that a predetermined condition is met, the control unit 11 outputs the irregular cancellation information to a display panel (an example of an alarm unit) installed in the store 200, an information terminal (an example of an alarm unit) carried by the store staff, an information terminal (an example of an alarm unit) installed in the back room or management room of the store 200, an in-store speaker (an example of an alarm unit), an in-store indicator light (an example of an alarm unit), an indicator light 26 of the gate device 2, etc., in order to notify the store staff and store-related personnel.

[0202] In addition, in step S53, the control unit 11 outputs the wait message (see FIG. 10) to the gate device 2 so as to display the wait message on the display unit 23 of the gate device 2. Step S53 is an example of an output step of the present invention.

[0203] [Other embodiments] The product sales system 100 of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be in the following form. In another embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 31 of the user terminal 3 may execute all or part of the processes in the management server 1. Specifically, the shopping data 121 may be stored in the memory unit 32 of the user terminal 3, and the control unit 31 may execute a process of generating the store exit code Q (first code Q1 or second code Q2) by referring to the memory unit 32.

[0204] [Notes on the Invention] The following is a summary of the invention extracted from the above-described embodiment. Note that the configurations and processing functions described in the following supplementary notes can be selected and combined as desired.

[0205] <Appendix 1> a registration processing unit that registers product information of products input by a user via an operation terminal in a store; a cancellation processing unit that cancels the registration of the registered product registered by the registration processing unit in response to a cancellation operation on the operation terminal by the user; a first determination processing unit that determines whether a predetermined condition is satisfied based on the cancellation details of the registered product by the cancellation processing unit; an output processing unit that outputs and notifies predetermined information when the first determination processing unit determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied; A product sales system comprising:

[0206] <Appendix 2> The product sales system described in Appendix 1, wherein the specified conditions are one or more of the following: the registered product to be canceled is a product with a sales price equal to or greater than a specified amount; the registered product has been canceled a specified number of times; the cancellation operation for the registered product has been performed consecutively; the registration of multiple registered products out of two or more registered products has been canceled; or the registration of multiple registered products out of multiple registered products of the same type has been canceled.

[0207] <Appendix 3> The system further includes a second determination processing unit that determines whether the registered product registered after the cancellation by the cancellation processing unit is a product of the same type as the canceled product, The product sales system described in Appendix 1 or 2, wherein the output processing unit does not output the specified information if the second determination processing unit determines that the product is a similar product, and outputs and notifies the user of the specified information if the product is not determined to be a similar product.

[0208] <Appendix 4> 4. The product sales system according to claim 1, wherein the output processing unit outputs the predetermined information to a notification unit provided in the store.

[0209] <Appendix 5> 5. The product sales system according to claim 1, wherein the output processing unit outputs the predetermined information to the operation terminal to notify the predetermined information.

[0210] <Appendix 6> 6. The product sales system according to claim 1, wherein the output processing unit outputs and notifies the predetermined information at a timing when payment for the registered product is completed.

[0211] <Appendix 7> a display processing unit that displays read information that can be read by the store exit device on the operation terminal in response to receiving an input of a payment execution instruction for the registered product; 7. The merchandise sales system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the output processing unit outputs and notifies the predetermined information when the read information is read by the store exit device.

[0212] <Appendix 8> the display processing unit, when it is determined that the predetermined condition is satisfied, causes the operation terminal to display the read information including condition satisfaction information indicating that the predetermined condition is satisfied; The product sales system described in Appendix 7, wherein the output processing unit outputs and notifies the specified information when the read information read from the operation terminal by the store exit device includes the condition fulfillment information.

[0213] <Appendix 9> The product sales system according to claim 8, wherein the output processing unit outputs the predetermined information to a notification unit provided in the store exit device.

[0214] <Appendix 10> a registration step of registering product information of the product input by the user via the operation terminal at the store as a payment target; a cancellation step of canceling the registration of the registered product registered in the registration step in response to a cancellation operation on the operation terminal by the user; a determination step of determining whether a predetermined condition determined based on the cancellation content of the registered product in the cancellation step is satisfied; an output step of outputting predetermined information to notify the user when it is determined in the determination step that the predetermined condition is satisfied, the notification method being executed by one or more processors.

[0215] <Appendix 11> a registration step of registering product information of the product input by the user via the operation terminal at the store as a payment target; a cancellation step of canceling the registration of the registered product registered in the registration step in response to a cancellation operation on the operation terminal by the user; a determination step of determining whether a predetermined condition determined based on the cancellation content of the registered product in the cancellation step is satisfied; and an output step of outputting and notifying predetermined information when the judgment step determines that the predetermined condition is met. A program for causing one or more processors to execute the above steps, or a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which the program is stored. [Explanation of symbols]

[0216] 1: Management server 2: Gate device 3: User terminal 5:Payment device 6: Payment server 11: Control section 21: Control unit 31: Control unit 33: Operation display section 33A: Shopping List 33B: Display frame 34: Communication I / F 35: Camera 100: Product sales system 111: Acquisition processing unit 112: Registration processing unit 113: Cancellation processing unit 114: Payment processing unit 115: Payment determination processing unit 116: Cancellation determination processing unit 117: Output processing section 118: Type determination processing unit 119: Code generation processing section 121: Shopping data 200: Store 211: Reading processing unit 212: Judgment processing unit 213: Notification processing unit 214: Output processing section 311: Reading processing unit 312: Input reception processing unit 313: Display processing unit 314: Output processing section D1-D10: Screen

Claims

1. a registration processing unit that registers product information of products input by a user via an operation terminal in a store; a cancellation processing unit that cancels the registration of the registered product registered by the registration processing unit in response to a cancellation operation on the operation terminal by the user; a first determination processing unit that determines whether a predetermined condition is satisfied based on the cancellation content of the registered product by the cancellation processing unit; an output processing unit that outputs predetermined information to notify the user when the first determination processing unit determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied; A product sales system comprising:

2. The product sales system described in claim 1, wherein the specified conditions are one or more of the following: the registered product to be canceled is a product with a sales price equal to or greater than a specified amount; the registered product has been canceled a specified number of times; the cancellation operation for the registered product has been performed consecutively; the registration of multiple registered products out of two or more registered products has been canceled; or the registration of multiple registered products out of multiple registered products of the same type has been canceled.

3. The system further includes a second determination processing unit that determines whether the registered product registered after the cancellation by the cancellation processing unit is a product of the same type as the canceled product, The product sales system of claim 1, wherein the output processing unit does not output the specified information when the second determination processing unit determines that the product is a similar product, and outputs and notifies the user of the specified information when the second determination processing unit does not determine that the product is a similar product.

4. The product sales system according to claim 1 , wherein the output processing unit outputs the predetermined information to a notification unit provided in the store.

5. The product sales system according to claim 1 , wherein the output processing unit outputs the predetermined information to the operation terminal to notify the predetermined information.

6. The product sales system according to claim 1 , wherein the output processing unit outputs the predetermined information to notify the user when payment for the registered product is completed.

7. a display processing unit that displays read information that can be read by the store exit device on the operation terminal in response to receiving an input of a payment execution instruction for the registered product; The merchandise sales system according to claim 1 , wherein the output processing unit outputs and notifies the predetermined information when the read information is read by the store exit device.

8. the display processing unit, when it is determined that the predetermined condition is satisfied, causes the operation terminal to display the read information including condition satisfaction information indicating that the predetermined condition is satisfied; The product sales system according to claim 7 , wherein the output processing unit outputs the predetermined information to notify the user when the read information read from the operation terminal by the store exit device includes the condition fulfillment information.

9. The merchandise sales system according to claim 8 , wherein the output processing unit outputs the predetermined information to a notification unit provided in the store exit device.

10. a registration step of registering product information of the product input by the user via the operation terminal at the store as a payment target; a cancellation step of canceling the registration of the registered product registered in the registration step in response to a cancellation operation on the operation terminal by the user; a determination step of determining whether a predetermined condition determined based on the cancellation content of the registered product in the cancellation step is satisfied; an output step of outputting predetermined information to notify the user when it is determined in the determination step that the predetermined condition is satisfied, the notification method being executed by one or more processors.

11. a registration step of registering product information of the product input by the user via the operation terminal at the store as a payment target; a cancellation step of canceling the registration of the registered product registered in the registration step in response to a cancellation operation on the operation terminal by the user; a determination step of determining whether a predetermined condition determined based on the cancellation content of the registered product in the cancellation step is satisfied; an output step of outputting predetermined information to notify the user when it is determined in the determination step that the predetermined condition is satisfied.

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