Information processing apparatus and program

Abstract

To provide an information processor and a program for guiding a customer who uses a store according to the congestion situation of the store.SOLUTION: A first acquirer that acquires a congestion degree of each area in a shop, a second acquirer that acquires state information indicating a state of a customer using the shop, a guidance destination determiner that determines a guidance destination area to be a guidance destination of the customer based on the congestion degree of each area and the state information of the customer, a third acquirer that inputs a prompt including the guidance destination area to a generation AI functioned to generate an answer sentence to the prompt, and acquires an answer sentence including a guidance sentence for guiding the customer to the guidance destination area generated by the generation AI, and a provider that provides the answer sentence to the customer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to an information processing device and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In retail stores such as supermarkets, congestion can occur due to customers concentrating in areas where popular products are displayed, in checkout areas, etc. In such cases, the store may take measures to prevent congestion by notifying customers of information about the congested area.

[0003] Furthermore, systems have been proposed in the past that guide users to less crowded areas in facilities such as theme parks (for example, Patent Document 1). However, because the above-mentioned systems are intended for application in facilities such as theme parks, they do not take into consideration the state (situation) of customers using the store, making it difficult to apply them directly to stores. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an information processing device and a program that can guide customers who use a store according to the store's congestion status. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The information processing device of the embodiment includes a first acquisition means for acquiring the congestion level of each area within the store, a second acquisition means for acquiring status information indicating the status of a customer using the store, a destination determination means for determining a destination area to which the customer will be guided based on the congestion level of each area and the status information of the customer, a third acquisition means for inputting a prompt including the destination area into a generation AI that is functionally configured to generate an answer sentence to the prompt, and acquiring an answer sentence including a guidance sentence for guiding the customer to the destination area generated by the generation AI, and a provision means for providing the answer sentence to the customer. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an induced promotion system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the mobile terminal according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a store server according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data configuration of the product master according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data configuration of the customer master according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data configuration of a congestion level table according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data configuration of a promotion DB according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data configuration of the customer record DB according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the mobile terminal and the store server according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a congestion degree calculation process performed by the store server according to the embodiment. [Figure 11]FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of control processing performed by the mobile terminal and the store server according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a data configuration of a product registration file according to a modified example. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a mobile terminal and a store server according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Hereinafter, an embodiment of an information processing device and a program will be described with reference to the drawings. In the embodiment shown below, an example in which the information processing device and the program are applied to a store such as a supermarket or a department store (hereinafter simply referred to as a store) will be described, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

[0008] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an induced promotion system 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the induced promotion system 1 includes a mobile terminal 10, a store server 20, a store camera 30, a checkout device 40, and a signage terminal 50. Note that in this embodiment, the signage terminal 50 is not an essential component and does not need to be included in the induced promotion system 1.

[0009] The guidance promotion system 1 is installed in, for example, a store, and provides behavioral support such as guiding customers who use the store to their destinations. In the guidance promotion system 1, a store server 20, a store camera 30, a checkout device 40, and a signage terminal 50 are communicably connected to one another via a network Na such as a LAN (Local Area Network). Furthermore, a mobile terminal 10 is communicably connected to the store server 20 and the like by wireless communication via a wireless access point or the like connected to the network Na. In other words, the mobile terminal 10 can move around the store while maintaining communication with the store server 20.

[0010] The mobile terminal 10 is, for example, a terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet terminal provided by a store. For example, the mobile terminal 10 may be attached to a shopping cart and moved around the store together with the customer. The mobile terminal 10 may also be a terminal device such as a smartphone owned by the customer (hereinafter also referred to as a user terminal).

[0011] The mobile terminal 10 transmits and receives various information to and from the store server 20. For example, the mobile terminal 10 transmits a check-in notification to the store server 20 when a customer starts using the store (mobile terminal 10).

[0012] Furthermore, the mobile terminal 10 receives guidance information indicating an area in the store that will be the destination (also referred to as the guide destination) from the store server 20, and displays the received guide destination on the display unit 106 (see FIG. 2). Furthermore, the mobile terminal 10 may notify the received guide destination to a user terminal owned by a customer by linking with the user terminal.

[0013] The store server 20 is, for example, a server device installed in a store. The store server 20 cooperates with various devices connected via the network Na to comprehensively manage the operation of the store. For example, the store server 20 generates guidance information that guides (directs) a customer to a destination area depending on the congestion level in the store and the state (situation) of the customer using the store. The store server 20 also transmits the guidance information to the mobile terminal 10 and the signage terminal 50.

[0014] The store camera 30 is, for example, an imaging device that captures images of each area within the store. Here, "area" refers to multiple areas that are created by dividing the entire area of ​​the store where customers can move around into predetermined sections. The divisions into the areas are not particularly important; for example, the area within the store may be divided into a grid, or the areas may be divided according to the genre of products sold or the location of the display shelves on which the products are displayed. Furthermore, the checkout area where the checkout devices 40 are located is assumed to be divided into independent areas. Note that in this embodiment, the checkout area is assumed to be divided into areas where each type of checkout device 40 is located, such as a checkout device 40 operated by a store clerk and a checkout device 40 operated by the customer themselves.

[0015] The store cameras 30 capture images of each area within the store and transmit the captured images (hereinafter also referred to as area images) to the store server 20. Note that the store cameras 30 may be configured with multiple cameras so that they can capture images of the entire store.

[0016] The checkout device 40 is a product sales data processing device that registers products purchased by customers and processes the checkout for registered products. Multiple checkout devices 40 are installed in the checkout area of ​​a store. There are multiple different types of checkout devices 40, such as checkout devices 40 in which a store clerk performs registration and checkout operations (hereinafter also referred to as manned registers), checkout devices 40 in which a store clerk performs registration operations and the customer performs checkout operations (hereinafter also referred to as semi-self-checkouts), and checkout devices 40 in which the customer performs registration and checkout operations themselves (hereinafter also referred to as self-checkouts).

[0017] The signage terminal 50 is installed in a predetermined area, such as the entrance to a store or the entrance to a checkout area. The signage terminal 50 is a device or system for implementing digital signage. For example, the signage terminal 50 includes a computer configuration such as a control device, a communication device, a storage device, and a display device, and stores information received via the communication device in the storage device and displays the stored information on the display device. The signage terminal 50 also works in cooperation with the store server 20 to display various types of information on the display device. The signage terminal 50 may also include an imaging device (store camera 30) that captures images of the area around where the signage terminal 50 is installed.

[0018] Next, a description will be given of the hardware configuration of the mobile terminal 10. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the mobile terminal 10 according to this embodiment.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the mobile terminal 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, which is an example of a processor, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 102, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 103, a memory unit 104, a communication unit 105, a display unit 106, an operation unit 107, an imaging unit 108, and a positioning unit 109.

[0020] The CPU 101 is an example of a processor, and performs overall control of each unit of the mobile terminal 10. The ROM 102 stores various programs. The RAM 103 is a workspace where programs and various data are developed.

[0021] The memory unit 104 is a non-volatile memory such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or flash memory that retains stored information even when the power is turned off. The memory unit 104 includes a control program 121.

[0022] Control program 121 stores a control program for controlling mobile terminal 10. CPU 101, ROM 102, RAM 103, and memory unit 104 are connected to one another via bus 110. CPU 101, ROM 102, and RAM 103 constitute control unit 100, which is a computer. That is, control unit 100 executes control processing of mobile terminal 10, which will be described later, by CPU 101 operating in accordance with control program 121 stored in ROM 102 or memory unit 104 and loaded into RAM 103.

[0023] The control unit 100 is connected to a communication unit 105 , a display unit 106 , an operation unit 107 , an imaging unit 108 , and a positioning unit 109 via a bus 110 .

[0024] The communication unit 105 is a communication interface that can be connected to the network Na via wireless communication such as a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), etc. The communication unit 105 transmits and receives various information to and from the store server 20 and the like.

[0025] The display unit 106 is a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), etc. The display unit 106 displays various types of information under the control of the CPU 101.

[0026] The operation unit 107 is a touch panel provided on the display unit 106. The operation unit 107 outputs operation contents input via an input device to the CPU 101. Note that the operation unit 107 may also be an input device such as a keyboard or a pointing device.

[0027] The imaging unit 108 is an imaging device having an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). For example, the imaging unit 108 captures an image of a customer, such as a face that represents the customer's features (hereinafter also referred to as a customer image).

[0028] The positioning unit 109 measures the position of the mobile terminal 10 within the store. In other words, the positioning unit 109 acquires position information of the customer within the store. Note that there is no particular restriction on the method for acquiring the customer's position information, and any known method can be adopted. The positioning unit 109 may be, for example, a position measurement device that uses beacon positioning technology. In this case, by providing terminals compatible with positioning technology such as beacon positioning at each location within the store, the position of the mobile terminal 10 is measured by a positioning system formed by the terminals and the positioning unit 109.

[0029] Furthermore, the positioning unit 109 may acquire the location information of the mobile terminal 10 by performing indoor positioning using Wi-Fi (registered trademark), for example.

[0030] When the above-described indoor positioning method is employed, positioning unit 109 first measures the radio wave strength when multiple access points (hereinafter also referred to as APs) (not shown) installed in the aisles of the store, on shelves where products are placed, etc. communicate with mobile terminal 10. Then, based on the measured radio wave strength, positioning unit 109 identifies the relative position of mobile terminal 10 with respect to each AP. Positioning unit 109 identifies the position of mobile terminal 10 based on the identified relative position of mobile terminal 10 and the installation positions of the APs.

[0031] Alternatively, the positioning unit 109 may determine the location of the mobile terminal 10 using a GPS (Global Positioning System) positioning function of the mobile terminal 10, and acquire the customer's location information. In addition, in places where GPS positioning is difficult due to weak radio waves, such as underground floors, positioning may be performed by installing a base station that transmits a signal containing location information. This type of indoor positioning technology is called IMES (Indoor Messaging System), and the location of the mobile terminal 10 can be determined by having the mobile terminal 10 receive a signal transmitted by a base station.

[0032] Next, a description will be given of the hardware configuration of the store server 20. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the store server 20 according to the embodiment.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 3, the store server 20 includes a CPU 201, which is an example of a processor, a ROM 202, a RAM 203, a memory unit 204, a communication unit 205, and the like.

[0034] The CPU 201 is an example of a processor, and performs overall control of each unit of the store server 20. The ROM 202 stores various programs. The RAM 203 is a workspace where programs and various data are developed.

[0035] The memory unit 204 is a non-volatile memory such as a HDD or flash memory that retains stored information even when the power is turned off. The memory unit 204 includes a control program 221, a product master 222, a customer master 223, a congestion level table 224, a promotion DB 225, a text generation LLM 226, and a customer record DB 227.

[0036] The control program 221 stores a control program for controlling the store server 20. The CPU 201, ROM 202, RAM 203, and memory unit 204 are connected to one another via a bus 206. The CPU 201, ROM 202, and RAM 203 constitute a control unit 200 having a computer configuration. That is, the control unit 200 executes control processing of the store server 20, which will be described later, by the CPU 201 operating in accordance with the control program 221 stored in the ROM 202 or memory unit 204 and loaded into the RAM 203.

[0037] The product master 222 is a data table or database for managing product information about products handled by a store. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the product master 222. As shown in Fig. 4, the product master 222 associates the type of product sold in the store with an identifiable product code, and stores product information such as the product name, price, product image, and product description of the product corresponding to the product code.

[0038] A product image is, for example, an image that represents a product. A product description includes, for example, information such as the location of the product in a store (for example, the area where the product is displayed), product category, keywords, etc. A product category indicates the category of the product corresponding to the product code. Furthermore, multiple product categories may be stored for each product. For example, product categories for the product name "orange juice" may include "fruit," "orange," "groceries," and "drinks."

[0039] Keywords include text that describes product characteristics, such as product type, production, country of origin, and manufacturer. Multiple keywords may be stored for each product. For example, keywords for the product name "orange juice" may include "100% juice" and "Made in America."

[0040] Here, the product categories and keywords are not limited to being stored in a format written in natural language, but may be stored in a format written in semantic vectors calculated by known natural language processing techniques, etc. Furthermore, the product categories and keywords may be stored in either a format written in natural language or a format written in semantic vectors.

[0041] It should be noted that the information stored in the product master 222 is not limited to the example in Fig. 4. For example, the product master 222 may store, in association with a product code, information indicating an area where a product corresponding to the product code is sold (displayed).

[0042] Returning to FIG. 3, the customer master 223 is a data table or database used by the store to manage customer information. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the customer master 223. As shown in FIG. 5, the customer master 223 associates a customer with a customer ID that can uniquely identify the customer, and stores customer information such as the name, age, gender, and purchase history of the customer corresponding to the customer ID. The customer information is an example of characteristic information that indicates the characteristics of the customer.

[0043] The purchase history stores the genre, product name (product code), etc. of each product registered or purchased by the customer. The purchase history is also an example of preference information (hereinafter simply referred to as preference information) that indicates the customer's preferences. Note that the characteristic information may also include preference information derived from the purchase history. For example, information about products processed at the checkout device 40 is registered in the purchase history. Specifically, when processing a transaction at the checkout device 40, the customer's customer ID is entered into the checkout device 40, and information about the products processed at the checkout device 40 is registered as the purchase history in association with the customer ID.

[0044] The content of the customer information is not limited to the above example. For example, when identifying each customer using biometric information, information indicating the facial features of the customer may be stored as part of the customer information.

[0045] Returning to Fig. 3, the congestion level table 224 is a data table or database for managing the congestion level in each area of ​​the store. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the congestion level table 224. As shown in Fig. 6, the congestion level table 224 stores the congestion level of each area in association with the area of ​​the store.

[0046] The area is identification information that can identify each area, such as an area in a store where products are placed or an area where various types of checkout devices 40 are installed.

[0047] The congestion level is an example of an index of the congestion level. In this embodiment, the congestion level is, for example, the number of people (customers) present in an area. Here, a known method can be adopted as a method for calculating the congestion level. For example, a known image recognition technology can be used to detect the number of people captured in the area image captured by the imaging unit 108, and the detected number of people can be used as the congestion level.

[0048] When the above-described method is adopted, for example, by defining the congestion level as "1" when the number of people detected from the area image captured by the imaging unit 108 is "less than 10 people," the congestion level as "2" when the number of people detected is "10 or more but less than 20 people," and the congestion level as "3" when the number of people detected is "20 or more but less than 30 people," the congestion level can be calculated from the congestion level calculated based on the number of people detected.

[0049] The method of expressing the congestion level is not limited to the above. For example, the congestion level may be expressed in stages such as "high," "medium," and "low." The number of congestion levels is not limited to three, and any number of stages may be used.

[0050] Returning to Fig. 3, the promotion DB 225 is a data table or database for managing promotions related to products and services handled by the store. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the promotion DB 225. As shown in Fig. 7, the promotion DB 225 stores promotion information such as promotion details and promotion flags corresponding to the promotion IDs in association with the promotion IDs.

[0051] The promotion ID is identification information that can uniquely identify a promotion. Examples of promotion details include coupon issuance such as "Coupon for one free can of beer of your choice," or discount services such as "10% off the total purchase price when using self-checkout," "10% off specific products," or "10 yen discount on specific products." The promotion details may also include product codes of products that are the subject of the promotion, or identification information that can identify the area that is the subject of the promotion.

[0052] A promotion flag is flag information that determines whether a promotion with a promotion ID corresponding to the promotion flag is applicable. The promotion flag is binary flag information, for example, with a value of "1" when the flag is enabled (hereinafter also referred to as "on") and a value of "0" when the flag is disabled (hereinafter also referred to as "off"). Specifically, when the promotion flag is enabled, the promotion is applicable, and when the promotion flag is disabled, the promotion is inapplicable. The promotion flag may be manually set on / off by a store clerk or other employee, or may be automatically set on / off. In the latter case, the store server 20 (e.g., the control unit 200) may switch the promotion flag of a predetermined promotion ID on or off depending on the day of the week, time period, etc. Furthermore, the store server 20 (e.g., the control unit 200) may switch the promotion flag of a predetermined promotion ID on or off depending on the congestion status of the store.

[0053] Returning to FIG. 3, the sentence generation LLM 226 is a generation AI that generates text, such as a large language model (LLM). The sentence generation LLM 226 accepts input of text including a query statement (hereinafter also referred to as a prompt) and generates a response statement corresponding to the query statement. The response statement is text that includes a response to the matter (such as the inquiry content) described in the prompt. Note that, although an LLM is used as the generation AI in this embodiment, the generation AI is not limited to an LLM as long as it is capable of generating text.

[0054] The sentence generation LLM 226 is trained using well-known deep learning techniques and is configured to output a response sentence based on the conditions described in a prompt that describes the content of an inquiry, etc. For example, the conditions described in the prompt may be an area to which a customer should be directed, or a condition for inquiring about recommended products.

[0055] The sentence generation LLM 226 of this embodiment generates second guide information (answer sentence) in response to the input of a prompt generated based on the first guide information including the guide area and the customer-specific promotion content. The first guide information, the second guide information, the guide area, and the customer-specific promotion content will be described in detail later.

[0056] The sentence generation LLM 226 may be fine-tuned to suit the needs of the store using the guiding promotion system 1. Fine-tuning may involve changing the content of responses to input prompts or changing the wording of the output sentences. For example, the sentence generation LLM 226 used in this embodiment may have learned specific wording, such as the tone of voice or endings of characters used by the store using the guiding promotion system 1.

[0057] Returning to FIG. 3, the customer record DB 227 is a data table or database for managing guidance information provided to customers in association with customer behavior records in the store. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the customer record DB 227. As shown in FIG. 8, the customer record DB 227 associates customers with customer IDs that can uniquely identify them, and stores customer record information such as first guidance information and in-store location information corresponding to the customer IDs. Note that when a customer whose customer ID is not stored in the customer master 223 uses the guidance promotion system 1, information related to the customer's attributes (hereinafter also referred to as attribute information) extracted from the customer's face image or the like may be stored in the customer ID field.

[0058] The first guide information is an example of guide information that guides customers to a destination. The first guide information includes a guide area output by the guide behavior calculation AI and customer-specific promotion content. Here, the guide area is an area that will be a guide destination (destination) to be presented to a customer selected by the guide behavior calculation AI from among the areas stored in the congestion level table 224. Furthermore, the customer-specific promotion content is a promotion content to be presented to a customer selected by the guide behavior calculation AI from among the promotion content for which the promotion flag stored in the promotion DB 225 is enabled. The guide behavior calculation AI will be described in detail later.

[0059] The in-store location information is customer location information acquired by the positioning unit 109 of the mobile terminal 10.

[0060] The customer record information may include the time when the customer record information was stored in the customer record DB 227 by the control unit 200 of the store server 20. The customer record information may also include second guide information, which will be described later.

[0061] Returning to FIG. 3 , the control unit 200 is connected to the communication unit 205 via a bus 206. The communication unit 205 is a communication interface such as a LAN I / F (Interface), and is connected to a network Na. The communication unit 205 transmits and receives various information via the network Na, for example, to and from the mobile terminal 10, the store camera 30, the accounting device 40, and the signage terminal 50. Under the control of the control unit 200, the communication unit 205 can also be connected to a network such as the Internet (not shown) or to other information processing devices.

[0062] Next, a description will be given of the functional configuration of the mobile terminal 10 and the store server 20. Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the mobile terminal 10 and the store server 20 according to the embodiment.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 100 of the mobile terminal 10 includes a communication processing unit 1001, a display control unit 1002, and a location information acquisition unit 1003 as functional components.

[0064] Specifically, the control unit 100 (CPU 101) of the mobile terminal 10 realizes the above-mentioned functional configuration by executing the control program 121 stored in the memory unit 104. Note that in this embodiment, the above-mentioned functional configuration is a software configuration realized by cooperation between the processor of the mobile terminal 10 and the program, but this is not limiting, and a hardware configuration in which part or all of the functional configuration is realized by a dedicated circuit or the like may also be used. Furthermore, the functional configuration of the mobile terminal 10 is not limited to this.

[0065] The communication processing unit 1001 transmits various types of information to the store server 20. For example, when the communication processing unit 1001 receives a check-in confirmation instruction via the operation unit 107 or the like, it transmits a check-in notification including the customer ID of the customer who will be the operator and the location information acquired by the positioning unit 109 to the store server 20. Here, the check-in notification is notification information that notifies that the customer has visited the store or that the customer has started shopping at the store.

[0066] The check-in confirmation instruction is not limited to an operation via the operation unit 107, but may also be, for example, the reading of a check-in code symbol provided at the entrance of the store. In this case, the code symbol may include a command to start the check-in process, as well as the address of the store server 20 to be accessed.

[0067] The customer ID may also be input via the operation unit 107. The customer ID may also be input by reading the customer ID displayed in the form of a barcode or the like on a membership card or the like using the imaging unit 108 or the like. If the mobile terminal 10 is a user terminal carried by a customer, the customer ID stored in advance in the mobile terminal 10 may be transmitted to the store server 20. If each customer is identified using biometric information, a customer image captured by the imaging unit 108 may be transmitted to the store server 20 instead of the customer ID. In this case, the mobile terminal 10 may display a message on the display unit 106 guiding the user to face the imaging unit 108.

[0068] If the mobile terminal 10 does not acquire a customer ID, upon receiving a check-in confirmation instruction, the communication processing unit 1001 controls the imaging unit 108 to capture an image of the customer. In this case, the mobile terminal 10 may display on the display unit 106 a message instructing the customer to turn their face toward the imaging unit 108. The communication processing unit 1001 may then transmit a check-in notification to the store server 20 that includes a customer image and location information instead of the customer ID.

[0069] After check-in is complete, the communication processing unit 1001 cooperates with other functional components to transmit and receive various information to and from the store server 20.

[0070] The display control unit 1002 causes the display unit 106 to display various types of information. For example, the display control unit 1002 causes the display unit 106 to display various screens for supporting customer behavior in the store. For example, based on second guide information provided by the store server 20, the display control unit 1002 causes the display unit 106 to display guidance text and promotional text included in the second guide information. The second guide information, guidance text, and promotional text will be described in detail below.

[0071] The location information acquisition unit 1003 acquires location information of its own terminal within the store. Specifically, the location information acquisition unit 1003 cooperates with the positioning unit 109 to acquire the location information of its own terminal as location information of the customer operating its own terminal. Furthermore, the location information acquisition unit 1003 cooperates with the communication processing unit 1001 to transmit the acquired location information of the customer to the store server 20 together with the customer ID. Note that the timing of acquiring the location information or the timing of transmitting the location information to the store server 20 is not particularly limited, and the location information may be transmitted, for example, every 10 seconds. Furthermore, the location information acquisition unit 1003 may transmit the location information to the store server 20 when a check-in notification or the like is transmitted, that is, when the customer performs a predetermined action.

[0072] On the other hand, the control unit 200 of the store server 20 includes a communication processing unit 2001, a congestion degree calculation unit 2002, a first guide information acquisition unit 2003, a second guide information acquisition unit 2004, and a memory control unit 2005 as functional components.

[0073] Specifically, the control unit 200 (CPU 201) of the store server 20 realizes the above-mentioned functional configuration by executing the control program 221 stored in the memory unit 204. Note that in this embodiment, the above-mentioned functional configuration is a software configuration realized by cooperation between the processor and program of the store server 20, but this is not limiting, and a hardware configuration in which part or all of the functional configuration is realized by a dedicated circuit or the like may also be used. Furthermore, the functional configuration of the store server 20 is not limited to this.

[0074] The communication processing unit 2001 is an example of a providing means. The communication processing unit 2001 transmits and receives various types of information. For example, the communication processing unit 2001 receives area images of each area from store cameras 30 installed in each area of ​​the store. Furthermore, the communication processing unit 2001 cooperates with other functional configurations to transmit information acquired by the other functional configurations, processing results of the other functional configurations, etc. to an external device.

[0075] The congestion degree calculation unit 2002 calculates the congestion degree for each area in the store based on the area images captured by the store camera 30. Specifically, the congestion degree calculation unit 2002 calculates the congestion level of each area from the area images of each area received by the communication processing unit 2001 using known image recognition technology or the like. The congestion degree calculation unit 2002 also updates the congestion degree table 224 based on the calculated congestion level. Note that the timing (frequency) at which the congestion degree calculation unit 2002 calculates the congestion degree is not particularly important, but it is preferable to set the frequency to take real-time performance into consideration, such as every minute.

[0076] The first guide information acquiring unit 2003 is an example of a first acquiring means, a second acquiring means, a guide destination determining means, and a fourth acquiring means. The first guide information acquiring unit 2003 determines the guide area to which the customer is to be guided and the promotion content to be provided to the customer in relation to the guidance, depending on the status of each area in the store and the status of the customer. Then, the first guide information acquiring unit 2003 acquires (generates) the first guide information including the guide area and the promotion content.

[0077] Specifically, the first guide information acquiring unit 2003 determines the state of the customer according to various information (notifications) transmitted from the mobile terminal 10. For example, when a check-in notification is received from the mobile terminal 10, the first guide information acquiring unit 2003 determines that the customer has visited the store.

[0078] Furthermore, the first guide information acquisition unit 2003 determines the state of the customer in the store according to the customer's position in the store. For example, if location information near the checkout area is transmitted, the first guide information acquisition unit 2003 determines that the customer is ready to checkout. If location information other than near the store entrance or the checkout area is transmitted, the first guide information acquisition unit 2003 determines that the customer is shopping in the store or wandering around the store. Note that if location information near the store entrance is transmitted, the first guide information acquisition unit 2003 may determine that the customer has visited the store.

[0079] When the first guide information acquiring unit 2003 receives a check-in notification from the mobile terminal 10, it refers to the customer master 223 and determines whether or not a corresponding customer ID exists. If a corresponding customer ID exists in the customer master 223, the first guide information acquiring unit 2003 acquires customer information corresponding to the customer ID. On the other hand, if a corresponding customer ID does not exist in the customer master 223, the first guide information acquiring unit 2003 acquires attribute information indicating customer attributes from a customer image included in the check-in notification. There is no particular restriction on the method for acquiring attribute information from a customer image, and known image recognition technology or the like can be used.

[0080] Furthermore, the first guide information acquiring unit 2003 acquires the congestion level of each of a plurality of areas provided in the store. Specifically, the first guide information acquiring unit 2003 acquires the congestion level of each area by referring to the congestion level table 224. Here, the first guide information acquiring unit 2003 selects an area for which to acquire the congestion level according to the state of the customer determined above.

[0081] For example, if it is determined that a customer has visited the store, the first guide information acquisition unit 2003 acquires the congestion level of areas other than the checkout area. Furthermore, if it is determined that a customer is shopping, the first guide information acquisition unit 2003 acquires the congestion level of areas other than the checkout area. Furthermore, if it is determined that a customer is ready to make a payment, the first guide information acquisition unit 2003 acquires the congestion level of the checkout area. More specifically, it acquires the congestion level of the area for each type of checkout device 3 installed. Even if it is determined that a customer is ready to make a payment, if the congestion level of any area within the checkout area exceeds a threshold, the first guide information acquisition unit 2003 may acquire the congestion level of areas other than the checkout area to guide the customer out of the checkout area.

[0082] Furthermore, the first guide information acquiring unit 2003 refers to the promotion DB 225 and acquires, as customer-specific promotion details, promotion details of the promotion corresponding to the promotion ID whose promotion flag is in the ON state. Here, the first guide information acquiring unit 2003 may select promotion details to acquire depending on the state of the customer determined above. For example, the first guide information acquiring unit 2003 may acquire promotion details provided in the area from which the congestion level is extracted.

[0083] In addition, the first guide information acquisition unit 2003 generates first guide information including the area to be guided to and the promotion content based on customer information acquired from the customer master 223 or attribute information acquired from the customer image, the congestion level of each area acquired from the congestion level table 224, and the promotion content acquired from the promotion DB 225.

[0084] Specifically, the first guide information acquiring unit 2003 extracts areas whose congestion levels are less than a threshold from the acquired congestion levels of each area. Then, the first guide information acquiring unit 2003 determines an area to be guided to based on the characteristics of the extracted area and the characteristics of the customer derived from the customer information or attribute information.

[0085] For example, the first guide information acquiring unit 2003 determines, as a guide destination, an area where products matching the customer's preferences are sold based on the products sold in the extracted area and the customer's favorite products derived from the purchase history of the customer information. For example, the first guide information acquiring unit 2003 determines, as a guide destination, an area where products matching the customer's attributes are sold based on the products sold in the extracted area and the customer's attributes such as age and gender derived from the customer information or attribute information.

[0086] Furthermore, for example, when the first guide information acquisition unit 2003 determines that the customer is in a state to make a transaction, it determines, as the destination, an area where a checkout device 40 suitable for the customer's age is installed, based on the type of checkout device 40 installed in the extracted area and the customer's attributes, such as age, derived from the customer information or attribute information. As an example, since elderly customers tend to prefer checkout devices 40 with staff intervention (manned registers), an area where a manned register is installed is determined as the destination for elderly customers. Note that the number of areas to be guided to is not limited to one, and multiple areas may be selected.

[0087] The first guide information acquiring unit 2003 also selects promotion details related to the guide destination area as customer-specific promotion details, and generates first guide information including the guide destination area and the customer-specific promotion details.

[0088] As a result, the area to be guided determined by the first guide information acquiring unit 2003 has a low congestion level and reflects the customer characteristics derived from the customer information or attribute information. Furthermore, the first guide information acquiring unit 2003 generates the first guide information including promotional content related to the guided area, thereby attracting the customer's interest in the guided area.

[0089] If the current location (location information) of the customer belongs to the area determined as the guide destination, the first guide information acquiring unit 2003 may determine that there is no guide destination and suppress the generation of the first guide information. Also, if the congestion level of any area is less than the threshold, the first guide information acquiring unit 2003 may determine that there is no guide destination and suppress the generation of the first guide information.

[0090] The method for generating the first guide information is not limited to the above example. For example, the first guide information acquisition unit 2003 may generate (acquire) the first guide information using a trained model (hereinafter also referred to as a guided behavior calculation AI) trained for generating the first guide information.

[0091] Here, the guided behavior calculation AI is a trained model trained using known deep learning techniques, etc. The guided behavior calculation AI is functionally configured to output a guided area and customer-specific promotion details in response to input information such as information indicating the customer's status in the store (check-in notification, location information), customer information or attribute information, the congestion level of each area, and promotion details. In this case, the first guide information acquisition unit 2003 inputs the input information to the guided behavior calculation AI and acquires the guided area and customer-specific promotion details output by the guided behavior calculation AI as first guide information.

[0092] It is preferable that the first guidance information output by the guidance behavior calculation AI is information that effectively guides customers, similar to the above. For example, the guidance behavior calculation AI may be configured to preferentially select areas with low congestion levels among the congestion levels included in the input information as a criterion for generating information to guide customers. As a result, areas with low congestion levels are selected as guidance areas included in the first guidance information output by the guidance behavior calculation AI.

[0093] Furthermore, for example, the guidance behavior calculation AI may be configured to weight age and gender among the customer information included in the input information as criteria for generating information to guide customers, and to preferentially select areas where products with high sales for the customer's age and gender are installed. As a result, the guidance area included in the first guidance information output by the guidance behavior calculation AI is selected as the optimal area according to the customer's age and gender.

[0094] In the above example, the first guide information acquisition unit 2003 determines the customer's status in the store. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Alternatively, the guided behavior calculation AI may determine the customer's status. In this case, the first guide information acquisition unit 2003 inputs information that can determine the customer's status (various notifications and location information) into the guided behavior calculation AI as input information. The guided behavior calculation AI is also configured to determine (infer) the customer's status from the various notifications and location information included in the input information, and output the destination area and customer-specific promotion content based on the customer's status and other information included in the input information. This allows the destination area to be changed depending on the customer's status in the store.

[0095] Furthermore, the customer-specific promotion content may include, for example, discount coupons applicable to various products. The guided behavior calculation AI may store the budget amount for the discount coupons, and the budget amount for the discount coupons in the customer-specific promotion content output by the guided behavior calculation AI may be determined according to the congestion level, customer information, etc. input to the guided behavior calculation AI.

[0096] The second guide information acquisition unit 2004 is an example of a third acquisition unit. The second guide information acquisition unit 2004 generates a prompt that serves as an inquiry document to the sentence generation LLM 226 based on the first guide information acquired by the first guide information acquisition unit 2003.

[0097] Here, the prompt includes at least the content of the first guide information. The prompt also includes an instruction sentence (query sentence) that instructs the format and details of the second guide information to be generated. For example, the query sentence of the prompt preferably includes specific instruction content such as "Please output the reason for proposing the guide area to the customer" or "Please output the reason for proposing the customer-specific promotion content to the customer." The query sentence of the prompt may also be configured to be switched from a plurality of types of templates depending on customer information, attribute information, congestion level, customer-specific promotion, etc.

[0098] The second guide information acquisition unit 2004 inputs the generated prompt to the sentence generation LLM 226 and acquires the second guide information output by the sentence generation LLM 226 .

[0099] The second guidance information is an example of guidance information for guiding customers. The second guidance information includes guidance text and promotional text output by the text generation LLM 226. Here, the guidance text is text for guiding customers to the guidance area. The promotional text is text for sales promotion or advertising purposes that is generated based on the customer-specific promotion content.

[0100] Furthermore, when the second guide information acquisition unit 2004 acquires the second guide information from the sentence generation LLM 226, it cooperates with the communication processing unit 2001 to transmit the acquired second guide information to the mobile terminal 10. Here, the destination of the second guide information is the mobile terminal 10 of the customer (customer ID) related to the derivation of the second guide information.

[0101] The storage control unit 2005 performs data management of various types of information stored in the memory unit 204. For example, the storage control unit 2005 controls the process of causing the memory unit 204 to store various types of information.

[0102] When the storage control unit 2005 receives customer location information from the mobile terminal 10, it stores the information in the customer record DB 227 as in-store location information. For example, when the storage control unit 2005 receives a check-in notification or the like from the mobile terminal 10, it stores the location information in the customer record DB 227 in association with the customer ID identified in the notification. Furthermore, when the storage control unit 2005 receives location information from the mobile terminal 10 at a timing other than the above, it stores the location information in the customer record DB 227 in association with the received customer ID. Note that, in the case of a customer whose customer ID is not registered in the customer master 223, the storage control unit 2005 stores attribute information extracted from the customer's facial image, etc., in the customer ID field. Furthermore, the storage control unit 2005 stores the location information acquired together with the attribute information in the customer record DB 227 in association with the attribute information.

[0103] Here, the customer record information stored in the customer record DB 227 by the storage control unit 2005 is information that associates the guidance provided to the customer with the customer's behavior in the store. Therefore, the customer record DB 227 can be used for analysis as to whether the guidance provided to the customer contributed to the customer's behavior.

[0104] Next, the flow of processing performed by the store server 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of congestion degree calculation processing performed by the store server 20 according to the embodiment.

[0105] First, the communication processing unit 2001 of the store server 20 receives area images of each area from the store cameras 30 installed in each area of ​​the store (step S11). Next, the congestion level calculation unit 2002 of the store server 20 uses a known image recognition technique or the like to calculate the congestion level of each area from the area images of each area received in step S11 (step S12).

[0106] Then, the congestion level calculation unit 2002 of the store server 20 updates the congestion level table 224 based on the congestion level of each area calculated in step S12 (step S13).

[0107] The congestion degree calculation unit 2002 performs the congestion degree calculation process described above at short time intervals, such as one minute, thereby enabling the congestion degree calculation unit 2002 to obtain the congestion status in the store in real time.

[0108] Next, the flow of control processing executed by the mobile terminal 10 and the store server 20 when a customer visits the store will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of control processing executed by the mobile terminal 10 and the store server 20 according to the embodiment. The sequence diagram shown in Fig. 11 shows an example of processing in the case where a customer is guided according to the congestion level of each area in the store when the customer visits. Note that this processing will explain the case where the first guide information is generated using a guide behavior calculation AI.

[0109] First, when the communication processing unit 1001 of the mobile terminal 10 receives a check-in confirmation instruction from the operation unit 107, it sends a check-in notification to the store server 20, which includes the customer ID, the customer image captured by the imaging unit 108, and the location information acquired by the positioning unit 109 (step S101).

[0110] When the store server 20 receives the check-in notification from the mobile terminal 10, the first guide information acquiring unit 2003 refers to the customer master 223 and determines whether or not the customer ID exists (step S102).

[0111] If the customer ID exists in the customer master 223 (step S102; Yes), the first guide information acquiring unit 2003 acquires customer information of the customer corresponding to the customer ID included in the check-in notice from the customer master 223 (step S103), and proceeds to step S105. On the other hand, if the customer ID does not exist in the customer master 223 (step S102; No), the first guide information acquiring unit 2003 acquires attribute information from the customer image included in the check-in notice (step S104).

[0112] Next, the first guide information acquiring unit 2003 refers to the congestion level table 224 to acquire the congestion level of each area (step S105). Next, the first guide information acquiring unit 2003 refers to the promotion DB 225 to acquire the promotion details corresponding to the promotion ID whose promotion flag is in the ON state (step S106).

[0113] Then, the first guide information acquisition unit 2003 inputs, to the guided behavior calculation AI, input information including customer information acquired from the customer master 223 or attribute information acquired from the customer image, the congestion level of each area acquired from the congestion level table 224, and promotion details acquired from the promotion DB 225. Then, the first guide information including the guided area and promotion details for each customer output by the guided behavior calculation AI is acquired (step S107).

[0114] The input information input to the guided behavior calculation AI may include location information that indicates the customer's state in the store (the state when they start shopping). In this case, the guided behavior calculation AI outputs an area according to the customer's state in the store as the guided area. For example, in this process, the guided behavior calculation AI outputs areas other than the checkout area as the guided area.

[0115] Next, the second guide information acquisition unit 2004 of the store server 20 generates a prompt based on the first guide information acquired in step S107 (step S108). Next, the second guide information acquisition unit 2004 inputs the prompt generated in step S108 to the sentence generation LLM 226, and acquires second guide information including the guide sentence and promotion sentence output by the sentence generation LLM 226 (step S109).

[0116] Next, the communication processing unit 2001 transmits the second guide information to the mobile terminal 10 (step S110).

[0117] When the mobile terminal 10 receives the second guide information from the store server 20, the display control unit 1002 causes the display unit 106 to display the guide text and promotion text included in the second guide information (step S111).

[0118] Through the above-described process, when a customer visits the store, the store server 20 determines the area to which the customer should be guided based on the customer's status in the store and the degree of congestion in each area within the store. The store server 20 then provides the customer with guidance text to guide the customer to the area to which the customer should be guided. Therefore, the store server 20 can guide customers to the store according to the store's congestion status.

[0119] After the above-described process, the store server 20 executes the processes of steps S105 to S109 based on the location information and customer ID (or attribute information) transmitted from the mobile terminal 10, thereby providing the customer with guidance text for guiding the customer to a destination appropriate for the customer's status within the store. This allows the store server 20 to guide the customer to an area that avoids congestion throughout the customer's use of the store. Therefore, the store server 20 can improve the convenience of customers who use the store.

[0120] As described above, the store server 20 (an example of an information processing device) of this embodiment acquires the congestion level of each area in the store. It also acquires status information indicating the status of customers using the store. It also determines a guide destination area to which the customer is to be guided based on the congestion level of each area and the customer status information. It also inputs a prompt including the guide destination area to the sentence generation LLM 226, and acquires second guide information including a guide sentence for guiding the customer to the guide destination area generated by the sentence generation LLM 226. It then transmits the acquired second guide information to the mobile terminal 10.

[0121] This allows the store server 20 to obtain guidance text indicating the area to which customers should be guided, depending on the degree of congestion in the area within the store and the state of the customers within the store. Therefore, the store server 20 can guide customers who use the store according to the degree of congestion in each area within the store.

[0122] The above-described embodiment can be modified as needed by partially changing the configuration or functions of each of the above-described devices. Therefore, several modifications of the above-described embodiment will be described below as other embodiments. The following mainly focuses on differences from the above-described embodiment, and the same reference numerals will be used to designate common features that have already been described, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The modifications described below may be implemented individually or in appropriate combination.

[0123] (Variation 1) In the above embodiment, the product to be purchased by the customer is registered using the checkout device 40, but this is not limiting, and the customer may register the product themselves using the mobile terminal 10. The configuration of this modification will be described below.

[0124] First, in addition to the configuration described in Figure 3, the store server 20 according to this modified example stores in the memory unit 204 a product registration file 228 (see Figure 12) for managing products registered by customers using the mobile terminal 10.

[0125] Here, Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the product registration file 228. As shown in Fig. 12, the product registration file 228 stores a customer ID, a product code, and product information (e.g., product name, quantity, unit price, etc.) in association with a transaction ID that identifies one transaction.

[0126] The transaction ID is numerical information in ascending order, and is issued, for example, at the time of check-in. The customer ID field is registered with the customer ID sent from the mobile terminal 10 at the time of check-in. Note that the customer ID field may be blank for customers whose customer IDs are not registered in the customer master 223. Furthermore, the customer ID field may store attribute information extracted from a customer's facial image, etc., instead of the customer ID.

[0127] The product code field is where the product code of the registered product is registered. The product information field is where the product name, quantity, unit price, etc. of the product corresponding to the product code are registered. Here, the product name and unit price correspond to the product information registered in the product master 222.

[0128] Next, the functional configuration of the mobile terminal 10 and the store server 20 according to this modification will be described with reference to Fig. 13. Fig. 13 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the mobile terminal 10 and the store server 20 according to Modification 1.

[0129] As shown in FIG. 13, the control unit 100 of the mobile terminal 10 includes a product registration processing unit 1004 as a functional configuration in addition to the communication processing unit 1001, display control unit 1002, and location information acquisition unit 1003 described above.

[0130] The product registration processing unit 1004 performs processing related to the registration of products purchased by customers. Specifically, when a customer checks in to a store, the product registration processing unit 1004 acquires a transaction ID provided by the store server 20 and stores the transaction ID in RAM or the like.

[0131] After checking in to the store, when the code symbol attached to the product is imaged via the imaging unit 108, the product registration processing unit 1004 acquires a product code from the code symbol. Next, the product registration processing unit 1004 transmits a product registration notification including the acquired product code and transaction ID to the store server 20. The product registration processing unit 1004 may include the customer ID of the customer operating the device in the product registration notification. The product registration processing unit 1004 may also include location information acquired by the positioning unit 109 in the product registration notification.

[0132] Here, the product registration notification is information that instructs the store server 20 to store (register) the product information of the product corresponding to the product code included in the product registration notification, among the product codes stored in the product master 222, in association with the transaction ID assigned to the store server's own device, in the product registration file 228.

[0133] On the other hand, the control unit 200 of the store server 20 has a product registration processing unit 2006 as a functional configuration in addition to the above-mentioned communication processing unit 2001, congestion degree calculation unit 2002, first guide information acquisition unit 2003, second guide information acquisition unit 2004, and memory control unit 2005.

[0134] The product registration processing unit 2006 performs processing related to the registration of products purchased by customers. Specifically, the product registration processing unit 2006 issues (generates) a transaction ID when a customer checks in, and stores the issued transaction ID in the product registration file 228 in association with the customer ID or attribute information included in the check-in notification.

[0135] Furthermore, upon receiving a product registration notification from the mobile terminal 10, the product registration processing unit 2006 acquires product information corresponding to the product code included in the product registration notification from the product master 222. The product registration processing unit 2006 registers the product purchased by the customer by storing the acquired product information in the product registration file 228 in association with the transaction ID, etc., included in the product registration notification. The product registration processing unit 2006 also notifies the mobile terminal 10 that registration has been completed by transmitting the acquired product information to the mobile terminal 10 that sent the product registration notification.

[0136] The product registration processing unit 1004 of the mobile terminal 10 works in cooperation with the display control unit 1002 to display the product information transmitted from the mobile terminal 10. This allows the customer operating the mobile terminal 10 to check the registered products. The customer operating the mobile terminal 10 registers the products they wish to purchase by repeatedly performing the product registration operation.

[0137] Furthermore, when the product registration processing unit 1004 of the mobile terminal 10 receives a transaction execution instruction from the operation unit 107, it causes the display unit 106 to display a screen in which the transaction ID is converted into a code symbol. In response to the transaction execution instruction, the product registration processing unit 1004 may send a transaction instruction notice including the transaction ID to the store server 20. Furthermore, the product registration processing unit 1004 may include the customer ID of the customer operating its own device and location information acquired by the positioning unit 109 in the transaction instruction notice.

[0138] When the code symbol encoding the transaction ID is displayed on the display unit 106, the operator of the mobile terminal 10 causes the accounting device 40, which is the destination of the transaction, to read the code symbol (transaction ID) via a code reading unit or the like (not shown).

[0139] In this modified example, when the checkout device 40 reads the transaction ID, it queries the store server 20 for the read transaction ID and obtains product information associated with the transaction ID from the store server 20. The checkout device 40 performs checkout processing based on the obtained product information. Specifically, the checkout device 40 calculates the total amount based on the product information and executes checkout processing to settle the total amount with the amount paid by the customer. When the checkout processing is completed, the checkout device 40 sends a checkout completion notification including the transaction ID to the store server 20.

[0140] When the product registration processing unit 2006 of the store server 20 receives the first transaction completion notification, it works in cooperation with the storage control unit 2005 to store the product information associated with the transaction ID in the customer master 223 as the purchase history of the customer ID associated with the transaction ID.

[0141] Furthermore, when the product registration processing unit 2006 of the store server 20 receives the first transaction completion notification, it sends a second transaction completion notification to the mobile terminal 10 corresponding to the transaction ID included in the first transaction completion notification, informing the mobile terminal 10 that the transaction has been completed. When the mobile terminal 10 receives the second transaction completion notification from the store server 20, it ends processing related to in-store purchasing support and behavior support, such as obtaining location information.

[0142] In this modified example, the above configuration allows customers to register products themselves using the mobile terminal 10. As a result, customers who operate the mobile terminal 10 can use the mobile terminal 10 to register products and give instructions for payment while being presented with a destination to which they are directed.

[0143] In this modification, the first guide information acquisition unit 2003 may determine the state of the customer in the store based on a product registration notification or a checkout instruction notification sent from the mobile terminal 10, and generate (acquire) the first guide information. For example, upon receiving a product registration notification from the mobile terminal 10, the first guide information acquisition unit 2003 determines that the customer is shopping or wandering around the store. Furthermore, upon receiving a checkout instruction notification from the mobile terminal 10, the first guide information acquisition unit 2003 determines that the customer is ready to checkout.

[0144] As a result, the store server 20 can provide the mobile terminal 10 with second guide information indicating the area to which the customer should be guided, at the timing when the store server 20 receives a product registration notification or a checkout instruction notification from the mobile terminal 10. Therefore, the store server 20 can provide the customer with a guide destination that is appropriate for the customer's condition.

[0145] When the product registration file 228 stores registered product information associated with the transaction ID (or customer ID) included in the product registration notification at the stage of receiving the product registration notification, the first guide information acquiring unit 2003 may determine the area to be guided to based on this registered product information. For example, the first guide information acquiring unit 2003 may determine, as the guide destination, an area that sells products related to the registered product (product information) based on data that stores combinations of products that tend to be purchased together.

[0146] This allows the store server 20 to determine the guide destination taking into consideration the registered products, thereby attracting the customer's interest in the guide destination area.

[0147] (Variation 2) In the above embodiment, the mobile terminal 10 acquires the customer's position in the store, but this is not limiting. For example, the store server 20 may acquire the customer's position from an area image of each area captured by the store camera 30.

[0148] In this case, the control unit 200 (e.g., the congestion degree calculation unit 2002) of the store server 20 acquires, from the area image, facial feature amounts, attribute information, location information, etc. of customers depicted in the area image. Here, the location information may indicate the area corresponding to the area image. For example, the control unit 200 of the store server 20 may track the movement route of customers by chronologically tracing the area images captured by the store cameras 30 in each area to find areas where customers with the same (or similar) facial feature amounts and attribute information are present, and store the movement route in the customer record DB 227. Also, for example, if the store camera 30 is installed in the signage terminal 50, the control unit 200 of the store server 20 acquires facial feature amounts, attribute information, location information indicating the area where the signage terminal 50 is installed, etc. of customers facing the signage terminal 50.

[0149] The first guide information acquisition unit 2003 of the store server 20 may be configured to generate the first guide information by performing the same processing as in the above-described embodiment based on the customer's attribute information, position information, etc. acquired from an image captured by the signage terminal 50. In this case, the destination of the second guide information may be the signage terminal 50. Specifically, the store server 20 transmits the second guide information to the signage terminal 50 from which the attribute information and position information have been acquired, thereby causing the signage terminal 50 to display a screen based on the second guide information.

[0150] As a result, the store server 20 can present a destination suitable for a customer facing the signage terminal 50 via the signage terminal 50. Therefore, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be achieved.

[0151] In the above embodiment, the check-in (check-in notification) is performed using the mobile terminal 10, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the check-in may be performed using a device other than the mobile terminal 10.

[0152] For example, a terminal device dedicated to check-in (hereinafter also referred to as a check-in terminal) may be installed at the entrance of the store, and customers may check in using this check-in terminal. In this case, the check-in terminal reads the member ID from the member card or user terminal held by the customer, and performs the check-in process described above to check in the customer corresponding to the member ID. The check-in terminal may also check in the customer by capturing a facial image of the customer and transmitting the facial image to the store server 20.

[0153] Furthermore, when checking in using a check-in terminal, the second guidance information can be presented via the signage terminal 50, thereby achieving the same effect as in the above-described embodiment without using the mobile terminal 10.

[0154] (Variation 3) In the above-described embodiment, the degree of congestion is calculated from area images of each area captured by the store camera 30, but this is not limited to this. Instead of the store camera 30, the degree of congestion may be calculated using entrance / exit gates installed at the entrances and exits of each area.

[0155] In this case, the store server 20 counts the number of people present in each area based on the number of people passing through the entrance / exit gate of each area, and then calculates the congestion level based on the number of people in each area.

[0156] (Variation 4) In the above embodiment, the first guide information acquisition unit 2003 inputs customer information or attribute information, the congestion level of each area, and promotion details as input information to the guided behavior calculation AI, but the input information is not limited to this. For example, the input information may include customer location information, information about the location of products in each area in the store stored in the store server 20 (in other words, information about the store map), and past congestion levels that the congestion level calculation unit 2002 can acquire from the congestion level table 224.

[0157] This is expected to enable the guided behavior calculation AI to output more accurate first guide information.

[0158] (Variation 5) In the above-described embodiment, the first guide information acquisition unit 2003 generates first guide information including the area to be guided to and the promotion content based on customer information acquired from the customer master 223 or attribute information acquired from the customer image, the congestion level of each area acquired from the congestion level table 224, and the promotion content acquired from the promotion DB 225.

[0159] However, this is not limited to this, and the first guide information acquisition unit 2003 may generate only the area to be guided to based on customer information acquired from the customer master 223 or attribute information acquired from the customer image, and the congestion level of each area acquired from the congestion level table 224.

[0160] (Variation 6) The congestion level calculation by the congestion level calculation unit 2002 may be performed in a cloud (not shown) rather than by the store server 20. In this case, the congestion level calculated in the cloud is transmitted to the store server 20, and the store server 20 updates the congestion level table 224 upon receiving the congestion level.

[0161] The programs executed by the guided promotion system 1 of the embodiment and the modified example may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network. Also, the programs executed by the guided promotion system 1 of the embodiment and the modified example may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0162] The programs executed by each device in the above-described embodiments are provided in a state where they are pre-installed in a ROM, a storage unit, etc. The programs executed by each device in the above-described embodiments may be provided by being recorded in an installable or executable file format on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, or a digital versatile disk (DVD).

[0163] These novel embodiments and their modifications may be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, changes, and combinations may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the inventions, and are also included in the inventions described in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0164] 1. Guidance Promotion System 10 Mobile devices 20 Store Server 30 Store Camera 40 Accounting Device 50 Signage terminals 1001 Communication processing unit 1002 Display control unit 1003 Location information acquisition unit 1004 Product registration processing unit 2001 Communication Processing Unit 2002 Congestion Calculation Unit 2003 1st Guidance Information Acquisition Department 2004 2nd Guidance Information Acquisition Department 2005 Memory control unit 2006 Product Registration Processing Department [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0165] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-096880

Claims

1. a first acquisition means for acquiring a congestion degree of each area in the store; a second acquisition means for acquiring status information indicating the status of a customer using the store; a guide destination determination means for determining a guide destination area to which the customer is to be guided based on the degree of congestion in each area and the state information of the customer; a third acquisition means for inputting a prompt including the destination area to a generation AI that is configured to generate an answer sentence for the prompt, and acquiring an answer sentence including a guidance sentence for guiding a customer to the destination area generated by the generation AI; providing means for providing the answer sentence to the customer; An information processing device comprising:

2. The second acquisition means acquires, as the status information, a notification regarding a product purchase at the store that is transmitted in response to an operation from a terminal device operated by the customer or location information indicating a location within the store. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The guide destination determination means determines a guide destination area to be a guide destination from among areas where the congestion degree is less than a threshold value based on the state information of the customer. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

4. a fourth acquisition means for acquiring characteristic information indicating characteristics of the customer; the guide destination determination means determines a guide destination area to be a guide destination from among areas where the congestion degree is less than a threshold, based on the characteristic information acquired by the fourth acquisition means and the state information of the customer. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

5. The guide destination determination means inputs the congestion levels of each area acquired by the first acquisition means and the state information acquired by the second acquisition means into a trained model that is functionally configured to derive an area corresponding to a condition in response to an input of the condition including at least the congestion level of each area and the state of the customer, and determines the derived area as the guide destination area. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

6. The computer of the information processing device, a first acquisition means for acquiring a congestion degree of each area in the store; a second acquisition means for acquiring status information indicating the status of a customer using the store; a guide destination determination means for determining a guide destination area to which the customer is to be guided based on the degree of congestion in each area and the state information of the customer; a third acquisition means for inputting a prompt including the destination area to a generation AI that is configured to generate an answer sentence for the prompt, and acquiring an answer sentence including a guidance sentence for guiding a customer to the destination area generated by the generation AI; providing means for providing the answer sentence to the customer; A program to function as a

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