Display status notification system, display status notification method, and program

Abstract

To provide a display status notification system that allows store employees to easily understand the shortage status of products displayed in the store. [Solution] The display status notification system includes: a display status acquisition means that acquires information indicating the display status of fixtures that display products from a terminal used by a customer; a product identification means that identifies products that are missing based on the information indicating the display status; an inventory determination means that determines whether or not the product is in stock; and a notification means that, if the product is in stock, notifies a terminal used by a store employee of the shortage of the identified product in the fixture.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a display status notification system and the like.

Background Art

[0002] In stores such as supermarkets and convenience stores, cameras are installed to monitor the display status of products. Also, robots are used to monitor the display status.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a business support device that transmits information indicating the position of a display shelf where out-of-stock items have occurred to a terminal.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] When the displayed products are insufficient, it is desirable that the store staff can easily grasp the shortage situation.

[0006] The present disclosure aims to provide a display status notification system and the like that enables store staff to easily grasp the shortage situation of products displayed in a store.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The display status notification system according to the present disclosure includes a display status acquisition unit that acquires information indicating the display status of a fixture on which products are displayed from a terminal used by a customer, a product identification unit that identifies products in shortage based on the information indicating the display status, and a notification unit that notifies a terminal used by a store staff of the shortage of the identified products in the fixture.

[0008] The display status notification method described herein obtains information indicating the display status of the fixtures on which the products are displayed from a terminal used by the customer, identifies the missing products based on the information indicating the display status, and notifies the terminal used by the store clerk of the shortage of the identified products in the fixtures.

[0009] The program relating to this disclosure causes a computer to obtain information from a customer's terminal indicating the display status of the fixtures in which the products are displayed, to identify missing products based on the information indicating the display status, and to execute a process that notifies a store employee's terminal of the shortage of the identified products in the fixtures. The program may be stored on a computer-readable non-temporary recording medium. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to this disclosure, store employees will be able to easily grasp the shortage status of products displayed in the store. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the display status notification system 100 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the connection between the display status notification system 100 according to the first embodiment and each device. [Figure 3] This diagram shows an example of shelf labels attached to fixtures. [Figure 4] This diagram shows an example of a reading screen on a customer's device. [Figure 5] This diagram shows an example of a notification screen on a terminal used by a store employee. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the display status notification system 100 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the display status notification system 100 according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the display status notification system 100 according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing an example of a screen for photographing at least a part of the fixtures. [Figure 10] It is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the display status notification system 100 according to a modification example. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing an example of a screen for requesting a customer to take a photograph on a terminal used by the customer. [Figure 12] It is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the computer 500.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of a display status notification system, a display status notification method, a program, and a recording medium for non-temporarily recording the program according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. These embodiments do not limit the disclosed technology.

[0013] [First Embodiment] The display status notification system 100 according to the first embodiment is a system that notifies a store clerk when a customer reports a shortage of products in fixtures. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the display status notification system 100 according to the first embodiment. The display status notification system 100 includes a display status acquisition unit 101, a product identification unit 102, and a notification unit 103.

[0014] The display status acquisition unit 101 acquires information indicating the display status of fixtures for displaying products from a terminal used by a customer. The fixtures are not particularly limited as long as they can display products. The fixtures may be, for example, shelves, tables, wagons, baskets, hanger racks, or wall-mounted fixtures.

[0015] When there is a shortage of products in the fixtures, the customer operates the terminal to cause the terminal to transmit information indicating the display status to the display status notification system 100 in order to report. The case where there is a shortage of products includes the case where the product is out of stock in the fixture and the case where the number of displayed products is less than the number the customer wants to purchase.

[0016] The information indicating the display status may be, for example, the identification information of the out-of-stock products. The identification information of the product only needs to be able to uniquely identify the product and is not particularly limited. The identification information of the product may be represented by a one-dimensional code (barcode) or a two-dimensional code. The identification information of the product is attached to, for example, the product or the shelf label. The shelf label may be a price tag installed on the fixture. The display status acquisition unit 101 acquires, for example, the identification information of the product read by the terminal 20 used by the customer.

[0017] Based on the information indicating the display status, the product identification unit 102 identifies the out-of-stock products. For example, the product identification unit 102 identifies the product indicated by the acquired product identification information as the out-of-stock product. The product identification unit 102 may refer to the product database and identify the product indicated by the product identification information as the out-of-stock product. The product identification unit 102 may also acquire information related to the product associated with the product identification information from the product database. The information related to the product is, for example, the product name, the image of the product, or the price of the product, etc., but is not particularly limited.

[0018] The notification unit 103 notifies the shortage of the identified product in the fixture to the terminal used by the store clerk. For example, the notification unit 103 may display the shortage of the identified product in the fixture on the display of the terminal used by the store clerk. When displaying the shortage of the identified product in the fixture, the notification unit 103 may also display the product identification information or the information related to the out-of-stock product. The notification unit 103 may also acquire information related to the product associated with the product identification information from the product database.

[0019] When multiple store clerks each hold a terminal, the notification unit 103 may notify each terminal held by each store clerk of the shortage of the product in the fixture.

[0020] Figure 2 shows an example of the connection between the display status notification system 100 according to the first embodiment and each device. The display status notification system 100 is connected to terminals 20 and 30 via a communication network. The number of terminals 20 and 30 is not limited to the example shown in Figure 2. The number of terminals 20 and 30 is one or more, respectively. For the sake of simplicity of explanation, one communication network is given as an example, but the display status notification system 100 may be connected to each device by different communication networks.

[0021] Terminal 20 is used by customer C1. Terminal 30 is used by store employee C2. The types of terminals 20 and 30 are not particularly limited and may include smartphones, tablet devices, or store-specific devices. Application programs may be pre-installed on terminals 20 and 30. Alternatively, some of the functions of terminals 20 and 30 may be implemented by application programs executed over a network. Terminals 20 and 30 then exchange information with the display status notification system 100 via the application programs.

[0022] Here, we will explain using an example where the information indicating the display status is the identification information of missing products. Figure 3 shows an example of a shelf label attached to a fixture. The shelf label in Figure 3 displays the product name and price. The shelf label in Figure 3 also includes a barcode that encodes the product's identification information.

[0023] Figure 4 shows an example of a screen for reading product identification information displayed on a terminal 20 used by a customer. The customer operates the terminal 20 so that, for example, the barcode displayed on the shelf tag of the missing product on the display fixture is within the frame of the reading screen. The terminal 20 reads the barcode that is within the frame. In the reading screen of Figure 4, the barcode has been read. The product name and price of the product are also displayed as a result of the barcode reading. Furthermore, the reading screen of Figure 4 includes a button labeled "Report". For example, in response to a tap of this button, the terminal 20 transmits the product identification information to the display status notification system 100. The display status acquisition unit 101 acquires the product identification information transmitted from the terminal 20. The product identification unit 102 then identifies the product indicated by the identification information as the missing product.

[0024] When a missing item is identified, the notification unit 103 notifies the terminal 30 used by the store clerk that the item is missing from the display fixture. Figure 5 shows an example of a notification screen displayed on the terminal 30 used by the store clerk, which notifies the store clerk of the shortage of an item from the display fixture. The notification screen in Figure 5 includes the name of the item for which the customer reported the shortage.

[0025] Upon seeing the notification, the store clerk can replenish the product. Terminal 30 may display buttons to select whether to replenish immediately or receive another notification later. That is, the notification unit 103 may output instructions to display buttons to select at least one of the following: to replenish immediately or to receive another notification later, along with the shortage of the specified product in the display fixture. If the button to receive another notification later is pressed, the notification unit 103 will notify again, after a predetermined time has elapsed, that the specified product is in short supply in the fixture. The predetermined time may be a set time, a time specified by the store clerk, or any other time, and is not particularly limited.

[0026] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the display status notification system 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0027] First, the display status acquisition unit 101 acquires information indicating the display status of the fixtures in which the products are displayed from the customer's terminal 20 (step S1). The display status acquisition unit 101 then passes the information indicating the display status to the product identification unit 102.

[0028] Next, the product identification unit 102 identifies the missing products based on information indicating the display status (step S2). The product identification unit 102 then transmits, for example, the identification information or information about the identified products to the notification unit 103.

[0029] Furthermore, the notification unit 103 notifies the terminal 30 used by the store clerk of the shortage of the specified product in the display fixture (step S3). Upon completion of the notification, for example, the display status notification system 100 terminates its operation.

[0030] According to the first embodiment, the display status acquisition unit 101 acquires information indicating the display status of the fixtures in which the products are displayed from the terminal 20 used by the customer. The product identification unit 102 then identifies the missing products based on the information indicating the display status. Furthermore, the notification unit 103 notifies the terminal 30 used by the store clerk of the shortage of the identified products in the fixtures. Therefore, store clerks can easily grasp the shortage status of products displayed in the store.

[0031] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, a notification is issued when information indicating display information is acquired from the customer's terminal 20, so that store staff can prioritize stocking products that customers have identified as being out of stock. Also, a notification is issued when product identification information displayed on the shelf label is acquired, so that store staff can prioritize stocking products that customers in the store wish to purchase.

[0032] [Second Embodiment] Next, as a second embodiment, another example of the display status notification system 100 will be described. Figure 7 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the display status notification system 100 according to the second embodiment. The configuration of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment. Therefore, a description of similar configurations will be omitted.

[0033] The display status notification system 100 according to the second embodiment differs from the display status notification system 100 according to the first embodiment in that it includes a determination unit 104.

[0034] Furthermore, in a second embodiment, a case in which the display status notification system 100 includes an inventory determination unit 105 will be described. However, the display status notification system 100 does not necessarily have to include an inventory determination unit 105.

[0035] For customers using terminal 20 that has transmitted information indicating the display status, the decision unit 104 decides to grant a reward. Granting a reward to a customer can encourage the customer to transmit information indicating the display status. The reward to be decided is not particularly limited as long as it benefits the customer. Rewards may be, for example, discounts, points, or coupons. As a more specific example, a reward may be a discount on a product for which a shortage of product display fixtures has been reported by the customer. The reward granted may be usable during the visit or at a later date. The reward may be usable in the physical store or in the online store.

[0036] The decision unit 104 stores, for example, the determined benefit associated with the customer identification information. The decision unit 104 may obtain the customer identification information from the terminal 20 or from a database (not shown) that manages customer information. The determined benefit is granted to the customer as appropriate.

[0037] The decision unit 104 may decide to grant a reward based on the time when information indicating the display status is transmitted from the terminal 20. For example, the decision unit 104 may decide to grant a reward only to the customer who first transmitted the information indicating the display status. Alternatively, the decision unit 104 may decide to grant a higher-value reward the earlier the information indicating the display status is transmitted.

[0038] The decision unit 104 determines whether to grant a reward based on the time the information indicating the display status is transmitted from the terminal 20, thereby encouraging customers to transmit the information indicating the display status as soon as possible. If the information indicating the display status is transmitted quickly, store staff will be notified sooner, and shortages of products in the fixtures will be resolved quickly.

[0039] The inventory determination unit 105 determines whether or not there is stock of the product that is missing from the fixtures, as identified by the product identification unit 102. Stock includes, for example, products displayed on fixtures in the store and products stored in the store's back room. Stock may also include products stored in nearby stores. Nearby stores are, for example, stores located at a distance that allows for the transfer and display of the store's inventory within a suitably defined time. The inventory determination unit 105 determines whether or not there is stock of the product that is missing from the fixtures, for example, by referring to a database (not shown) that stores inventory. Alternatively, the inventory determination unit 105 may determine whether or not there is stock of the product in question based on the input of the results of an inventory check by a store employee.

[0040] For example, if the inventory determination unit 105 determines that the product is in stock, the notification unit 103 may notify the terminal 30 used by the store clerk of the shortage in the product's display fixture. If the product is in stock, the store clerk can respond to the notification from the notification unit 103 by handing the product to the customer or replenishing the product in the fixture.

[0041] Furthermore, if the inventory determination unit 105 determines that there is no stock of the product, the notification unit 103 may stop notifying the terminal 30 used by the store clerk of the shortage in the product's display fixture. This is because if there is no stock, the store clerk cannot replenish the product. However, if the inventory determination unit 105 determines that there is no stock of the product, the notification unit 103 may, if necessary, notify the terminal 30 used by the store clerk that there is no stock of the product.

[0042] The decision unit 104 may decide to grant a benefit if the inventory determination unit 105 determines that there is no stock of the missing product in the fixture. If there is no stock, the store staff cannot replenish the product, and the customer cannot purchase the product. Therefore, the decision unit 104 may decide to grant the benefit to the customer as an apology.

[0043] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the display status notification system 100 according to the second embodiment.

[0044] First, the display status acquisition unit 101 acquires information indicating the display status of the fixtures in which the products are displayed from the customer's terminal 20 (step S21). The display status acquisition unit 101 then passes the information indicating the display status to the product identification unit 102.

[0045] Next, the product identification unit 102 identifies the missing products based on information indicating the display status (step S22). The product identification unit 102 then passes, for example, the identification information or product information of the identified products to the inventory determination unit 105.

[0046] The inventory determination unit 105 refers to a database that stores inventory associated with product identification information or product information, and determines whether or not the product identified by the product identification unit 102 is in stock (step S23).

[0047] If there is stock available (Step S23: Yes), the stock determination unit 105 relays the information that there is stock to the notification unit 103. The notification unit 103 then notifies the terminal 30 used by the store clerk that there is a shortage of the product in the display fixture (Step S24).

[0048] If there is no stock (Step S23: No), the stock determination unit 105 relays the information that there is no stock to the decision unit 104. The decision unit 104 then decides to grant the customer the benefit (Step S25).

[0049] According to the second embodiment, the decision unit 104 decides to grant a reward to the customer. Therefore, it becomes possible to grant a reward to a customer who reports a shortage of goods. Also, according to the second embodiment, the notification unit 103 notifies the terminal 30 used by the store clerk of the shortage of goods in the display fixture when there is stock. Therefore, unnecessary notifications to the store clerk can be suppressed. Also, the decision unit 104 decides to grant a reward when there is no stock. Therefore, it becomes possible to provide compensation to a customer who could not be provided with the goods.

[0050] The above describes a case where a shortage of goods is notified and a benefit is granted to the customer depending on the availability of stock. However, the notification unit 103 may notify the customer of a shortage of goods in the display fixtures regardless of whether the goods are in stock. Also, the decision unit 104 may decide to grant a benefit to the customer regardless of whether the goods are in stock. In other words, a benefit may be granted to the customer regardless of whether the goods are in stock. If the goods are out of stock, the decision unit 104 may decide to grant a larger benefit than when the goods are in stock.

[0051] [Differentiation] The embodiments described above are not limited to the examples given and can be modified in various ways. Here, we will describe some modifications.

[0052] In one modified example, the information indicating the display status may be an image taken of at least a part of the fixture. In this case, the display status acquisition unit 101 acquires, for example, an image taken using a terminal 20 used by a customer as information indicating the display status.

[0053] For example, information indicating the display status may be, for instance, an image of a shelf label attached to a fixture. The product identification unit 102 uses existing image recognition technology to read, for example, the product name, price, and other product identification information displayed on the shelf label, and identifies the missing product. Based on the information read, the product identification unit 102 may refer to a product database to identify the missing product. For example, the product identification unit 102 may identify product identification information based on the product name read from the image.

[0054] Furthermore, as an example, information indicating the display status may include an image showing the location of the missing product on the fixture. Alternatively, information indicating the display status may include an image showing the location of the missing product and the products displayed around it.

[0055] The product identification unit 102 first recognizes the products included in the image. Then, the product identification unit 102 identifies the location where the displayed products are missing from the image. The location where the displayed products are missing is, for example, an area where no products were detected, or an area where the bottom surface of the fixture is exposed beyond a predetermined range. The product identification unit 102 may also identify products recognized within a predetermined range from the area where the products are missing in the image, or the area where the bottom surface of the fixture is exposed beyond a predetermined range, as the missing products. For example, if there are no products at the front of the display shelf but there are products at the back, the products at the back will be identified as the missing products. Alternatively, the product identification unit 102 may refer to a database that stores the display positions of products on the fixture and identify the missing products based on the positional relationship between the location where the products are missing and other products displayed around it. Let's explain this using the example where the database stores that product Y is displayed to the right of product X on the display shelf. When the product identification unit 102 detects product Y to the right of the location where the product is missing, it identifies the location where the product is missing as the display location of product X. Therefore, product X is identified as the missing product.

[0056] Figure 9 shows an example of a screen displayed on a customer terminal 20 that captures at least a portion of a display fixture. In Figure 9, the location of the missing product on the fixture and the products displayed around the missing product are captured. In Figure 9, the dotted line indicates the area where there is no product. The dotted line in Figure 9 does not need to be displayed on the screen. Terminal 20 transmits the captured image to the display status notification system 100. The display status acquisition unit 101 acquires the image transmitted from terminal 20. The product identification unit 102 then recognizes the area where there is no product and at least one product above, below, to the left, or to the right of that area from the image. Based on the positional relationship of the recognized products, the product identification unit 102 identifies the product whose display position is in the area where there is no product as the missing product.

[0057] The notification unit 103 may display images taken by the customer's terminal 20 on the employee's terminal 30. For example, if an image including the location of the missing item is displayed on the employee's terminal 30, the employee can confirm that the item is missing. Also, if an image including items displayed around the missing item is displayed on the employee's terminal 30, it becomes easier for the employee to determine the location of the missing item.

[0058] In other modifications, the display status notification system 100 may further include a shortage determination unit 106. Figure 10 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the display status notification system 100 according to a modification. The shortage determination unit 106 determines that a product identified by the product identification unit 102 is in short supply based on an image taken of the fixture on which the product is displayed.

[0059] For example, if identification information is acquired as information indicating the display status, the product identification unit 102 may identify a product that is in short supply as being in short supply due to customer error or other reasons. In this case, the shortage determination unit 106 determines whether the product is in short supply based on an image of the display fixture, thereby making it possible to determine whether the product identified by the product identification unit 102 is actually in short supply.

[0060] The shortage detection unit 106 may determine if a product is in short supply using images captured by the customer's terminal 20. For example, the shortage detection unit 106 may use images captured by the customer's terminal 20, separate from the images used by the product identification unit 102 to identify the product. Alternatively, the shortage detection unit 106 may determine if a product is in short supply using images of fixtures captured by the store's security cameras.

[0061] Furthermore, if the information indicating the display status includes the location of the missing product on the fixture and the products displayed around the missing product, and the shelf label of the missing product is an identifiable image, the shortage determination unit 106 may use the same image as the one used by the product identification unit 102 to identify the product. In this case, the product identification unit 102 reads the product name, price, and other product identification information displayed on the shelf label to identify the missing product.

[0062] For example, the shortage detection unit 106 identifies the location of the product identified by the product identification unit 102 from the image. The method for identifying the location of the product is not particularly limited, and existing technologies can be used. For example, the shortage detection unit 106 may identify the location of the product by referring to a database that stores display locations. Alternatively, the shortage detection unit 106 may identify the place where the product should be based on its positional relationship with the shelf label corresponding to the identified product, or its positional relationship with surrounding products. Then, the shortage detection unit 106 recognizes the product from the image at the product's location. For example, if the number of recognized products is less than a predetermined number, the shortage detection unit 106 determines that there is a shortage of products. The predetermined number can be any number of 1 or more.

[0063] The shortage detection unit 106 may notify the notification unit 103 that there is a shortage of goods. The notification unit 103 may notify the terminal 30 used by the store clerk of the shortage of goods in the display fixture when the shortage detection unit determines that the goods identified by the goods identification unit 102 are in short supply. By having the notification unit 103 notify when the shortage detection unit 106 determines that there is a shortage of goods, unnecessary notifications to the terminal 30 used by the store clerk can be suppressed.

[0064] Furthermore, the shortage detection unit 106 may notify the decision unit 104 that there is a shortage of goods. The decision unit 104 may decide to grant a benefit to the customer if it determines that there is a shortage of goods. By having the decision unit 104 decide to grant a benefit when the shortage detection unit 106 determines that there is a shortage of goods, it is possible to prevent a benefit from being granted to a customer who reports that there is a shortage of goods even though there are goods in the display case.

[0065] In other variations, the display status notification system 100 may further include a display control unit (not shown) that controls the display on a customer terminal 20. The display control unit may display a screen requesting that an image be taken including the location of the missing product.

[0066] Figure 11 shows an example of a screen that requests the user to take an image including the location of the missing item. The screen in Figure 11 requests the user to photograph the display shelf so that the location of the missing item fits within the dotted line frame. The way the frame is displayed is not limited to the example shown in Figure 11. The customer operates the terminal and takes the image as requested.

[0067] Images captured in accordance with the above requirements may be used by the shortage determination unit 106 to determine whether an item is missing. Alternatively, if the captured image includes the missing item, shelf label, or surrounding items, the image may be used by the item identification unit 102 to identify the missing item.

[0068] In other variations, the display status notification system 100 may notify the terminal 30 used by the store clerk of the customer's requested quantity of the missing items. The requested quantity indicates the quantity of the items requested by the customer. The requested quantity may be the number of missing items, which is the number of items the customer wants to buy minus the number of items displayed on the fixture. Alternatively, the requested quantity may be the sum of the number of items displayed on the fixture and the number of missing items, which is the number the customer wants to buy. The display status acquisition unit 101 acquires the number of missing items or the number the customer wants to buy from the terminal 20 used by the customer, along with information indicating the display status.

[0069] The product identification unit 102 identifies the missing product and the requested quantity of that product. The product identification unit 102 may also identify the number of missing products or the number of products the customer wishes to purchase as the requested quantity, which may be obtained from the terminal 20. Alternatively, the product identification unit 102 may calculate the requested quantity based on the number of products displayed on the fixture, which may be obtained by any means, and the number of missing products or the number of products the customer wishes to purchase, which may be obtained from the terminal 20. The product identification unit 102 then passes the missing product and the requested quantity of that product to the notification unit 103. The notification unit 103 then notifies the terminal 30 used by the store clerk of the product shortage, along with the requested quantity of that product.

[0070] The requested quantity is notified to the terminal 30 used by the store clerk, allowing the clerk to replenish the products from the back room or elsewhere according to the number the customer wants to purchase.

[0071] In further variations, the display status notification system 100 may also notify the terminal 30 used by the store clerk of the display location of the missing product. That is, the notification unit 103 notifies the terminal 30 used by the store clerk of the display location of the product, along with notifying the store clerk of the display location of the product. The notification unit 103 may, for example, display the display location on the terminal 30 as the identification information of the fixture, the location of the fixture on a map of the store, or the place where the product is placed on the fixture. The display location of the missing product is identified, for example, by referring to a database that stores display locations.

[0072] The location of the products is notified to the terminal 30 used by the store staff, allowing the staff to quickly identify where products need to be restocked.

[0073] In another variation, the display status notification system 100 may also notify the terminal 30 used by the store clerk of the location information of the terminal 20 used by the customer. In this case, the display status acquisition unit 101 acquires the location information of the terminal 20 used by the customer along with information indicating the display status. The notification unit 103 may then notify the terminal 30 used by the store clerk of the location information of the terminal 20 used by the customer, along with the shortage of the identified product. The location of the terminal 20 used by the customer may be the current location of the terminal 20, the location at the time the information indicating the display status was transmitted, or the location at the time the image of at least a part of the fixture was taken.

[0074] The customer's terminal 20 acquires its location information via wireless communication such as Wi-Fi® or Bluetooth®. The terminal 20 then transmits the acquired location information to the display status notification system 100. The customer's terminal 20 may also transmit the location information to the display status notification system 100 along with information indicating the display status.

[0075] The location information of the customer's terminal 20 is sent to the terminal 30 used by the store clerk, allowing the clerk to quickly determine the location of the customer who needs the product. Furthermore, the clerk can quickly determine where the product needs to be restocked.

[0076] In another modification, the notification unit 103 may notify the customer's terminal 20 of the time when the missing items will be replenished. The notified time may be the time the items are replenished, or the time required until the replenishment is completed.

[0077] The time when products are replenished may be estimated based on the time when the store clerk is notified of a shortage in the product's display fixture via the terminal 30 used by the store clerk. The time when products are replenished may also be after a predetermined time has elapsed from the time the shortage in the fixture was notified. The predetermined time can be set as appropriate, for example, between 1 and 10 minutes.

[0078] Alternatively, the time it takes for products to be restocked may be estimated based on the location information of the terminal 30 used by the store clerk. For example, the notification unit 103 may provide a time notification based on the time it takes for the store clerk to move from the current location of the terminal 30 to the inventory storage location and then to the product display location.

[0079] [Hardware configuration] In each of the embodiments described above, each component of the display status notification system 100 represents a functional unit block. Some or all of the components of the display status notification system 100 may be implemented by any combination of computer 500 and program.

[0080] Figure 12 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of computer 500. Referring to Figure 12, computer 500 includes, for example, a processor 501, ROM (Read Only Memory) 502, RAM (Random Access Memory) 503, a program 504, a storage device 505, a drive device 507, a communication interface 508, an input device 509, an input / output interface 511, and a bus 512.

[0081] The processor 501 controls the entire computer 500. An example of a processor 501 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The number of processors 501 is not particularly limited; there may be one or more processors 501.

[0082] Program 504 includes instructions for implementing each function of the display status notification system 100. Program 504 is pre-stored in ROM 502, RAM 503, and storage device 505. The processor 501 implements each function of the display status notification system 100 by executing the instructions contained in program 504. RAM 503 may also store data processed in each function of the display status notification system 100. The number of ROM (Read Only Memory) 502, RAM (Random Access Memory) 503, and storage device 505 is not particularly limited and can be one or more of each.

[0083] The drive device 507 reads and writes to the recording medium 506. The communication interface 508 provides an interface with the communication network. The input device 509 is, for example, a mouse or keyboard, and receives information input from the store manager, etc. The output device 510 is, for example, a display, and outputs (displays) information to the store manager, etc. The input / output interface 511 provides an interface with peripheral devices. The bus 512 connects each of these hardware components. The program 504 may be supplied to the processor 501 via the communication network, or it may be stored in the recording medium 506 beforehand, read by the drive device 507, and supplied to the processor 501.

[0084] Note that the hardware configuration shown in Figure 12 is an example, and other components may be added, or some components may be omitted.

[0085] There are various ways to implement the display status notification system 100. For example, the display status notification system 100 may be implemented by any combination of different computers and programs for each component. Alternatively, the multiple components of the display status notification system 100 may be implemented by any combination of a single computer and program.

[0086] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications to the configuration and details of the present disclosure are possible, as can be understood by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the configurations in each embodiment can be combined with one another, as long as they do not depart from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0087] Some or all of the above embodiments may be described as follows, but are not limited to the following:

[0088] [Note 1] A display status acquisition means that acquires information indicating the display status of the fixtures that display the products from a terminal used by the customer, A means for identifying products that are in short supply based on the information indicating the display status, A terminal used by a store employee is provided with a notification means for notifying the store employee of the shortage of the product identified by the product identification means in the fixture. A display status notification system equipped with [the following features].

[0089] [Note 2] Decision means for determining whether to grant benefits to the aforementioned customer A display status notification system as described in Appendix 1, further comprising the features described above.

[0090] [Note 3] The system further comprises an inventory determination means for determining whether or not the aforementioned product is in stock, The aforementioned decision means decides to grant the aforementioned benefit if the aforementioned product is out of stock. The display status notification system described in Appendix 2.

[0091] [Note 4] The determination means decides to grant the reward based on the time the information indicating the display status is transmitted from the terminal. The display status notification system described in Appendix 2 or 3.

[0092] [Note 5] The system further comprises an inventory determination means for determining whether or not the aforementioned product is in stock, The notification means, when the product is in stock, notifies the terminal used by the store employee that the product is out of stock in the fixture. A display status notification system as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 4.

[0093] [Note 6] The information indicating the display status is an image including the shelf labels for the missing items. A display status notification system as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 5.

[0094] [Note 7] The information indicating the display situation is an image that includes the location of the missing items. A display status notification system as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 5.

[0095] [Note 8] The aforementioned product identification means identifies the missing product based on the location of the missing product and the products displayed around the missing product, as shown in the image. The display status notification system described in Appendix 7.

[0096] [Note 9] The information indicating the display status is the identification information of the product. A display status notification system as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 5.

[0097] [Note 10] A shortage determination means determines whether the product is in short supply based on an image taken of the fixture on which the product is displayed. Furthermore, A display status notification system as described in any one of the appendices 1 through 9.

[0098] [Note 11] Display control means that causes the customer to display a screen on the terminal used by the customer requesting the customer to take an image including the location of the missing product. Furthermore, A display status notification system as described in any one of the appendices 1 through 10.

[0099] [Note 12] The notification means notifies the customer of the quantity of the product that is in short supply to the terminal used by the store clerk. A display status notification system as described in any one of the appendices 1 through 11.

[0100] [Note 13] The notification means notifies the terminal used by the store employee of the display location of the product. A display status notification system as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 12.

[0101] [Note 14] The notification means notifies the terminal used by the store employee of the location information of the terminal used by the customer. A display status notification system as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 13.

[0102] [Note 15] The notification means notifies the customer of the time when the missing product will be replenished on the terminal used by the customer. A display status notification system as described in any one of the appendices 1 through 14.

[0103] [Note 16] Information indicating the display status of the fixtures in which the products are displayed is obtained from the terminal used by the customer. Based on the information indicating the display status, identify the missing items. The terminal used by the store clerk will be notified of the shortage of the specified product in the fixture. Method for notifying the display status.

[0104] [Note 17] Information indicating the display status of the fixtures in which the products are displayed is obtained from the terminal used by the customer. Based on the information indicating the display status, identify the missing items. The terminal used by the store clerk will be notified of the shortage of the specified product in the fixture. A program that instructs a computer to perform a process. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 100 Display Status Notification System 101 Display Status Acquisition Unit 102 Product Specification Department 103 Notification Department 104 Decision Section 105 Inventory Checking Unit 106 Insufficiency judgment section 20. Terminals used by customers 30. Terminals used by store staff C1 Customer C2 Store Clerk

Claims

1. A display status acquisition means that acquires a photographic image from a customer's terminal that includes information indicating the display status of the fixtures on which the products are displayed, including shelf tags for missing products or product identification information attached to those products. A means for identifying missing products from the aforementioned captured images, An inventory determination means for determining whether the aforementioned product is in stock, If the aforementioned product is in stock, a notification means is provided to a terminal used by the store clerk to notify the store clerk of the shortage of the aforementioned product in the fixture, as identified by the aforementioned product identification means. A display status notification system equipped with [the following features].

2. The information indicating the display status includes an image of the area where the missing items are located. The display status notification system according to claim 1.

3. A shortage determination means determines whether the product is in short supply based on an image taken of the fixture on which the product is displayed. Furthermore, The display status notification system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. Display control means that causes the customer to display a screen on the terminal used by the customer requesting the customer to take an image including the location of the missing product. Furthermore, A display status notification system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The notification means notifies the customer of the quantity of the product that is in short supply to the terminal used by the store clerk. A display status notification system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The notification means notifies the terminal used by the store employee of the display location of the product. A display status notification system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The notification means notifies the terminal used by the store employee of the location information of the terminal used by the customer. A display status notification system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The notification means notifies the customer of the time when the missing product will be replenished on the terminal used by the customer. A display status notification system according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. Computers From the customer's terminal, images are acquired that include shelf labels for missing items or product identification information attached to those items, as information indicating the display status of the display fixtures for the products. From the aforementioned captured images, identify the missing items. Determine whether the aforementioned product is in stock, If the aforementioned product is in stock, the terminal used by the store clerk will be notified of the shortage of the specified product in the aforementioned fixture. Method for notifying the display status.

10. From the customer's terminal, images are acquired that include shelf labels for missing items or product identification information attached to those items, as information indicating the display status of the display fixtures for the products. From the aforementioned captured images, identify the missing items. Determine whether the aforementioned product is in stock, If the aforementioned product is in stock, the terminal used by the store clerk will be notified of the shortage of the specified product in the aforementioned fixture. A program that instructs a computer to perform a process.

Images