Inventory management device, inventory management method, and program

Abstract

We provide inventory management technology that can be implemented at low cost. [Solution] The inventory management device includes an acquisition means that acquires first reading information of wireless tags attached to products, read by a first reading device installed between the store's back room and the store's sales floor, and images of product shelves in the sales floor; an identification means that identifies the number of items in stock in the sales floor based on the number of items issued identified from the first reading information and the number of items taken out identified from the images; and an output means that outputs the number of items in stock in the sales floor.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present disclosure relates to an inventory management device, an inventory management method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] There is a technology for managing the inventory of products in warehouses and stores. For example, there is a technology in which a wireless tag is attached to a product, and the inventory is managed using information obtained by reading the wireless tag using an antenna installed in a warehouse or a store.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes an inventory management device that manages the articles in a storage vault based on article information obtained by communicating with a wireless tag via an incoming antenna and an outgoing antenna provided so as to be able to communicate with the wireless tag attached to the article stored in the storage vault.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, when performing inventory management of products using communication between a wireless tag and an antenna, the radio waves of the communication may be interfered with depending on the material of the shelf on which the products are placed. Therefore, when introducing a system for performing inventory management of products using communication between a wireless tag and an antenna, it may be necessary to replace the shelf with a shelf made of a material that does not interfere with radio waves.

[0006] An example of the object of the present disclosure is to provide an inventory management technology that can be introduced at a low cost.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] An inventory management system in one aspect of this disclosure includes: acquisition means for acquiring first reading information of wireless tags attached to products, read by a first reading device installed between the back room of a store and the sales floor of a store, and images of product shelves in the sales floor; identification means for identifying the number of items in stock in the sales floor based on the number of items issued identified from the first reading information and the number of items taken out identified from the images; and output means for outputting the number of items in stock in the sales floor.

[0008] An inventory management method in one aspect of this disclosure acquires first reading information from wireless tags attached to products, read by a first reader installed between the store's back room and the store's sales floor, and images of product shelves in the sales floor. Based on the number of products issued identified from the first reading information and the number of products taken out identified from the images, the inventory quantity in the sales floor is determined and the inventory quantity in the sales floor is output.

[0009] A program in one aspect of this disclosure acquires first reading information from wireless tags attached to products, read by a first reader installed between the store's back room and the store's sales floor, and images of product shelves in the sales floor. The program then causes a computer to perform a process to determine the number of products on the sales floor based on the number of products identified from the first reading information and the number of products removed from the images, and to output the number of products on the sales floor.

[0010] Each program may be stored on a non-temporary storage medium that is readable by the computer. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] One example of the benefits of this disclosure is the ability to provide inventory management technology that can be implemented at low cost. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This diagram shows the configuration of a system including an inventory management device. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an inventory management system. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart showing the operation of the inventory management system. [Figure 4] This block shows another example of the functional configuration of an inventory management system. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart showing the operation of the inventory management system. [Figure 6] This block shows another example of the functional configuration of an inventory management system. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart showing the operation of the inventory management system. [Figure 8] This figure shows the hardware configuration for implementing the inventory management system described in this disclosure using a computer and its peripheral devices. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0014] [First Embodiment] Figure 1 shows an example of a system including the inventory management device of this disclosure.

[0015] In Figure 1, the inventory management device 100 is a device that manages the inventory of goods in a store. The inventory management device 100 manages at least the number of goods in stock. In addition, as will be described in the second embodiment later, the inventory management device 100 may also manage the location where the goods are placed. The inventory management device 100 can be implemented, for example, by a server or a cloud computing system.

[0016] Furthermore, the inventory management device 100 is connected to the terminal device, camera, and reader in a system shown in Figure 1. Although not shown in Figure 1, the inventory management device 100 is also connected to multiple cameras and multiple reader devices installed in the store in a communication manner. The installation locations and number of cameras and reader devices installed in the store are not limited to the example in Figure 1.

[0017] The terminal device is a device that outputs the information output by the inventory management device 100 through display, voice, etc. The terminal device is, for example, a terminal device used by customers or employees in a store. The terminal device is realized by, for example, a smartphone, a tablet, a PC (Personal Computer), a dedicated mobile terminal used for inventory management, etc. Note that there may be a plurality of terminal devices communicably connected to the inventory management device 100.

[0018] The camera is a camera that photographs the product shelves in the sales floor. The camera is installed in the store so that it can photograph the actions of customers or store employees taking out products. Here, the camera may be fixed to the walls, ceilings, product shelves, etc. of the store, or may be movable. Also, there may be a plurality of cameras.

[0019] The reading device is a reading device that reads the information recorded on the wireless tag by communicating with the wireless tag attached to the product. The reading device is, for example, an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) reader, and the wireless tag is, for example, an RFID tag. Also, there may be one or more reading devices.

[0020] In FIG. 1, the reading device is installed at the entrance between the sales floor and the backyard of the store, and reads the wireless tags attached to the products entering and leaving between the sales floor and the backyard. In this case, for example, the reading device may be provided on the gate provided at the entrance.

[0021] The reading device provided at the entrance between the backyard and the sales floor reads the wireless tags of the products moving from the backyard to the sales floor and the wireless tags of the products moving from the sales floor to the backyard.

[0022] Furthermore, the reading devices may be installed on shelves, walls, ceilings, etc., in the back room to read wireless tags attached to products in the back room. In this case, the reading devices can be used to determine the number and location of products placed in the back room. In addition, the reading devices may be installed at the entrance between the back room and the outside of the store to read wireless tags attached to products arriving at the store.

[0023] Next, the configuration of the inventory management device 100 in the embodiment will be described.

[0024] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the inventory management device 100. Referring to Figure 2, the inventory management device 100 comprises an acquisition unit 101, a identification unit 102, and an output unit 103.

[0025] Next, the configuration of the inventory management device 100 will be explained in detail. The inventory management device 100 identifies and outputs the inventory quantity in the store's sales area.

[0026] The acquisition unit 101 is an example of an acquisition means that acquires first reading information of a wireless tag attached to a product, which is read by a first reading device installed between the back room of the store and the sales floor of the store, and images of the product shelves in the sales floor. For example, the acquisition unit 101 acquires first reading information from the first reading device and acquires images from the camera.

[0027] In other words, the acquisition unit 101 acquires first reading information of wireless tags attached to products moving between the sales floor and the back room. Here, the first reading information includes reading information of wireless tags attached to products moving from the back room to the sales floor, and reading information of wireless tags attached to products moving from the sales floor to the back room.

[0028] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 101 acquires images of customers or store employees taking out products from the shelves in the sales area. Here, the product shelves are the shelves installed in the sales area of ​​the store. The product shelves may be all the product shelves installed in the sales area of ​​the store, or they may be some of the product shelves on which products that are subject to inventory management are displayed. The acquisition unit 101 may also acquire images of customers or store employees placing products on the product shelves in the sales area.

[0029] Here, the acquisition unit 101 may acquire information about the inventory of all products in the store, or it may acquire information about some of the products in the store. For example, the acquisition unit 101 may acquire information about the inventory of products in the store for which it wants to know the inventory more accurately. Products for which it wants to know the inventory more accurately include, for example, high-priced products or popular products that are likely to receive inquiries about their inventory. Here, the information about the product inventory may be, for example, the first reading information mentioned above or images of the product shelves in the sales area.

[0030] The identification unit 102 is an example of an identification means for identifying the inventory quantity of a sales floor based on the number of products issued, identified from the first reading information, and the number of products taken out, identified from the image. For example, the identification unit 102 may identify the inventory quantity of a sales floor by adding the number of products issued to the inventory quantity of the sales floor, which is stored in a storage unit (not shown) beforehand, and then subtracting the number of products taken out.

[0031] Known methods may be used to determine the number of items to be put out and the number of items to be taken out. Furthermore, the determination of the number of items to be put out and the number of items to be taken out may be performed by the identification unit 102, or by an identification device provided inside or outside the inventory management device 100, respectively.

[0032] An example of the process by which the identification unit 102 identifies the number of products to be sold based on the first read information will be described. For example, the identification unit 102 identifies product identification information from the first read information. Product identification information is information that identifies a product. Then, the identification unit 102 uses the product identification information to count the number of each product included in the first read information and thereby determines the number of products to be sold.

[0033] Here, the number of items to be stocked is determined based on the first reading information. Therefore, the number of items to be stocked is the number of items that have moved from the back room to the sales floor, i.e., the number of items that have been stocked. Note that the number of items that have moved from the sales floor to the back room may be determined as a negative number of items to be stocked. This is because items may be moved from the sales floor to the back room for reasons such as changes in the number of items displayed on the shelves in the sales floor or the expiration of the product's shelf life. Note that the first reading information may include only the product identification information of items that have moved from the back room to the sales floor, or it may include the product identification information of items that have moved from the back room to the sales floor and the product identification information of items that have moved from the sales floor to the back room, respectively, in a way that allows for identification. That is, the first reading device may read the wireless tags attached to items that have moved from the back room to the sales floor, or it may read the wireless tags attached to items that have moved from the back room to the sales floor and the wireless tags attached to items that have moved from the sales floor to the back room, while identifying them separately. Known methods can be used for reading wireless tags according to the direction of movement. Furthermore, reading the wireless tag according to the direction of movement may be performed similarly in the second and third reading devices described later.

[0034] An example of a process in which the identification unit 102 identifies the number of items taken based on an image of the product shelves in the store is described. For example, the identification unit 102 identifies the number of each product displayed on the shelves by performing image recognition processing on an image of the product shelves in the store. Next, the identification unit 102 identifies the number of items taken as the decrease in the number of items displayed for each product identified from the image. Note that known technologies can be used for the image recognition processing.

[0035] Furthermore, for example, the identification unit 102 performs image recognition processing on images of product shelves in a sales area to identify the actions of a person taking products from the shelves. Next, the identification unit 102 identifies the products held by the person in the image in which the actions of the person taking products from the shelves have been identified, or in an image taken a predetermined time after the actions of the person taking products from the shelves have been identified. Next, the identification unit 102 determines the number of products taken by counting the identified products as products that have been taken.

[0036] Furthermore, the number of items removed is determined based on images of the shelves in the sales area. Therefore, the number of items removed is the number of items removed from the shelves. Note that the number of items displayed on the shelves other than those moved from the back room to the sales area may be determined as a negative number of items removed. Here, the number of items displayed on the shelves other than those moved from the back room to the sales area refers to the number of items that were removed from the shelves and then placed back on the shelves (the number of items returned to the shelves). The number of items returned to the shelves may be determined in the same way as the number of items removed. Alternatively, for example, the number of items displayed on the shelves other than those moved from the back room to the sales area may be determined by tracking items in images of the sales area in the store. Also, items that were removed from the shelves and then placed back on the shelves may be determined by determining that items other than those identified as having been restocked based on the first reading information were displayed.

[0037] Output unit 103 is an example of an output means for outputting the inventory quantity of a sales floor. Output unit 103 outputs the inventory quantity of a sales floor to a terminal device. The manner of output by output unit 103 is not particularly limited. For example, output unit 103 may output a list of the inventory quantities of all products in the sales floor, or it may output the inventory quantities of products included in a product category or product requested by the terminal device.

[0038] Furthermore, the output unit 103 may output the number of items in stock at the store to a database that manages information on products sold at the store.

[0039] The operation of the inventory management device 100, configured as described above, will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 3.

[0040] First, the acquisition unit 101 acquires the initial reading information from the wireless tag attached to the product, and an image of the product shelf in the sales area (step S101).

[0041] Next, the identification unit 102 identifies the number of products on the shelves based on the number of products identified from the first reading information acquired in step S101 and the number of products taken out from the image acquired in step S101 (step S102).

[0042] Next, the output unit 103 outputs the inventory quantity for the sales area identified in step S102 (step S103).

[0043] With this, the inventory management device 100 completes its series of operations.

[0044] The inventory management device 100 described above comprises an acquisition unit 101, a identification unit 102, and an output unit 103. The acquisition unit 101 acquires first reading information of wireless tags attached to products, which are read by a first reading device installed between the store's back room and the store's sales floor, and images of the product shelves in the sales floor. The identification unit 102 identifies the number of products on the sales floor based on the number of products identified from the first reading information and the number of products taken out identified from the images. The output unit 103 outputs the number of products in the sales floor.

[0045] The inventory management device 100 uses the initial reading information from wireless tags read by a first reader installed between the back room and the sales floor, and images of the product shelves in the sales floor taken by a camera installed in the sales floor, to identify and output the inventory quantity in the sales floor. Therefore, the inventory management device 100 allows store employees and customers to know the inventory quantity in the store's sales floor without installing a reader in the sales floor. As a result, the inventory management device 100 can provide an inventory management technology that can be implemented at low cost.

[0046] For example, installing a reading device may require the assistance of technicians, or it may be necessary to change the material of fixtures such as product shelves to something different, or to change the layout of fixtures such as product shelves, in order to avoid interference with the radio waves used by the reading device. According to the inventory management device 100, the inventory quantity of the store's sales floor can be identified and output without the need to install such a reading device, so the inventory management device 100 can provide an inventory management technology that can be introduced at a low cost.

[0047] [Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of this disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. To the extent that this description of the embodiment does not become unclear, any information that overlaps with the previous description will be omitted.

[0048] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an inventory management device. In Figure 4, the inventory management device 200 includes an acquisition unit 201, a identification unit 202, and an output unit 203, in place of the configuration of the inventory management device 100.

[0049] Next, the configuration of the inventory management device 200 will be described in detail. The inventory management device 200 identifies and outputs at least one of the following: the number of items in stock on the sales floor of the store, the number of items in stock in the back room, the number of lost items, and the number of items received. In other words, the acquisition unit 201, the identification unit 202, and the output unit 203 each have the functions of the acquisition unit 101, the identification unit 102, and the output unit 103, respectively.

[0050] The acquisition unit 201 acquires information regarding the inventory of products as appropriate, according to the content identified by the identification unit 202.

[0051] For example, if the identification unit 202 identifies the number of lost items, the acquisition unit 201 may acquire the number of items sold. Here, the number of lost items is the number of items that were taken from the shelves in the sales area but were not paid for. The acquisition unit 201 may acquire the number of items sold from, for example, a POS (Point of Sales) device or POS server used in the store, but the source of the number of items sold is not limited to these examples.

[0052] Furthermore, for example, when the identification unit 202 identifies the number of items in the back room, the acquisition unit 201 acquires the second reading information of the wireless tag, which has been read by a second reading device installed in the back room. The second reading device is installed to communicate with the wireless tags attached to the products in the back room.

[0053] Furthermore, for example, if the identification unit 202 identifies the number of items in the back room, the acquisition unit 201 may acquire the number of items that have arrived. For example, the acquisition unit 201 may acquire the number of items that have arrived from a system for ordering goods or a database that manages information on products sold in stores.

[0054] Furthermore, for example, if the identification unit 202 identifies the number of items in stock in the back room or the number of items received, the acquisition unit 201 may acquire third-party reading information from a wireless tag read by a third-party reader installed at the entrance between the back room and the outside of the store. The third-party reader is installed to communicate with wireless tags attached to items moving between the back room and the outside of the store.

[0055] The acquisition unit 201 may acquire one or more of the above-mentioned information regarding the inventory of products. Furthermore, similar to the first embodiment, the acquisition unit 201 may acquire information regarding the inventory of all products in the store, or it may acquire information regarding only some of the products in the store. For example, the acquisition unit 201 may acquire information regarding the inventory of products in the store that require more accurate inventory tracking, such as high-priced products. Here, the information regarding product inventory includes, for example, the first reading information and images of the product shelves in the sales area, as well as the number of products sold, the second reading information, the number of products received, and the third reading information.

[0056] The identification unit 202 identifies at least one of the following: the number of items in the back room inventory, the number of items lost, and the number of items received.

[0057] For example, the identification unit 202 further identifies the number of lost items based on the number of items sold and the number of items taken out. For example, the identification unit 202 may identify the number of lost items by subtracting the number of items sold from the number of items taken out.

[0058] Furthermore, the identification unit 202 may determine the number of lost items based on the number of items sold and the number of items taken, which is determined based on images taken more than a predetermined time after the image was captured. The predetermined time will be described later. When a customer purchases an item in a store, it is expected that time will pass between the time the item is taken from the shelf in the sales area and the time it is recorded as a sale due to the purchase of other items, consideration of purchases, movement, etc. For this reason, the identification unit 202 determines the number of lost items based on the number of items sold and the number of items taken, which is determined based on images taken more than a predetermined time after the image was captured, thereby excluding the number of items that the customer intends to purchase from the lost items count, and thus enabling more accurate identification of the number of lost items.

[0059] Here, the predetermined time for identifying the number of lost items should be set appropriately to the time it is assumed to take from the time a customer takes an item from the shelf in the store until the sale is recorded. Recording the sale of an item means, for example, that the item is accounted for by a POS system.

[0060] Furthermore, the time allotted for identifying the number of lost items may be set for each product, each product category, or each product shelf. For example, in product categories with many variations or where many items of the same category are displayed, it is expected that customers will take longer to choose an item. This is because the time it takes to make a purchase may differ depending on the product or product category. Also, for example, the time it takes to travel to the checkout counter may differ depending on the location of the product shelf in the store. Therefore, by setting the time allotted for identifying the number of lost items for each product, each product category, or each product shelf, it may be possible to identify the number of lost items with greater accuracy.

[0061] Alternatively, for example, the identification unit 202 may determine the number of incoming goods based on the third-read information. For example, the identification unit 202 identifies product identification information from the third-read information. As mentioned above, product identification information is information that identifies a product. The identification unit 202 then uses the product identification information to count the number of each product included in the third-read information, thereby determining the number of incoming goods.

[0062] Here, the number of incoming goods is determined based on the third-party reading information. Therefore, in this case, the number of incoming goods is the number of goods that moved from outside the store to inside the store. Note that the number of goods that moved from the store's back room to outside the store may be determined as a negative number of incoming goods. This is because goods may be moved from the back room to outside the store for reasons such as disposal or returns.

[0063] Furthermore, for example, the identification unit 202 may further identify the number of items in the back room. For example, the identification unit 202 further identifies the number of items in the back room based on the number of items received and the number of items shipped. For example, the identification unit 202 may identify the number of items in the back room by adding the number of items received and subtracting the number of items shipped from the last identified or acquired number of items in the back room. In this case, the number of items received may be identified by the identification unit 202 or acquired by the acquisition unit 201.

[0064] Furthermore, for example, the identification unit 202 may further determine the number of items in the back room based on the second reading information. For example, the identification unit 202 identifies product identification information from the second reading information. Then, the identification unit 202 uses the product identification information to count the number of each product included in the second reading information, thereby determining the number of items in the back room.

[0065] The output unit 203 outputs at least one of the following, identified by the identification unit 202: the number of items in the back room inventory, the number of lost items, and the number of items received. The output unit 203 may output the above information to, for example, a terminal device or a database that manages information on products sold in stores.

[0066] Furthermore, the output unit 203 may output different content depending on the user of the terminal device. For example, the output unit 203 may output more types of content to terminal devices used by store employees than to terminal devices used by store customers. For example, the output unit 203 may output the number of items in stock on the sales floor to terminal devices used by store customers, and output the number of items in stock on the sales floor, the number of lost items, and the number of items in the back room to terminal devices used by store employees. This is not the only example of how the output unit 203 may output different content depending on the user of the terminal device. In this case, the output unit 203 may use information that associates the user's identification information with the terminal device's identification information, or information that associates whether the user is an employee or a customer with the terminal device's identification information, to provide appropriate output to the user of the terminal device. The method by which the output unit 203 provides output according to the user of the terminal device is not limited to this example, and known technologies may be used.

[0067] The operation of the inventory management device 200 configured as described above will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 5.

[0068] First, the acquisition unit 201 acquires information regarding the inventory of the products (step S201).

[0069] Next, the identification unit 202 identifies at least one of the following based on the information on the inventory of goods obtained in step S201: the number of goods in the back room, the number of lost goods, and the number of goods received (step S202). In step S202, the identification unit 202 may identify which of the number of goods in the back room, the number of lost goods, and the number of goods received can be identified using the type of information obtained by the acquisition unit 201.

[0070] Next, the output unit 203 outputs at least one of the following: the number of items in the backyard inventory, the number of items lost, and the number of items received, which were identified in step S202 (step S203).

[0071] With this, the inventory management device 200 completes its series of operations.

[0072] The inventory management device 200 in the above-described embodiment comprises an acquisition unit 201, a specification unit 202, and an output unit 203. In addition to the functions of the acquisition unit 101, the acquisition unit 201 acquires information regarding the inventory of goods. In addition to the functions of the specification unit 102, the specification unit 202 identifies at least one of the following based on the information regarding the inventory of goods: the number of goods in the back room, the number of goods lost, and the number of goods received. In addition to the functions of the output unit 103, the output unit 203 outputs at least one of the following based on the information regarding the inventory of goods: the number of goods in the back room, the number of goods lost, and the number of goods received.

[0073] As a result, the inventory management device 200 in this embodiment can provide an inventory management technology that can be introduced at low cost.

[0074] Furthermore, for example, the inventory management device 200 in this embodiment can support inventory management by identifying and outputting at least one of the following: the number of items in stock in the back room, the number of items lost, and the number of items received.

[0075] [Example 1] Next, Modification 1 of this disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. To the extent that the description of this modification does not become unclear, any information that overlaps with the above description will be omitted.

[0076] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the inventory management device 300. In Figure 6, the inventory management device 300 includes a detection unit 304 in addition to the configuration of the inventory management device 200. The detection unit 304 may also be provided in the inventory management device 100.

[0077] The detection unit 304 is an example of a detection means that detects the location of a product at a timing corresponding to the timing of a change in the inventory quantity. The location of a product is the place where the product is stored. The method for detecting the location of a product may be a known method using images or information read from wireless tags.

[0078] The timing of a change in inventory levels is at least one of the following: a change in inventory levels on the sales floor, or a change in inventory levels in the back room.

[0079] For example, the timing at which the wireless tag is read by the first reader is the timing at which the inventory quantity in the sales area changes, and also the timing at which the inventory quantity in the back room changes. The timing at which the wireless tag is read by the first reader may be the timing at which the acquisition unit 201 acquires the first reading information.

[0080] Furthermore, for example, the timing at which the wireless tag is read by the third reader is the timing at which the inventory count in the back room changes. The timing at which the wireless tag is read by the third reader may be the timing at which the acquisition unit 201 acquires the third reading information. Also, for example, the timing at which the product is taken off the shelf is the timing at which the inventory count in the sales area changes.

[0081] Furthermore, the timing of a change in inventory may also be the timing at which the change is identified by comparing the inventory quantity at the sales floor or in the back room, as identified by the identification unit 202, with the inventory quantity at the sales floor or in the back room immediately prior to the change.

[0082] In other words, the detection unit 304 may detect at least one of the locations of products on the sales floor and the locations of products in the store's back room at a timing corresponding to the timing of a change in the inventory quantity on the sales floor. The detection unit 304 may also detect the locations of products in the store's back room at a timing corresponding to the timing of a change in the inventory quantity in the back room.

[0083] The timing of a change in inventory may be detected by the detection unit 304, or by other devices or means provided inside or outside the inventory management device 300 that detect the timing of a change in inventory.

[0084] Furthermore, the timing corresponding to the timing of the change in inventory may be the timing when the inventory changes, or it may be the timing when a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since the timing of the change in inventory.

[0085] Here, the predetermined time should be set appropriately to account for the time lag between the timing at which a change in inventory can be identified and the timing at which the storage location of the product is determined. For example, when products are brought from the back room to the sales floor, it is assumed that time will be spent on movement and other processes between the time the wireless tag is read by the first reader and the time the product is displayed.

[0086] Furthermore, the predetermined time may be set, for example, according to the change in inventory levels. If the inventory level changes significantly due to a large number of items being put out or received, it can be assumed that store employees are moving many items at once while stocking or receiving them. In this case, the time it takes for the stocked or received items to be moved to their storage locations is likely to be longer, so setting the predetermined time according to the change in inventory levels may allow for the detection of the item's location at a more appropriate time.

[0087] The output unit 203 may output the location detected by the detection unit 304 to a terminal device, a database, or the like.

[0088] An example of the operation of the inventory management device 300 configured as described above will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 7.

[0089] The acquisition unit 201 acquires the first reading information of the wireless tag attached to the product, and an image of the product shelf in the sales area (step S301). The acquisition unit 201 may also acquire other information as described in the second embodiment.

[0090] Next, the identification unit 202 identifies the number of items on the shelves based on the number of items identified from the first reading information and the number of items taken out from the image (step S302). The identification unit 202 may also identify other information as described in the second embodiment.

[0091] Next, the detection unit 304 detects whether the inventory quantity has changed (step S303). If no change in the inventory quantity is detected in step S303 (step S303: No), the series of operations of the inventory management device 300 ends.

[0092] If a change in the inventory quantity is detected in step S303 (step S303: Yes), the detection unit 304 detects the location of the product (step S304).

[0093] Then, the output unit 203 outputs the location of the product detected in step S304 (step S305).

[0094] With this, the inventory management device 300 completes its series of operations.

[0095] The inventory management device 300 can detect the location of products at an appropriate time according to the store's situation by detecting the location of products at a timing corresponding to when the inventory quantity changes.

[0096] [Differentiation 2] Next, Modification 2 of this disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. To the extent that this description of the modification does not become unclear, any information that overlaps with the above description will be omitted.

[0097] This modified example is a modified version of the inventory management device 200.

[0098] In the inventory management device 200, the identification unit 202 identifies the number of items in stock in the back room based on the number of items received and the number of items shipped out, and the second reading information.

[0099] The output unit 203 may output an alert if the backyard inventory counts identified based on the different information described above do not match. The destination and manner of output of the alert are not particularly limited. For example, the alert may include information relating the information used to identify the backyard inventory count to the backyard inventory count identified based on that information.

[0100] If the stock quantities in the back room, identified based on different information, do not match, it is possible that someone has committed fraud with the goods, or that there has been a malfunction in the wireless tag reader, the camera that takes pictures, or the communication of the inventory management device 200. In this case, the output unit 203 can issue an alert, which may make it easier for store employees to deal with the aforementioned fraud or malfunction.

[0101] [Hardware configuration] Some or all of the components of each apparatus or system in each embodiment of the present disclosure described above can be realized by any combination of an information processing device 1000 and a program, for example, as shown in Figure 8. The information processing device 1000 includes, as an example, the following configuration.

[0102] ·CPU(Central Processing Unit)1001 • ROM (Read Only Memory) 1002 ·RAM(Random Access Memory)1003 • Program 1004 loaded into RAM1003 • Storage device 1005 for storing program 1004 • Drive device 1007 for reading and writing recording medium 1006 • Communication I / F 1008 connected to communication network 1009 • Input / output interface 1010 for data input and output. • Bus 1011 connecting each component Note that I / F is an abbreviation for Interface.

[0103] Each component of each device or system in each embodiment is realized by the CPU 1001 acquiring and executing a program that realizes its function. The program that realizes the function of each component of each device is, for example, stored in advance in the storage device 1005 or RAM 1003 and read by the CPU 1001 as needed. The program 1004 may be supplied to the CPU 1001 via a communication network, or it may be stored in advance in the recording medium 1006 and read by the drive device 1007 and supplied to the CPU 1001.

[0104] There are various variations in how each device is implemented. For example, each device or system may be implemented by any combination of a separate information processing device 1000 and a program for each component. Alternatively, the multiple components of each device may be implemented by any combination of a single information processing device 1000 and a program.

[0105] Furthermore, some or all of the components of each device or system are realized by general-purpose or dedicated circuits, including processors, or combinations thereof. Examples of such circuits include CPUs, GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), and AI (Artificial Intelligence) processing LSIs (Large Scale Integration). These may be comprised of a single chip or multiple chips connected via a bus. Some or all of the components of each device may be realized by combinations of the aforementioned circuits and programs.

[0106] When some or all of the components of each device or system are implemented by multiple information processing devices or circuits, these multiple information processing devices or circuits may be centrally located or distributed. For example, the information processing devices or circuits may be implemented in a form in which each is connected via a communication network, such as a client-server system or a cloud computing system.

[0107] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the embodiments described herein, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications to the structure and details of the present disclosure can be understood by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0108] Furthermore, although multiple operations are described sequentially in flowchart format, the order in which they are described does not limit the order in which they must be performed. Therefore, when implementing each embodiment, the order of the multiple operations may be changed to the extent that it does not impair the content.

[0109] Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described as follows, but are not limited to the following:

[0110] [Note 1] An acquisition means for acquiring first reading information of a wireless tag attached to a product, which is read by a first reading device installed between the back room of the store and the sales floor of the store, and an image of the product shelf in the sales floor, A means for identifying the inventory quantity of the sales area based on the number of products issued, identified from the first reading information, and the number of products taken out, identified from the image. An output means for outputting the inventory quantity of the sales area, An inventory management device equipped with the following features.

[0111] [Note 2] The aforementioned identification means further identifies the number of lost items based on the number of items sold and the number of items taken out. The inventory management device described in Appendix 1.

[0112] [Note 3] The identification means identifies the number of lost items based on the number of sales and the number of items retrieved, which is determined based on the image taken more than a predetermined time after the image was taken. The inventory management device described in Appendix 2.

[0113] [Note 4] The output means outputs the number of lost items to a terminal device used by an employee of the store. The inventory management device described in Appendix 2 or 3.

[0114] [Note 5] The aforementioned identification means further identifies the number of items in stock in the back room based on the number of items received and the number of items sold. An inventory management device as described in any of the appendices 1 to 4.

[0115] [Note 6] The acquisition means acquires the third reading information of the wireless tag, which has been read by a third reading device installed at the entrance between the backyard and the outside of the store. The identification means identifies the number of goods received based on the third read information. An inventory management device as described in any of the appendices 1 to 5.

[0116] [Note 7] The acquisition means acquires the second reading information of the wireless tag, which has been read by the second reading device installed in the backyard, The identification means further identifies the number of items in the backyard based on the second read information. An inventory management device as described in any of the appendices 1 to 6.

[0117] [Note 8] The system further includes a detection means for detecting the location of a product at a timing corresponding to when the inventory level in the aforementioned sales area changes. An inventory management device as described in any of the appendices 1 to 7.

[0118] [Note 9] The system acquires the first reading information of the wireless tag attached to the product, which is read by a first reading device installed between the back room of the store and the sales floor of the store, and an image of the product shelf in the sales floor. Based on the number of products issued from the first reading information and the number of products taken from the image, the inventory quantity of the sales area is determined. Output the inventory count for the aforementioned sales area. Inventory management methods.

[0119] [Note 10] The system acquires the first reading information of the wireless tag attached to the product, which is read by a first reading device installed between the back room of the store and the sales floor of the store, and an image of the product shelf in the sales floor. Based on the number of products issued from the first reading information and the number of products taken from the image, the inventory quantity of the sales area is determined. Output the inventory count for the aforementioned sales area. A program that instructs a computer to perform a process.

[0120] Furthermore, some or all of the configurations described in Appendices 2 to 8, which are subordinate to Appendice 1 (Inventory Management Device) mentioned above, may also be subordinate to Appendice 9 (Inventory Management Method) and Appendice 10 (Program) in the same way as those described in Appendices 2 to 8. Moreover, not limited to Appendices 1, 9, and 10, some or all of the configurations described as appendices may also be subordinate to various hardware, software, various recording means for recording software, or systems, without departing from the embodiments described above. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0121] 100 Inventory Management Devices 101 Acquisition Department 102 Specific section 103 Output section 200 Inventory Management Devices 201 Acquisition Department 202 Specific section 203 Output section 300 Inventory Management Device 304 Detection Unit 1000 Information Processing Devices 1001 CPU 1002 ROM 1003 RAM 1004 Program 1005 Storage device 1006 Recording media 1007 Drive unit 1008 Communication I / F 1009 Communication Network 1010 Input / Output Interface 1011 Bus

Claims

1. An acquisition means for acquiring first reading information of a wireless tag attached to a product, which is read by a first reading device installed between the back room of the store and the sales floor of the store, and an image of the product shelf in the sales floor, A means for identifying the inventory quantity of the sales area based on the number of products issued, identified from the first reading information, and the number of products taken out, identified from the image. An output means for outputting the inventory quantity of the sales area, An inventory management device equipped with the following features.

2. The aforementioned identification means further identifies the number of lost items based on the number of items sold and the number of items taken out. The inventory management device according to claim 1.

3. The identification means identifies the number of lost items based on the number of sales and the number of items retrieved, which is determined based on the image taken more than a predetermined time after the image was taken. The inventory management device according to claim 2.

4. The output means outputs the number of lost items to a terminal device used by an employee of the store. The inventory management device according to claim 2.

5. The aforementioned identification means further identifies the number of items in stock in the back room based on the number of items received and the number of items sold. The inventory management device according to claim 1.

6. The acquisition means acquires the third reading information of the wireless tag, which has been read by a third reading device installed at the entrance between the backyard and the outside of the store. The identification means identifies the number of goods received based on the third read information. The inventory management device according to claim 1.

7. The acquisition means acquires the second reading information of the wireless tag, which has been read by the second reading device installed in the backyard, The identification means further identifies the number of items in the backyard based on the second read information. The inventory management device according to claim 1.

8. The system further includes a detection means for detecting the location of a product at a timing corresponding to when the inventory level in the aforementioned sales area changes. An inventory management device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The system acquires the first reading information of the wireless tag attached to the product, which is read by a first reading device installed between the back room of the store and the sales floor of the store, and an image of the product shelf in the sales floor. Based on the number of products issued from the first reading information and the number of products taken from the image, the inventory quantity of the sales area is determined. Output the inventory count for the aforementioned sales area. Inventory management methods.

10. The system acquires the first reading information of the wireless tag attached to the product, which is read by a first reading device installed between the back room of the store and the sales floor of the store, and an image of the product shelf in the sales floor. Based on the number of products issued from the first reading information and the number of products taken from the image, the inventory quantity of the sales area is determined. Output the inventory count for the aforementioned sales area. A program that instructs a computer to perform a process.

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