Programs and mobile devices

Abstract

To provide a shopping cart capable of preventing action to carry a shopping cart storing an unsettled commodity out of a shop.SOLUTION: When a shopping start reception unit (shopping start reception means) receives an instruction of a start of shopping from a customer, a notification control unit (notification control means) allows the customer and the surrounding persons to perform notification in a form corresponding to an operation state of a commodity registration processing unit (registration means) that registers a commodity purchased by the customer and a settlement processing unit (settlement means) that performs settlement of the commodity registered by the commodity registration processing unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention comprises: Programs and mobile devices Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] In stores such as supermarkets and shopping centers, a shopping style is used in which a shopping cart that can be moved around the store and can store the products to be purchased is used (for example, Patent Document 1). Recently, shopping carts equipped with symbol readers that read code symbols such as barcodes attached to products, so-called cart POS (Point Of Sales), have also appeared. With such cart POS, customers can register the products they wish to purchase and make payments themselves.

[0003] However, in such a conventional system using shopping carts, there was a risk of a so-called basket abandonment occurring, where a customer using a shopping cart would leave the store with the products they had put in the shopping cart even though the products had not yet been paid for. With conventional cart POS systems, it was difficult to reliably prevent basket abandonment from occurring, and so it was common to install an attendant terminal to monitor the status of each shopping cart. However, since there were many shopping carts in a store, it was a laborious task to check the status of all the shopping carts without missing anything. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a system that can prevent a shopping cart containing unpaid items from being taken out of a store. Programs and mobile devices The purpose of this project is to provide [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In an embodiment program teeth, A computer that controls a cart terminal that can be moved inside and outside a store is operated as: a shopping start reception means that receives an instruction to start shopping from a mobile terminal carried by a customer using the cart terminal, a registration means that registers products to be purchased, a payment means that makes payment for the products registered by the registration means on condition that an instruction from the mobile terminal is received, a notification means that makes an alert when the customer leaves the store without completing payment for the products registered by the registration means, and a notification termination means that ends the notification by the notification means on condition that payment is completed by the payment means.The computer that controls the mobile terminal is operated as: a first communication control unit that controls communication between the mobile terminal and a beacon device installed in the store, a second communication control unit that controls communication between the mobile terminal and the cart terminal, and an application launch control unit that makes an instruction to start shopping and an instruction to make payment to the cart terminal on condition that the first communication control unit receives a beacon signal from the beacon device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a checkout system according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an external view showing an example of a shopping cart according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a hardware block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the cart terminal. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a hardware block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a mobile terminal. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a hardware block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a POS terminal. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a hardware block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the attendant terminal. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the cart terminal. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the mobile terminal. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the POS terminal. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the attendant terminal. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an outline of specific processes performed by the checkout system. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow when the checkout system performs settlement using an electronic receipt. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow when the checkout system performs payment by cash. [Figure 14]FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an outline of a specific operation performed by the checkout system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing performed by the cart terminal according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] (First embodiment) A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the embodiment described below, an example will be described in which a shopping cart according to the present invention is applied to a checkout system 1 that has a function of registering products purchased by customers and a function of making payments.

[0008] (Explanation of the overall configuration of the checkout system) Fig. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a checkout system 1 according to a first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the checkout system 1 includes a plurality of shopping carts 2 carried by a customer C, an attendant terminal 5, a POS terminal 6, a wireless communication unit 7, a beacon device 8, a router 10, and an electronic receipt management server 11. The customer C also has a mobile terminal 3. The attendant terminal 5, the POS terminal 6, the wireless communication unit 7, and the beacon device 8 are connected to each other via a network 9.

[0009] The shopping cart 2 has a product registration function for registering products purchased by the customer C, and stores the products purchased by the customer C. The product registration function is realized by a cart terminal 4 (FIG. 2) described later. The detailed configuration of the shopping cart 2 will be described later.

[0010] The mobile terminal 3 is, for example, a smartphone or a tablet terminal. The mobile terminal 3 is equipped with an application that enables the use of an electronic receipt system that can receive and view an electronic receipt showing the result of a payment from the electronic receipt management server 11. Therefore, the mobile terminal 3 has a function of communicating with the electronic receipt management server 11.

[0011] The attendant terminal 5 is an information processing device such as a personal computer operated by a store clerk called an attendant. The attendant terminal 5 wirelessly communicates with the shopping cart 2 to monitor the usage state of the shopping cart 2. In addition, the attendant terminal 5 of this embodiment controls the lighting state of an LED light 210 (FIG. 2) that is installed in the shopping cart 2 and will be described later.

[0012] The POS terminal 6, operated by a store clerk, performs a registration process for registering the sales of products purchased by customers and a payment process for the registered sales. In addition, when a customer C using the shopping cart 2 selects cash payment, the POS terminal 6 performs a payment process for the products that the customer C has registered and put into the shopping cart 2.

[0013] The wireless communication unit 7 wirelessly connects a cart terminal 4 (FIG. 2) provided in the shopping cart to the attendant terminal 5 and the POS terminal 6 via a wireless communication line L.

[0014] The beacon device 8 is installed at the entrance of the store and performs wireless communication with the mobile terminal 3 of the customer C. When the customer C comes to the store, the beacon device 8 starts an application required for electronic receipt payment. The beacon device 8 also performs wireless communication with the cart terminal 4. By receiving the beacon signal transmitted by the beacon device 8, the cart terminal 4 recognizes that it, i.e., the shopping cart 2, has left the store.

[0015] The router 10 is a device for connecting the network 9 to a network such as the Internet or a VPN (Virtual Private Network), not shown.

[0016] The electronic receipt management server 11 is connected to the network 9 via a router 10, and is a customer receipt management server that collectively stores and manages electronic receipt information from various companies that operate stores.

[0017] (Explanation of shopping cart configuration) FIG. 2 is an external view showing an example of the shopping cart 2 according to the first embodiment. The shopping cart 2 includes a basket-shaped storage section 202 with an open top, caster sections 203 for moving disposed below the storage section 202, and a handle section 204 that is connected to the storage section 202 and is gripped by the customer C when moving the shopping cart 2. The entire framework of the shopping cart 2 is formed by a frame 205. The storage section 202 has a net 202a stretched between the frames 205 that constitute the storage section 202, and stores products in a manner that can be seen from the outside. The customer C takes the product to be purchased from the shelf and puts it in the storage section 202. This allows the customer C, the store clerk, etc. to easily know the details of the product stored in the storage section 202. The shopping cart 2 does not have to be provided with the storage section 202 itself, and may be, for example, provided with a basket receiving section that receives a product basket that stores products in a manner that can be seen from the outside, and the product basket received by the basket receiving section is the storage section 202.

[0018] The cart terminal 4 is attached to a part of the handle section 204 side of the frame 205 constituting the storage section 202 via a holder (not shown). The cart terminal 4 has a housing 471, which is provided with a monitor 47 configured with an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an operation section configured with a touch panel 48 attached to the display surface of the monitor 47, and a scanner 49 for reading a code symbol. The scanner 49 incorporates an LED (Light Emitting Diode) as an illumination for illuminating the commodity with light, a CCD (Charged Coupled Device) image sensor for receiving light reflected by the commodity, a decoder for decoding the light received by the image sensor and converting it into a digital signal (all not shown), and the like, and a reading window 491 for emitting light from the LED to read the code symbol is provided on one side of the scanner 49.

[0019] When putting an item into the shopping cart 2, customer C holds the symbol affixed to the item over the reading window 491. The scanner 49 then reads the code symbol. The scanner 49 also decodes the read code symbol. The cart terminal 4 analyzes the decoded digital signal and obtains a product code that identifies the item. Alternatively, the decoded digital signal may be transmitted to the POS terminal 6, and the POS terminal 6 may obtain the product code based on the digital signal received.

[0020] In addition, the cart terminal 4 performs payment processing for registered products in response to an instruction from the mobile terminal 3.

[0021] The shopping cart 2 is equipped with an LED light 210 at the tip of an upright pole 206. The LED light 210 changes its illumination state in accordance with the shopping status of the customer C. Since the LED light 210 is installed at the tip of the pole 206, i.e., at a high position, the fact that the LED light 210 is emitting light can be recognized not only by the customer C but also by people around the shopping cart 2. The LED light 210 is an example of a lighting device.

[0022] (Description of the hardware configuration of the cart terminal) 3 is a hardware block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the cart terminal 4. As shown in FIG. 3, the cart terminal 4 includes a control unit 40, a storage unit 44, a controller 46, and a wireless communication interface 75.

[0023] The control unit 40 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 41, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 42, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 43. The CPU 41 is the main controller. The ROM 42 stores various fixed data, various tables, etc. The RAM 43 expands control programs and various data when the CPU 41 performs various processes, and functions as a work memory.

[0024] The storage unit 44 stores a control program P1 and a PLU (Price Look Up) file F1.

[0025] The control program P1 is a program executed by the CPU 41. The CPU 41, ROM 42, RAM 43, and storage unit 44 are connected to one another via a bus 45, and the control unit 40 causes the CPU 41 to load the control program P1 stored in the storage unit 44 and various data stored in the ROM 42 into the RAM 43 and operate them. In this way, the control unit 40 executes various control processes.

[0026] The PLU file F1 is a file that stores code information, such as a JAN code, uniquely assigned to each product, in association with product information, such as the product name, price, product classification, and the like.

[0027] The controller 46 connects the CPU 41 to peripheral devices such as a monitor 47, a touch panel 48, a scanner 49, and an LED light 210 via a bus 45. The controller 46 controls the operations of these peripheral devices in response to instructions from the control unit 40.

[0028] The wireless communication interface 75 connects the control unit 40 and the wireless communication unit 7 via the bus 45. The wireless communication interface 75 also receives a beacon signal transmitted by the beacon device 8.

[0029] (Description of the hardware configuration of a mobile device) 4 is a hardware block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the mobile terminal 3. As shown in FIG. 4, the mobile terminal 3 includes a control unit 30, a storage unit 34, a controller 36, and a wireless communication interface 39.

[0030] The control unit 30 includes a CPU 31, a ROM 32, and a RAM 33. The CPU 31 is the main controller. The ROM 32 stores various fixed data, various tables, etc. The RAM 33 functions as a work memory by expanding the control program and various data when the CPU 31 performs various processes.

[0031] The storage unit 34 stores the control program P2.

[0032] The control program P2 is a program executed by the CPU 31. The CPU 31, ROM 32, RAM 33, and storage unit 34 are connected to one another via a bus 35, and the control unit 30 causes the CPU 31 to load the control program P4 stored in the storage unit 34 and various data stored in the ROM 32 into the RAM 33 and operate them. In this way, the control unit 30 executes various control processes.

[0033] The controller 36 connects the CPU 31 to peripheral devices such as a monitor 37 and a touch panel 38 via a bus 35. The controller 36 controls the operations of these peripheral devices in response to instructions from the control unit 30.

[0034] The wireless communication interface 39 connects the control unit 30 and the wireless communication unit 7 via the bus 35. The wireless communication interface 39 also receives a beacon signal transmitted by the beacon device 8.

[0035] (Explanation of the hardware configuration of the POS terminal) 5 is a hardware block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the POS terminal 6. As shown in FIG. 5, the POS terminal 6 includes a control unit 60, a storage unit 64, a controller 66, and a wireless communication interface 72.

[0036] The control unit 60 includes a CPU 61, a ROM 62, and a RAM 63. The CPU 61 is the main controller. The ROM 62 stores various fixed data, various tables, etc. The RAM 63 functions as a work memory by expanding the control program and various data when the CPU 61 performs various processes.

[0037] The storage unit 64 stores a control program P3 and a PLU file F1.

[0038] The control program P3 is a program executed by the CPU 61. The CPU 61, ROM 62, RAM 63, and storage unit 64 are connected to one another via a bus 65, and the control unit 60 causes the CPU 61 to load the control program P3 stored in the storage unit 64 and various data stored in the ROM 62 into the RAM 63 and operate them. In this way, the control unit 60 executes various control processes.

[0039] The controller 66 connects the CPU 61 to peripheral devices, such as an operator monitor 67, a customer monitor 68, a keyboard 69, a receipt printer 70, and a card reader 71, via a bus 65. The controller 66 controls the operation of these peripheral devices in response to instructions from the control unit 60.

[0040] The wireless communication interface 72 connects the control unit 60 and the wireless communication unit 7 via the bus 65 .

[0041] (Description of the hardware configuration of the attendant terminal) 6 is a hardware block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the attendant terminal 5. As shown in FIG. 6, the attendant terminal 5 includes a control unit 50, a storage unit 54, a controller 56, and a wireless communication interface 59.

[0042] The control unit 50 includes a CPU 51, a ROM 52, and a RAM 53. The CPU 51 is the main controller. The ROM 52 stores various fixed data, various tables, etc. The RAM 53 functions as a work memory by expanding the control program and various data when the CPU 51 performs various processes.

[0043] The storage unit 54 stores a control program P4.

[0044] The control program P4 is a program executed by the CPU 51. The CPU 51, ROM 52, RAM 53, and storage unit 54 are connected to one another via a bus 55, and the control unit 50 causes the CPU 51 to load the control program P4 stored in the storage unit 54 and various data stored in the ROM 52 into the RAM 53 and operate them. In this way, the control unit 50 executes various control processes.

[0045] The controller 56 connects the CPU 51 to peripheral devices such as a monitor 57 and a touch panel 58 via a bus 55. The controller 56 controls the operations of these peripheral devices in response to instructions from the control unit 50.

[0046] The wireless communication interface 59 connects the control unit 50 and the wireless communication unit 7 via the bus 55 .

[0047] In addition, since the electronic receipt management server 11 shown in FIG. 1 is a server device having a general computer configuration, a detailed description of the hardware configuration will be omitted.

[0048] (Explanation of the functional configuration of the cart terminal) 7 is a functional configuration diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the cart terminal 4. The cart terminal 4 includes a communication control unit 140, a short-range communication control unit 141, a shopping start reception unit 142, a product registration processing unit 143, a payment method selection unit 144, a payment processing unit 145, and a notification control unit 146.

[0049] The communication control unit 140 controls information transmission between the cart terminal 4 and the mobile terminal 3, the attendant terminal 5, and the POS terminal 6 via wireless communication.

[0050] The short-distance communication control unit 141 controls information transmission between the cart terminal 4 and the beacon device 8 through short-distance wireless communication.

[0051] The shopping start receiving unit 142 receives an instruction to start shopping from the customer C. The shopping start receiving unit 142 is an example of a shopping start receiving means. For example, the shopping start receiving unit 142 determines that the instruction to start shopping has been received by the scanner 49 of the cart terminal 4 reading a login barcode displayed on the monitor 37 of the mobile terminal 3. The login barcode is an example of an identification code.

[0052] The product registration processing unit 143 registers the products purchased by the customer C. The product registration processing unit 143 is an example of a registration means.

[0053] The payment method selection unit 144 allows the customer C to select a payment method.

[0054] The payment processing unit 145 performs payment for the product registered by the product registration processing unit 143. The payment processing unit 145 is an example of a payment means. The payment processing unit 145 determines that it has received an instruction to execute a payment process by, for example, using the scanner 49 of the cart terminal 4 to read a payment barcode displayed on the monitor 37 of the mobile terminal 3.

[0055] The notification control unit 146 controls the LED light 210 (FIG. 3) to notify the customer and surroundings in a form according to the shopping state. The notification control unit 146 is an example of a notification means.

[0056] (Description of the functional configuration of a mobile device) 8 is a functional configuration diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the mobile terminal 3. The mobile terminal 3 includes a communication control unit 130, a short-range communication control unit 131, an application start control unit 132, a payment instruction unit 133, an electronic receipt receiving unit 134, and an electronic receipt display unit 135.

[0057] The communication control unit 130 controls information transmission via wireless communication between the portable terminal 3 and the cart terminal 4. In addition, the communication control unit 130 controls information transmission via wireless communication between the portable terminal 3 and the electronic receipt management server 11.

[0058] The short-distance communication control unit 131 controls information transmission between the mobile terminal 3 and the beacon device 8 by short-distance wireless communication.

[0059] The application startup control unit 132 controls the startup of an application that enables the mobile terminal 3 to use the electronic receipt system described above.

[0060] The payment instruction unit 133 instructs the cart terminal 4 to execute payment.

[0061] The electronic receipt receiving unit 134 receives the result of the payment process from the electronic receipt management server 11 as an electronic receipt.

[0062] The electronic receipt display unit 135 displays the electronic receipt received by the electronic receipt receiving unit 134 on the monitor 37 of the mobile terminal 3.

[0063] (Description of the functional configuration of a POS terminal) 9 is a functional configuration diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the POS terminal 6. The POS terminal 6 includes a communication control unit 160 and a payment processing unit 161.

[0064] The communication control unit 160 controls information transmission between the POS terminal 6 and the cart terminal 4 via wireless communication.

[0065] The payment processing unit 161 causes the POS terminal 6 to execute payment processing based on the product registration information of the products stored in the shopping cart 2, which is sent to the POS terminal 6 by the cart terminal 4. The payment processing unit 161 functions when a customer using the shopping cart 2 selects cash payment or electronic money payment as the payment method. This will be described in more detail later (FIG. 13).

[0066] (Description of the functional configuration of the attendant terminal) 10 is a functional configuration diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the attendant terminal 5. The attendant terminal 5 includes a communication control unit 150 and a notification control unit 151.

[0067] The communication control unit 150 controls information transmission via wireless communication between the attendant terminal 5 and the cart terminal 4. The communication control unit 150 also controls information transmission via wireless communication between the attendant terminal 5 and the POS terminal 6.

[0068] The notification control unit 151 controls the LED light 210 (FIG. 3) to notify the customer and the surroundings in a manner that corresponds to the state of shopping. Specifically, the notification control unit 151 turns off the LED light 210 on the condition that information indicating that the payment process is completed is received from the POS terminal 6.

[0069] (Explanation of the process flow of the checkout system) 11 is a diagram showing an outline of specific processing performed by checkout system 1. The processing will be specifically described below along with the flow of processing.

[0070] Fig. 11(a) is a diagram showing a state before a customer C, who is carrying a shopping cart 2, starts shopping. In other words, in Fig. 11(a), the customer C is pushing the shopping cart 2 toward the sales floor of the product he wants to purchase. At this time, the LED light 210 is turned off.

[0071] Fig. 11(b) is a diagram showing a state where an instruction to start shopping is being given. That is, in Fig. 11(b), a screen prompting the start of the checkout system 1 is displayed on the monitor 47 of the cart terminal 4. This screen may be automatically displayed when the power of the cart terminal 4 is turned on, or may be displayed when, for example, "Start Shopping" is selected on the main menu screen (not shown) of the cart terminal 4.

[0072] If customer C has registered as a member of the electronic receipt system, when the mobile terminal 3 receives a beacon signal from the beacon device 8 during a visit to the store, the application of the electronic receipt system installed in the mobile terminal 3 will automatically start. Then, a barcode for logging in to the electronic receipt system will be displayed on the monitor 37 (FIG. 4) of the mobile terminal 3. Note that the application of the electronic receipt system may be started by customer C's operation to display the barcode for logging in.

[0073] Then, customer C causes the scanner 49 of the cart terminal 4 to read the login barcode displayed on the mobile terminal 3. This enables customer C to start shopping using the checkout system 1.

[0074] Once the login is complete, the LED light 210 turns on. The LED light 210 remaining lit indicates that the payment for the product has not been completed.

[0075] Fig. 11(c) is a diagram showing the state in which a product to be purchased is being registered. That is, in Fig. 11(c), customer C picks up the product he wants to purchase and has the barcode attached to the product read by scanner 49. Then, the product is placed in shopping cart 2.

[0076] At this time, the registered product information, i.e., the product name, quantity, unit price, subtotal, and total amount, is displayed on the monitor 47 of the cart terminal 4. Customer C checks the information of the product he or she purchased by looking at this display. Note that the LED light 210 remains lit even during product registration.

[0077] Fig. 11(d) is a diagram showing the state in which payment processing is being performed. When shopping is finished, customer C selects "Payment method selection" at the time of payment from the main menu screen (not shown) of the cart terminal 4. Then, the payment method selection screen shown in Fig. 11(d) is displayed on the monitor 47 of the cart terminal 4. In the example of Fig. 11(d), a cash payment selection button 410, an electronic money payment selection button 411, and a barcode payment selection button 412 indicating electronic receipt payment are displayed.

[0078] Customer C selects a payment method on the payment method selection screen. In this example, it is assumed that electronic receipt payment is selected by pressing the barcode payment selection button 412. Note that in this state, the payment is not yet completed, so the LED light 210 remains lit.

[0079] Next, customer C causes a payment barcode to be displayed on the monitor 37 of the mobile terminal 3, and causes the payment barcode to be read by the scanner 49 of the cart terminal 4. This starts the payment process.

[0080] When the cash payment selection button 410 or the electronic money payment selection button 411 is selected on the payment method selection screen, a message guiding the customer C to the POS terminal 6 is displayed on the monitor 47 of the cart terminal 4. Then, the customer C makes payment at the POS terminal 6 using the selected payment method.

[0081] Fig. 11(e) is a diagram showing the state after the payment process is completed. When the payment process is completed, the monitor 47 of the cart terminal 4 displays a guide message as shown in Fig. 11(e). Then, the customer C starts the electronic receipt application on the mobile terminal 3 and receives an electronic receipt including information on the product that the customer C purchased and paid for from the electronic receipt management server.

[0082] Then, since the payment process is completed, the LED light 210 goes out. In this way, the LED light 210 turns on to inform the customer C and people around him that the shopping cart 2 is in an unpaid state. This makes it possible to deter the customer C from leaving the shopping cart.

[0083] (Explanation of the process flow when the checkout system performs payment using an electronic receipt) FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow when the checkout system 1 performs settlement using an electronic receipt.

[0084] (Explanation of the process flow performed by mobile devices) First, a description will be given of the flow of processing performed by the mobile terminal 3. The application start control unit 132 starts up the electronic receipt application on condition that the short-range communication control unit 131 receives a beacon signal from the beacon device 8 (step S10).

[0085] Then, the application start control unit 132 displays a login barcode on the monitor 37 of the mobile terminal 3 (step S11).

[0086] When customer C has registered all the products to be purchased, he / she operates the main menu of the electronic receipt application to cause the application start control unit 132 to display a payment barcode on the monitor 37 of the mobile terminal 3 (step S12). Then, customer C causes the scanner 49 of the cart terminal 4 to read the payment barcode.

[0087] After this, Customer C continues shopping.

[0088] After the payment process is completed in the cart terminal 4, the electronic receipt receiving unit 134 receives an electronic receipt indicating the details of the payment from the electronic receipt management server 11 in response to an operation by the customer C (step S13).

[0089] The electronic receipt display unit 135 displays the electronic receipt received by the electronic receipt receiving unit 134 from the electronic receipt management server 11 on the monitor 37 (step S14).

[0090] After a certain period of time has elapsed, the application start control unit 132 ends the operation of the electronic receipt application (timeout) (step S15).

[0091] (Explanation of the processing flow performed by the cart terminal) Next, the flow of the process performed by the cart terminal 4 will be described. The shopping start acceptance unit 142 judges whether the scanner 49 has read the login barcode (step S20). If it is judged that the login barcode has been read (step S20: Yes), the process proceeds to step S21. On the other hand, if it is not judged that the login barcode has been read (step S20: No), step S20 is repeated.

[0092] Next, the shopping start acceptance unit 142 performs a login process to the electronic receipt system (step S21).

[0093] The notification control unit 146 instructs the LED light 210 to turn on (step S22).

[0094] The product registration processing unit 143 performs a process of registering the product that the customer C purchases (step S23).

[0095] The payment processing unit 145 determines whether the scanner 49 has read the payment barcode (step S24). If it is determined that the payment barcode has been read (step S24: Yes), the process proceeds to step S25. On the other hand, if it is determined that the payment barcode has not been read (step S24: No), the process repeats step S24.

[0096] In reality, after all products to be purchased have been registered, the payment method selection unit 144 prompts the customer C to select a payment method. In the flowchart of FIG. 12, it is assumed that payment by the electronic receipt system is selected.

[0097] If it is determined in step S24 that the scanner 49 has read the payment barcode, the payment processing unit 145 performs a payment process (step S25).

[0098] Next, the notification control unit 146 instructs the LED light 210 to turn off (step S26). After that, the cart terminal 4 ends the process of FIG.

[0099] (Explanation of the process flow when the checkout system performs a cash payment) FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow when the checkout system 1 performs settlement by cash.

[0100] (Explanation of the process flow performed by mobile devices) First, we will explain the flow of the process performed by the mobile terminal 3. After the mobile terminal 3 starts the electronic receipt application, the application start control unit 132 performs the process until it displays the login barcode on the monitor 37 of the mobile terminal 3, that is, steps S30 and S31, which are the same processes as steps S10 and S11 described in FIG.

[0101] Then, when a certain period of time has elapsed after the login barcode is displayed, the application start control unit 132 ends the operation of the electronic receipt application (timeout) (step S32). After that, the mobile terminal 3 ends the process of FIG.

[0102] (Explanation of the processing flow performed by the cart terminal) Next, a description will be given of the flow of processing performed by the cart terminal 4. The flow of processing from when the cart terminal 4 determines whether or not it has read the login barcode until the notification control unit 146 instructs the LED light 210 to turn on, i.e., the processing from step S40 to step S42, is the same as the processing from step S40 to step S42 described in FIG.

[0103] Next, the product registration processing unit 143 judges whether the registration of the product to be purchased by the customer C has been completed (step S43). The product registration processing unit 143 judges that the product registration has been completed by, for example, detecting that a button (not shown) indicating completion of registration, which is displayed on the monitor 47 of the cart terminal 4, has been pressed. If it is determined that the product registration has been completed (step S43: Yes), the process proceeds to step S44. On the other hand, if it is not determined that the product registration has been completed (step S43: No), step S44 is repeated.

[0104] Next, although not shown in Fig. 13, when it is determined in step S43 that the product registration is completed, the payment method selection unit 144 prompts the customer C to select a payment method. In the flowchart of Fig. 13, it is assumed that the customer C selects payment by cash.

[0105] Then, the product registration processing unit 143 transmits the product registration information to the POS terminal 6 (step S44). After that, the cart terminal 4 ends the process of FIG.

[0106] (Explanation of the process flow performed by the POS terminal) Next, the flow of the process performed by the POS terminal 6 will be described. The payment processing unit 161 determines whether or not the product registration information has been received from the cart terminal 4 (step S50). If it is determined that the product registration information has been received (step S50: Yes), the process proceeds to step S51. On the other hand, if it is determined that the product registration information has not been received (step S50: No), the process repeats step S50.

[0107] Next, the payment processing unit 161 performs a payment process (step S51).

[0108] Next, the payment processing unit 161 transmits information to the notification control unit 151 of the attendant terminal 5 to instruct the LED light 210 to be turned off (step S52). After that, the POS terminal 6 ends the process of FIG.

[0109] 13, the attendant terminal 5 instructs the LED light 210 to turn off. Then, upon receiving the instruction to turn off the LED light 210, the LED light 210 turns off.

[0110] In the first embodiment described above, the control programs P2 (P1, P3, P4, P3) executed by the control units 30 (40, 50, 60) may be provided in a state stored in the storage units 34 (44, 54, 64), or may be provided by being recorded in a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) in an installable or executable format. The control programs P2 (P1, P3, P4, P3) may be provided by being stored on a computer connected to a network and downloaded via the network. Furthermore, the control programs P2 (P1, P3, P4, P3) may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0111] As described above, in the shopping cart 2 of the first embodiment, when the shopping start reception unit 142 (shopping start reception means) receives an instruction to start shopping from the customer C, the notification control unit 146 (notification means) causes the customer C and those around it to be notified in a form corresponding to the operating state of the product registration processing unit 143 (registration means) that registers the products to be purchased by the customer C, and the payment processing unit 145 (payment means) that settles the products registered by the product registration processing unit 143. As a result, for example, since the customer C and those around him are notified that a payment has not been made, the customer C is less likely to commit a fraudulent act of taking the shopping cart 2 out of the store with the products stored in the shopping cart 2 unpaid. In addition, the customer C can perform the payment process without forgetting. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the act of taking the shopping cart 2 out of the store with the products stored therein that have not been paid for.

[0112] In the shopping cart 2 of the first embodiment, the shopping start reception unit 142 (shopping start reception means) causes the scanner 49 of the cart terminal 4 to read the login barcode (identification code) that the customer C has displayed on the mobile terminal 3. Therefore, an instruction to start shopping can be given simply and reliably.

[0113] In the shopping cart 2 of the first embodiment, the notification control unit 146 (notification means) changes the notification mode when the shopping cart 2 is in a payment incomplete state and when the shopping cart 2 is in a payment completed state. Therefore, it is possible to reliably notify that the payment is incomplete.

[0114] In the shopping cart 2 of the first embodiment, the notification control unit 146 (notification means) causes the LED light 210 (illumination device) to issue a notification. Therefore, the fact that a notification state is in progress can be reliably communicated to the customer C himself and people around him.

[0115] In the shopping cart 2 of the first embodiment, the notification control unit 146 turns on the LED light 210 when the shopping cart 2 is in an incomplete payment state, and turns on the LED light 210 when the shopping cart 2 is in a completed payment state. This makes it possible to more reliably notify that payment is not completed.

[0116] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. Note that, like the first embodiment, the embodiment described below is an example in which the shopping cart of the present invention is applied to a checkout system 1 equipped with a registration function and a payment function for products purchased by customers. Note that in the following description, the same hardware components and functional components as those in the first embodiment will be described using the same reference numerals.

[0117] (Explanation of operation overview) FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an outline of a specific operation performed by checkout system 1 according to the second embodiment.

[0118] 14(a) shows that the shopping cart 2 being carried by the customer C is in an unpaid state. That is, as described in the first embodiment, the LED light 210 is on, indicating that the purchase is in an unpaid state. Note that the beacon device 8 described in the first embodiment is installed at the boundary between the inside and outside of the store, that is, at the exit of the store.

[0119] Fig. 14(b) shows a state where customer C takes the unpaid shopping cart 2 out of the store without carrying out the payment process. At this time, the cart terminal 4 (not shown in Fig. 14) installed in the shopping cart 2 receives the beacon signal transmitted by the beacon device 8. The cart terminal 4 then issues an instruction to the LED light 210 to change the lit state to a blinking state. The LED light 210 then goes into a blinking state, i.e., a state with a higher level of notification than the lit state.

[0120] If customer C forgets to execute the payment process, customer C will notice that the LED light 210 is flashing and will realize that he / she has forgotten to execute the payment process. Then, customer C will return to the store and execute the payment process.

[0121] On the other hand, if customer C attempts to take the shopping cart 2 out of the store without making a payment, he or she is likely to give up taking the shopping cart 2 when he or she notices that the state of the LED light 210 has changed from a lit state to a flashing state. This can also make it more difficult for the customer to take the shopping cart 2 out of the store in the future. To increase the level of warning, the LED light 210 may be changed from a lit state to a flashing state and a buzzer installed in the cart terminal 4 may be sounded.

[0122] (Explanation of the processing flow performed by the cart terminal) Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of processing performed by the cart terminal 4 according to the second embodiment. Note that the cart terminal 4 actually operates in cooperation with the mobile terminal 3 carried by the customer C, but since the cooperative operation between the cart terminal 4 and the mobile terminal 3 is as described in the first embodiment, the flow of processing only for the cart terminal 4 will be described here. Note that since the functional configuration of the cart terminal 4 in the second embodiment is similar to the functional configuration of the cart terminal 4 described in the first embodiment, the names and symbols of the functional parts will be described using those used in the description of the first embodiment.

[0123] First, the processes of steps S60, S61, S62, and S63 in FIG. 15 are the same as the processes of steps S20, S21, S22, and S23 described in the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described.

[0124] Next, the short-distance communication control unit 141 judges whether or not a beacon signal is received from the beacon device 8 (step S64). If it is judged that a beacon signal is received (step S64: Yes), the process proceeds to step S65. On the other hand, if it is not judged that a beacon signal is received (step S64: No), the process proceeds to step S66.

[0125] If the short-range communication control unit 141 determines in step S64 that it has received a beacon signal, the notification control unit 146 instructs the LED light 210 to blink (step S65). The cart terminal 4 then ends the processing in FIG. 15. Although not shown in the flowchart in FIG. 15, if customer C returns to the store after the LED light 210 blinks and performs a payment process, the notification control unit 146 turns off the blinking LED light 210 when the payment process is completed. In other words, if customer C, for example, forgets to perform a payment process and goes outside the store, he or she can perform the payment process by returning to the store.

[0126] On the other hand, if the short-distance communication control unit 141 determines in step S64 that the beacon signal has not been received, customer C continues shopping. Then, although not shown in Fig. 15, when customer C finishes shopping, he operates the mobile terminal 3 to display a payment barcode on the monitor 37 of the mobile terminal 3, as described in the first embodiment. Then, customer C causes the scanner 49 of the cart terminal 4 to read the payment barcode.

[0127] The processes of steps S66, S67, and S68 thereafter are the same as the processes of steps S24, S25, and S26 described in the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described again. After executing step S68, the cart terminal 4 ends the process of FIG.

[0128] As described above, in the shopping cart 2 of the second embodiment, the notification control unit 146 (notification means) increases the degree of notification by changing the form of notification between when the shopping cart 2 is in the store with payment incomplete and when the shopping cart 2 has left the store with payment incomplete. Therefore, if customer C leaves the store without making a payment, customer C who intentionally tries to take the unpaid shopping cart 2 out of the store can be made to give up taking the shopping cart 2 out of the store and can be made to be less likely to do so in the future. Also, customer C who has forgotten to perform a payment process can be made to realize that he has forgotten to perform the payment process.

[0129] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, this embodiment is merely an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This novel embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0130] 1. Checkout System 2. Shopping Cart 3. Mobile devices 4 Cart terminal 5. Attendant terminal 6. POS terminals 142 Shopping start reception unit (shopping start reception means) 143 Product registration processing unit (registration means) 145 Payment processing unit (payment means) 146 Notification control unit (notification means) 210 LED light (lighting device) [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0131] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-305865

Claims

1. A computer that controls a cart terminal that can be moved inside and outside a store, a shopping start receiving means for receiving an instruction to start shopping from a mobile terminal carried by a customer using the cart terminal; A registration means for registering products to be purchased; a payment means for making a payment for the product registered by the registration means on condition that an instruction from the mobile terminal is received; a notification means for notifying a customer when the customer leaves the store without completing payment for the product registered by the registration means; a notification termination means for terminating the notification by the notification means on condition that the payment means has completed the payment; And run it, A computer that controls the mobile terminal, A first communication control unit that controls communication between the mobile terminal and a beacon device installed in the store; a second communication control unit that controls communication between the portable terminal and the cart terminal; An application startup control unit that causes the cart terminal to instruct the start of shopping and the payment on the condition that the first communication control unit receives a beacon signal from the beacon device; A program that runs on the device.

2. The notification means issues a notification in a form corresponding to the operating state of the registration means and the payment means, and when the user leaves the store with the payment incomplete, changes the level of notification to a higher form compared to when the user is in the store with the payment incomplete. The program according to claim 1.

3. the notification means changes the form of notification depending on whether the cart terminal is in a payment incomplete state or in a payment completed state; The program according to claim 2.

4. A mobile terminal carried by a customer who uses a cart terminal that can be moved inside and outside a store, A first communication control unit that controls communication between the mobile terminal and a beacon device installed in the store; a second communication control unit that controls communication between the portable terminal and the cart terminal; and an application startup control unit that causes the cart terminal to instruct the user to start shopping and to instruct the user to make a payment on the condition that the first communication control unit receives a beacon signal from the beacon device. Mobile device.

5. The application startup control unit, On condition that the first communication control unit receives a beacon signal from the beacon device, a login barcode for instructing the cart terminal to start shopping is displayed on the monitor of the first communication control unit. The mobile terminal according to claim 4.

6. The application startup control unit, On the condition that the first communication control unit receives a beacon signal from the beacon device, the first communication control unit starts an electronic receipt application that enables the user to view the result of the transaction, and displays a payment barcode on its monitor to instruct the cart terminal to make a payment. The mobile terminal according to claim 4.

7. The electronic receipt receiving unit further includes an electronic receipt receiving unit that receives an electronic receipt indicating a result of the payment from the electronic receipt management server on condition that the payment is completed. The mobile terminal according to claim 4.

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