Information sharing device and information sharing system

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide an information sharing device and an information sharing system that can improve crime prevention in a store. [Solution] The information sharing device includes a control device that acquires damage information regarding fraudulent acts including shoplifting and theft at victim stores, and determines a shared store with which to share the damage information based on the damage information and store information including the location information of the victim store, and a communication device that transmits crime prevention information including the damage information to the shared store.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information sharing device and an information sharing system for sharing information on damages such as shoplifting in a store. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, theft such as shoplifting, in which customers take products without paying, has become a problem in stores such as convenience stores or supermarkets, and techniques for detecting and preventing shoplifting have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a device that analyzes video of a store in which products are arranged, identifies the relationship between the products in the video and the person who purchases the products, and outputs an alert if the identified relationship is abnormal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2024-89579 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Since shoplifting is a habitual crime, the same criminal may repeatedly commit shoplifting at multiple different stores. As described in Patent Document 1, in the past, shoplifting was discovered at each store, and crime prevention measures were implemented at each store or for each retailer that managed each store, so crime prevention measures could not be implemented at stores or retailers where shoplifters did not visit.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide an information sharing device and an information sharing system that can improve crime prevention in a store. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The information sharing device according to the present invention includes a control device that acquires damage information on fraudulent acts including shoplifting and theft at a victim store, and determines a shared store with which to share the damage information based on the damage information and store information including location information of the victim store, and a communication device that transmits crime prevention information including the damage information to the shared store. The control device determines a shared area for sharing damage information based on the size of the damaged store, and determines stores within the shared area as shared stores. The shared area is an area of ​​a predetermined radius including the damaged store, and the larger the size of the damaged store, the larger the predetermined radius. It is something.

[0007] The information sharing system of the present invention comprises the above-mentioned information sharing device, a first in-store management device that manages multiple POS terminals in the victim store, and a second in-store management device that manages multiple POS terminals in the shared store and receives and displays crime prevention information from the information sharing device. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the information sharing device and information sharing system of the present invention, it is possible to improve crime prevention in a store by determining a shared store with which to share damage information and transmitting crime prevention information including the damage information to the shared store. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an information sharing system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a control block diagram of an information sharing system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 3 is a diagram illustrating the flow of operations of the information sharing system according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for determining a shared area in the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for determining a shared area in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for determining a shared area in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating damage prediction in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of crime prevention information displayed on the second store management device in accordance with the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of crime prevention information displayed on the second store management device in accordance with the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the flow of operations of the information sharing system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the flow of a damage report in the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a control block diagram of a first management server according to a third embodiment. [Figure 13] 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of fraud determination processing in the third embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a fraud pattern in the third embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a fraud pattern in the third embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a fraud pattern in the third embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a fraud pattern in the third embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of crime prevention information displayed on the second store management device according to the modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an information sharing device 1 and an information sharing system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted or simplified as appropriate. In addition, the shape, size, arrangement, etc. of the configurations shown in each drawing may be changed as appropriate within the scope of the present invention.

[0011] Embodiment 1 1 is a schematic diagram of an information sharing system 100 according to a first embodiment. The information sharing system 100 according to the present embodiment is a system for sharing damage information relating to theft, such as shoplifting, among a plurality of retailers A to C. In the following description, acts of theft, such as shoplifting, may be referred to as fraudulent acts, and shoplifters and thieves may be referred to as fraudulent persons.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, a retailer A has multiple stores S located in different locations. A And multiple stores S A Headquarters H that manages A Retailer B has multiple stores S located in different locations. B And multiple stores S B Headquarters H that manages B Retailer C has multiple stores S located in different locations. C And multiple stores S C Headquarters H that manages C The types of business, business formats, and scales of the retailers A to C may be the same or different. A The types of business, business formats, and sizes of the stores S of retailer B may be the same or different. B The business type, business format and size of each store of retailer C, C The business type, business format, and scale of each of the businesses may be the same or different.

[0013] The information sharing system 100 includes an information sharing device 1 for sharing information among retailers A to C. The information sharing device 1 is A ~S C Collect damage information regarding fraudulent acts, including shoplifting and theft, that have occurred at any of the stores A through C of other retailers A through C that may be victims of the theft. A ~S C In the following example, the data is sent to one of the stores S of retailer A and shared. A If damage occurs to retailer B's store S, B This section explains an example of sharing information.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the information sharing system 100 according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 2, the headquarters H of retailer A is A and Retailer B's headquarters H B And one of the victim stores, store S A and one shared store S B As shown in FIG. 2, the information sharing system 100 includes an information sharing device 1 and a store S. A A first in-store management device 21, a plurality of POS terminals 22, and a plurality of photographing devices 23 are provided in the headquarters H A A first management server 25 provided in the store S B A second in-store management device 31, a plurality of POS terminals 32, and a plurality of photographing devices 33 are provided in the headquarters H B and a second management server 35 provided in the first in-store management device 21. The information sharing device 1 is connected to the first in-store management device 21, the first management server 25, the second in-store management device 31, and the second management server 35 via a network such as the Internet so as to be capable of wired or wireless communication.

[0015] The information sharing device 1 includes a control device 11, a storage device 12, and a communication device 13. The control device 11 is composed of a dedicated processing circuit such as an ASIC or FPGA, a processor such as a CPU or DSP that executes a program stored in a memory, or both. The control device 11 acquires damage information related to theft from a store, determines a shared store with which the acquired damage information will be shared, and transmits the damage information to the shared store.

[0016] The storage device 12 is composed of, for example, a non-volatile semiconductor memory such as a ROM or a flash memory, a volatile semiconductor memory such as a RAM, an HDD, or an SSD. The storage device 12 stores a crime prevention information database 121 and a store information database 122. Note that in Fig. 2, "database" is abbreviated to "DB." The storage device 12 also stores programs used in the information sharing process of the control device 11, various data such as parameters used to execute the programs, map information, and the like.

[0017] The crime prevention information database 121 is stored in the information sharing system 100. A ~S C The crime prevention information includes damage information on past thefts. The damage information includes the damage report date, the reporter, the damaged store, the date the damage occurred, the time period during which the damage occurred, the name, number, and amount of the damaged goods, the number, sex, and characteristics of the fraudsters, as well as images of the fraudsters entering and leaving the store, images of the fraudulent acts, and facial photos. The crime prevention information includes the damage information, the sharing strength, and a damage prediction, which will be described later.

[0018] The store information database 122 stores the stores S included in the information sharing system 100. A ~S C The location information and business type information of each store S A ~S C The location information of each store A ~S C The address of each store is A ~S C For industry information, please contact each store. A ~S C The control device 11 is information on the type, condition, and size of each retailer A to C. A ~H C and periodically communicates with each store S in the store information database 122. A ~S C Update location and industry information.

[0019] The communication device 13 is a network interface that performs two-way communication with the first in-store management device 21, the first management server 25, the second in-store management device 31, and the second management server 35. As an example, the communication device 13 receives damage information from the first in-store management device 21 and outputs it to the control device 11. The communication device 13 also transmits crime prevention information created by the control device 11 to the second in-store management device 31.

[0020] The first in-store management device 21 is A It is an information terminal such as a tablet or smartphone operated by employees of the store.A The employee of the store S uses the first in-store management device 2 A The first store management device 21 manages multiple POS terminals 22 in the store, reports damage caused by theft such as shoplifting, displays crime prevention information shared by the information sharing device 1, and implements crime prevention measures. As shown in FIG. 2, the first store management device 21 includes a control device 211, an operation and display device 212, a storage device 213, and a communication device 214.

[0021] The control device 211 controls each part of the first store management device 21. The control device 211 is composed of a dedicated processing circuit such as ASIC or FPGA, a processor such as a CPU or DSP that executes programs stored in memory, or both. The control device 211 creates damage information based on information entered by employees and information stored in the storage device 213, and transmits it to the information sharing device 1.

[0022] The operation display device 212 is, for example, a touch panel. A If shoplifting or other illegal activity is discovered within the building, the user operates the operation display device 212 to input information about the crime and to instruct the information sharing device 1 to transmit the information.

[0023] The storage device 213 is, for example, a non-volatile semiconductor memory such as a ROM or a flash memory, a volatile semiconductor memory such as a RAM, a HDD, or an SSD, and is A The information stored in the storage unit 21 includes information used to manage the multiple POS terminals 22 installed in the store, product information registered in the multiple POS terminals 22, operation history information of the POS terminals 22, and image information captured by the multiple photographing devices 23.

[0024] The POS terminal 22 is A The POS terminal 22 is a POS register that registers, accounts, and settles items purchased by users (customers) of the store S. AThe POS terminal 22 may be operated by an employee or may be operated by a user as a self-service register. The POS terminal 22 may be fixed to the checkout area or attached to a shopping cart. The POS terminal 22 may be a communication terminal such as a tablet or smartphone owned by a user, and may execute an application program having a POS register function. The POS terminal 22 reads product information from the barcode of the product and registers the product. The product information read by the POS terminal 22 and operation history information of the POS terminal 22 are transmitted to the first in-store management device 21 and the first management server 25.

[0025] The photographing device 23 is a POS terminal 22 or a store S A It is installed at the entrance, ceiling, wall, or shelf of the store. A The image captured by the photographing device 23 is transmitted to the first in-store management device 21 and the first management server 25. The image captured by the photographing device 23 may be either a still image or a video image.

[0026] The first management server 25 is a management server for a plurality of stores S operated by a retailer A. A Headquarters H, which oversees A It is set up in multiple stores S A The first management server 25 has a function of a POS server that collectively manages user information, product information, and store information in the first management server 25. As shown in FIG.

[0027] The control device 251 controls each part of the first management server 25. The control device 251 is composed of a dedicated processing circuit such as ASIC or FPGA, a processor such as a CPU or DSP that executes a program stored in a memory, or both. The control device 251 stores the product information and operation history information received from the POS terminal 22, and the image information received from the photographing device 23 in the storage device 252.

[0028] The storage device 252 is configured with, for example, a non-volatile semiconductor memory such as a ROM or a flash memory, a volatile semiconductor memory such as a RAM, a HDD, or an SSD. A Product information on products handled by and each store A The user information includes user identification information such as the user's name, age, and sex, the user's payment information, the user's past operation history information, and the user's past purchase history. The product information includes information for identifying a product such as the product name, JAN, and price. The store information is stored in each store S. A The information stored in the storage device 252 includes information on the type of business, business condition, size, and location such as address of the POS terminal 22. The storage device 252 also stores product information registered in the multiple POS terminals 22, operation history information of the POS terminals 22, and image information captured by the multiple image capture devices 23.

[0029] The communication device 253 is a network interface that performs two-way communication with the information sharing device 1, the first in-store management device 21, the POS terminal 22, and the photographing device 23. The communication device 253 receives product information and operation history information from the POS terminal 22, and receives image information from the photographing device 23. In addition, the communication device 253 transmits store information to the information sharing device 1.

[0030] The second in-store management device 31 is B It is an information terminal such as a tablet or smartphone operated by employees of the store. B The employee of the store S uses the second in-store management device 31 B The second store management device 31 manages multiple POS terminals 32 in the store, reports damage caused by theft such as shoplifting, displays crime prevention information shared by the information sharing device 1, and implements crime prevention measures. As shown in FIG. 2, the second store management device 31 includes a control device 311, an operation and display device 312, a storage device 313, and a communication device 314.

[0031] The control device 311 controls each part of the second store management device 31. The control device 311 is composed of a dedicated processing circuit such as ASIC or FPGA, a processor such as a CPU or DSP that executes a program stored in a memory, or both. The control device 311 displays the crime prevention information received from the information sharing device 1 on the operation display device 312. The control device 311 also implements crime prevention measures based on the crime prevention information.

[0032] Operation display device 312 is, for example, a touch panel. Operation display device 312 displays crime prevention information received from information sharing device 1. In addition, an employee operates operation display device 312 to give instructions for crime prevention measures, etc.

[0033] The storage device 313 is, for example, a non-volatile semiconductor memory such as a ROM or a flash memory, a volatile semiconductor memory such as a RAM, a HDD, or an SSD. B The information stored in the storage unit 31 includes information used to manage the multiple POS terminals 32 installed in the store, product information registered in the multiple POS terminals 32, operation history information of the POS terminals 32, and image information captured by the multiple photographing devices 33.

[0034] The POS terminal 32 is a B The POS terminal 32 is a POS register that registers, accounts, and settles items purchased by users (customers) of the store S. B The POS terminal 32 may be operated by an employee or may be operated by a user as a self-service register. The POS terminal 32 may be fixed to the checkout area or attached to a shopping cart. The POS terminal 32 may be a communication terminal such as a tablet or smartphone owned by a user, and may execute an application program having a POS register function. The POS terminal 32 reads product information from the barcode of the product and registers the product. The product information read by the POS terminal 32 and operation history information of the POS terminal 32 are transmitted to the second in-store management device 31 and the second management server 35.

[0035] The photographing device 33 is a POS terminal 32 or a store S B It is installed at the entrance, ceiling, wall, or shelf of the store. B The image captured by the image capturing device 33 is transmitted to the second in-store management device 31 and the second management server 35. The image captured by the image capturing device 33 may be either a still image or a video image.

[0036] The second management server 35 is a management server for a plurality of stores S operated by a retailer B. B Headquarters H, which oversees B It is set up in multiple stores S B The second management server 35 has a function of a POS server that collectively manages user information, product information, and store information in the store. As shown in FIG. 2, the second management server 35 has a control device 351, a storage device 352, and a communication device 353.

[0037] The control device 351 controls each part of the second management server 35. The control device 351 is composed of a dedicated processing circuit such as ASIC or FPGA, a processor such as a CPU or DSP that executes a program stored in a memory, or both. The control device 351 stores the product information and operation history information received from the POS terminal 32, and the image information received from the photographing device 33 in the storage device 352.

[0038] The storage device 352 is configured with, for example, a non-volatile semiconductor memory such as a ROM or a flash memory, a volatile semiconductor memory such as a RAM, a HDD, or an SSD. B Product information on products handled by and each store B The user information includes user identification information such as the user's name, age, and sex, the user's payment information, the user's past operation history information, and the user's past purchase history. The product information includes information for identifying a product such as the product name, JAN, and price. The store information is stored in each store S. BThe information stored in the storage device 352 includes information on the type of business, business condition, size, and location such as the address of the POS terminal 32. The storage device 352 also stores product information registered in the multiple POS terminals 32, operation history information of the POS terminals 32, and image information captured by the multiple image capture devices 33.

[0039] The communication device 353 is a network interface that performs two-way communication with the information sharing device 1, the second in-store management device 31, the POS terminal 32, and the photographing device 33. The communication device 353 receives product information and operation history information from the POS terminal 32, and receives image information from the photographing device 33. In addition, the communication device 353 transmits store information to the information sharing device 1.

[0040] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the flow of operations of the information sharing system 100 according to the first embodiment. Here, the operation will be explained when an employee confirms suspicious behavior of a user and then discovers a fraudulent act such as shoplifting after the fact (after the fraudster leaves the store) based on an image of the person and the operation history of the POS terminal 22. A When an employee of the first in-store management device 21 discovers a fraudulent act by a fraudulent person, damage information on the fraudulent act is created by the first in-store management device 21 (S1). First, the employee operates the operation display device 212 of the first in-store management device 21 to input the report date and time, the reporter, the victim store, the date the damage occurred, the time period during which the damage occurred, the name, number and amount of the damaged product, the number of fraudulent persons, their gender and characteristics, etc. The control device 211 creates damage information by linking the information input by the employee with the image of the fraudulent person taken by the photographing device 23 when he or she enters and leaves the store, the image of the fraudulent act, and a facial photograph. The created damage information is transmitted to the information sharing device 1 via the communication device 214 of the first in-store management device 21 (S2).

[0041] When the control device 11 of the information sharing device 1 receives the damage information via the communication device 13, the control device 11 determines a sharing area for sharing the damage information based on the received damage information and the store information included in the store information database 122 stored in the storage device 12 (S3). For example, the damaged store S AIf the store in Kyushu is located, there is little need to share information with the store in Hokkaido. A The area in which the unauthorized person who committed the theft moves or the area of ​​the unauthorized person's activities is estimated and determined as the shared area.

[0042] The determination of the shared area will be described with reference to Figs. 4 to 6. Figs. 4 to 6 are diagrams for explaining an example of a method for determining a shared area in the first embodiment. First, the control device 11 of the information sharing device 1 determines the shared area according to the size of the damaged store. For example, many users visit small stores such as convenience stores by foot or bicycle, and the movement range of users who use small stores is considered to be relatively narrow. On the other hand, many users visit large stores such as shopping malls by car, and the movement range of users who use large stores is considered to be wider than the movement range of users who use small stores. Therefore, for example, if the damaged store is a large store, the shared area is set to a radius of 30 km from the damaged store, if the damaged store is a medium-sized store, the shared area is set to a radius of 15 km from the damaged store, and if the damaged store is a small store, the shared area is set to a radius of 5 km from the damaged store. The radius of each area is an example, and the larger the size of the damaged store, the larger the shared area may be set. In the example of Fig. 4, the damaged store S1 is a medium-sized store such as a supermarket, and the damaged store S2 is a small-sized store such as a convenience store. Therefore, the shared area R1 of the damage information of the damaged store S1 is larger than the shared area R2 of the damaged store S2.

[0043] In addition, the control device 11 of the information sharing device 1 may determine an area between the shared areas of multiple victim stores as a shared area. For example, if the same fraudster causes multiple damages in different stores, there is a possibility that damages will also occur in other stores located between the victim store where the first damage occurred and the victim store where the second damage occurred. Therefore, the control device 11 may determine an area around a road connecting the victim store where the first damage occurred and the victim store where the second damage occurred as a shared area. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, if damage occurs in a victim store S2 and a damage caused by the same fraudster occurs in a store S1 before that, an area R1 with a predetermined radius centered on the victim store S1, an area R2 with a predetermined radius centered on the victim store S2, and an area R3 with a predetermined distance (for example, 5 km) on both sides of the road connecting the victim store S1 where the first damage occurred and the victim store S2 where the second damage occurred are determined as shared areas.

[0044] In addition, the control device 11 of the information sharing device 1 may set the area where the fraudster is estimated to move based on multiple pieces of damage information as the shared area. For example, if the same fraudster causes multiple damages in different stores in succession, the movement path and movement direction of the fraudster can be estimated from the store where the first damage occurred and the store where the second damage occurred, and it is considered that damage may occur in other stores located in the estimated movement direction. Therefore, the control device 11 may set the predicted movement area estimated from the store where the first damage occurred and the store where the second damage occurred as the shared area. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, if the first damage occurs in store S2 and the second damage occurs in store S1 on the same day, an area R2 with a predetermined radius centered on the first damaged store S2, an area R1 with a predetermined radius centered on the second damaged store S1, and a predicted movement area R4 estimated from the direction from the store S2 where the first damage occurred to the store S1 where the second damage occurred are determined as the shared area. The predicted movement area R4 is, for example, a range of a predetermined distance (e.g., 5 km) from the damaged store S1 on the road connecting the damaged store S2 and the damaged store S1 in the movement direction, from the damaged store S2 where the first damage occurred to the damaged store S1 where the second damage occurred, and a predetermined distance (e.g., 5 km) on both sides of the road.

[0045] Returning to FIG. 3, the control device 11 of the information sharing device 1 determines shared stores from among stores located within the shared area based on the business type information of the damaged store (S4). For example, if the damaged product is a home appliance, there is little need to share the damage information with a convenience store of a different business type. Therefore, based on the damage information and the store information stored in the store information database 122, the control device 11 determines, among the stores within the shared area, stores that have the same business type or business style as the damaged store as shared stores. Alternatively, the control device 11 may determine the shared business type from the type of the damaged product included in the damage information, and determine, among the stores within the shared area, stores of the shared business type as shared stores. For example, if the damaged product is a home appliance, among the stores within the shared area, stores that handle home appliances may be determined as shared stores.

[0046] Next, the control device 11 determines the sharing strength of the damage information based on the damage information (S5). The sharing strength is, for example, "caution" and "alert", which is stronger than "caution". The sharing strength is determined based on at least one of the number of fraudsters, the amount of damage, and the number of damages. The number of damages is obtained from past crime prevention information stored in the crime prevention information database 121. For example, if there is one fraudster, the sharing strength is set to "caution" since it is considered to be shoplifting, and if there are multiple fraudsters, the sharing strength is set to "alert", which is higher than "caution", since they are considered to be a theft group. Alternatively, even if there is only one fraudster, if there are multiple damages or the amount of damage is high (for example, 5,000 yen or more), the sharing strength may be set to "alert". Note that the sharing strength is not limited to two levels, "caution" and "alert", but may be three or more levels and may be indicated by a numerical value.

[0047] In addition, the control device 11 detects the damaged store S stored in the crime prevention information database 121. A Based on the past crime prevention information of the store, a damage prediction is created (S6). FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the damage prediction in the first embodiment. The control device 11 creates a damage prediction based on the past crime prevention information of the store, S, stored in the crime prevention information database 121 for the past month. A Based on the crime prevention information, a damage prediction is made to identify the days of the week and times of day when shoplifting is likely to occur. Note that the damage prediction is not limited to being made based on crime prevention information from the past month, but may be made based on crime prevention information from any period, such as the past three months.

[0048] First, the control device 11 detects the damaged store S included in the crime prevention information for the past month stored in the crime prevention information database 121. AFrom the date and time of damage occurrence in the data, the day of the week on which damage occurs most frequently is identified and designated as the specific day of the week. Then, the time period during which damage occurs on the specific day of the week is identified. In the example of FIG. 7, the specific day on which damage occurs most frequently is Saturday, and the time period during which damage occurs is from 13:10 to 20:30. Then, the control device 11 determines a caution time period from the time period during which damage occurs on the specific day of the week. A caution time period is a time period during which damage often occurs, and if, for example, multiple times at which damage occurs are normally distributed, a range of ±1σ (68.2%) is designated as the caution time period. In the example of FIG. 7, for example, 15:00 to 16:30 is designated as the caution time period.

[0049] If the control device 11 can identify the fraudster's store visit status from the fraudster's membership number and prepaid card number, etc., the control device 11 may predict damage based on the fraudster's store visit status. In this case, the control device 11 obtains the fraudster's store visit dates and time periods for the past month from the first management server 25, and sets the days of the week with the most visits as specific days of the week. Then, the control device 11 identifies the store visit time periods on the specific days of the week, and identifies the watchful time periods from the store visit time periods.

[0050] Returning to FIG. 3, the control device 11 A The damage information, the sharing strength, and the damage prediction received from the store S are sent as crime prevention information to the store S. B The control device 11 then transmits the information to the second in-store management device 31 of the shared store S (S7). B The crime prevention information transmitted to is stored in the crime prevention information database 121 of the storage device 12 (S8).

[0051] Shared store S BThe second in-store management device 31 receives the crime prevention information from the information sharing device 1 and displays it on the operation display device 312 (S9). FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are diagrams showing examples of crime prevention information displayed on the second in-store management device 31 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the operation display device 312 displays the report of the crime and the report date, the crime store, the crime date, the crime time period, the crime product, the crime amount, the number of fraudulent persons, the images of the fraudulent persons when they enter and leave the store, the images of the fraudulent persons when they commit the crime, their facial photos, the sharing strength, and the damage prediction. FIG. 8 is an example of the display of crime prevention information when there is one fraudulent person and the sharing strength is "caution", and FIG. 9 is an example of the display of crime prevention information when there are multiple fraudulent persons and the sharing strength is "alert". As shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the display method of the sharing strength differs depending on the sharing strength.

[0052] The display method of crime prevention information is not limited to the examples in Figures 8 and 9. For example, the color of the text or background on the crime prevention information screen may be different for "Caution" and "Alert," or the display of the sharing strength may be made to blink. In this way, by changing the display of crime prevention information according to the sharing strength, it is possible to alert employees of the shared store.

[0053] Returning to FIG. 3, the shared store S that received the crime prevention information B In the case of a store S10, crime prevention measures are implemented. B These include increasing the number of employees, raising employee awareness, and strengthening security cameras. Strengthening security cameras means increasing the number of security cameras and their operating times. A against illegal individuals who have committed shoplifting or other theft at the store S B Measures can be taken in advance.

[0054] As described above, in the information sharing system 100 of this embodiment, the store S where the damage occurred A and stores of different retailers B In the case of the victim store S A This allows the store S to share damage information. BEven if no unauthorized person has ever visited your store, you can take crime prevention measures in advance and B It is possible to improve crime prevention in the area. In addition, by sharing information across the boundaries of businesses, it is possible to improve crime prevention in the entire area. Furthermore, by determining who will be sharing information based on damage information and store information, it is possible to avoid unnecessary measures due to unnecessary information sharing, and it is possible to suppress an increase in the burden on employees.

[0055] In the above, we have described information sharing in the case where a fraudster leaves a store without being apprehended within the victim's store, but similar information sharing may also be performed in the case where a fraudster is apprehended within the victim's store.

[0056] Embodiment 2 The information sharing system 100 of the second embodiment will be described. The information sharing system 100 of the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the method of reporting damage at a damaged store. The configuration of the information sharing system 100 is the same as that of the first embodiment. However, the first in-store management device 21 of this embodiment is equipped with a camera for reading two-dimensional codes such as QR codes (registered trademark).

[0057] Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating the flow of operation of the information sharing system 100 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 11 is a diagram illustrating the flow of a damage report in the second embodiment. The flow of a damage report in the information sharing system 100 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 10 and 11. In this embodiment, the first in-store management device 21 and the first management server 25 cooperate with each other to perform a damage report.

[0058] First, store S A When an employee of the store discovers a suspicious act by a customer, the employee uses the first store management device 21 to notify the headquarters H A The two-dimensional code is read to report the suspicious behavior to the store S (S21). The suspicious behavior is an behavior that may indicate that the user has shoplifted. AThe code may be attached to a wall or shelf in the store, or may be attached to a manual or employee ID card carried by an employee. The code read by the first store management device 21 is not limited to a two-dimensional code, and may be a one-dimensional code such as a barcode.

[0059] When the first in-store management device 21 reads the two-dimensional code as shown in FIG. 11(a), a shoplifting report button for creating a report email is displayed on the operation display device 212 of the first in-store management device 21 as shown in FIG. 11(b). When an employee presses the shoplifting report button, the format of the report email as shown in FIG. 11(c) is displayed on the operation display device 212 of the first in-store management device 21. As shown in FIG. 11(c), the format of the report email includes items of destination, subject, and report contents. The destination is the first management server 25, and the subject is "Shoplifting Report", which are input by default. The report contents include, for example, the store name, the sender's name, suspicious person information, the location of the incident, the date and time of the incident, and remarks. The suspicious person information is identification information such as a membership number or a prepaid card number input when a person who committed a suspicious act logged into the POS terminal 22.

[0060] Returning to FIG. 10, the employee operates the operation display device 212 of the first in-store management device 21 to input the report contents into the report mail format, thereby creating the report mail (S22). Then, when the employee issues an instruction to send the report mail, the report mail is sent to the head office H A The result is transmitted to the first management server 25 (S23).

[0061] The control device 251 of the first management server 25 communicates with the store S via the communication device 253. A When the report mail is received from the head office H, it is confirmed whether or not a fraudulent act has actually occurred based on the report contents (S24). Here, it is determined whether or not a shoplifting of a product has occurred based on the report contents and the image information of the suspicious person and the operation history information of the suspicious person stored in the storage device 252. This confirmation is performed by the head office H. AThis may be done visually by an employee or the like, or may be done automatically by the first management server 25 or another information processing device.

[0062] Then, if fraudulent activity is confirmed (S24: YES), the control device 251 creates damage information to be transmitted to the information sharing device 1 based on the report content (S25). Specifically, the control device 251 identifies the person who reported the damage and the report date from the report content, and the damaged store, damage date, and damage time period included in the damage information. The control device 251 also identifies the damaged product and damage amount from the report content and the product information stored in the storage device 252. Furthermore, the control device 251 extracts images of the fraudulent person entering and leaving the store, images at the time of the fraudulent activity, and facial photos from the image information stored in the storage device 252 based on the report content, and identifies the number of fraudulent persons.

[0063] The control device 251 of the first management server 25 transmits the created damage information to the information sharing device 1 (S26). The information sharing process thereafter in the information sharing device 1 is the same as in the first embodiment. If no fraudulent activity is confirmed (S24: NO), the first management server 25 does not create damage information or transmit it to the information sharing device 1. The first management server 25 may transmit the result of the confirmation of fraudulent activity to the first in-store management device 21, and if fraudulent activity is confirmed, the first in-store management device 21 may implement crime prevention measures.

[0064] As described above, in the information sharing system 100 of this embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, A Immediately report any misconduct at HQ A It can also be transmitted to the store S A This will reduce the workload of employees at HQ. A By checking whether shoplifting or other fraudulent activities have actually occurred in the store, A This can avoid on-site risks such as employees being mistaken for fraudulent activity, and reduce the stress of on-site employees.

[0065] Embodiment 3 The following describes the information sharing system 100 according to the third embodiment. The information sharing system 100 according to the third embodiment differs from the information sharing system according to the first and second embodiments in the method of detecting fraudulent activities in victim stores.

[0066] Fraudulent acts such as shoplifting in a store can be discovered when an employee actually witnesses the fraudulent act, or when an employee witnesses the suspicious act and then checks a recorded image of the suspicious person. In addition, a technique has been proposed as a conventional technique for analyzing an image of a suspicious person and detecting suspicious or fraudulent acts from the movements of the suspicious person or the movements of merchandise. However, since there are various methods for fraudulent acts such as shoplifting, there are cases where the conventional technique cannot detect fraud. The information sharing system 100 of this embodiment performs a fraud determination process that can automatically determine various fraudulent acts.

[0067] The fraud determination process is performed by a fraud determination device. The fraud determination device may be the control device 211 of the first in-store management device 21, the control device 251 of the first management server 25, or any other information processing device. In the following, a case where the first management server 25 is the fraud determination device that performs the fraud determination process will be described.

[0068] 12 is a control block diagram of the first management server 25 according to the third embodiment. The functions and configurations of the first in-store management device 21, the POS terminal 22, and the photographing device 23 in this embodiment are the same as those in the second embodiment. The functions and configurations of the information sharing device 1, the second in-store management device 31, the POS terminal 32, the photographing device 33, and the second management server 35 in this embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment, and are not shown in the figures. The configuration of the second management server 35 may be the same as that of the first management server 25 in this embodiment.

[0069] 12, the first management server 25 has a control device 251, a storage device 252, and a communication device 253. The configuration and functions of the communication device 253 are the same as those in the first embodiment. The control device 251 in this embodiment performs fraud determination processing based on information stored in the storage device 42, in addition to the functions of the first embodiment.

[0070] The storage device 252 of this embodiment stores an image information database 51, an operation history information database 52, and a determination model 53. In addition, in Fig. 12, "database" is abbreviated to "DB".

[0071] The image information database 51 is stored in a plurality of stores S managed by the first management server 25. A The image information includes an image of the user captured by the photographing device 23, the date and time when the image was captured, identification information of the store in which the photographing device 23 is installed, and identification information of the POS terminal 22 that is the subject of the image capture.

[0072] The operation history information database 52 is a database of a plurality of stores S managed by the first management server 25. A The operation history information database 52 stores operation history information received from multiple POS terminals 22 installed in the store. The operation history information database 52 stores multiple operation histories for one transaction at the POS terminal 22 as one piece of operation history information. The operation history includes identification information of the POS terminal 22 where the operation was performed, identification information of the store where the POS terminal 22 is installed, the user's login information, registration information such as the department (category) of a registered product, product code, product name, number of products, and price, cancellation information such as the department (category) of a product whose registration has been cancelled, product code, product name, number of products, and price, the date and time when each operation was performed, etc. The user's login information is identification information such as a membership number or a prepaid card number.

[0073] The judgment model 53 is a trained model that receives operation history information and image information of a suspicious person as input data and outputs a judgment result of whether or not there is fraud. The judgment model 53 is an AI model trained by supervised learning using a large number of accumulated images of past fraudulent acts using an image recognition algorithm such as a convolutional neural network (CNN).

[0074] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of the fraud determination process in the third embodiment. The following describes a case where the first management server 25 determines whether or not a fraud has occurred when a user operates the POS terminal 22, which is a self-checkout device, to perform a transaction. First, as in the second embodiment, the store S A When an employee of the first management server 25 discovers a suspicious behavior by a customer, the employee uses the first store management device 21 to send a report email to the first management server 25. When the control device 251 of the first management server 25 receives the report email from the first store management device 21, the control device 251 performs fraud determination processing on the reported suspicious person.

[0075] First, the control device 251 extracts the operation history information of the suspicious person from the storage device 252 (S31). Here, from the operation history information stored in the operation history information database 52, the operation history information corresponding to the suspicious person information (such as a membership number or a prepaid card number) included in the report content is extracted.

[0076] Next, the control device 251 extracts image information of the POS terminal 22 corresponding to the operation history information from the storage device 252 (S32). Here, the control device 251 first identifies the date and time when the operation was performed by the suspicious person and the identification information of the POS terminal 22 based on the operation history information. Then, the control device 251 extracts image information stored in the image information database 51 that corresponds to the identified date and time and the identification information of the POS terminal 22.

[0077] Then, the control device 251 inputs the extracted operation history information and image information to the determination model 53, and obtains a determination result as an output (S33). This allows the control device 251 to automatically determine whether or not a suspicious person has committed a fraudulent act such as shoplifting.

[0078] Next, the learning of the determination model 53 will be described. The determination model 53 extracts a suspicious person and a product from image information, and detects the movement of the suspicious person, the state of the product, and the movement of the product. Then, it determines whether or not there is fraud based on at least one of the movement of the suspicious person, the state of the product, and the movement of the product, and the operation content included in the operation history information. Figs. 14 to 17 are diagrams for explaining examples of fraud patterns in the third embodiment. The determination model 53 is trained to determine fraud when a fraud pattern shown in Figs. 14 to 17 is detected from the input operation history information and image information.

[0079] First, as shown in Fig. 14, if a product is moved from an unscanned area T1 to a scanned area T2 through the POS terminal 22 in the image, and there is no record of the product being scanned in the operation history information within 5 seconds of the movement (the product is not registered), it is determined to be fraudulent. "Passing through the POS terminal 22" refers to passing in front of a scanner provided in the POS terminal 22 for reading the product's barcode. This makes it possible to detect fraudulent acts such as scanning a product at a position far from the scanner of the POS terminal 22, scanning a side of the product that does not have a barcode, or scanning a product by covering the barcode with a finger.

[0080] 15, if multiple products in an image are moved from the unscanned area T1 to the scanned area T2 through the POS terminal 22 while being stacked or held with both hands, and if there is only a scan history of one product in the operation history information within 3 seconds of the movement, it is determined to be fraud. This makes it possible to detect fraud such as stacking multiple products and scanning only one of them, or moving multiple products at the same time and scanning only one of them.

[0081] Also, as shown in FIG. 16, when a bundled product is moved from an unscanned area T1 to a scanned area T2 through the POS terminal 22 in the image, and the operation history information shows only a scan history of a single product within 5 seconds of the movement, it is determined to be fraudulent. A bundled product is a product in which multiple products of the same type or multiple products of different types are sold as a set, such as a six-can pack of beverages shown in FIG. 16. A bundled product has a barcode indicating the price of the bundled product displayed on the tape or box that binds the multiple products. Also, each product included in the bundled product has a barcode indicating the price of the single product displayed on it. The above fraud determination makes it possible to detect fraud in which the barcode of a single product is scanned despite it being a bundled product.

[0082] 17, if an item is moved from the scanned area T2 in front of the POS terminal 22 in the image and then moved back to the scanned area, and the operation in the operation history information before the second product movement is a product cancellation operation, and there is no scan history of the canceled item within 5 seconds after the second product movement, it is determined to be fraudulent. This makes it possible to detect fraud such as taking the item home without returning it despite canceling the purchase of the item due to insufficient money at the time of payment.

[0083] As described above, in the information sharing system 100 of this embodiment, the accuracy of fraud determination can be improved by determining fraud using the determination model 53 that has learned various fraud methods. This makes it possible to suppress fraudulent acts such as shoplifting, further improve crime prevention, and reduce the number of personnel required to perform fraud determination.

[0084] The above is a description of the embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and combinations are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiments, the information sharing device 1 is described as an independent device, but the management server of any of the retailers A to C may have the functions of the information sharing device 1. Furthermore, the affiliation of each function of each device is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, some or all of the databases in the information sharing device 1 or the first management server 25 may be stored in an external device such as online storage.

[0085] In the above embodiment, the control device 11 of the information sharing device 1 determines the shared area depending on the size of the damaged store, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the shared area may be set arbitrarily by an administrator who uses the information sharing device 1. Specifically, the information sharing device 1 may be provided with a display device such as a liquid crystal display and an operation device such as a mouse, and a map including the damaged store may be displayed on the display device, and the shared area may be selected by operating the operation device. Also, a map including the damaged store and the determined shared area may be displayed on the display device as shown in Figs. 4 to 6, and the shared area may be changed arbitrarily by the administrator.

[0086] Alternatively, the control device 11 may set an area of ​​a predetermined radius centered on the victim store as the shared area, regardless of the size of the victim store. The predetermined radius may be a preset fixed value, or may be set according to the location of the victim store. For example, if the victim store is in a depopulated area, the predetermined radius may be larger than if the victim store is in an urban area. Also, as in the above-mentioned first embodiment, the shared area may be determined according to the size of the victim store, and then the shared area may be corrected according to the location of the victim store.

[0087] Furthermore, the control device 11 may determine the shared area according to the alert level based on the damage information. For example, when the sharing strength is "alert," the shared area is set to a radius of 30 km from the damaged store, and when the sharing strength is "caution," the shared area is set to a radius of 10 km from the damaged store. The radius of each area is merely an example, and the higher the sharing strength, the larger the shared area can be set.

[0088] In addition, the information sharing device 1 transmits information about the shared area to the shared store S as crime prevention information. B In this case, the shared store S B The second in-store management device 31 may display a shared area screen on the operation and display device 312. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of crime prevention information displayed on the second in-store management device 31 according to a modified example. As shown in FIG. 18, the second in-store management device 31 displays the crime prevention information of the victim store S. A And shared store S B A map including the shared store S, the shared area on the map, and the sharing strength are displayed. B Among the employees of the affected store, S A It is easy to understand the positional relationship with other

[0089] Furthermore, the information sharing device 1 is a crime prevention information sharing store S B In addition to sending to shared stores, B H, the headquarters of retailer B to which B In this way, the retailer B may transmit the information to a second management server 35 installed in the second store S. B In addition, damage information can be shared at HQ H B From the second management server 35 of the shared store S B can instruct them to take crime prevention measures.

[0090] In the above third embodiment, the judgment model 53 judges fraudulent behavior when a user operates the POS terminal 22, which is a self-checkout device, to make a transaction, but the judgment method using the judgment model 53 is not limited to this. For example, the judgment model 53 may take image information of a sales floor as input data and output a judgment result of fraud. For example, the judgment model 53 may be trained to judge as fraudulent behavior a case in which, in an image of a sales floor of a store, a user takes an unpaid item and leaves the store without paying, puts an item in a pocket or a reusable bag on the sales floor, or takes an unpaid item into a restroom.

[0091] Furthermore, the information sharing device 1 in the above embodiment is configured to transmit damage information, sharing strength, and damage prediction to a shared store as crime prevention information, but it is sufficient if it transmits at least damage information. In this case, the information sharing device 1 does not need to determine the sharing strength and create the damage prediction. The damage prediction may be performed not by the information sharing device 1 but by a management server in the headquarters to which the damaged store belongs. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 1 information sharing device, 11 control device, 12 storage device, 13 communication device, 21 first in-store management device, 22 POS terminal, 23 photographing device, 25 first management server, 31 second in-store management device, 32 POS terminal, 33 photographing device, 35 second management server, 42 storage device, 51 image information database, 52 operation history information database, 53 judgment model, 100 information sharing system, 121 crime prevention information database, 122 store information database, 211 control device, 212 operation and display device, 213 storage device, 214 communication device, 251 control device, 252 storage device, 253 communication device, 311 control device, 312 operation and display device, 313 storage device, 314 communication device, 351 control device, 352 storage device, 353 communication device.

Claims

1. a control device that acquires damage information regarding fraudulent acts including shoplifting and theft at a victim store, and determines a sharing store with which to share the damage information based on the damage information and store information including location information of the victim store; a communication device for transmitting crime prevention information including the damage information to the shared store, the control device determines a shared area for sharing the damage information based on the size of the damaged store, and determines stores within the shared area as the shared stores; The common area is an area of ​​a predetermined radius including the damaged store, An information sharing device in which the predetermined radius is larger as the size of the damaged store is larger.

2. A control device that acquires damage information regarding fraudulent acts, including shoplifting and theft, at a victim store, and determines a sharing store with which to share the damage information based on the damage information and store information including location information of the victim store; a communication device for transmitting crime prevention information including the damage information to the shared store, The control device includes: determining a sharing strength for sharing the damage information based on the number of fraudsters who have committed the fraudulent acts or the amount of damage included in the damage information; A shared area in which the damage information is shared is determined based on the sharing strength, and stores in the shared area are determined as the shared stores; The common area is an area of ​​a predetermined radius including the damaged store, An information sharing device, wherein the predetermined radius is larger as the sharing strength is higher.

3. A control device that acquires damage information regarding fraudulent acts, including shoplifting and theft, at a victim store, and determines a shared store with which to share the damage information based on the damage information and store information including location information of the victim store; a communication device for transmitting crime prevention information including the damage information to the shared store, The control device includes: When the damage information of the same fraudster is received from a plurality of the victim stores, An information sharing device that determines an area between a plurality of the damaged stores, or a predicted movement area estimated from the plurality of the damaged stores, as a shared area, and determines stores within the shared area as the shared stores.

4. Further, a storage device is provided for storing a plurality of pieces of past damage information, The information sharing device according to claim 1 , wherein the control device creates a damage prediction for the damaged store based on the plurality of pieces of damage information stored in the storage device, and transmits the prediction to the shared store as the crime prevention information.

5. The store information includes the business type and business style of the victim store, The information sharing device described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control device determines as the shared store a store in the same industry or business type as the damaged store in the shared area, or a store in the same industry type as the damaged product included in the damage information in the shared area.

6. An information sharing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4; a first in-store management device that manages a plurality of POS terminals in the damaged store; a second in-store management device that manages a plurality of POS terminals in the shared store and receives and displays the crime prevention information from the information sharing device.

7. 7. The information sharing system according to claim 6, dependent on claim 1, wherein the second store management device displays at least one of the damage information and the shared area as the crime prevention information.

8. An information sharing system as described in claim 6, which is subordinate to claim 2, wherein the second store management device displays at least one of the victim information, the sharing strength, and the shared area as the crime prevention information.

9. An information sharing system as described in claim 6 which is subordinate to claim 4, wherein the second store management device displays at least one of the damage information and the damage prediction as the crime prevention information.

10. A first management server for managing the damaged store is further provided, the first store management device reports the fraudulent activity to the first management server by reading a one-dimensional code or a two-dimensional code provided in the victim store; The information sharing system according to claim 6 , wherein the first management server, upon receiving the damage report, creates the damage information and transmits it to the information sharing device.

11. An information sharing device including a control device that acquires damage information regarding fraudulent acts including shoplifting and theft at a victim store, and determines a shared store with which to share the damage information based on the damage information and store information including location information of the victim store, and a communication device that transmits crime prevention information including the damage information to the shared store; a first in-store management device that manages a plurality of POS terminals in the damaged store; a second in-store management device that manages a plurality of POS terminals in the shared store and receives and displays the crime prevention information from the information sharing device; An information sharing system comprising: a fraud determination device that determines whether or not a fraudulent activity has occurred at the victim store using a trained determination model that receives operation history information of the POS terminal of a fraudulent person at the victim store and image information of the fraudulent person as input data and outputs whether or not the fraudulent activity has occurred.

12. The information sharing system according to claim 11 , wherein the judgment model judges whether or not the fraudulent activity has occurred based on a combination of a state or movement of a product in the image information and operation details in the operation history information.

13. The judgment model is When a product in the image information is moved from an unscanned area to a scanned area through the POS terminal, and there is no scan history of the product in the operation history information within a preset time from the movement, When multiple products are moved from the unscanned area to the scanned area through the POS terminal in a stacked or held with both hands in the image information, and when there is only a scan history of one product in the operation history information within a preset time from the movement, When, in the image information, a bundled product is moved from the unscanned area to the scanned area through the POS terminal, and within a preset time from the movement, the operation history information only has a scan history of a single product; or When a product is moved from the scanned area to in front of the POS terminal in the image information and then moved to the scanned area again, an operation in the operation history information before the second product movement is a product cancellation operation, and there is no scan history of the canceled product within a preset time from the second product movement, The information sharing system according to claim 12 , which is trained to determine that said fraudulent activity has occurred.

Images