Weight-selling support device

Abstract

To provide a selling-by-measure support device which can reduce labor of a procedure for continuously purchasing a plurality of measured commercial products.SOLUTION: A server device (selling-by-measure support device) includes: a transaction start unit which, on the condition that a measuring device for measuring a commercial product sold by measure has acquired transaction start notice transmitted to the measuring device, establishes communication with the measuring device and starts processing concerning one transaction of the measured commercial product; a commercial product information acquisition unit which acquires commercial product information identifying the commercial product and a weight of the commercial product from the measuring device; a registration processing unit which registers the information acquired by the commercial product information acquisition unit; a registration information output unit which transmits a result of the registration by the registration processing unit to a portable terminal associated with a customer who purchases the commercial product; and a transaction completion unit which, on the condition that transaction completion notice showing completion of the processing concerning the one transaction of the measured commercial product has been outputted to the measuring device, completes the processing concerning the one transaction of the measured commercial product.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a bulk sales support device. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, weighing and pricing devices that perform face-to-face sales of products sold by weight (hereinafter referred to as "weighted products"), such as meat, whose price varies depending on the purchased weight, have been known (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In such conventional weighing and pricing devices, communication between the weighing device and the transaction management server was established for each weighed product purchased. Therefore, when purchasing multiple weighed products consecutively, it was necessary to repeatedly connect and disconnect communication between the weighing device and the transaction management server for each product, which resulted in a problem of increased transaction time and effort. 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 sales support device that can reduce the hassle of procedures when purchasing multiple weighed products in succession. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A selling-by-weight support device according to an embodiment includes a transaction initiation unit, a product information acquisition unit, a registration processing unit, a registration information output unit, and a transaction completion unit. The transaction initiation unit establishes communication with a weighing device that weighs a weighed product sold by weight, and starts processing for one transaction of the weighed product, on the condition that the weighing device has received a transaction start notification sent to the weighing device. The product information acquisition unit acquires product information identifying the weighed product and the weight of the weighed product from the weighing device. The registration processing unit registers the information acquired by the product information acquisition unit. The registration information output unit outputs a registration result by the registration processing unit to a mobile device associated with a customer purchasing the weighed product. The transaction completion unit terminates processing for one transaction of the weighed product, on the condition that the weighing device has received a transaction completion notification indicating that processing for one transaction of the weighed product has been completed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a system block diagram showing an example of a system configuration of a weighed product sales system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a hardware block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the server device included in the weighed product sales system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a hardware block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a weighing device included in the weighed product sales system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a hardware block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the mobile terminal included in the weighed product sales system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the server device included in the weighed product sales system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a weighing device included in the weighed product sales system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the mobile terminal included in the measured product sales system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8A] FIG. 8A is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a weighed product registration file generated by a weighing device. [Figure 8B] FIG. 8B is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a product registration file generated by the server device. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing performed by the weighed product sales system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing performed by a measured product sales system according to a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a system block diagram showing an example of a system configuration of a weighed product sales system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a weighing device included in a weighed product sales system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing performed by the weighed product sales system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a system block diagram showing an example of a system configuration of a weighed product sales system according to the third embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of a server device included in the weighed product sales system according to the third embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of a mobile terminal included in a weighed product sales system according to the third embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing performed by the weighed product sales system according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] (First embodiment) An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a weighed product sales system 1 will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0008] (System configuration of a weighed product sales system) The system configuration of a weighed product sales system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a system block diagram showing an example of the system configuration of a weighed product sales system according to the first embodiment.

[0009] The weighed product sales system 1 is a system that performs product registration processing and payment processing when selling weighed products. The weighed product sales system 1 includes a server device 20, a scale 40, a payment machine 50, and a mobile terminal 80. The weighed product sales system 1 is capable of performing product registration processing and payment processing even when weighed products and products that do not need to be weighed (hereinafter referred to as non-weighed products) are mixed together.

[0010] The server device 20 is connected to a weighing device 40 that weighs the weighed products via a network N so as to be able to communicate bidirectionally. The server device 20 instructs the weighing device 40 to start processing for one transaction of the weighed product sold by weight by sending a transaction start notification to the weighing device 40. The server device 20 then starts processing for the transaction of the weighed product (hereinafter referred to as the weighed product registration process). When the server device 20 starts the weighed product registration process, it acquires product information identifying the weighed product and the weight of the weighed product from the weighing device 40. The server device 20 then registers the product information and weight acquired from the weighing device 40 and transmits the registration results to the mobile terminal 80 associated with the customer purchasing the weighed product. When the server device 20 has acquired information on all the weighed products, it transmits a transaction completion notification to the weighing device 40 to end the weighed product registration process. The server device 20 is an example of a selling-by-weight support device in this disclosure.

[0011] The mobile terminal 80 carried by the customer also receives an accounting code, which is transaction identification information associated with the product registration information, transmitted from the server device 20. The customer displays the accounting code on the display of the mobile terminal 80 and has the settlement machine 50 read it. The settlement machine 50 obtains the product registration information corresponding to the read accounting code from the server device 20. The settlement machine 50 then performs payment processing using the payment method specified by the customer (cash payment, electronic money payment, credit card payment, etc.). Note that the product registration information does not only register weighed products purchased by the customer, but also registers product information for non-weighed products purchased by the same customer. Note that in this embodiment, the payment processing is described as being performed by the settlement machine 50, but the server device 20 may also be configured to perform payment processing.

[0012] The weighing device 40 identifies the weighed product, measures the weight of the weighed product, and calculates the purchase price. Upon receiving a transaction start notification from the server device 20, the weighing device 40 establishes communication with the server device 20 and begins processing for one transaction of the weighed product. Upon receiving a transaction completion notification from the server device 20, the weighing device 40 ends processing for one transaction of the weighed product. The weighing device 40 outputs to the server device 20 information that uniquely identifies the weighed product and the weight of the weighed product being purchased. Each weighing device 40 is affixed with a code symbol Q (identification code) that includes identification information that uniquely identifies the weighing device 40. A plurality of weighing devices 40 are provided, and customers purchase weighed products at an available weighing device 40 (a weighing device 40 that has not established communication with the server device 20). Since the server device 20 is connected to weighing devices 40 in multiple stores, the code symbol Q also includes identification information (e.g., a store code) that can identify the weighing device 40, including the store in which the weighing device 40 is installed.

[0013] The mobile terminal 80 is carried by a customer and reads a code symbol Q (identification code) that uniquely identifies the weighing device 40 on which the customer is purchasing a weighing product. The code symbol Q is, for example, a barcode or two-dimensional code that is affixed to the housing of the weighing device 40 and contains identification information that uniquely identifies the weighing device 40. The mobile terminal 80 then outputs the identification information contained in the read code symbol Q to the server device 20. The mobile terminal 80 then acquires registered product information from the server device 20. The mobile terminal 80 then requests the server device 20 to output an accounting code that is uniquely associated with the product registration information in which the product to be purchased is registered. The mobile terminal 80 then acquires the accounting code from the server device 20.

[0014] The settlement machine 50 reads the accounting code displayed on the mobile terminal and obtains the transaction identification information contained in the accounting code. The settlement machine 50 then obtains the product registration file corresponding to the transaction identification information from the server device 20. The settlement machine 50 also performs payment processing using the payment method specified by the customer.

[0015] The server device 20 communicates with the weighing device 40 and the settlement machine 50 via the in-store network 29 and the network N.

[0016] The mobile terminal 80 communicates with the server device 20 via an access point 60 provided in the store, an in-store network 29, and a network N.

[0017] (Server hardware configuration) The hardware configuration of the server device 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a hardware block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the server device included in the weighed product sales system according to the first embodiment.

[0018] The server device 20 includes a control unit 21 for controlling each unit of the server device 20. The control unit 21 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 22, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 23, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 24. The CPU 22 is connected to the ROM 23 and the RAM 24 via an internal bus Ba, such as an address bus and a data bus. The CPU 22 loads various programs stored in the ROM 23 and the storage unit 25 into the RAM 24. The CPU 22 controls the server device 20 by operating in accordance with the various programs loaded into the RAM 24. In other words, the control unit 21 has the configuration of a typical computer.

[0019] The control unit 21 is connected to a storage unit 25, a display device 31, an operation device 32, and a communication interface 33 via an internal bus Ba.

[0020] The memory unit 25 is a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive). The memory unit 25 may also be a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory that retains stored information even when the power is turned off. The memory unit 25 stores a control program Pa, a member master Ma, a product master Mb, a product registration file Md, and measuring device identification information Ia.

[0021] The control program Pa is a program that controls the overall operation of the server device 20.

[0022] The member master Ma stores the email address of the mobile terminal 80, which uniquely identifies the mobile terminal 80 of a member who has registered to use the so-called Smartphone POS, which allows them to purchase products using the mobile terminal 80, as well as attribute information such as the user's gender, age group, and membership code, which is registered to improve service when registering to use the Smartphone POS.

[0023] The product master Mb is a master file that stores product information for weighed products, such as product code, product name, and unit price per gram. The weighed product sales system 1 can process payments even when weighed and non-weighed products are mixed. Therefore, the product master Mb stores product information for both weighed and non-weighed products.

[0024] The product registration file Md is a file that compiles product information registered by the server device 20 for each transaction. Both weighed and non-weighed products are registered in the product registration file Md. For weighed products, the product registration file Md registers the product code, product name, price per gram, weight, the code of the measuring instrument used for weighing, price, etc. For non-weighed products, the product registration file Md registers the product code, product name, quantity, unit price, price, etc. The product registration file Md will be described in more detail below (see FIG. 8B).

[0025] The server device 20 acquires code information, such as a barcode affixed to a purchased product (non-weighed product), which the customer reads with the mobile terminal 80. The server device 20 then acquires a product code included in the acquired code information. The server device 20 then compares the acquired product code with a product code registered in the product master Mb and registers the product purchased by the customer in a product registration file Md. The server device 20 also acquires a weighed product registration file Mc (see FIG. 3) from the weighing device 40, in which the weighed products purchased by the customer are registered. The server device 20 then updates the product registration file Md by merging the weighed product registration file Mc acquired from the weighing device 40 with a product registration file Md in which the purchased products of the same customer have already been registered, or by adding information from the weighed product registration file Mc to the product registration file Md. The server device 20 determines that the purchased products are related to a transaction by the same customer, for example, by matching an identification code assigned to the product registration file Md with an identification code assigned to the weighed product registration file Mc. The identification code may be, for example, a transaction ID or a membership code. The transaction ID is an identification code issued by the server device 20 for each transaction, and includes the date, store code, serial number, etc. The membership code is as described above. The contents of the weighed product registration file Mc and the product registration file Md will be described in detail later (see FIGS. 8A and 8B).

[0026] The meter identification information Ia is identification information assigned to each meter 40 that uniquely identifies that meter 40. The meter identification information Ia includes, for example, the serial number of the meter 40. Note that since the server device 20 is connected to the meter 40 of multiple stores, the meter identification information Ia may further include a store code that can uniquely identify the store in which the meter 40 is installed.

[0027] The display device 31 displays a screen generated in response to an instruction from the control unit 21. The display device 31 is configured by a device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display.

[0028] The operation device 32 acquires an input operation by an operator and transmits it to the control unit 21. The operation device 32 is configured with devices such as a touch panel and a keyboard, for example.

[0029] The communication interface 33 is an interface for communicating with the weighing device 40 and the mobile terminal 80 via wireless communication such as a wireless LAN or wired communication such as a wired LAN.

[0030] (Hardware configuration of weighing instrument) The hardware configuration of the weighing device 40 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a hardware block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the weighing device included in the weighed product sales system according to the first embodiment.

[0031] The weighing device 40 includes a control unit 41 for controlling each unit. The control unit 41 includes a CPU 42, a ROM 43, and a RAM 44. The CPU 42 is connected to the ROM 43 and the RAM 44 via an internal bus Bb, such as an address bus and a data bus. The CPU 42 loads various programs stored in the ROM 43 and the storage unit 45 into the RAM 44. The CPU 42 controls the weighing device 40 by operating in accordance with the various programs loaded into the RAM 44. In other words, the control unit 41 has the configuration of a typical computer.

[0032] The control unit 41 is connected to the memory unit 45, the store clerk display device 51, the customer display device 52, the operation device 53, the scanner 54, the weight sensor 55, and the communication interface 56 via an internal bus Bb.

[0033] The storage unit 45 is a storage device such as an HDD or SSD. Alternatively, the storage unit 45 may be a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory that retains stored information even when the power is turned off. The storage unit 45 stores a control program Pb, a product master Mb, a weighed product registration file Mc, and weighing device identification information Ib.

[0034] The control program Pb is a program that controls the overall operation of the weighing device 40.

[0035] The product master Mb is a master file that stores product information about weighed products. Since the contents of the product master Mb are updated as needed, the weighing device 40 obtains the latest product master Mb from, for example, the server device 20.

[0036] The weighed product registration file Mc is a file that stores information about products weighed by the weighing device 40. The weighed product registration file Mc will be described in detail later (see FIG. 8A).

[0037] The meter identification information Ib is identification information that uniquely identifies the meter 40.

[0038] The store clerk display device 51 displays to the store clerk a screen generated in response to an instruction from the control unit 41. The store clerk display device 51 is configured with a device such as an LCD or organic EL display.

[0039] The customer display device 52 displays to the customer a screen generated in response to an instruction from the control unit 41. The customer display device 52 is configured with a device such as an LCD or an organic EL display.

[0040] The operation device 53 acquires input operations from the operator and transmits them to the control unit 41. The operation device 53 is configured with devices such as a keyboard or a touch panel. Note that the operation device 53 may be provided on both the store clerk side and the customer side.

[0041] When a customer registers a weighed product to be purchased, the scanner 54 reads an identification code (for example, a barcode) corresponding to the product designated by the customer.

[0042] The weight sensor 55 measures the weight of the weighed product. The weight sensor 55 is, for example, a load cell.

[0043] The communication interface 56 is an interface for communicating with the server device 20 via wireless communication such as a wireless LAN or wired communication such as a wired LAN.

[0044] (Mobile device hardware configuration) The hardware configuration of the mobile terminal 80 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a hardware block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the mobile terminal included in the weighed product sales system according to the first embodiment.

[0045] The mobile terminal 80 includes a control unit 81 for controlling each unit. The control unit 81 includes a CPU 82, a ROM 83, and a RAM 84. The CPU 82 is connected to the ROM 83 and the RAM 84 via an internal bus Bc such as an address bus and a data bus. The CPU 82 loads various programs stored in the ROM 83 and the storage unit 85 into the RAM 84. The CPU 82 controls the mobile terminal 80 by operating in accordance with the various programs loaded into the RAM 84. In other words, the control unit 81 has the configuration of a general computer.

[0046] The control unit 81 is connected to a storage unit 85, a display device 91, an operation device 92, a camera 93, and a communication interface 94 via an internal bus Bc.

[0047] The storage unit 85 is a storage device such as an HDD or SSD. Alternatively, the storage unit 85 may be a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory that retains stored information even when the power is turned off. The storage unit 85 stores the control program Pc, member information Me, and product registration information Eb.

[0048] The control program Pc is a program that controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal 80.

[0049] Member information Me is a file that stores registration information such as the email address registered when registering to use Smartphone POS and the membership code issued at the time of registration.

[0050] The display device 91 displays a screen generated in response to an instruction from the control unit 81. The display device 91 is configured with a device such as an LCD or an organic EL display.

[0051] The operation device 92 acquires an input operation by an operator and transmits it to the control unit 81. The operation device 92 is configured with devices such as a touch panel and a keyboard, for example.

[0052] The camera 93 is built into the mobile terminal 80 and captures an image of the code symbol Q affixed to the weighing instrument 40, for example.

[0053] The communication interface 94 is an interface for communicating with the server device 20 via wireless communication such as a wireless LAN.

[0054] The settlement machine 50 has a computer structure similar to that of the server device 20, for example. The settlement machine 50 also has a card reader that reads the customer's credit cart when making a credit card payment, and reads the customer's electronic money card when making an electronic money payment. The settlement machine 50 also has a camera or scanner that reads the accounting code that the customer has displayed on the display device 91 of the mobile terminal 80. The settlement machine 50 also has a receipt printer that outputs the payment results.

[0055] (Functional configuration of server device) The functional configuration of the server device 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the server device included in the weighed product sales system according to the first embodiment.

[0056] The control unit 21 of the server device 20 deploys the control program Pa in RAM 24 and runs it, thereby realizing the identification information acquisition unit 9, member information acquisition unit 10, transaction start unit 11, product information acquisition unit 12, registration processing unit 13, registration information output unit 14, accounting code generation unit 15, transaction completion unit 16, and accounting code output unit 17 shown in Figure 5 as functional units.

[0057] The identification information acquisition unit 9 acquires, from the mobile terminal 80, identification information that uniquely identifies the weighing scale 40 that weighs the products sold by weight.

[0058] The member information acquisition unit 10 acquires the user's member code, which is required when using the smartphone POS, from the mobile terminal 80.

[0059] The transaction initiation unit 11 instructs the weighing device 40 having the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition unit 9 to start a transaction. More specifically, the transaction initiation unit 11 outputs a transaction start notification to the weighing device 40 having the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition unit 9. Then, on the condition that the weighing device 40 has acquired the transaction start notification, the transaction initiation unit 11 starts processing for one transaction of a weighed product with the weighing device 40 (hereinafter also referred to as establishing communication). Furthermore, when communication is established between the server device 20 and the weighing device 40, if the transaction initiation unit 11 acquires identification information of the same weighing device 40 from another mobile terminal, the transaction initiation unit 11 sends information to the other mobile terminal indicating that connection is not possible.

[0060] The product information acquisition unit 12 acquires product information specifying the product sold by weight and the weight of the product from the weighing device 40 with which communication has been established.

[0061] The registration processing unit 13 performs a registration process to register the information acquired by the product information acquisition unit 12. More specifically, when a customer uses the mobile terminal 80 to read code information, such as a barcode, attached to a non-weighed product, the registration processing unit 13 acquires the product code registered in the read code information. The registration processing unit 13 then registers the product information corresponding to the acquired product code in the product registration file Md. The registration processing unit 13 also acquires from the weighing device 40 a weighed product registration file Mc corresponding to the weighed product purchased by the customer who owns the mobile terminal 80, and registers the product by merging the registered contents of the weighed product registration file Mc into the product registration file Md or by adding the information of the weighed product registration file Mc to the product registration file Md. The weighed product purchased by the customer who owns the mobile terminal 80 is identified by identification information, such as a membership code or transaction ID, of the user who owns the mobile terminal 80, output by the server device 20 to the weighing device 40 when communication with the weighing device 40 is established.

[0062] The registration information output unit 14 outputs the product registration information registered by the registration processing unit 13 to the mobile terminal 80 of the customer.

[0063] Upon receiving a request from the customer's mobile terminal 80, the accounting code generation unit 15 generates an accounting code that uniquely corresponds to the product registration file Md in which product registration has been completed.

[0064] The transaction completion unit 16 instructs the weighing device 40 to end the weighing product registration process. More specifically, the transaction completion unit 16 ends the weighing product registration process on the condition that a transaction completion notification has been output to the weighing device 40 that is performing the weighing product registration process as one transaction.

[0065] The accounting code output unit 17 outputs the accounting code generated by the accounting code generation unit 15 to the mobile terminal 80 of the customer.

[0066] (Functional configuration of the measuring instrument) The functional configuration of the weighing device 40 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the weighing device included in the weighed product sales system according to the first embodiment.

[0067] The control unit 41 of the weighing instrument 40 deploys the control program Pb in the RAM 44 and operates it, thereby realizing the transaction start unit 61, weighed product identification unit 62, weight measurement unit 63, weighed product information registration unit 64, weighed product information output unit 65, transaction completion unit 66, display control unit 67, and operation control unit 68 shown in Figure 6 as functional units.

[0068] The transaction initiation unit 61 receives a transaction initiation notification from the server device 20 and establishes communication with the server device 20 .

[0069] The weighed product identification unit 62 uniquely identifies the weighed product purchased by the customer. Specifically, the product is identified by reading an identification code, such as a barcode, that identifies the product purchased by the customer using the scanner 54.

[0070] The weight measurement unit 63 measures the weight of the merchandise purchased by the customer.

[0071] The weighed product information registration unit 64 generates a weighed product registration file Mc that registers product information of the weighed product purchased by the customer, the purchased weight, the purchase price, and information that uniquely identifies the weighing scale 40 that performed the weighing.

[0072] The weighed product information output unit 65 outputs the contents of the weighed product registration file Mc to the server device 20 with which communication has been established.

[0073] Upon receiving a transaction completion notification from the server device 20, the transaction completion unit 66 completes the weighed product registration process as one transaction.

[0074] The display control unit 67 generates a display screen to be displayed on the clerk display device 51 or the customer display device 52 of the weighing device 40. The display control unit 67 also outputs the generated display screen to the clerk display device 51 or the customer display device 52.

[0075] The operation control unit 68 acquires operation information performed on the operation device 53 of the weighing instrument 40 and passes it to the control unit 41. The control unit 41 causes the weighing instrument 40 to perform control in accordance with the acquired operation information.

[0076] (Mobile device functional configuration) The functional configuration of the mobile terminal 80 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the mobile terminal included in the measured product sales system according to the first embodiment.

[0077] The control unit 81 of the mobile terminal 80 deploys the control program Pc in RAM 84 and runs it, thereby realizing the identification information acquisition unit 71, identification information output unit 72, member information output unit 73, registration information acquisition unit 74, accounting code request unit 75, accounting code acquisition unit 76, display control unit 77, and operation control unit 78 shown in Figure 7 as functional units.

[0078] The identification information acquisition unit 71 acquires, from the measuring instrument 40, identification information that uniquely identifies the measuring instrument 40. Specifically, the identification information acquisition unit 71 captures an image of the code symbol Q (see FIG. 1) affixed to the measuring instrument 40 using the camera 93 (see FIG. 4) provided in the mobile terminal 80, and acquires, from the captured code symbol Q, identification information that uniquely identifies the measuring instrument 40.

[0079] The identification information output unit 72 outputs the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition unit 71, which uniquely identifies the measuring instrument 40, to the server device 20.

[0080] The member information output unit 73 outputs identification information required when using the smartphone POS that uniquely identifies the mobile terminal 80. The identification information may be, for example, an email address of the mobile terminal 80 or an identification code issued when registering a smartphone POS application.

[0081] The registration information acquisition unit 74 acquires product registration information from the server device 20.

[0082] The accounting code request unit 75 requests the server device 20 to output an accounting code.

[0083] The accounting code acquisition unit 76 acquires an accounting code from the server device 20 .

[0084] The display control unit 77 generates a display screen to be displayed on the display device 91 of the mobile terminal 80. The display control unit 77 also outputs the generated display screen to the display device 91.

[0085] The operation control unit 78 acquires operation information performed on the operation device 92 of the mobile terminal 80 and passes it to the control unit 81. The control unit 81 causes the mobile terminal 80 to perform control in accordance with the acquired operation information.

[0086] The settlement machine 50 reads the accounting code displayed on the display device 91 by the mobile terminal 80. The settlement machine 50 then transmits the read accounting code to the server device 20 and obtains product registration information corresponding to the accounting code from the server device 20. The settlement machine 50 then performs payment processing using the method specified by the customer for the obtained product registration information. In this embodiment, the explanation focuses on a method for realizing a reduction in the hassle of procedures when purchasing weighed products, which is a feature of the present disclosure, and therefore an explanation of the functional configuration of the settlement machine 50 will be omitted.

[0087] (Weight product registration file configuration) The structure of the weighed product registration file Mc generated by the weighing device 40 will be described with reference to Fig. 8A. Fig. 8A is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the weighed product registration file generated by the weighing device.

[0088] The weighed product registration file Mc includes, as header information, a weighing device code 34 and a membership code 30. The weighed product registration file Mc also includes, as registration information, a product code 35, a product name 36, a price per gram 37, a weight 38, and a price 39.

[0089] The meter code 34 is identification information that uniquely identifies the meter 40. The meter code 34 may include, for example, the serial number of the meter 40. The meter code may also include information that uniquely identifies the store in which the meter 40 is installed. The meter code 34 is stored in the memory unit 45 of the meter 40 as meter identification information Ib (see FIG. 3).

[0090] The membership code 30 is identification information that is uniquely associated with the mobile terminal 80 that has registered for use with the smartphone POS. The weighing device 40 acquires the membership code 30 of the user who owns the mobile terminal 80 from the server device 20, for example, when it receives a transaction start notification from the server device 20 or when it starts the weighed product registration process.

[0091] The product code 35 is identification information that uniquely identifies the product sold by weight on the scale 40 .

[0092] The product name 36 is the name of the product corresponding to the product code 35 .

[0093] The gram unit price 37 is the unit price per gram of the product corresponding to the product code 35 .

[0094] Weight 38 is the weight of the product corresponding to product code 35 measured by scale 40 .

[0095] The price 39 is the product of the price per gram 37 and the weight 38.

[0096] (Product registration file configuration) The structure of the product registration file Md generated by the server device 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 8B. Fig. 8B is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the product registration file generated by the server device.

[0097] The product registration file Md includes, as header information, a membership code 30, a transaction ID 18, a date 19, and a store code 27. The product registration file Md also includes, as registration information, an item number 57, a product code 35, a product name 36, a quantity 58, a unit price 59, a unit price per gram 37, a weight 38, a measuring instrument code 34, and a price 39.

[0098] The membership code 30 is as described above.

[0099] The transaction ID 18 is identification information assigned by the server device 20 to uniquely identify the product transaction that has occurred.

[0100] The date 19 is the date and time when the product registration file Md was created. The date 19 is given the time that the server device 20 obtains from the CPU 22 when the product registration file Md is created or updated.

[0101] The store code 27 is identification information that uniquely identifies the store where the product transaction related to the product registration file Md was carried out.

[0102] Item number 57 is a serial number assigned to each product, and serial numbers are assigned in the order in which the products are registered. In the example of FIG. 8B, products with item numbers "3" and "4" are weighed products, and products with item numbers "1" and "2" are non-weighed products. For weighed products, the product code 35, product name 36, price per gram 37, mass 38, and price 39 described in the weighed product registration file Mc (FIG. 8A) are stored. Furthermore, for weighed products, the scale code 34 is stored.

[0103] On the other hand, for non-weighted products, the product code 35, product name 36, quantity 58, unit price 59, and price 39 are stored.

[0104] Whether the product registration file Md and the weighed product registration file Mc belong to the same transaction is determined by the header information of each file. In the case of Figures 8A and 8B, it can be determined that they belong to the same transaction because the membership codes 30 are the same. Alternatively, the server device 20 may send a transaction ID 18 to the weighing device 40, register the transaction ID 18 in the header information of the weighed product registration file Mc, and determine that the product registration file Md and the weighed product registration file Mc belong to the same transaction based on the transaction ID 18. In this case, the server device 20 obtains, from the mobile terminal 80, identification information that uniquely identifies the weighing device 40 that weighs the products sold by weight, and obtains a transaction ID that identifies the transaction in which the user is registering the products via the mobile terminal 80. Then, the server device 20 sends a transaction start notification to the weighing device 40 and transmits the transaction ID.

[0105] Furthermore, one transaction performed on the weighing device 40 is started by a transaction start notification sent from the server device 20 and continues until the transaction is completed. Therefore, the weighed product registration file Mc acquired by the server device 20 from the weighing device 40 may be merged with or added to the product registration file Md associated with the membership code (transaction ID) received by the server device 20 from the mobile terminal 80.

[0106] (Processing flow of the weighed product sales system) The flow of processing performed by the weighed product sales system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing performed by the weighed product sales system according to the first embodiment.

[0107] For simplicity, the following description will focus on the process from registering weighed products purchased by a customer to having the customer's mobile terminal 80 acquire accounting data from the server device 20. The subsequent payment process will be described in text only. Furthermore, in the flowchart of Figure 9, it is assumed that the server device 20 has already completed the registration process for non-weighted products.

[0108] (Processing flow performed by the measuring instrument) The transaction start unit 61 determines whether a transaction start notification has been received from the server device 20 (step S11). If it is determined that a transaction start notification has been received from the server device 20 (step S11: Yes), the process proceeds to step S12. On the other hand, if it is not determined that a transaction start notification has been received from the server device 20 (step S11: No), step S11 is repeated.

[0109] If it is determined in step S11 that a transaction start notification has been received from the server device 20, the transaction start unit 61 establishes communication with the server device 20 (step S12). When the weighing device 40 establishes communication with the server device 20, the weighing device 40 receives from the server device 20 identification information such as a membership code 30 that can uniquely identify the transaction.

[0110] The weighed product identification unit 62 identifies the weighed product (step S13).

[0111] The weight measuring unit 63 weighs the product (step S14).

[0112] The weighed product information registration unit 64 generates a weighed product registration file Mc (step S15).

[0113] The operation control unit 68 determines whether the clerk has input information indicating the completion of the transaction for the weighed product (step S16). If it is determined that information indicating the completion of the transaction for the weighed product has been input (step S16: Yes), the process proceeds to step S17. On the other hand, if it is not determined that information indicating the completion of the transaction for the weighed product has been input (step S16: No), the process returns to step S13 and repeats the registration of the next weighed product.

[0114] If it is determined in step S16 that information indicating the completion of the transaction of the weighed product has been input, the weighed product information output unit 65 outputs the weighed product registration file Mc to the server device 20 (step S17).

[0115] The transaction completion unit 66 determines whether a transaction completion notification has been received from the server device 20 (step S18). If it is determined that a transaction completion notification has been received (step S18: Yes), the process proceeds to step S19. On the other hand, if it is not determined that a transaction completion notification has been received (step S18: No), step S18 is repeated.

[0116] If it is determined in step S18 that a transaction completion notice has been received, the transaction completion unit 66 ends the weighed product registration process. This ends the transaction established with the server device 20 (step S19). Thereafter, the weighing device 40 ends the process of FIG. 9.

[0117] (Processing flow performed by mobile devices) The identification information acquisition unit 71 acquires the identification information of the measuring instrument 40 by decoding the code symbol Q of the measuring instrument 40 captured by the camera 93 (step S21).

[0118] The identification information output unit 72 outputs the identification information of the measuring device 40 acquired by the identification information acquisition unit 71 to the server device 20. Furthermore, the member information output unit 73 outputs the member information Me to the server device 20 (step S22).

[0119] The registration information acquisition unit 74 acquires the product registration information from the server device 20 (step S23).

[0120] The accounting code request unit 75 requests the server device 20 to output an accounting code (step S24).

[0121] The accounting code acquisition unit 76 acquires the accounting code from the server device 20 (step S25). After that, the mobile terminal 80 ends the processing of FIG.

[0122] Although not shown in the flowchart of FIG. 9, the customer then heads to the payment machine 50. The payment machine 50 then reads the accounting code displayed on the display device 91 of the mobile terminal 80. The payment machine 50 obtains the product registration file Md corresponding to the read accounting code from the server device 20. The payment machine 50 then performs payment processing using the payment method specified by the customer (cash payment, electronic money payment, credit card payment, etc.). After the payment processing is completed, the payment machine 50 issues a receipt indicating the result of the payment processing. The payment machine 50 also outputs information indicating that the payment corresponding to the obtained accounting code has been completed to the server device 20. The server device 20 obtains the information indicating that the payment processing has been completed, and marks the product registration file Md corresponding to the accounting code as "paid."

[0123] (Processing flow performed by the server device) Next, the flow of processing performed by the server device 20 will be described. It is assumed that non-weighed products have already been registered in the product registration file Md stored in the memory unit 25 of the server device 20. The registration of non-weighed products is performed, for example, as follows. First, the camera 93 of the mobile terminal 80 carried by the customer captures code information, such as a barcode with a registered product code, attached to the non-weighed product that the customer wishes to purchase, and decodes the captured code information to obtain the product code. The mobile terminal 80 then outputs the obtained product code and member information Me of the customer carrying the mobile terminal 80 to the server device 20. The server device 20 obtains the product code and member information Me, and registers the obtained information in the product registration file Md, thereby registering the product.

[0124] The identification information acquisition unit 9 of the server device 20 acquires the identification information of the measuring device 40 from the mobile terminal 80. Furthermore, the member information acquisition unit 10 acquires, for example, member information Me from the mobile terminal 80 (step S31).

[0125] The transaction start unit 11 outputs a transaction start notification to the weighing device 40 corresponding to the identification information acquired in step S31 (step S32). Although not shown in Figure 9, when the server device 20 establishes communication with the weighing device 40, it transmits to the weighing device 40 identification information such as a membership code 30 that can uniquely identify the transaction.

[0126] The identification information acquisition unit 9 determines whether it has acquired the identification information of the weighing device 40 that is the same as the weighing device 40 with which communication is currently established (step S33). If it is determined that it has acquired the identification information of the weighing device 40 that is the same as the weighing device 40 with which communication is currently established (step S33: Yes), it proceeds to step S34. On the other hand, if it is not determined that it has acquired the identification information of the weighing device 40 that is the same as the weighing device 40 with which communication is currently established (step S33: No), it proceeds to step S35.

[0127] If it is determined in step S33 that the identification information of the weighing device 40 that is the same as the weighing device 40 with which communication is currently established has been acquired, the transaction initiation unit 11 notifies the mobile terminal 80 whose identification information was acquired in step S33 that connection is not possible (step S34).

[0128] The product information acquisition unit 12 determines whether the weighed product registration file Mc has been acquired from the weighing device 40 (step S35). If it is determined that the weighed product registration file Mc has been acquired from the weighing device 40 (step S35: Yes), the process proceeds to step S36. On the other hand, if it is not determined that the weighed product registration file Mc has been acquired from the weighing device 40 (step S35: No), the process returns to step S33.

[0129] If it is determined in step S35 that the weighed commodity registration file Mc has been acquired from the weighing device 40, the transaction completion unit 16 outputs a transaction completion notification to the weighing device 40 (step S36).

[0130] The registration processing unit 13 performs product registration processing by merging or adding the registration contents of the weighed product registration file Mc acquired from the weighing device 40 to the product registration file Md already stored in the server device 20 (step S37).

[0131] As mentioned above, this flowchart describes the case where weighed products are registered after non-weighed products have been registered, but the order in which weighed and non-weighed products are purchased does not matter. When weighed products are purchased, the weighed product registration file Mc generated by the weighing device 40 is output to the server device 20. The server device 20 performs the weighed product registration process by merging or adding the contents of the acquired weighed product registration file Mc to the product registration file Md. On the other hand, when non-weighed products are purchased, the customer reads the product code information using the mobile terminal 80 each time a product is purchased. The mobile terminal 80 transmits the read code information or a product code obtained by decoding the code information to the server device 20. The server device 20 identifies the product to be purchased based on the code information or product code acquired from the mobile terminal 80 and registers the identified product information in the product registration file Md, thereby performing the non-weighed product registration process.

[0132] The registration information output unit 14 outputs the product registration information to the customer's mobile terminal 80 (step S38). The product registration information is output here to inform the customer that product registration has been completed and to allow the customer to confirm the details. Since this confirmation process is preferably performed each time a product is registered, the product registration information output in step S38 is, for example, only the registration information related to the last registered weighed product. Of course, the product registration information may also be confirmed all at once after all shopping has been completed.

[0133] The accounting code generation unit 15 determines whether there is an accounting code output request from the mobile terminal 80 (step S39). If it is determined that there is an accounting code output request (step S39: Yes), the process proceeds to step S40. On the other hand, if it is not determined that there is an accounting code output request (step S39: No), step S39 is repeated.

[0134] If it is determined in step S39 that there is a request to output an accounting code, the accounting code generation unit 15 generates an accounting code (step S40).

[0135] The accounting code output unit outputs the accounting code to the mobile terminal 80 (step S41). After that, the server device 20 ends the processing of FIG.

[0136] As described above, the server device 20 (selling by weight support device) of the first embodiment includes a transaction initiation unit 11 that establishes communication with the weighing device 40 and starts processing for one transaction of the weighed product when the weighing device 40, which weighs the product, receives a transaction start notification sent to the weighing device 40; a product information acquisition unit 12 that acquires product information identifying the product and the product's weight from the weighing device 40; a registration processing unit 13 that registers the information acquired by the product information acquisition unit 12; a registration information output unit that transmits the registration results by the registration processing unit 13 to the mobile terminal 80 associated with the customer who purchases the product; and a transaction completion unit 16 that terminates processing for one transaction of the weighed product when the weighing device 40 outputs a transaction completion notification indicating that the processing for one transaction of the weighed product has been completed. Therefore, when multiple weighed products are purchased consecutively, communication only needs to be established once between the weighing device 40 and the server device 20, and there is no need to read the code symbol Q that identifies the weighing device 40 for each product, as in the conventional system. Furthermore, the customer does not need to read the barcode of each weighed product using the mobile terminal 80. This reduces the time and effort required for purchasing multiple weighed products in succession.

[0137] Furthermore, the server device 20 (selling by weight support device) of the first embodiment further includes an identification information acquisition unit 9 that acquires identification information that uniquely identifies the scale 40 that weighs the products sold by weight, and the transaction initiation unit 11 establishes communication with the scale 40 identified by the identification information acquired from the mobile terminal 80 by the identification information acquisition unit 9. Therefore, the server device 20 can acquire the identification information of the scale 40 via the customer's mobile terminal 80. This improves compatibility with so-called smartphone POS systems, in which transactions are settled through communication between the mobile terminal 80 and a transaction management server.

[0138] Furthermore, in the server device 20 (selling by weight support device) of the first embodiment, when communication has been established between the server device 20 (selling by weight support device) and the weighing device 40, if another mobile terminal 80 requests the establishment of communication, the transaction initiation unit 11 transmits information to the other mobile terminal 80 indicating that communication cannot be established. Therefore, even if communication has already been established between the server device 20 and the weighing device 40 and another customer transmits identification information for the weighing device 40 obtained on their own mobile terminal 80 to the server device 20, this does not affect the already established communication. Furthermore, the other customer can be notified that communication is not possible because communication has already been established.

[0139] (Modification of the first embodiment) Next, a modified example of the weighed product sales system 1 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing performed by the weighed product sales system according to the modified example of the first embodiment.

[0140] In the weighed product sales system, which is a variation of the first embodiment, when the weighing device 40 registers a weighed product, it transmits a weighed product registration file Mc of the weighed product to the server device 20 each time a weighed product is registered. Specifically, when the weighing device 40 registers the first weighed product, information about the weighed product is immediately output to the server device 20. The server device 20 then registers the weighed product in the customer's product registration file Md. When the weighing device 40 registers the second weighed product, information about the weighed product is immediately output to the server device 20. The server device 20 then registers the second weighed product in the customer's product registration file Md. After first reading the code symbol Q of the weighing device 40 with the mobile terminal 80, the customer can complete the weighed product transaction by simply instructing the store clerk which weighed product they want, without having to operate the mobile terminal 80.

[0141] The weighed product sales system of the modified example of the first embodiment has the same hardware configuration as the weighed product sales system 1, and therefore the names and symbols used in the first embodiment are used as they are.

[0142] Furthermore, the functional configurations and content of the functions of the server device 20, the settlement machine 50, and the mobile terminal 80 are the same as those explained in the first embodiment.

[0143] In addition to the functions described in the first embodiment, the transaction completion unit 66 included in the weighing device 40 further includes a function of outputting transaction completion information to the server device 20 when a transaction of a weighed product is completed, indicating that processing for one transaction of the weighed product has been completed. The weighing device 40 detects that a transaction of a weighed product has been completed when a store clerk, upon hearing from the customer that the transaction is to be completed, presses a transaction completion button (not shown) displayed on the store clerk display device 51 of the weighing device 40.

[0144] In the weighed product sales system of the first embodiment, the server device 20 acquires the weighed product registration file Mc in which the weighed product is registered each time the weighing device 40 registers the weighed product. The server device 20 then performs a product registration process to merge or add the registration contents of the acquired weighed product registration file Mc to the product registration file Md. As described in the first embodiment, the server device 20 determines that the weighed product registration file Mc and the product registration file Md are information related to transactions by the same customer based on whether the header information of the weighed product registration file Mc and the header information of the product registration file Md are identical in terms of identification information (such as the email address of the mobile terminal 80 or an identification code issued when registering a smartphone POS application) that uniquely identifies the mobile terminal 80.

[0145] In addition to the functions described in the first embodiment, the transaction completion unit 16 provided in the server device 20 has a function of obtaining transaction completion information from the weighing instrument 40 indicating that processing related to one transaction of a weighed product has been completed.

[0146] After the server device 20 obtains transaction completion information from the weighing device 40, the mobile terminal 80 obtains product registration information from the server device 20. The product registration information includes the total number of all registered products and the purchase price. The mobile terminal 80 displays the obtained product registration information and a registration completion key on the display device 91 of the mobile terminal 80. The customer checks the product registration information displayed on the display device 91. If there are no problems with the registration details, the customer presses the registration completion key displayed on the display device 91. The mobile terminal 80 detects that the registration completion key has been pressed, and requests the server device 20 to issue an accounting code. The mobile terminal 80 then obtains the accounting code issued by the server device 20.

[0147] Thereafter, the customer performs the payment process by having the payment machine 50 read the accounting code. The method of the payment process is as explained in the first embodiment.

[0148] The flow of processing performed by the weighed product sales system will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0149] (Processing flow performed by the measuring instrument) The processing flow (steps S131, S132) from when the transaction start unit 61 of the weighing device 40 receives a transaction start notification from the server device 20 until communication with the server device 20 is established is the same as the processing of steps S11, S12 described in Figure 9.

[0150] Following step S132, the weighed product identification unit 62 identifies the weighed product (step S133).

[0151] The weight measuring unit 63 weighs the product (step S134).

[0152] The weighed product information registration unit 64 generates a weighed product registration file Mc (step S135).

[0153] The weighed product information output unit 65 outputs the weighed product registration file Mc to the server device 20 (step S136).

[0154] The operation control unit 68 determines whether the clerk has input information indicating the completion of the transaction for the weighed product (step S137). If it is determined that information indicating the completion of the transaction has been input (step S137: Yes), the process proceeds to step S138. On the other hand, if it is not determined that information indicating the completion of the transaction has been input (step S137: No), the process returns to step S133 and repeats the registration of the next weighed product.

[0155] In step S137, if it is determined that information indicating the completion of the transaction of the weighed product has been input, the transaction completion unit 66 outputs transaction completion information to the server device 20 indicating that processing for one transaction of the weighed product has been completed (step S138).

[0156] The transaction completion unit 66 determines whether a transaction completion notification has been received from the server device 20 (step S139). If it is determined that a transaction completion notification has been received (step S139: Yes), the process proceeds to step S140. On the other hand, if it is not determined that a transaction completion notification has been received (step S139: No), step S139 is repeated.

[0157] If it is determined in step S139 that a transaction completion notice has been received, the transaction completion unit 66 ends the weighed product registration process. This ends the transaction established with the server device 20 (step S140). Thereafter, the weighing device 40 ends the process of FIG. 10.

[0158] (Processing flow performed by mobile devices) The identification information acquisition unit 71 acquires the identification information of the measuring instrument 40 by decoding the code symbol Q of the measuring instrument 40 captured by the camera 93 (step S151).

[0159] The identification information output unit 72 outputs the identification information of the measuring device 40 acquired by the identification information acquisition unit 71 to the server device 20. Furthermore, the member information output unit 73 outputs the member information Me to the server device 20 (step S152).

[0160] As described above, the member information Me output here is added to the product registration file Md generated by the server device 20. The member information Me is further output from the server device 20 to the weighing device 40 and added to the weighed product registration file Mc generated by the weighing device 40. This confirms that the weighed product registration file Mc output from the weighing device 40 to the server device 20 each time a weighed product is registered and the product registration file Md held by the server device 20 belong to the same transaction, and the weighed product registration file Mc is merged with or added to the product registration file Md.

[0161] The registration information acquisition unit 74 acquires the product registration information from the server device 20 (step S153).

[0162] The display control unit 77 displays, on the display device 91, the product registration information acquired in step S153 and a registration completion key that notifies the server device 20 that the product registration has been completed (step S154).

[0163] The operation control unit 78 detects whether the registration completion key has been pressed (step S155). If it is determined that the registration completion key has been pressed (step S155: Yes), the process proceeds to step S156. On the other hand, if it is not determined that the registration completion key has been pressed (step S155: No), step S155 is repeated.

[0164] If it is determined in step S155 that the registration completion key has been pressed, the accounting code request unit 75 requests the server device 20 to output an accounting code (step S156).

[0165] The accounting code acquisition unit 76 acquires the accounting code from the server device 20 (step S157). The mobile terminal 80 then ends the processing of FIG. 10. As a further variation of the processing of FIG. 10, the request for an accounting code output by the mobile terminal 80 in step S156 may be substituted for the transaction completion information output by the weighing device 40 in step S138. In this case, the server device 20 outputs a transaction completion notification to the weighing device 40 on the condition that it has acquired the transaction completion information from the mobile terminal 80. Then, the weighing device 40 ends the processing for one transaction of a weighing device on the condition that it has acquired the transaction completion notification from the server device 20.

[0166] (Processing flow performed by the server device) The identification information acquisition unit 9 acquires the identification information of the weighing device 40 from the mobile terminal 80. Furthermore, the member information acquisition unit 10 acquires, for example, member information Me from the mobile terminal 80 (step S161).

[0167] Transaction initiation unit 11 outputs a transaction start notification to weighing device 40 corresponding to the identification information acquired in step S31 (step S162).

[0168] The identification information acquisition unit 9 determines whether it has acquired the identification information of the weighing device 40 that is the same as the weighing device 40 with which communication is currently established (step S163). If it is determined that it has acquired the identification information of the weighing device 40 that is the same as the weighing device 40 with which communication is currently established (step S163: Yes), it proceeds to step S164. On the other hand, if it is not determined that it has acquired the identification information of the weighing device 40 that is the same as the weighing device 40 with which communication is currently established (step S163: No), it proceeds to step S165.

[0169] If it is determined in step S163 that the identification information of the weighing device 40 that is the same as the weighing device 40 with which communication is currently established has been acquired, the transaction initiation unit 11 notifies the mobile terminal 80 whose identification information was acquired in step S163 that connection is not possible (step S164).

[0170] The product information acquisition unit 12 determines whether the weighed product registration file Mc has been acquired from the weighing device 40 (step S165). If it is determined that the weighed product registration file Mc has been acquired from the weighing device 40 (step S165: Yes), the process proceeds to step S166. On the other hand, if it is not determined that the weighed product registration file Mc has been acquired from the weighing device 40 (step S165: No), the process returns to step S163.

[0171] In step S165, when it is determined that the weighed product registration file Mc has been acquired from the weighing device 40, the registration processing unit 13 performs product registration processing by merging or adding the registration contents of the weighed product registration file Mc acquired from the weighing device 40 to the product registration file Md already stored in the server device 20 (step S166).

[0172] Transaction completion unit 16 determines whether transaction completion information has been acquired from weighing device 40 (step S167). If it is determined that transaction completion information has been acquired from weighing device 40 (step S167: Yes), the process proceeds to step S168. On the other hand, if it is not determined that transaction completion information has been acquired from weighing device 40 (step S167: No), the process returns to step S163.

[0173] If it is determined in step S167 that transaction completion information has been acquired from weighing device 40, transaction completion unit 16 outputs a transaction completion notification to weighing device 40 (step S168).

[0174] The registration information output unit 14 outputs the product registration information to the customer's mobile terminal 80 (step S169).

[0175] The accounting code generation unit 15 determines whether there is an accounting code output request from the mobile terminal 80 (step S170). If it is determined that there is an accounting code output request (step S170: Yes), the process proceeds to step S171. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no accounting code output request (step S170: No), step S170 is repeated.

[0176] If it is determined in step S170 that an accounting code output request has been made, the accounting code generation unit 15 generates an accounting code (step S171).

[0177] The accounting code output unit outputs the accounting code to the mobile terminal 80 (step S172). After that, the server device 20 ends the processing of FIG.

[0178] (Second embodiment) An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a weighed product sales system 2 will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0179] (System configuration of a weighed product sales system) The system configuration of the weighed product sales system 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a system block diagram showing an example of the system configuration of the weighed product sales system according to the second embodiment.

[0180] The weighed product sales system 2 is a system that performs product registration processing and payment processing when selling weighed products such as meat, whose price varies depending on the purchased weight. The weighed product sales system 2 includes a server device 20, a weighing scale 46, a payment machine 50, and a mobile terminal 80.

[0181] The server device 20, the adjustment machine 50, and the mobile terminal 80 have the same hardware configuration and functional configuration as the server device 20, the adjustment machine 50, and the mobile terminal 80 included in the weighed product sales system 1 described in the first embodiment. In the following description, the hardware components and functional components of the server device 20, the adjustment machine 50, and the mobile terminal 80 will be described using the same names and symbols as those used in the description of the first embodiment.

[0182] The weighing device 46 further has a function to output a code symbol Q (code information) containing identification information that uniquely identifies the weighing device 46 to the weighing device 40 described in the first embodiment. The output code symbol Q is displayed on a customer display device 52 connected to the weighing device 46. Note that the weighing device 46 has the same hardware configuration as the weighing device 40, and therefore in the following description, the hardware components of the weighing device 46 will be described using the same names and symbols as the hardware components of the weighing device 40.

[0183] The server device 20 communicates with the weighing device 46 and the settlement machine 50 via the in-store network 29 and the network N.

[0184] The mobile terminal 80 communicates with the server device 20 via an access point 60 provided in the store, an in-store network 29, and a network N.

[0185] (Functional configuration of the measuring instrument) The functional configuration of the weighing device 46 will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the weighing device included in the weighed product sales system according to the second embodiment.

[0186] The control unit 41 of the weighing instrument 46 expands the control program Pb into the RAM 44 and operates it, thereby realizing the transaction start unit 61, weighed product identification unit 62, weight measurement unit 63, weighed product information registration unit 64, weighed product information output unit 65, transaction completion unit 66, display control unit 67, operation control unit 68, and identification information display unit 69 shown in Figure 12 as functional units.

[0187] The functions of the transaction start unit 61, the weighed product identification unit 62, the weight measurement unit 63, the weighed product information registration unit 64, the weighed product information output unit 65, the transaction completion unit 66, the display control unit 67, and the operation control unit 68 are as described in the first embodiment.

[0188] The identification information display unit 69 generates screen information showing the code symbol Q including identification information that uniquely identifies the measuring device 46. The identification information display unit 69 also causes the display control unit 67 to display the generated screen information on the customer display device 52 (see FIG. 3). In addition, upon receiving an instruction to erase the screen information showing the code symbol Q, the identification information display unit 69 causes the display control unit 67 to erase the screen information.

[0189] The flow of processing performed by the weighed product sales system 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 13. Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing performed by the weighed product sales system according to the second embodiment.

[0190] (Processing flow performed by the measuring instrument) The identification information display unit 69 generates screen information showing a code symbol Q including identification information that uniquely identifies the weighing instrument 46, and causes the display control unit 67 to display the generated screen information on the customer display device 52 (see Figure 3) (step S51).

[0191] The identification information display unit 69 determines whether the store clerk has instructed the deletion of the code symbol Q (step S52). If it is determined that the store clerk has instructed the deletion of the code symbol Q (step S52: Yes), the process proceeds to step S53. On the other hand, if it is determined that the store clerk has not instructed the deletion of the code symbol Q (step S52: No), the process repeats step S52. When the store clerk confirms that the customer has taken a picture of the code symbol Q displayed on the customer display device 52 with the camera 93 of the mobile terminal 80, the store clerk operates the operation device 53 to instruct the weighing machine 46 to delete the code symbol Q.

[0192] In step S52, when it is determined that an instruction to erase the code symbol Q has been given by the store clerk, the identification information display unit 69 causes the display control unit 67 to erase the code symbol Q displayed on the customer display device 52.

[0193] Hereinafter, the processing flow performed from step S54 to step S62 is the same as the processing flow performed by the weighing instrument 40 described in the first embodiment (the processing flow performed from step S11 to step S19 in Figure 9), so the explanation will be omitted.

[0194] (Processing flow performed by mobile devices) The flow of the process performed by the mobile terminal 80 is the same as the flow of the process performed by the mobile terminal 80 described in the first embodiment (the flow of the process performed from step S21 to step S25 in FIG. 9), and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

[0195] (Processing flow performed by the server device) The flow of the process performed by the server device 20 is almost the same as the flow of the process performed by the server device 20 described in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0196] The difference from the processing performed by the server device 20 in the first embodiment is that the processing corresponding to steps S33 and S34 in Fig. 9 is not required. That is, in the measured product sales system 2 of this embodiment, the code symbol Q including identification information that uniquely identifies the weighing device 46 is displayed on the customer display device 52 only when instructed to do so by the identification information display unit 69 of the weighing device 46. Then, after the customer photographs the code symbol Q with the mobile terminal 80, the code symbol Q is erased.

[0197] Therefore, since multiple customers will not read the code symbol Q, no customer other than the customer currently conducting the transaction will request establishment of communication between the weighing device 46 and the server device 20. Therefore, the server device 20 of this embodiment does not need to perform the processes corresponding to steps S33 and S34 in FIG.

[0198] (Effects of the second embodiment) As described above, in the server device 20 (selling by weight support device) of the second embodiment, a weighing device 46 that has established communication with the server device 20 is equipped with an identification information display unit 69 that, upon receiving a display instruction, displays a code symbol Q (code information) containing identification information that uniquely identifies the weighing device 46 to a customer purchasing a commodity sold by weight, and erases the code symbol Q upon receiving an erase instruction. Therefore, the code information required to establish communication between the server device 20 and the weighing device 46 is displayed only while the customer is reading the code symbol Q, making it possible to prevent multiple customers from simultaneously requesting the server device 20 to establish communication with the same weighing device 46.

[0199] (Third embodiment) An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a weighed product sales system 3 will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0200] (System configuration of a weighed product sales system) The system configuration of the weighed product sales system 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 14. Fig. 14 is a system block diagram showing an example of the system configuration of the weighed product sales system according to the third embodiment.

[0201] The weighed product sales system 3 is a system that performs product registration and payment processing when selling weighed products such as meat, whose price varies depending on the purchased weight. The weighed product sales system 3 includes a server device 26, a weighing scale 47, a payment machine 50, and a mobile terminal 86.

[0202] The server device 26, the weighing device 47, the adjustment machine 50, and the mobile terminal 86 have the same hardware configuration as the server device 20, the weighing device 40, the adjustment machine 50, and the mobile terminal 80 provided in the weighed product sales system 1 described in the first embodiment. In the following description, the hardware components of the server device 26, the weighing device 47, the adjustment machine 50, and the mobile terminal 86 will be described using the same names and symbols as those used in the description of the first embodiment.

[0203] The server device 26 acquires information declaring the purchase of a weighed product and the current location of the mobile terminal 86 from the customer's mobile terminal 86. The server device 26 also searches for a currently available weighing device 47 near the current location of the mobile terminal 86, and instructs the found weighing device 47 to start processing for one weighing product transaction by sending a transaction start notification to the found weighing device 47. The server device 26 then starts the weighing product registration process. The functions performed by the server device 26 when performing the weighing product registration process and after the weighing product registration process are the same as those of the server device 20 described in the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described again. The server device 26 is an example of a selling-by-weight support device in the present disclosure.

[0204] The weighing device 47 identifies the weighed product, measures the weight of the weighed product, and calculates the purchase price. The weighing device 47 establishes communication with the server device 26 upon receiving a transaction start notification from the server device 26. The weighing device 47 terminates the processing for one weighed product transaction on the condition that it receives a transaction completion notification from the server device 26 indicating that the processing for one weighed product transaction has been completed. The weighing device 47 also outputs to the server device 26 information that uniquely identifies the weighed product and the weight of the weighed product to be purchased.

[0205] The mobile terminal 86 is carried by the customer, and in response to an operation by the customer, outputs information indicating the purchase of a weighed product and the current location of the mobile terminal 86 to the server device 26. The mobile terminal 86 also acquires registered product information from the server device 26. The mobile terminal 86 also requests the server device 26 to output an accounting code that is uniquely associated with the product registration information in which the product to be purchased is registered. The mobile terminal 86 also acquires the accounting code from the server device 26.

[0206] The server device 26 communicates with the weighing device 47 and the settlement machine 50 via the in-store network 29 and the network N.

[0207] Furthermore, the mobile terminal 86 communicates with the server device 26 via an access point 60 provided in the store, an in-store network 29, and a network N.

[0208] (Functional configuration of server device) The functional configuration of the server device 26 will be described with reference to Fig. 15. Fig. 15 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the server device included in the weighed product sales system according to the third embodiment.

[0209] The control unit 21 of the server device 26 deploys the control program Pa in RAM 24 and runs it, thereby realizing the following functional units: a weighing product purchase declaration acquisition unit 87, a member information acquisition unit 10, a mobile terminal location acquisition unit 88, a weighing scale search unit 89, a transaction start unit 11, a weighing scale information output unit 90, a product information acquisition unit 12, a registration processing unit 13, a registration information output unit 14, an accounting code generation unit 15, a transaction completion unit 16, and an accounting code output unit 17, all of which are shown in FIG. 15 .

[0210] Of these, the member information acquisition unit 10, transaction start unit 11, product information acquisition unit 12, registration processing unit 13, registration information output unit 14, accounting code generation unit 15, transaction completion unit 16, and accounting code output unit 17 are as described in the first embodiment, so repeated explanation will be omitted.

[0211] The weighed product purchase declaration acquisition unit 87 acquires information declaring the purchase of a weighed product from the mobile terminal 86. The weighed product purchase declaration acquisition unit 87 is an example of an acquisition unit in the present disclosure.

[0212] The mobile terminal location acquisition unit 88 acquires, from the mobile terminal 86 that has output information declaring the purchase of the weighed product, the current location of the mobile terminal 86. The mobile terminal location acquisition unit 88 is an example of an acquisition unit in the present disclosure.

[0213] The weighing device search unit 89 searches for a weighing device 47 that is located near the current location of the mobile terminal 86 that output information declaring the purchase of a weighed product and is in a state where it can be weighed, i.e., a weighing device 47 that has not established communication with the server device 26.

[0214] The meter information output unit 90 outputs information indicating the location of the meter 47 that has established communication with the server device 26 to the mobile terminal 86. The information indicating the location of the meter 47 is output, for example, in the form of map information indicating the location of the meter 47 in the store. The meter information output unit 90 is an example of an output unit in the present disclosure. The information indicating the location of the meter 47 is pre-registered in the meter identification information Ia stored by the server device 26.

[0215] (Mobile device functional configuration) The functional configuration of the mobile terminal 86 will be described with reference to Fig. 16. Fig. 16 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the mobile terminal included in the weighed product sales system according to the third embodiment.

[0216] The control unit 81 of the mobile terminal 86 expands the control program Pc into RAM 84 and runs it, thereby realizing the following functional units: a weighing product purchase declaration output unit 95, a member information output unit 73, a registration information acquisition unit 74, an accounting code request unit 75, a current location information output unit 96, a weighing instrument information acquisition unit 97, a weighing instrument information display unit 98, an accounting code acquisition unit 76, a display control unit 77, and an operation control unit 78 shown in Figure 16.

[0217] Of these, the member information output unit 73, registration information acquisition unit 74, accounting code request unit 75, accounting code acquisition unit 76, display control unit 77, and operation control unit 78 are as described in the first embodiment, so repeated explanation will be omitted.

[0218] The weighed product purchase declaration output unit 95 acquires a declaration from a customer declaring the purchase of a weighed product. Specifically, the purchase of a weighed product is declared by detecting, for example, the pressing of a weighed product purchase button displayed on the display device 91. In addition, the weighed product purchase declaration output unit 95 outputs information declaring the purchase of a weighed product to the server device 26.

[0219] The current position information output unit 96 outputs the current position of the mobile terminal 86 to the server device 26. The mobile terminal 86 is equipped with a GPS receiver (not shown in Fig. 4), and the mobile terminal 86 identifies its own current position by analyzing the GPS signal received by the GPS receiver.

[0220] The meter information acquisition unit 97 acquires, from the server device 26, information indicating the location of the meter 47 with which the server device 26 has established communication.

[0221] The meter information display unit 98 displays on the display device 91 the information indicating the position of the meter 47 acquired by the meter information acquisition unit 97 .

[0222] (Processing flow of the weighed product sales system) The flow of processing performed by the weighed product sales system 3 will be described with reference to Fig. 17. Fig. 17 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing performed by the weighed product sales system according to the third embodiment.

[0223] (Processing flow performed by the measuring instrument) The flow of processing performed by weighing device 47 (steps S101 to S109) is the same as the flow of processing performed by weighing device 40 of the first embodiment (steps S11 to S19 in FIG. 9), and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0224] (Processing flow performed by mobile devices) The weighed product purchase declaration output unit 95 of the mobile terminal 86 acquires the customer's declaration to the effect that the customer will purchase the weighed product (step S111). Specifically, the weighed product purchase declaration output unit 95 determines that the customer has declared the purchase of the weighed product by detecting that the customer has pressed, for example, a weighed product purchase button displayed on the display device 91 of the mobile terminal 86.

[0225] The weighed product purchase declaration output unit 95 outputs information declaring the purchase of a weighed product to the server device 26. Furthermore, the member information output unit 73 outputs member information Me to the server device 26. Furthermore, the current location information output unit 96 outputs the current location of the mobile terminal 86 to the server device 26 (step S112).

[0226] The meter information acquisition unit 97 acquires, from the server device 26, information indicating the location of the meter 47 with which the server device 26 has established communication (step S113).

[0227] The meter information display unit 98 displays the information indicating the location of the meter 47 acquired by the meter information acquisition unit 97 on the display device 91 (step S114). A customer carrying a mobile terminal 86 checks the information indicating the location of the meter 47 displayed on the display device 91, goes to the indicated meter 47, and purchases the weighed product.

[0228] The registration information acquisition unit 74 acquires the product registration information from the server device 26 (step S115).

[0229] The accounting code request unit 75 requests the server device 26 to output an accounting code (step S116).

[0230] The accounting code acquisition unit 76 acquires the accounting code from the server device 26 (step S117). Thereafter, the mobile terminal 80 ends the processing of Fig. 17. Although not shown in the flowchart of Fig. 17, the customer then performs payment processing at the settlement machine 50, as described in the first embodiment.

[0231] (Processing flow performed by the server device) The weighed product purchase declaration acquisition unit 87 of the server device 26 acquires a declaration of a purchase of a weighed product from the mobile terminal 86. Furthermore, the member information acquisition unit 10 acquires member information Me from the mobile terminal 86. Furthermore, the mobile terminal location acquisition unit 88 acquires the current location of the mobile terminal 86 from the mobile terminal 86 (step S121).

[0232] When the weighing device search unit 89 acquires information declaring the purchase of a weighed product, it searches for a weighing device 47 that is in the vicinity of the mobile terminal 86 and has not established communication with the server device 26, i.e., is not connected (step S122).

[0233] The meter search unit 89 determines whether there is a meter 47 with which communication has not been established near the mobile terminal 86 (step S123). If it is determined that there is a meter 47 with which communication has not been established near the mobile terminal 86 (step S123: Yes), the process proceeds to step S124. On the other hand, if it is not determined that there is a meter 47 with which communication has not been established near the mobile terminal 86 (step S123: No), step S123 is repeated.

[0234] If it is determined in step S123 that there is a weighing device 47 with which communication has not been established near the mobile terminal 86, the transaction initiation unit 11 outputs a transaction start notification to the weighing device 47 (step S124).

[0235] The flow of the process performed from step S125 to step S132 is the same as the process performed by the server device 20 described in the first embodiment from step S35 to step S42 (see FIG. 9), so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0236] (Operation and effect of the third embodiment) As described above, the server device 26 (selling by weight support device) of the third embodiment includes a weighing product purchase declaration acquisition unit 87 (acquisition unit) that acquires information declaring the purchase of a weighing product from a customer's mobile terminal 86, and when the weighing product purchase declaration acquisition unit 87 acquires information declaring the purchase of a weighing product sold by weight, the unit searches for a weighing device 47 that is in a state where weighing is possible, i.e., a state where communication has not been established, near the current location of the mobile terminal 86, and, on the condition that the weighing device 47 acquires a transaction start notification sent to the searched weighing device 47, establishes communication with the weighing device 47, and starts processing for one transaction of the weighing product. The system includes a start unit 11, a weighing device information output unit 90 (output unit) that transmits information indicating the location of the weighing device 47 with which communication has been established to the mobile terminal 86, a product information acquisition unit 12 that acquires product information identifying the weighed product and the weight of the weighed product from the weighing device 47, a registration processing unit 13 that registers the information acquired by the product information acquisition unit 12, a registration information output unit that outputs the registration result by the registration processing unit 13 to the mobile terminal 86 associated with the customer who purchases the weighed product, and a transaction completion unit 16 that terminates the processing for one weighed product transaction on the condition that a transaction completion notice indicating that the processing for one weighed product transaction has been completed has been output to the weighing device 47. Therefore, the customer does not need to read the code symbol Q that includes identification information that uniquely identifies the weighing device 47, further reducing the effort required when purchasing multiple weighed products in succession.

[0237] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This novel embodiment can be embodied 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 within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the inventions and their equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0238] 1,2,3 Measured Product Sales System 9,71 Identification information acquisition unit 10 Member Information Acquisition Department 11,61 Trading Start Section 12 Product information acquisition department 13 Registration processing section 14 Registration information output section 15 Accounting code generation unit 16,66 Transaction End Section 17 Accounting code output section 20,26 Server device (bulk sales support device) 40,46,47 Measuring instrument 50 Payment machine 62 Measurement Product Specification Department 63 Weight Measurement Section 64 Measurement Product Information Registration Section 65 Weighing product information output section 67,77 Display control unit 68,78 Operation control section 72 Identification information output unit 73 Member information output section 74 Registration Information Acquisition Department 75 Accounting code request section 76 Accounting Code Acquisition Department 80,86 Mobile devices 87 Metering Product Purchase Declaration Acquisition Department (Acquisition Department) 88 Mobile terminal location acquisition unit 89 Measuring instrument search section 90 Metering instrument information output unit (output unit) 95 Weighing product purchase declaration output section 96 Current location information output section 97 Measuring instrument information acquisition section 98 Measuring instrument information display section Mc Weighing Product Registration File Md Product Registration File Q Chord Symbol [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0239] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-115264

Claims

1. a transaction initiation unit that, on the condition that a weighing device that weighs a commodity sold by weight receives a transaction start notification transmitted to the weighing device, establishes communication with the weighing device and initiates processing for one transaction of the commodity; a product information acquisition unit that acquires product information identifying the weighed product and the weight of the weighed product from the weighing device; a registration processing unit that registers the information acquired by the product information acquisition unit; a registration information output unit that outputs a registration result by the registration processing unit to a mobile terminal associated with a customer who purchases the weighed product; a transaction completion unit that completes the transaction of one weighed commodity on the condition that a transaction completion notice indicating that the transaction of one weighed commodity has been completed is output to the weighing device; A bulk sales support device comprising:

2. The measuring device further includes an identification information acquisition unit that acquires identification information that uniquely identifies a measuring device that measures the measuring product, the transaction start unit transmits the transaction start notification to a weighing instrument identified by the identification information acquired from the mobile terminal by the identification information acquisition unit. The selling-by-weight support device according to claim 1 .

3. The transaction initiation unit When a communication connection request is received from another mobile terminal while communication is established between the selling-by-weight support device and the weighing device, information indicating that connection is not possible is transmitted to the other mobile terminal. The selling-by-weight support device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The measuring instrument is The measuring device has an identification information display unit that, upon receiving a display instruction, displays code information including identification information that uniquely identifies the measuring device to a customer who purchases the weighing product, and erases the code information upon receiving an erase instruction. The selling support device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. an acquisition unit that acquires information declaring a purchase of a weighed product and a current location of the mobile terminal from the customer's mobile terminal; a transaction initiation unit that, when the acquisition unit acquires information declaring the purchase of a weighed commodity sold by weight, searches for a weighing device that is in a state where weighing is possible near the current location of the mobile terminal, and, on the condition that the weighing device acquires a transaction start notification sent to the searched weighing device, establishes communication with the weighing device and starts processing for one transaction of the weighing commodity; an output unit that transmits information indicating the location of the measuring device with which communication has been established to the mobile terminal; a product information acquisition unit that acquires product information identifying the weighed product and the weight of the weighed product from the weighing device; a registration processing unit that registers the information acquired by the product information acquisition unit; a registration information output unit that outputs a registration result by the registration processing unit to a mobile terminal associated with a customer who purchases the weighed product; a transaction completion unit that completes the transaction of one weighed commodity on the condition that a transaction completion notice indicating that the transaction of one weighed commodity has been completed is output to the weighing device; A bulk sales support device comprising:

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