Information Processing Apparatus and Program

Abstract

To provide an information processing apparatus and a program that can make efficient commodity check of checking the expiration date of a commodity in a display unit.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus comprises: a first acquisition unit that acquires, for a commodity displayed in a display unit, commodity identification information identifying the commodity, expiration date information indicating an expiration date determined for the commodity, and display unit information indicating a commodity display unit in which the commodity is displayed; a registration unit that registers, in a memory unit, commodity display information in which the commodity identification information, the expiration date information, and the display unit information acquired by the first acquisition unit are associated with each other; a second acquisition unit that acquires commodity identification information and expiration date information on a sold commodity; and an update unit that updates the commodity display information based on the commodity identification information and the expiration date information acquired by the second acquisition unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to an information processing apparatus and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in stores that sell products such as food products, the expiration dates of products have been managed. A transaction support device has been proposed that manages the expiration dates of products and gives points to customers who purchase the products according to the period until the expiration dates of the products (for example, Patent Document 1). This transaction support device encourages customers to purchase products with short remaining periods until the expiration dates, and it can be said that it leads to a reduction in waste loss by managing the expiration dates.

[0003] On the other hand, in stores, in order to remove products that have reached their expiration dates or consumption deadlines from the display sections, or to attach discount stickers to products with approaching expiration dates, etc., the products on display are checked (hereinafter also referred to as "product check"). The product check is performed by store employees checking the expiration dates and consumption deadlines indicated on the packaging, etc. of each product displayed in the display section, and it requires a great deal of labor. For this reason, it is desired to efficiently perform the product check.

[0004] Although the above-described conventional transaction support device manages the expiration dates, it does not utilize this for the product check performed in stores. Therefore, the conventional transaction support device has a problem that it cannot efficiently perform the product check.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus and a program capable of improving the efficiency of product check for checking the expiration dates of products in the display section.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The information processing apparatus according to the embodiment includes: a first acquisition unit that acquires, with respect to a product displayed in a product display section, product identification information for identifying the product, expiration date information indicating an expiration date set for the product, and display section information indicating the product display section in which the product is displayed; a registration unit that registers, in a memory section, product display information in which the product identification information, the expiration date information, and the display section information acquired by the first acquisition unit are associated with each other; a second acquisition unit that acquires product identification information and expiration date information of a sold product; and an update unit that updates the product display information based on the product identification information and the expiration date information acquired by the second acquisition unit. The first acquisition unit acquires the product identification information, the expiration date information, and the time information related to the time when the scanner reads the information from a scanner that reads the information indicated by the label attached to the product, and acquires the display unit information and the time information related to the time when the sensor provided in the product display unit detects a change in the product display unit from the sensor provided in the product display unit. The registration unit associates the product identification information, the expiration date information, and the display unit information based on the time information acquired from the scanner and the time information acquired from the sensor.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, an information processing apparatus and a program according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below. For example, in the following embodiment, an example in which the information processing apparatus is adopted by a supermarket that sells perishable food products and the like will be described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The information processing apparatus can be widely used in stores that sell products with a set expiration date. Further, in the following embodiment, an example in which the expiration information is information indicating the best-before date of the product will be described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The expiration information may be information indicating the expiration date of the product, information indicating the expiration date of a product for which a sales expiration date is set, not limited to food products.

[0009] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a product management system including an information processing apparatus. The product management system 1 is adopted by a supermarket or the like that sells products such as perishable food products with a set best-before date. The product management system 1 includes a POS (Point Of Sales) terminal 2, a management server 3, a weight sensor 4, a scanner 5, and a store clerk terminal 6. These POS terminal 2, management server 3, weight sensor 4, scanner 5, and store clerk terminal 6 are communicably connected to each other via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or a wireless LAN.

[0010] A plurality of POS terminals 2 are provided at the checkout counters in the store and are operated by store clerks. The POS terminal 2 is an example of an accounting device that executes accounting processing related to the payment of the price of goods to be sold. Note that as the accounting device, an accounting device in which the customer himself / herself performs operations related to accounting processing, for example, an accounting device for a self-POS terminal or a semi-self-POS, may also be used.

[0011] The management server 3 is disposed in the store's backyard. The management server 3 receives settlement information regarding product information, settlement methods, etc. of products for which accounting processing has been executed from the POS terminal 2. Further, the management server 3 receives sales information indicating the sales amount from the POS terminal 2. The management server 3 centrally manages the received product information, settlement information, sales information, etc., and performs sales management, etc. for one store, and functions as a sales management device.

[0012] In addition, the management server 3 manages expiration date information, etc. of products existing in the display section where products to be sold are displayed, based on the information acquired from the POS terminal 2, the weight sensor 4, and the scanner 5. In the present embodiment, the expiration date information is information indicating the expiration date of the product. The management server 3 outputs the managed information to the store clerk terminal 6 in response to a request from the store clerk terminal 6. The management server 3 functions as a product management device that manages the expiration dates of products displayed in the display section, and is an example of an information processing device.

[0013] The weight sensors 4 are installed on the product display shelves A arranged in plurality in the store. The weight sensors 4 are installed for each of a plurality of set display areas on the product display shelf A. The display area is set in units of products, and a plurality of products with different expiration dates are displayed in one display area for one product. The display area set in units of products is an example of a product display section. Hereinafter, the above display area may be referred to as the "product display section".

[0014] The weight sensor 4 is an example of a sensor provided in the commodity display section, which detects a change in weight of the commodity display section and outputs the result to the management server 3. The sensor may be any sensor that detects a change in the commodity display section, in other words, a change in the number of commodities displayed in the commodity display section, and may be, for example, a camera that captures an image of the commodity display section. The weight sensor 4 outputs a sensor ID for identifying the sensor itself, information indicating the detected weight change (hereinafter also referred to as "weight change information"), and time information indicating the time when the weight change was detected to the management server 3 as necessary, in association with each other.

[0015] The sensor ID is set in association with the commodity display section, and therefore can be regarded as an example of display section information indicating the commodity display section. The management server 3 calculates the change in the number of commodities displayed in the commodity display section based on the weight change output by the weight sensor 4, and therefore the weight change information output by the weight sensor 4 can be regarded as an example of first number information.

[0016] Scanner 5 is a handheld scanner that is used when a store clerk puts products on the product display area (hereinafter also referred to as "stocking"). Scanner 5 reads information about the product from labels or the like attached to the product when stocking. Specifically, scanner 5 reads a product code that identifies the product from a barcode printed on the label. The product code is an example of product identification information.

[0017] The scanner 5 also reads expiration date information indicating the expiration date printed on the label or packaging of the product. The expiration date information may be encoded in a barcode together with the product code, or may be printed as text separately from the barcode. The scanner 5 reads the expiration date information by character recognition processing such as OCR (Optical Character Reader) or image recognition processing. The scanner 5 outputs the product code and expiration date information read when putting out the product to the management server 3 together with time information indicating the time when they were read.

[0018] In this embodiment, it is defined that the expiration date is printed in characters at a predetermined position of the label on which the barcode is printed, for example, above the barcode. The scanner 5 performs character recognition processing on the characters at the predetermined position of the label to read the expiration date information. By doing so, it is not necessary to include the expiration date information in the barcode, and the expiration date information can be read without changing the barcode system that has been used so far.

[0019] The store clerk terminal 6 is an information terminal equipped with a display. The store clerk terminal 6 displays the information acquired from the management server 3, for example, when the store clerk performs a product check to remove the products that have reached the expiration date from the product display section. The store clerk terminal 6 is an example of a display device.

[0020] Next, the hardware configuration of the POS terminal 2 will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the POS terminal 2. The POS terminal 2 includes a control unit 20, a memory unit 21, a display unit 22, an operation input unit 23, a scanner unit 24, a printer 25, a card reader 26, a change dispenser 27, and a communication unit 28. The control unit 20, the memory unit 21, the display unit 22, the operation input unit 23, the scanner unit 24, the printer 25, the card reader 26, the change dispenser 27, and the communication unit 28 are connected to each other so as to be communicable via a bus 29 or the like.

[0021] The control unit 20 is composed of a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 202, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 203. The CPU 201, the ROM 202, and the RAM 203 are connected to each other via the bus 29.

[0022] The CPU 201 controls the entire POS terminal 2. The ROM 202 stores various programs such as the programs used to drive the CPU 201 and various data. The RAM 203 is used as a work area for the CPU 201 and expands various programs and various data stored in the ROM 202 and the memory unit 21. The control unit 20 executes various control processes of the POS terminal 2 by operating according to the control programs stored in the ROM 202 and the memory unit 21 and expanded in the RAM 203 by the CPU 201.

[0023] The memory unit 21 is composed of a storage medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory, and maintains the stored content even when the power is turned off. The memory unit 21 stores the control program 211 and the product master 212.

[0024] The control program 211 is a control program for operating as the POS terminal 2 and the like. The product master 212 is a master file that stores the product code and product information (product name, price, weight, etc.) in association with the products handled in the store. The product master 212 is distributed from the management server 3. The details of the product master 212 will be described later.

[0025] The display unit 22 displays various information. For example, when a product purchased by a customer is registered (hereinafter also referred to as "product registration"), the display unit 22 displays the product information of the product. Further, when the accounting process for the registered product is executed, the display unit 22 displays the total amount of the purchased products.

[0026] The operation input unit 23 is operated by an operator who operates the POS terminal 2 and inputs information related to the operation to the control unit 20. The operation input unit 23 inputs, for example, an accounting instruction for instructing to execute an accounting process to the control unit 20. The operation input unit 23 is composed of a keyboard or a touch panel provided on the surface of the display unit 22 and the like.

[0027] The scanner unit 24 optically scans or images and recognizes code symbols such as barcodes attached to the products purchased by customers. Then, the scanner unit 24 decodes the recognized code symbols and reads the product codes indicated by the code symbols. Note that the decoding of the code symbols recognized by the scanner unit 24 may be performed by the control unit 20 of the POS terminal 2. Further, the scanner unit 24 may be equipped with a function capable of identifying products by an object recognition method that recognizes products based on feature amounts of the appearance of products, such as color and unevenness.

[0028] Furthermore, the scanner unit 24 reads expiration date information indicating the expiration date printed on the label. The scanner unit 24 reads the expiration date information by performing character recognition processing on the characters at a predetermined position on the label.

[0029] The printer 25 is constituted by, for example, a thermal printer. The printer 25 prints information related to transactions on a roll-shaped receipt paper and issues it as a receipt from a receipt issuing port (not shown).

[0030] The card reader 26 magnetically reads credit information necessary for settlement from a credit card. Further, the card reader 26 magnetically reads member information for identifying a member from a medium such as a membership card or a point card. Note that the card reader 26 may be an IC card reader that reads information from an IC card incorporating an IC (Integrated Circuit) chip.

[0031] The change dispenser 27 accepts the banknotes and coins paid by the customer when the customer pays the purchase price of the product in cash and pays out change as necessary.

[0032] The communication unit 28 is an interface for communicating with an external device such as the management server 3. The control unit 20 is connected to the external device via the communication unit 28, enabling transmission and reception of information (data) with the external device.

[0033] Next, the functional configuration of the POS terminal 2 will be described. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the main functional configuration of the control unit 20 of the POS terminal 2. The control unit 20 functions as an input unit 2001, a registration unit 2002, an accounting processing unit 2003, and an output unit 2004 by operating according to the control programs stored in the ROM 202 and the memory unit 21 by the CPU 201. Note that each of these functions may be configured by hardware such as a dedicated circuit.

[0034] Various types of information are input to the input unit 2001 from the operation input unit 23, the scanner unit 24, and the card reader 26. For example, an accounting instruction for instructing the execution of accounting processing is input to the input unit 2001 from the operation input unit 23. Also, the product code read by the scanner unit 24 is input to the input unit 2001 from the scanner unit 24. Further, the credit information read by the card reader 26 is input to the input unit 2001 from the card reader 26.

[0035] The registration unit 2002 performs product registration for the products purchased by the customer. Specifically, the registration unit 2002 reads out product information corresponding to the product code input to the input unit 2001 from the product master 212, and stores the product code and the product information in the RAM 203. The product information is information including a product code, a product name, a price, and the like.

[0036] The accounting processing unit 2003 performs accounting processing related to the payment of the price of the products registered by the registration unit 2002. Specifically, the accounting processing unit 2003 calculates the total amount (transaction amount) of the products for which product registration has been performed, calculates the change amount, and the like. Then, the accounting processing unit 2003 instructs the change dispenser 27 to dispense change and instructs the printer 25 to issue a receipt. Note that the accounting processing unit 2003 can perform the accounting processing necessary for settlement when the customer desires a cashless settlement such as credit settlement or two-dimensional code settlement.

[0037] The output unit 2004 outputs various information to the management server 3. For example, the output unit 2004 outputs to the management server 3 product information of products for which accounting processing has been executed, information regarding the settlement method, information indicating the sales amount, and the like. Further, the output unit 2004 outputs to the management server 3 by associating the product code of the product purchased by the customer in one transaction, the expiration information of the product, and the quantity information indicating the number of the products purchased. The quantity information output by the POS terminal 2 is an example of the second quantity information.

[0038] Next, the hardware configuration of the scanner 5 will be described. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the scanner 5. The scanner 5 includes a control unit 50, a memory unit 51, an imaging unit 52, a display unit 53, an operation input unit 54, a power supply circuit 55, a battery 56, a timing unit 57, and a communication unit 58. The control unit 50, the memory unit 51, the imaging unit 52, the display unit 53, the operation input unit 54, the power supply circuit 55, the timing unit 57, and the communication unit 58 are connected to each other via a bus 59 or the like so as to be communicable with each other.

[0039] The control unit 50 is composed of a computer including a CPU 501, a ROM 502, and a RAM 503. The CPU 501, the ROM 502, and the RAM 503 are connected to each other via the bus 59.

[0040] The CPU 501 controls the entire scanner 5. The ROM 502 stores various programs such as programs used for driving the CPU 501 and various data. The RAM 503 is used as a work area for the CPU 501 and expands various programs and various data stored in the ROM 502 and the memory unit 51. The control unit 50 executes various control processes of the scanner 5 by operating according to the control programs stored in the ROM 502 and the memory unit 51 and expanded in the RAM 503.

[0041] The memory unit 51 is composed of a storage medium such as an HDD or a flash memory, and maintains the stored content even when the power is turned off. The memory unit 51 stores a control program 511 and a product master 512.

[0042] The control program 511 is a control program for reading product codes, expiration information, etc. The product master 512 is the same as the product master stored in the POS terminal 2 and is acquired from the management server 3. Details of the product master 512 will be described later.

[0043] The imaging unit 52 includes an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary MOS) and an imaging lens. The imaging unit 52 images, for example, the barcode attached to a product. Further, the imaging unit 52 images the label attached to the product or the characters indicating the expiration date printed in characters on the packaging of the product.

[0044] The display unit 53 displays various information. The display unit 53 displays, for example, a shipment start button for inputting the start of shipment and a shipment completion button for inputting the completion of shipment. Further, the display unit 53 displays the product information of the product corresponding to the product code read from the barcode imaged by the imaging unit 52. The display unit 53 displays the product information read from the product master 512 corresponding to the read product code. Thereby, the store clerk can confirm the product to be shipped.

[0045] The operation input unit 54 is constituted by a touch panel provided on the surface of the display unit 53, and inputs information corresponding to the position touched by the user to the control unit 50. For example, the operation input unit 54 inputs start information indicating the start of shipment and completion information indicating the completion of shipment to the control unit 50.

[0046] The power supply circuit 55 is connected to the battery 56. The power supply circuit 55 is a circuit that supplies power to each hardware of the scanner 5. The power supply circuit 55 supplies power to each hardware by stepping down the voltage supplied from the battery 56 to the operating voltage of each hardware. The battery 56 can be charged by being connected to a commercial power supply via a charging device (not shown).

[0047] The timing unit 57 is a timing device such as an RTC (Real Time Clock), and measures the current time.

[0048] The communication unit 58 is an interface for communicating with an external device such as the management server 3. The control unit 50 is connected to the external device via the communication unit 58, enabling the transmission and reception of information (data) with the external device.

[0049] Next, the functional configuration of the scanner 5 will be described. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the main functional configuration of the control unit 50 of the scanner 5. The control unit 50 functions as an input unit 5001, a reading unit 5002, an output information generation unit 5003, and an output unit 5004 by operating according to a control program stored in the ROM 502 and the memory unit 51 by the CPU 501. Note that each of these functions may be configured by hardware such as a dedicated circuit.

[0050] Various information is input to the input unit 5001 from the imaging unit 52 and the operation input unit 54. For example, a frame image captured by the imaging unit 52 is input to the input unit 5001 from the imaging unit 52. Also, the number information specified on the above-described number input screen is input to the input unit 5001 from the operation input unit 54. Further, start information indicating the start of picking is input to the input unit 5001.

[0051] The reading unit 5002 reads product codes and expiration information from the frame image input to the input unit 5001. For example, the reading unit 5002 extracts a barcode from the frame image by image processing and decodes the barcode to read the product code. Also, the reading unit 5002 recognizes a label from the frame image and performs character recognition processing on the characters indicating the expiration date existing at a predetermined position of the label to read the expiration information.

[0052] The output information generation unit 5003 generates output information to be output to the management server 3. For example, the output information generation unit 5003 generates output information by associating the product code and expiration information read by the reading unit 5002 from the label with time information indicating the time when these were read. That is, the output information generated by the output information generation unit 5003 is information in which the product code, expiration information, and time information are associated. The time when the reading unit 5002 reads the product code and expiration information is measured by the timing unit 57.

[0053] The output unit 5004 outputs the output information generated by the output information generation unit 5003 to the management server 3. In the present embodiment, the management server 3 associates the information output from the scanner 5 and the information output from the weight sensor 4 using time information as a key at the time of product shipment. Therefore, the output unit 5004 outputs output information in which the product code, expiration information, and time information are associated to the management server 3. However, for example, it is also possible for the management server 3 to associate the information output from the scanner 5 and the information output from the weight sensor 4 using the display section No as a key. In this case, the output unit 5004 outputs output information in which the product code, expiration information, and display section No are associated to the management server 3. The display section No output by the output unit 5004 may be input, for example, by the operation input unit 54, or may be input by the imaging unit 52 imaging the display section No displayed on the product display section.

[0054] Next, the hardware configuration of the management server 3 will be described. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the management server 3. The management server 3 includes a control unit 30, a memory unit 31, a display unit 32, an operation input unit 33, and a communication unit 34. The control unit 30, the memory unit 31, the display unit 32, the operation input unit 33, and the communication unit 34 are connected to each other via a bus 35 or the like.

[0055] The control unit 30 is composed of a computer including a CPU 301, a ROM 302, and a RAM 303. The CPU 301, the ROM 302, and the RAM 303 are connected to each other via the bus 35.

[0056] The CPU 301 controls the overall operation of the management server 3. The ROM 302 stores various programs such as programs used to drive the CPU 301 and various data. The RAM 303 is used as a work area for the CPU 301 and expands various programs and various data stored in the ROM 302 and the memory unit 31. The control unit 30 executes various control processes of the management server 3 by operating according to the control program stored in the ROM 302 and the memory unit 31 and expanded in the RAM 303.

[0057] The memory unit 31 is composed of a storage medium such as an HDD or a flash memory, and maintains the stored content even when the power is turned off. The memory unit 31 stores a control program 311, a product master 312, a display unit master 313, and a product management file 314.

[0058] The control program 311 is a program for making the management server 3 function as a sales management device, a program for making the management server 3 function as a product management device, and the like.

[0059] The product master 312 is a master file that stores information on products handled in the store. Since the products handled in the store change daily, the product master 312 is updated as appropriate. The management server 3 transmits the updated product master 312 to the POS terminal 2 and the scanner 5. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the data configuration of the product master 312. In the product master 312, each piece of information indicating a product code, a product name, a price, and a weight is associated.

[0060] In the item of product code, a product code for identifying the product is registered. In the item of product name, information indicating the name of the product is registered. In the item of price, information indicating the unit price of the product is registered. The unit price may be the basic price or the price including consumption tax. In the item of weight, weight information indicating the weight per one product is registered. Note that when there are individual products of the same product with different weights, a product code can be set for each weight, or a sub-classification code for classifying the product code can be provided. In this case, the product code or sub-classification code set for each weight constitutes product identification information. In other words, even if they are the same product but have different weights, they can be set as different products.

[0061] The display section master 313 is a master file that stores the relationship between the product display section and the weight sensor 4. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the data configuration of the display section master 313. In the display section master 313, the display section No. and the sensor ID are associated with each other.

[0062] In the item of display section No., numbers for specifying a plurality of product display sections set in the product display shelf A are registered. The display section No. is an example of display section information. In the item of sensor ID, a sensor ID for identifying the weight sensor 4 is registered. As described above, the sensor ID is also an example of display section information.

[0063] The product management file 314 is a file for managing the expiration date of products displayed in the product display section. The product management file 314 is updated based on information acquired by the management server 3 from the POS terminal 2, the weight sensor 4, the scanner 5, etc. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the data configuration of the product management file 314. In the product management file 314, information indicating the display section No., the sensor ID, the product code, the expiration date, and the quantity are registered. The product management file 314 is an example of product display information that associates product identification information, expiration date information, and display section information.

[0064] In the item of the display section No, a number for identifying a plurality of product display sections set in the product display shelf A is registered. In the item of the sensor ID, a sensor ID for identifying the weight sensor 4 is registered. In the item of the product code, a product code for identifying a product is registered. In the item of the expiration date, expiration information indicating the expiration date of the product is registered. The expiration information is set in plural for each product code. In the item of the quantity, information indicating the quantity of the products displayed in the product display section is registered corresponding to each expiration date. The information registered in the item of the quantity is an example of the display quantity information.

[0065] Returning to FIG. 6, the hardware of the management server 3 will be described. The display unit 32 displays various information. The display unit 32 displays, for example, various operation screens and the contents of the product management file 314 and the like.

[0066] The operation input unit 33 is composed of a keyboard or the like. The operation input unit 33 inputs product information to the control unit 30, for example, when updating the product master.

[0067] The communication unit 34 is an interface for communicating with external devices such as the POS terminal 2, the weight sensor 4, the scanner 5, and the store clerk terminal 6. The control unit 30 is connected to the external device via the communication unit 34, so that information (data) can be transmitted and received with the external device.

[0068] Subsequently, the functional configuration of the control unit 30 of the management server 3 will be described. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the main functional configuration of the control unit 30 of the management server 3. The control unit 30 functions as a first acquisition unit 3001, a second acquisition unit 3002, a calculation unit 3003, a registration unit 3004, an update unit 3005, and an output unit 3006 by operating according to a control program stored in the ROM 302 and the memory unit 31 by the CPU 301. Note that each of these functions may be configured by hardware such as a dedicated circuit.

[0069] The first acquisition unit 3001 acquires product identification information for identifying a product, expiration date information indicating the expiration date set for the product, and display unit information indicating the product display unit in which the product is displayed, with respect to the product displayed in the product display unit. Specifically, the first acquisition unit 3001 acquires the product code and expiration date information from the scanner 5, and acquires the sensor ID from the weight sensor 4.

[0070] More specifically, the first acquisition unit 3001 acquires time information indicating the time when the product code and expiration date information were read, in association with the product code and expiration date information from the scanner 5. Further, the first acquisition unit 3001 acquires weight change information (first quantity information) and time information indicating the time when the weight change was detected, in association with the sensor ID from the weight sensor 4.

[0071] Note that the first acquisition unit 3001 may acquire these pieces of information when product identification information, expiration date information, and display unit information are input to the operation input unit 33. For example, a so-called "shelf allocation" that determines which product is to be displayed in which product display unit may be set in advance, and before the product is displayed in the product display unit, the information determined by the shelf allocation may be input to the operation input unit 33. However, since the first acquisition unit 3001 acquires information from the weight sensor 4 and the scanner 5 at the time of product shipment as in this embodiment, the store does not need to create a shelf allocation before product shipment, nor does it need to input information to the operation input unit 33, so the work efficiency at the time of product shipment can be improved.

[0072] The second acquisition unit 3002 acquires the product identification information and expiration date information of the sold product. Specifically, the second acquisition unit 3002 acquires the product code and expiration date information of the product purchased by the customer from the POS terminal 2. More specifically, the second acquisition unit 3002 acquires second quantity information indicating the quantity of the product purchased by the customer, in addition to the product code and expiration date information, from the POS terminal 2.

[0073] The calculation unit 3003 calculates the number of products displayed in the product display section based on the weight change information acquired by the first acquisition unit 3001 from the weight sensor 4. Specifically, the calculation unit 3003 calculates the number of products displayed in the product display section at the time of product shipment as follows. Then, the calculation unit 3003 calculates the number of products displayed in the product display section based on the number of products recognized before the product shipment and the number of products shipped.

[0074] First, the calculation unit 3003 calculates the weight change during a predetermined time in the product display section from the weight change information acquired by the first acquisition unit 3001. The predetermined time is the time from when the start information indicating the start of the shipment of one product is input from the scanner 5 to the management server 3 until the completion information indicating the completion of the shipment of the one product is input to the management server 3. The management server 3 can recognize the product to be shipped based on the product code that the first acquisition unit 3001 subsequently acquires from the scanner 5 following the start information. Next, the calculation unit 3003 reads out the weight information corresponding to the product code acquired by the first acquisition unit 3001 by referring to the product master 312. The calculation unit 3003 calculates the number of products shipped based on the weight change during the predetermined time and the weight information indicating the weight per product.

[0075] The registration unit 3004 registers (stores) the product display information in which the product identification information, expiration date information, and display section information acquired by the first acquisition unit 3001 are associated in the memory unit 31. Specifically, the registration unit 3004 associates the product code and expiration date information acquired by the first acquisition unit 3001 from the scanner 5 with the sensor ID acquired from the weight sensor 4 that detected the weight change and stores them in the product management file 314.

[0076] The association of the product code, expiration information, and the sensor ID is made based on the time information acquired by the first acquisition unit 3001 from the scanner 5 and the weight sensor 4. The registration unit 3004 identifies, for example, the weight sensor 4 that transmitted to the management server 3 time information indicating a time after the reading time indicated by the time information acquired by the first acquisition unit 3001 from the scanner 5 and within a preset time period from the reading time. Then, the registration unit 3004 associates the sensor ID acquired from the identified weight sensor 4 with the product code and expiration information acquired from the scanner 5. In product shipment, since the product whose product code and expiration information are read by the scanner 5 is immediately placed on the product display section, the sensor ID is associated with the product code and expiration information as described above.

[0077] In addition, when shipping products with products existing in the product display section, in other words, when shipping products with various information stored in the product management file 314, the registration unit 3004 updates the product management file 314 based on the information from the weight sensor 4 and the scanner 5. That is, the registration by the registration unit 3004 is a concept including at least one of generation or update of the product management file 314. Also, the registration unit 3004 registers the number of products shipped, calculated by the calculation unit 3003, in the product management file 314.

[0078] The update unit 3005 updates the product display information based on the product identification information and expiration information acquired by the second acquisition unit 3002. Specifically, the update unit 3005 updates the product management file 314 based on the product code and expiration information acquired by the second acquisition unit 3002 from the POS terminal 2. Also, the update unit 3005 updates the product management file 314 based on the second quantity information acquired by the second acquisition unit 3002.

[0079] The output unit 3006 outputs the product display information updated by the update unit 3005 to the display device. Specifically, the output unit 3006 outputs information indicating the content of the product management file 314 to the store clerk terminal 6 in response to an output request from the store clerk terminal 6. In other words, the product display information output by the output unit 3006 may be the product management file 314 itself stored in the memory unit 31, or may be in a format different from the product management file 314.

[0080] Next, the operation outlines during product delivery, sales, and product checking by the product management system 1 will be described. FIG. 11 is a sequence chart showing the operation flow of the product management system 1.

[0081] First, the operation during product delivery will be described. Here, the case of delivering multiple products with the same expiration date for one product will be described. In other words, the case of delivering a set of the same products with the same expiration date (hereinafter also referred to as "lot products") will be described.

[0082] When performing product delivery, the store clerk prepares the lot products and the scanner 5 and goes to the product display shelf A. By operating the operation input unit 54 of the scanner 5, the store clerk makes a product delivery start input indicating the start of product delivery for the lot products (step S1). The scanner 5 transmits start information indicating the start of product delivery for the lot products to the management server 3 (step S2).

[0083] Next, for the first product of the lot products, the scanner 5 reads the product code and expiration date information from the product label by the operation of the store clerk (step S3). This reading only needs to be done once for the lot products. The scanner 5 transmits the read product code and expiration date information to the management server 3 in association with time information indicating the time when these were read (step S4).

[0084] When a product with its product code and expiration date information read is placed on the product display section, the weight sensor 4 detects a change in weight (step S5). The weight sensor 4 transmits weight change information indicating the detected weight change to the management server 3 in association with the sensor ID of its own device and time information indicating the time when the weight change was detected (step S6). For the second and subsequent products, the product code and expiration date information are not read, and they are sequentially placed on the product display section. Note that the weight sensor 4 transmits weight change information each time a weight change is detected or at regular intervals.

[0085] When the picking of a lot of products is completed, an input indicating that the picking is completed is made to the scanner 5 by the operation of the store clerk (step S7). The scanner 5 transmits completion information indicating that the picking has been completed to the management server 3 (step S8). When the management server 3 receives the completion information, it executes a registration process based on the information received from the scanner 5 and the weight sensor 4 between the reception of the start information and the reception of the completion information (step S9). The registration process is a process of storing various information in the product management file 314, and the details will be described later. When picking other lots of products, the processes of S1 to S9 are repeatedly executed.

[0086] Next, the operation at the time of sales will be described. When a product purchased by a customer is brought into the POS terminal 2, the POS terminal 2 reads the product code and expiration date information of the said product by the operation of the store clerk (step S11). The POS terminal 2 performs product registration based on the read product code (step S12). When the product registration is completed for all the products purchased by the customer in one transaction, the POS terminal 2 executes an accounting process (step S13).

[0087] The POS terminal 2 transmits the product code, expiration date information, and quantity information of the products purchased by the customer to the management server 3 together with a request to update the product management file 314 (step S14). The management server 3 executes an update process based on the information received from the POS terminal 2 (step S15). The update process is a process of updating various information registered in the product management file 314, and the details will be described later.

[0088] When the merchandise management system 1 operates during product shipment and sales, the product management file 314 of the management server 3 is registered and updated. As a result, the management server 3 can manage the number of products displayed in the product display section for each expiration date.

[0089] Next, the operation during product inspection will be described. The store clerk performs a product inspection, for example, at a rate of once a day, to remove products whose expiration date has reached from the product display section. Note that the product inspection is also executed when, for example, applying a discount sticker to a product with an approaching expiration date.

[0090] When performing a product inspection, the store clerk holds the store clerk terminal 6 and goes to the product display shelf A. By operating the store clerk terminal 6, a request input for requesting product display information is made to the management server 3 (step S21). The store clerk terminal 6 transmits an output request for the product display information to the management server 3 (step S22).

[0091] When the management server 3 receives the output request, it executes an output process (step S23). The output process outputs product display information for viewing the content managed by the product management file 314 on the store clerk terminal 6, and the details will be described later. The management server 3 transmits the product display information to the store clerk terminal 6 based on the output process (step S24). The store clerk terminal 6 performs a display based on the received product display information (step S25).

[0092] The store clerk performing the product inspection can view information regarding the expiration date of the products displayed in the product display section on the store clerk terminal 6. As a result, the store clerk can easily recognize whether there are products whose expiration date has reached in the product display section, that is, products that should be removed from the product display section. For this reason, for example, the work of visually checking the expiration date of the products displayed in the product display section becomes unnecessary even though there are no products to be removed from the product display section, so the work of product inspection is streamlined.

[0093] In addition, when a store clerk performs a product check and there are products to be excluded in the product display section, the clerk can recognize how many products should be excluded. Therefore, if the expiration dates of only the number of products to be excluded are visually confirmed and these products are excluded from the product display section, there is no need to check the expiration dates of the remaining products. From this aspect as well, the work of product checking is streamlined.

[0094] Next, the registration process, update process, and output process executed by the control unit 30 of the management server 3 will be described.

[0095] First, the registration process will be described. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of the registration process by the control unit 30 of the management server 3.

[0096] The control unit 30 determines whether it has received start information from the scanner 5 (step S31). If not (N in step S31), the process returns to step S31 and waits. When it receives the start information (Y in step S31), the first acquisition unit 3001 acquires the product code, expiration date information, and time information associated with each other from the scanner 5 (step S32). The first acquisition unit 3001 acquires these pieces of information by receiving the product code, expiration date information, and time information from the scanner 5 following the start information.

[0097] Note that the first acquisition unit 3001 may also acquire the product code, expiration date information, and time information input by the operation input unit 33 and stored in the RAM 303 from the RAM 303. In this case, before picking products, the store clerk operates the operation input unit 33 to associate and store the product code, expiration date information, and time information regarding the products to be picked in the RAM 303.

[0098] Subsequently, the first acquisition unit 3001 acquires the sensor ID, time information, and weight change information associated with each other from the weight sensor 4 (step S33). The first acquisition unit 3001 acquires these pieces of information by receiving from the weight sensor 4 the weight change information indicating the weight change detected by the weight sensor 4 after receiving the start information, the sensor ID, and the time information.

[0099] Next, the control unit 30 determines whether it has received completion information from the scanner 5 (step S34). If it has not received the completion information (N in step S34), the control unit 30 returns to the process of step S34 and waits. When the control unit 30 receives the completion information (Y in step S34), the calculation unit 3003 calculates the number of products displayed in the product display section by taking out products (step S35).

[0100] The registration unit 3004 associates the product code, expiration date information, sensor ID, and quantity information (step S36). The registration unit 3004 associates the product code and expiration date information acquired by the first acquisition unit 3001 from the scanner 5, the sensor ID acquired from the weight sensor 4, and the number of products calculated by the calculation unit 3003, that is, the number of products displayed in the product display section by taking out products. The registration unit 3004 registers the information associated in step S36 in the product management file 314 (step S37). Then, the control unit 30 returns to the process of step S31 and waits until it receives the start information for taking out the next lot of products.

[0101] Subsequently, the update process will be described. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of the update process by the control unit 30 of the management server 3.

[0102] The control unit 30 determines whether it has received an update request from the POS terminal 2 (step S41). If it has not received it (N in step S41), it returns to the process of step S41 and waits. When it receives the update request (Y in step S41), the second acquisition unit 3002 acquires the product code, expiration date information, and second quantity information associated with each other from the POS terminal 2 (step S42). The second acquisition unit 3002 acquires these pieces of information by receiving the product code, expiration date information, and quantity information from the POS terminal 2 following the update request.

[0103] The update unit 3005 updates the product management file 314 based on the information acquired by the second acquisition unit 3002 (step S43). Then, the control unit 30 returns to the process of step S41 and waits until the next update request is received.

[0104] Next, the output process will be described. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the flow of the output process by the control unit 30 of the management server 3.

[0105] The control unit 30 determines whether an output request has been received from the store clerk terminal 6 (step S51). If not (N in step S51), it returns to the process of step S51 and waits. When an output request is received (Y in step S51), it reads out product display information for showing the contents of the product management file 314 from the memory unit 31 (step S52) and outputs it to the store clerk terminal 6 (step S53). Thereby, the store clerk terminal 6 can display the contents of the product management file 314. Then, the control unit 30 returns to the process of step S51 and waits until the next output request is received.

[0106] As described above, the information processing apparatus (management server 3) of the embodiment includes: a first acquisition unit 3001 that acquires product identification information for identifying a product, expiration date information indicating an expiration date set for the product, and display unit information indicating a product display unit in which the product is displayed, regarding the product displayed in the product display unit; a registration unit 3004 that registers product display information in which the product identification information, the expiration date information, and the display unit information acquired by the first acquisition unit 3001 are associated with each other in the memory unit 31; a second acquisition unit 3002 that acquires product identification information and expiration date information of the sold product; and an update unit 3005 that updates the product display information based on the product identification information and the expiration date information acquired by the second acquisition unit 3002.

[0107] As a result, the management server 3 can manage the product display information that associates the product display section with the expiration information of the products displayed in the product display section. Therefore, a store clerk who conducts a product check can easily confirm whether there are any products to be excluded in the product display section. Accordingly, the management server 3 can enable the efficiency improvement of the product check.

[0108] Also, in the management server 3 of the embodiment, the first acquisition unit 3001 acquires product identification information, expiration information, and time information related to the time when the scanner 5 reads the information from the scanner 5 that reads the information indicated by the label attached to the product, and also acquires display section information and time information related to the time when the sensor (weight sensor 4) provided in the product display section detects a change in the product display section. The registration unit 3004 associates the product identification information, the expiration information, and the display section information based on the time information acquired from the scanner 5 and the time information acquired from the weight sensor 4.

[0109] As a result, the management server 3 can associate the information acquired from the weight sensor 4 with the information acquired from the scanner 5 using the time information. Therefore, the store can easily register the product display information at the time of product shipment.

[0110] Furthermore, in the management server 3 of the embodiment, the second acquisition unit 3002 acquires product identification information and expiration information from an accounting device (POS terminal 2) that executes accounting processing related to the payment of the price of the product to be sold.

[0111] As a result, the management server 3 can update the product display information sold by utilizing the information of the POS terminal 2. Therefore, the store can easily update the product display information.

[0112] In addition, in the management server 3 of the embodiment, a first acquisition unit 3001 acquires first quantity information which is information indicating the number of products displayed in the product display section and is associated with product identification information and expiration date information, a second acquisition unit 3002 acquires second quantity information which is information indicating the number of sold products and is associated with the product identification information and the expiration date information, product display information is set based on the first quantity information and the second quantity information, and includes display quantity information associated with the product identification information and the expiration date information.

[0113] Thereby, the management server 3 can manage product display information including the number of products for each expiration date displayed in the product display section. For this reason, a store clerk who conducts product checks can recognize how many products should be excluded from the product display section. Therefore, the management server 3 can enable more efficient product checks.

[0114] In addition, the management server 3 of the embodiment further includes an output unit 3006 that outputs the product display information updated by the update unit 3005 to a display device (store clerk terminal 6).

[0115] Thereby, the management server 3 can enable, for example, a store clerk who conducts stock replenishment work in the product display section to view the product display information. Also from this aspect, the management server 3 can enable more efficient product checks.

[0116] Note that in the above embodiment, the control program executed by the management server 3 may be configured to be recorded and provided on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM. Further, the control program executed by the management server 3 of each of the above embodiments may be configured to be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and downloaded via the network for providing, or may be configured to be provided via a network such as the Internet.

[0117] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been explained. However, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0118] 1 Product management system 2 POS terminal (payment device) 3 Management server (information processing device) 4 Weight sensor (sensor) 5 Scanner 6 Store clerk terminal (display device) 31 Memory unit 314 Product management file (product display information) 3001 First acquisition unit 3002 Second acquisition unit 3003 Calculation unit 3004 Registration unit 3005 Update unit 3006 Output unit

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0119]

Patent Document 1

Claims

1. For a product displayed in a product display section, a first acquisition unit that acquires product identification information for identifying the product, expiration date information indicating a predetermined expiration date for the product, and display section information indicating the product display section in which the product is displayed; A registration unit that registers, in a memory unit, product display information in which the product identification information, the expiration date information, and the display section information acquired by the first acquisition unit are associated with each other; A second acquisition unit that acquires product identification information and expiration date information of a sold product; An update unit that updates the product display information based on the product identification information and the expiration date information acquired by the second acquisition unit; Comprising: The first acquisition unit acquires the product identification information, the expiration date information, and time information related to the time when the scanner reads the information from a scanner that reads the information indicated by a label attached to the product, and acquires the display section information and time information related to the time when the sensor provided in the product display section detects a change in the product display section from the sensor provided in the product display section, The registration unit associates the product identification information, the expiration date information, and the display section information based on the time information acquired from the scanner and the time information acquired from the sensor; An information processing apparatus.

2. The second acquisition unit acquires the product identification information and the expiration date information of the sold product from an accounting apparatus that executes accounting processing related to payment of the price of the product. The information processing apparatus according to Claim 1.

3. The first acquisition unit acquires first quantity information indicating the number of products displayed in the product display section and associated with the product identification information and the expiration date information, The second acquisition unit acquires second quantity information indicating the number of sold products and associated with the product identification information and the expiration date information, The product display information is set based on the first quantity information and the second quantity information and includes display quantity information associated with the product identification information and the expiration date information. The information processing apparatus according to Claim 1 or Claim 2.

4. Further comprising an output unit that outputs the product display information updated by the update unit to a display device. The information processing apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 3.

5. A program for controlling an information processing apparatus by a computer, The computer, Regarding the products displayed in the product display section, a first acquisition unit that acquires product identification information for identifying the product, expiration date information indicating the expiration date set for the product, and display section information indicating the product display section in which the product is displayed; A registration unit that registers product display information associating the product identification information, the expiration date information, and the display section information acquired by the first acquisition unit in a memory section; A second acquisition unit that acquires product identification information and expiration date information of the sold product; An update unit that updates the product display information based on the product identification information and the expiration date information acquired by the second acquisition unit; Functioning as; The first acquisition unit acquires the product identification information, the expiration date information, and time information related to the time when the scanner reads the information from a scanner that reads the information indicated by the label attached to the product, and acquires the display section information and time information related to the time when the sensor provided in the product display section detects a change in the product display section from the sensor provided in the product display section, The registration unit associates the product identification information, the expiration date information, and the display section information based on the time information acquired from the scanner and the time information acquired from the sensor; Program.

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