Information processing apparatus

Abstract

To reduce manufacturing and maintenance costs for a customer-operated information processor.SOLUTION: An information processor 10 is installed in a store and used by customers. The information processor 10 includes input / output devices and a control device 140 that controls these input / output devices. The control device 140 communicates with devices external to the information processor 10 as necessary when controlling the input / output devices. Examples of the input / output devices include a display device 110, a printing device 120, an information reader 130, and a card reader 150. At least one of at least some of the input / output devices and the control device 140 can be used as parts of an item information processor 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus used in a store.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, various information processing apparatuses have been used in stores. As an example of this information processing apparatus, there are an apparatus used when purchasing a product (for example, a POS terminal), and an apparatus operated by a customer (for example, a multimedia terminal or an information kiosk terminal).

[0003] On the other hand, Patent Document 1 describes that parts are shared among different models in a product sales data processing apparatus such as a POS terminal.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] As described above, among the information processing apparatuses used in a store, in addition to the apparatus used when purchasing a product, there is an apparatus operated by a customer. The inventor has considered reducing the manufacturing cost and maintenance cost of the information processing apparatus operated by a customer.

[0006] An example of the object of the present invention is to reduce the manufacturing cost and maintenance cost of an information processing apparatus operated by a customer.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] According to the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus installed in a store and operated by a customer, input / output means, control means that communicates with a server and controls the input / output means, comprising Provided is an information processing apparatus, wherein at least one of the input / output means and the control means can be used as at least one of the input / output means and the control means of a merchandise information processing apparatus installed in the store and used when selling merchandise.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, the manufacturing cost and maintenance cost of an information processing apparatus operated by a customer can be reduced.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

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Figure 7

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description will be omitted as appropriate.

[0011] (Embodiment) FIG. 1 is an external view of an information processing apparatus 10 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining components of the information processing apparatus 10. The information processing apparatus 10 is installed in a store and used by customers. The information processing apparatus 10 is, for example, an information kiosk terminal or a multimedia terminal, and performs at least one of the following processes.

[0012] · Reservation and / or ticket issuance processing for various tickets · Payment processing for fees (including public charges) · Payment processing for contracts (including sales) made via the Internet · Application and payment for tests and training · Insurance enrollment procedures · Issuance of various certificates (including processes commissioned by local governments)

[0013] The information processing apparatus 10 has a plurality of components. And at least one of these plurality of components is the same as a component of a product information processing apparatus 20 (details will be described later with reference to FIG. 4) used in the same store.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2, for example, the information processing apparatus 10 includes, as components, an input / output device and a control device 140 that controls these input / output devices. When controlling the input / output device, the control device 140 communicates with a device external to the information processing apparatus 10 as necessary. An example of the input / output device is a display device 110, a printing device 120, an information reading device 130, and a card reader 150. And at least a part of the input / output device and at least one of the control device 140 can be used as components of the product information processing apparatus 20. In the following description, it is assumed that the display device 110, the printing device 120, the information reading device 130, the control device 140, and the card reader 150 can be used as components of the product information processing apparatus 20.

[0015] In the example shown in this figure, the information processing apparatus 10 has a base member 200. As shown in FIG. 1, the base member 200 has a shape formed by combining a first member 210 and a second member 220, and holds the components constituting the information processing apparatus 10.

[0016] The first member 210 faces the customer and has a first placement area 212 and a second placement area 218 that is higher than the first placement area 212. The first placement area 212 and the second placement area 218 are each horizontal planes. The first placement area 212 is the area where the input / output device is placed, and the second placement area 218 is the area where the display device 110 is placed. Also, as will be described later, the first member 210 also has a front surface 230 and a backrest portion 219. The front surface 230 is located behind the first placement area 212 and below the second placement area 218. The backrest portion 219 is located behind and above the second placement area 218 and supports the back surface of the display device 110. Hereinafter, each part will be described in detail.

[0017] A part of the first placement area 212 is covered by the first accommodating portion 214. The first accommodating portion 214 has, for example, a shape obtained by removing the lower surface of a hollow box-shaped member (for example, a hollow rectangular parallelepiped). The lower surface of the first accommodating portion 214 is blocked by the first placement area 212. In this figure, the area on the left side of the first placement area 212 as viewed from the customer is covered by the first accommodating portion 214. However, the first accommodating portion 214 may cover the area on the right side of the first placement area 212 as viewed from the customer.

[0018] And a card reader 150 is placed in the area of the first placement area 212 that is not covered by the first accommodating portion 214. The card reader 150 reads information (for example, a card number) of a credit card from the credit card and outputs it to the control device 140.

[0019] In the area of the first placement area 212 covered by the first accommodating portion 214, the printing device 120 is placed. In other words, the printing device 120 is arranged in the first accommodating area 215 which is a space surrounded by the first placement area 212 and the first accommodating portion 214. The printing device 120 prints at least one of, for example, receipts, tickets, and certificates. Note that the items printed by the printing device 120 are not limited to these. And the surface (i.e., the front surface) of the first accommodating portion 214 facing the customer has an opening 216 for discharging printed matter.

[0020] Note that on the first accommodating portion 214, the receiver 160 is arranged. The receiver 160 is provided, for example, for a customer to communicate with an external operator or a store clerk in the store via the control device 140.

[0021] As described above, the second placement area 218 (an example of the second area) is located above the first placement area 212 (an example of the first area). And the lower end of the display device 110 is placed on the second placement area 218. The display device 110 is, for example, a display having a touch panel function and also functions as an input device when operated by a customer. Note that from the end of the second placement area 218 on the side opposite to the customer, the backrest portion 219 rises upward. The backrest portion 219 is an area located on the back side of the display device 110 and is provided to support the back surface of the display device 110.

[0022] The above-described second member 220 is fitted below the second placement area 218 and the backrest portion 219 of the first member 210. And the space formed by the first member 210 and the second member 220 is the second accommodating area 222. The information reading device 130 and the control device 140 are accommodated in the second accommodating area 222. In other words, the second placement area 218 is located above the information reading device 130 and the control device 140. By doing so, the information processing device 10 can be miniaturized.

[0023] The information reading device 130 is a device that reads information using electromagnetic waves (including light). The information reading device 130 may be a code reader that reads code information such as barcodes and two-dimensional codes, may be an imaging device that images products, or may have both of these functions.

[0024] The first member 210 has a front surface 230 that connects the first placement area 212 and the second placement area 218. And the portion of the front surface 230 that faces the information reading device 130 is an electromagnetic wave transmission area 232. The electromagnetic wave transmission area 232 is an area through which the electromagnetic waves for the information reading device 130 to read information pass, and may be, for example, a window made of glass or resin, or may be an opening. In addition, at least a part of the electromagnetic wave transmission area 232 overlaps with the card reader 150 in the width direction of the information processing device 10 (the left-right direction when viewed from the customer). In other words, the electromagnetic wave transmission area 232 is located at the upper rear of the card reader 150 in the front surface 230.

[0025] The control device 140 stores a first program for performing various processes performed by the information processing device 10. When the control device 140 is used as a part of the information processing device 10, this first program is used. Note that the control device 140 may also be used as a part of the product information processing device 20. For this reason, the control device 140 stores, in advance, in addition to the first program, a second program for functioning as the product information processing device 20. And the control device 140 selects and uses the first program when used as a part of the information processing device 10, and selects and uses the second program when used as the product information processing device 20.

[0026] However, even when the control device 140 is used as part of the information processing device 10, the second program can be used instead of (or in parallel with) the first program. In this case, the information processing device 10 can have the same functions as the merchandise information processing device 20 (for example, at least one of the function of registering merchandise to be purchased and the function of settling the registered merchandise). The control device 140 uses the second program, for example, when there is a predetermined input (for example, selection of a button for causing the information processing device 10 to function as the merchandise information processing device 20) via the display device 110 as a touch panel.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the wiring and terminals of the base member 200. The base member 200 is provided with wiring for connecting an input / output device to the control device 140. At one end of these wirings, a terminal (first terminal) for connecting to the input / output device and a terminal 340 (second terminal) for connecting to the control device 140 are provided.

[0028] In the example shown in FIG. 3, the base member 200 is provided with a terminal 310 for connecting to the display device 110, a terminal 320 for connecting to the printing device 120, a terminal 330 for connecting to the information reading device 130, and a terminal 350 for connecting to the card reader 150. The terminal 310 is located in the second placement area 218, the terminal 320 is located in the first accommodation area 215, the terminal 330 is located in the second accommodation area 222, and the terminal 350 is located in the first placement area 212. At least one of these terminals 310, 320, 330, 350 (for example, the terminal 310) may be fixed to the first member 210 or the second member 220.

[0029] Also, the terminal 310 is connected to one end of the wiring 312, the terminal 320 is connected to one end of the wiring 322, the terminal 330 is connected to one end of the wiring 332, and the terminal 350 is connected to one end of the wiring 352. And at the other ends of the wirings 312, 322, 332, 352, the terminal 340 is provided. The terminal 340 is located in the second accommodation area 222.

[0030] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the merchandise information processing apparatus 20. The merchandise information processing apparatus 20 is, for example, a POS terminal and has at least one of a merchandise registration function and a settlement function. The merchandise information processing apparatus 20 may be operated by a store clerk, may be operated by a customer, or may be operated by both the store clerk and the customer. The merchandise information processing apparatus 20 includes a display device 110, a printing device 120, an information reading device 130, a control device 140, and a card reader 150. In the example shown in this figure, the merchandise information processing apparatus 20 includes a display device 110 for the store clerk and a display device 110 for the customer. The control device 140 uses the second program described above.

[0031] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the control device 140. The control device 140 includes a bus 1010, a processor 1020, a memory 1030, a storage device 1040, an input / output interface 1050, and a network interface 1060.

[0032] The bus 1010 is a data transmission path for the processor 1020, the memory 1030, the storage device 1040, the input / output interface 1050, and the network interface 1060 to transmit and receive data to and from each other. However, the method of connecting the processor 1020 and the like to each other is not limited to bus connection.

[0033] The processor 1020 is a processor realized by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or the like.

[0034] The memory 1030 is a main storage device realized by a RAM (Random Access Memory) or the like.

[0035] The storage device 1040 is an auxiliary storage device realized by, for example, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), memory card, or ROM (Read Only Memory). The storage device 1040 stores a program, a first program, and a second program for realizing each function of the control device 140. When the processor 1020 reads and executes these programs on the memory 1030, each function corresponding to the program is realized.

[0036] The input / output interface 1050 is an interface for connecting the control device 140 and various input / output devices.

[0037] The network interface 1060 is an interface for connecting the control device 140 to a network. This network is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) or WAN (Wide Area Network). The method by which the network interface 1060 connects to the network may be a wireless connection or a wired connection. The control device 140 may communicate with an external device (including a server or a store computer installed in a store) via the network interface 1060.

[0038] As described above, according to this embodiment, at least one of the input / output device and the control device 140 of the information processing device 10 can also be used as the input / output device and the control device 140 of the merchandise information processing device 20. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the information processing device 10 is reduced. Also, in a store, when a component of the information processing device 10 fails, it is necessary to replace this component with a spare component. Here, in this embodiment, this spare component can be used for both the information processing device 10 and the merchandise information processing device 20. Therefore, the maintenance cost of the information processing device 10 is also reduced.

[0039] In addition, some components can be removed from the information processing apparatus 10 and used as components of the product information processing apparatus 20. Conversely, some components can be removed from the product information processing apparatus 20 and used as components of the information processing apparatus 10.

[0040] (First Modification Example) FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of the information processing apparatus 10 according to this modification example, corresponding to FIG. 1 in the embodiment. In the example shown in this figure, the information processing apparatus 10 has a base 400 under the base member 200. The base 400 is arranged on the floor of the store. By providing the base 400, the height of the input / output device of the information processing apparatus 10 becomes a height that is easy for customers to operate.

[0041] (Second Modification Example) FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of the information processing apparatus 10 according to this modification example, corresponding to FIG. 1 in the embodiment. The information processing apparatus 10 according to this modification example can also use the mobile terminal 30 as a display device instead of the display device 110. The mobile terminal 30 is, for example, a tablet-type terminal and is used when a store clerk performs work (such as inspection processing and order processing) in the store. The mobile terminal 30 has a display. And the information processing apparatus 10 can use the mobile terminal 30 as a display device. Note that when a predetermined input is made, the mobile terminal 30 switches between a mode for being used as a display device of the information processing apparatus 10 and a mode for performing normal work.

[0042] According to this modification example, when the display device 110 of the information processing apparatus 10 fails, even if there is no spare of the display device 110 in that store, the mobile terminal 30 can be used instead of the display device 110. Therefore, the operating rate of the information processing apparatus 10 is improved.

[0043] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings, but these are examples of the present invention, and various configurations other than the above can also be adopted.

[0044] Some or all of the above embodiments may be described as follows in the appended claims, but are not limited thereto. 1. An information processing apparatus installed in a store and operated by a customer, input / output means, control means for communicating with a server and controlling the input / output means, comprising: at least one of the input / output means and the control means is installable in the store and can be used as at least one of the information processing apparatuses for selling products, an information processing apparatus. 2. The information processing apparatus according to 1 above, a base member for holding the input / output means and the control means, a first terminal provided on the base member and connected to the input / output means, a second terminal provided on the base member and connected to the control means, a wiring for connecting the first terminal and the second terminal, an information processing apparatus comprising: 3. The information processing apparatus according to 1 or 2 above, a base member for holding the input / output means and the control means, display means, having: the base member has a first area for holding the input / output means and a second area for holding the display means, the second area is higher than the first area, an information processing apparatus. 4. The information processing apparatus according to 3 above, the first area has an accommodation area for accommodating the input / output means, the second area is located above the accommodation area, an information processing apparatus. 5. The information processing apparatus according to 4 above, the input / output means is an information reading apparatus that reads information from a product using electromagnetic waves, the accommodation area accommodates the information reading apparatus, An information processing apparatus further provided in the accommodation area and having an electromagnetic wave transmission area facing the information reading apparatus. 6. In the information processing apparatus according to any one of the above items 1 to 5, The input / output means is at least one of an information reading apparatus that reads information from a product, a display apparatus, and a printing apparatus. 7. In the information processing apparatus according to item 6 above, The input / output means is at least one of the information reading apparatus and the printing apparatus, As a display means, it has a portable terminal that can be used by a store clerk in the store. 8. In the information processing apparatus according to any one of the above items 1 to 7, The control means stores, in a selectable state, a first program used when used as the information processing apparatus and a second program used when used as the product information processing apparatus, An information processing apparatus in which the first program is selected. 9. In the information processing apparatus according to item 8 above, The control means uses the second program when a predetermined input is received.

Explanation of symbols

[0045] 10 Information processing apparatus 20 Product information processing apparatus 110 Display apparatus 120 Printing apparatus 130 Information reading apparatus 140 Control apparatus 150 Card reader 160 Receiver 200 Base member 210 First member 212 First placement area 214 First accommodation part 215 First accommodation area 216 Opening 218 Second placement area 219 Backrest part 220 Second member Front of 230 Electromagnetic wave transmission area of 232 Terminals 310, 320, 330, 340, 350 Wires 312, 322, 332, 342, 352

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus installed in a store and operated by a customer, comprising: input / output means; control means for communicating with a server and controlling the input / output means; wherein at least one of the input / output means and the control means can be used as at least one of the same in a product information processing apparatus installed in the store and used when selling products, and the information processing apparatus is an information KIOSK terminal or a multimedia terminal.

2. An information processing apparatus installed in a store and operated by a customer, comprising: input / output means; control means for communicating with a server and controlling the input / output means; wherein at least one of the input / output means and the control means can be used as at least one of the same in a product information processing apparatus installed in the store and used when selling products, and the information processing apparatus performs at least one of the following (1) to (5): (1) Ticket reservation and / or ticket issuance processing; (2) Payment processing for contracts made via the Internet; (3) Application and payment for tests and training; (4) Insurance enrollment procedures; (5) Certificate issuance.

3. In the information processing apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2, comprising: a base member for holding the input / output means and the control means; a first terminal provided on the base member and connected to the input / output means; a second terminal provided on the base member and connected to the control means; and wiring for connecting the first terminal and the second terminal.

4. In the information processing apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, comprising: a base member for holding the input / output means and the control means; display means; wherein the base member has: a first area for holding the input / output means and a second area for holding the display means, and the second area is higher than the first area.

5. In the information processing apparatus according to Claim 4, the first area has an accommodation area for accommodating the input / output means, and the second area is located above the accommodation area.

6. In the information processing apparatus according to Claim 5, the input / output means is an information reading device for reading information from a product using electromagnetic waves, the accommodation area accommodates the information reading device, and the information processing apparatus further has an electromagnetic wave transmission area provided in the accommodation area and facing the information reading device.

7. In the information processing apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 6, ​ ​ ​ ​ The input / output means is an information processing apparatus that is at least one of an information reading device for reading information from a product, a display device, and a printing device.

8. In the information processing apparatus according to claim 7, the input / output means is at least one of the information reading device and the printing device, and as a display means, the information processing apparatus has a mobile terminal that can be used by a store clerk of the store.

9. In the information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, the control means stores, in a selectable state, a first program used when the apparatus is used as the information processing apparatus and a second program used when the apparatus is used as the product information processing apparatus, and the information processing apparatus in which the first program is selected.

10. In the information processing apparatus according to claim 9, the control means uses the second program when a predetermined input is received, and the information processing apparatus.

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