Unmanned sales system

Abstract

To provide a system that enables unmanned vending of fresh food, boxed lunches, and other foods in an unmanned vending machine in which items for sale are housed in a housing. [Solution] The unmanned vending system 100 disclosed herein is a system that manages the unmanned sale of food to purchasing users, in which the unmanned vending machine 500 transmits to the server 300 operation information regarding the locking and unlocking operation of the door section 520 by the electronic lock 550, and status detection information regarding the temperature inside the housing 510 and the status of the unmanned vending machine 500 detected by the status detection device 570, and the server 300 transmits to the unmanned vending machine 500 a command to cause the electronic lock 550 to unlock the door section 520 based on user authentication, and transmits to the unmanned vending machine 500 a command to prohibit the electronic lock 550 from unlocking the door section 520 based on the predetermined sell-by date for the food contained in the unmanned vending machine 500.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an unmanned vending system that manages unmanned vending of food products to purchasing users. [Background technology]

[0002] In stores such as convenience stores and supermarkets, users themselves may use a self-service cash register or the like to read a barcode attached to a product and pay for the product.

[0003] In recent years, technologies have been developed to automate the payment process when users purchase goods at stores, with the aim of reducing the burden on users of self-service cash registers and the like, and preventing users from fraudulently obtaining goods.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an information processing system that automates the settlement of product prices by tracking the movement of a purchaser when the purchaser purchases a product displayed in a store and processing the settlement for linked products that are in a predetermined positional relationship with the purchaser. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-014207 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Conventional self-service cash registers and other systems for settling product payments eliminate the need for cashiers at stores, seemingly enabling unmanned sales. However, these systems impose a significant burden on users, and there is also the risk of users fraudulently obtaining products. While conventional vending machines for beverages and other items offer reduced user interaction compared to the systems described above, their automatic dispenser design limits the types of products that can be accommodated in the vending machine. Furthermore, when selling fresh produce, boxed lunches, and other foods through vending machines, expiration dates must be managed to comply with the Food Sanitation Control Act, but conventional vending machines are unable to do so.

[0007] The technology described in Patent Document 1 appears to enable unmanned sales by automating payment for products when a customer purchases them from a store. However, this technology is applicable to stores where customers can move around the store. Therefore, store space is required for unmanned sales, making it difficult to achieve the same level of installation flexibility as conventional vending machines for beverages and other items that have been widely used. Furthermore, even with the technology described in Patent Document 1, selling food products such as fresh produce or boxed lunches requires staff to be stationed in the backroom or elsewhere to manage expiration dates in compliance with the Food Sanitation Control Act, making it impossible to achieve completely unmanned sales. Thus, with conventional technology, unmanned sales of food products such as fresh produce or boxed lunches to address labor shortages has been extremely difficult, given food hygiene standards and other factors.

[0008] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a system that enables unmanned sales of food such as fresh food and bento boxes using an unmanned vending machine in which items for sale are housed in a housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The unmanned vending system disclosed herein is a system that manages the unmanned sale of food to purchasing users, and includes an unmanned vending machine that stores the food and is configured to be able to provide the stored food to the purchasing user, and a server device that manages the sale of the food using the unmanned vending machine. The unmanned vending machine comprises a housing having an opening accessible to users of the unmanned vending system, a door section provided in the housing and configured to open and close the opening, a processing device having a communication section for communicating with the server device and a processing section for executing predetermined processing including communication processing by the communication section, an electronic lock for locking and unlocking the door section, which unlocks the door section based on commands from the server device obtained via the processing device and locks the door section when the door section is closed, and a status detection device comprising a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature inside the housing and a status sensor for detecting predetermined abnormal conditions in the unmanned vending machine, and the processing device transmits operation information regarding the locking and unlocking operation of the door section by the electronic lock, and status detection information regarding the temperature inside the housing and the status of the unmanned vending machine detected by the status detection device to the server device. The server device also has a control unit that performs user authentication in response to a specified request from the user, sends a command to the unmanned vending machine to unlock the door section using the electronic lock based on the user authentication, and records the operation information and status detection information sent from the unmanned vending machine, and the control unit sends a command to the unmanned vending machine to prohibit the unlocking of the door section using the electronic lock based on a predetermined sales deadline for the food contained in the unmanned vending machine.

[0010] Here, in the above-mentioned unmanned vending system, the control unit of the server device determines whether each of the multiple foods contained in the unmanned vending machine is available for sale based on the current time and the sales expiration date, and if it is determined that at least one of the multiple foods is not available for sale, it may stop providing all of the multiple foods to the purchasing user by sending a command to the unmanned vending machine to prohibit the electronic lock from unlocking the door.

[0011] In addition, in the present disclosure, if the temperature inside the housing of the unmanned vending machine obtained as the status detection information does not fall within a predetermined temperature range, the control unit of the server device may send a command to the unmanned vending machine to prohibit the electronic lock from unlocking the door, and may also send the recorded status detection information to the vending user.

[0012] In addition, in the present disclosure, the control unit of the server device may transmit the recorded status detection information regarding the open / closed state of the door of the unmanned vending machine obtained as the status detection information to the vending user along with a predetermined warning when the door is opened for more than a predetermined time period.

[0013] In addition, the unmanned vending machine of the present disclosure may further include a temperature control device that can switch the temperature conditions within the housing between refrigeration conditions and freezing conditions, and the control unit of the server device may further execute the following: sending a command to the unmanned vending machine to cause the temperature control device to switch the temperature conditions depending on the food contained in the unmanned vending machine.

[0014] Furthermore, in the present disclosure, the control unit of the server device may calculate the remaining sales time, which is the time remaining for which the food can be sold, for each of the multiple foods contained in the unmanned vending machine based on the current time and the sales expiration date, and may change the sales price of the food so that the shorter the remaining sales time, the lower the sales price of the food; or may change the sales price of each of the multiple foods contained in the unmanned vending machine based on the attributes of the purchasing user who has performed the user authentication.

[0015] In the unmanned vending system of the present disclosure, the unmanned vending machine may further include a food detection device that detects changes in the quantity of the food contained in the unmanned vending machine and is configured to be able to identify the food whose quantity has changed, and the processing device may transmit food detection information regarding the change in the quantity and identification of the food detected by the food detection device to the server device in conjunction with locking of the door with the electronic lock. The control unit of the server device may then acquire the food detection information transmitted from the unmanned vending machine and update inventory information of the food contained in the unmanned vending machine based on the food detection information.

[0016] In this case, the unmanned vending machine may further include a storage shelf disposed within the housing on which the food items are displayed, the storage shelf being composed of a plurality of shelves separated by the identification of the food items, the food detection device being composed of a weight sensor provided on each of the plurality of shelves in the storage shelf, and the processing device may transmit to the server device, as the food detection information, information regarding the weight change and a predetermined shelf identification of a shelf in which a weight change is detected by the weight sensor between the unlocking and locking of the door by the electronic lock. In the server device, the control unit may update inventory information of the food items stored in the unmanned vending machine by converting the food detection information transmitted from the unmanned vending machine into a change in quantity and identification of the food items based on a predetermined correspondence between the shelf identification and the identification of the food items displayed on the shelf and a predetermined unit weight of the food items. Furthermore, in this case, the control unit of the server device may send a command to the unmanned vending machine to prohibit the unlocking of the door unit using the electronic lock, based on a predetermined sales deadline for the food displayed on each of the multiple shelves in the storage shelf.

[0017] Alternatively, in the unmanned vending machine, the food detection device may include a camera mounted on the housing, and the processing device may transmit image data of the food photographed by the camera to the server device as the food detection information between the time the door is unlocked and the time it is locked by the electronic lock, and in the server device, the control unit may input the photographed image data into a pre-learning model constructed by learning using specified image data, and update inventory information of the food contained in the unmanned vending machine by outputting changes in the quantity and identification of the food from the pre-learning model. In this case, in the unmanned vending machine, the camera is positioned near the opening of the housing at a position where it can photograph the opening, and the processing device transmits the captured image data, which can recognize the movement direction of the user's hand passing through the opening of the housing, to the server device as the food detection information, and in the server device, the control unit may update inventory information of the food contained in the unmanned vending machine by determining that the food included in the captured image data has been taken out by the purchasing user based on the movement direction of the user's hand passing through the opening of the housing in the captured image data, if the movement direction is from inside to outside the housing. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present disclosure, an unmanned vending machine in which items for sale are housed in a housing can enable unmanned sales of fresh food, boxed lunches, and other foods. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an unmanned vending system in a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the flow of selling food to a purchasing user using the unmanned sales system in the first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an unmanned vending machine in a first embodiment. [Figure 4]FIG. 1 is a diagram showing in more detail the components of a server included in the unmanned vending system in the first embodiment, as well as the components of a user terminal and an unmanned vending machine that communicate with the server. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the flow of operations of the unmanned sales system in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an unmanned vending machine in a second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the classification result obtained from an input to a pre-training model in the second embodiment, and the neural network that constitutes the pre-training model. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the flow of operations of the unmanned vending system in the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments.

[0021] First Embodiment An overview of the unmanned vending system in the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the unmanned vending system in this embodiment. The unmanned vending system 100 according to this embodiment is configured to include a network 200, a server 300, a user terminal 400, and an unmanned vending machine 500. The unmanned vending system of the present disclosure is a system that manages the unmanned sale of food to purchasing users. The food sold in this embodiment is, for example, fresh food, boxed lunches, and other foods that can be sold in stores such as convenience stores and supermarkets. The server 300 then executes a process for managing the sale of food using the unmanned vending machine 500.

[0022] Network 200 is, for example, an IP network. As long as network 200 is an IP network, it may be wireless, wired, or a combination of wireless and wired. For example, in the case of wireless communication, user terminal 400 may access a wireless LAN access point (not shown) and communicate with server 300 via a LAN or WAN. Furthermore, network 200 is not limited to these examples and may be, for example, a public switched telephone network, an optical fiber line, an ADSL line, a satellite communication network, etc.

[0023] The server 300 is connected to the user terminal 400 and the unmanned vending machine 500 via the network 200. For ease of explanation, one server 300 and four user terminals 400 and unmanned vending machines 500 are shown in FIG. 1, but it goes without saying that the number is not limited to this.

[0024] Server 300 may be any electronic device having the processing power for arithmetic and processing operations such as data acquisition, generation, and updating, including personal computers, servers, mainframes, and other electronic devices. That is, server 300 may be configured as a computer having a processor such as a CPU or GPU, a main memory such as RAM or ROM, and an auxiliary memory such as an EPROM, a hard disk drive, or removable media. The removable media may be, for example, a USB memory or a disk recording medium such as a CD or DVD. The auxiliary memory stores an operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, and the like.

[0025] In addition, the server 300 may appropriately use SaaS (Software as a Service), Paas (Platform as a Service), or IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) using a cloud server, without providing software, hardware, an OS, etc. dedicated to the storage battery system of this embodiment.

[0026] The user terminal 400 may be any electronic device such as a mobile terminal owned by a user who uses the unmanned vending system 100 (users include purchasing users who use the unmanned vending system 100 to purchase food, and selling users who use the unmanned vending system 100 to sell food), and may be, for example, a mobile terminal, a tablet terminal, a smartphone, a wearable terminal, a personal computer, or other terminal device.

[0027] The unmanned vending machine 500 is a vending machine configured to store food and provide the stored food to a purchasing user, and in this embodiment, the unmanned vending machine 500 is configured to include a housing 510, a door section 520, a storage shelf 530, a processing device 540, an electronic lock 550, a weight sensor 560, a status detection device 570, and a temperature control device 580.

[0028] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the flow of food sales to a purchasing user using the unmanned vending system 100 in this embodiment.

[0029] In the sale of food using the unmanned vending system 100 of this embodiment, first, as shown in Fig. 2(a), user authentication is performed in response to a request from a purchasing user. In the example shown in Fig. 2(a), the purchasing user can use the user terminal 400 to read a two-dimensional code displayed on the unmanned vending machine 500, thereby transmitting a purchase request for the food contained in the unmanned vending machine 500 to the server 300. The server 300 then performs user authentication, and based on the authentication, transmits to the unmanned vending machine 500 a command to cause the electronic lock 550 in the unmanned vending machine 500 to unlock the door 520.

[0030] 2(b), the purchasing user can then take out the food items displayed on the storage shelves 530 of the unmanned vending machine 500. Then, food detection information regarding the change in quantity and identification of the food items taken out by the purchasing user is transmitted from the unmanned vending machine 500 to the server 300.

[0031] Then, based on the difference between the updated inventory information of the food items before and after the update, the server 300 executes processing related to charging and settlement for the food items to the purchasing user, as shown in FIG. 2(c).

[0032] 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the unmanned vending machine 500 in this embodiment. As described above, the unmanned vending machine 500 in this embodiment is configured to include a housing 510, a door section 520, a storage shelf 530, a processing device 540, an electronic lock 550, a weight sensor 560, a state detection device 570, and a temperature control device 580.

[0033] The housing 510 contains food items to be sold using the unmanned vending system 100. As shown in Fig. 3, the housing 510 has an opening 511 configured to be accessible to a user who uses the unmanned vending system 100.

[0034] Door unit 520 is provided in housing 510 and is configured to be able to open and close opening 511 of housing 510. Door unit 520 is provided with an electronic lock 550 that locks and unlocks door unit 520. Details of the functions realized by electronic lock 550 will be described later with reference to FIG. 5. The structure of electronic lock 550 can be a well-known structure that allows the door to be locked and unlocked by remote control.

[0035] Storage shelves 530 on which food items are displayed are provided within housing 510. Storage shelves 530 are provided with weight sensors 560, which are food detection devices that detect changes in the quantity of food items displayed on storage shelves 530.

[0036] 3, storage shelf 530 is configured with a plurality of shelves separated by food classification, and weight sensor 560 is provided on each of the plurality of shelves in storage shelf 530. As a result, weight sensor 560 is configured to be able to identify food items whose quantity has changed.

[0037] The status detection device 570 is configured to include a temperature sensor that measures the temperature inside the housing 510, a door sensor that detects the open / close state of the door 520, and a status sensor that detects a predetermined abnormal state in the unmanned vending machine 500. Here, the above-mentioned abnormal state is a communication abnormality between the unmanned vending machine 500 and the server 300, an abnormality in the power supply to the unmanned vending machine 500, an abnormality in the electronic lock 550, etc., and a well-known sensor that can detect these is used as the status sensor.

[0038] Temperature control device 580 is a device that can switch the temperature conditions inside housing 510 between refrigeration conditions and freezing conditions, and a well-known device that can be controlled remotely can be used.

[0039] The unmanned vending machine 500 is equipped with a processing device 540. The processing device 540 is configured to include a communication unit 541 for communicating with the server 300, and a processing unit 542 that executes predetermined processing including communication processing by the communication unit 541. Details of the functions realized by the processing device 540 will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0040] In this embodiment, processing device 540 transmits to server 300 operation information related to the operation of locking and unlocking door unit 520 by electronic lock 550, and status detection information related to the temperature inside housing 510 detected by status detection device 570, the open / closed state of door unit 520, and the status of unmanned vending machine 500. Furthermore, processing device 540 transmits to server 300 information related to the amount of weight change and the previously assigned shelf identification of a shelf among the multiple shelves constituting storage shelf 530 in which a weight change has been detected by weight sensor 560 between the time door unit 520 is unlocked and the time it is locked by electronic lock 550, as food detection information related to the change in food quantity and identification.

[0041] Next, a detailed description will be given mainly of the components of the server 300, based on Fig. 4. Fig. 4 shows in more detail the components of the server 300 included in the unmanned vending system 100 in this embodiment, as well as the components of the user terminal 400 and the unmanned vending machine 500 that communicate with the server 300.

[0042] The server 300 has, as functional units, a communication unit 301, a storage unit 302, and a control unit 303. The server 300 loads a program stored in an auxiliary storage device into a working area of ​​a main storage device and executes it. The execution of the program controls each functional unit, thereby realizing each function that matches the predetermined purpose of each functional unit. However, some or all of the functions may be realized by hardware circuits such as ASICs and FPGAs.

[0043] Here, the communication unit 301 is a communication interface for connecting the server 300 to the network 200. The communication unit 301 is configured to include, for example, a network interface board and a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication. The server 300 is connected to the user terminal 400, the unmanned vending machine 500, and other external devices via the communication unit 301 so as to be able to communicate with them.

[0044] The storage unit 302 is configured to include a main storage unit and an auxiliary storage unit. The main storage unit is a memory in which programs executed by the control unit 303 and data used by the control programs are developed. The auxiliary storage unit is a device in which programs executed by the control unit 303 and data used by the control programs are stored. The storage unit 302 stores data transmitted from the user terminal 400, the unmanned vending machine 500, etc., and stores information regarding predetermined food sell-by dates, the operation information and status detection information described above, user information described below, and inventory information of food held in the unmanned vending machine 500. The server 300 can acquire data transmitted from the user terminal 400, the unmanned vending machine 500, other external devices, etc. via the communication unit 301.

[0045] The control unit 303 is a functional unit that manages the control performed by the server 300. The control unit 303 can be realized by an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU. The control unit 303 further comprises four functional units: an acquisition unit 3031, an unlock instruction unit 3032, an inventory information update unit 3033, and a billing and payment processing unit 3034. Each functional unit may be realized by the CPU executing a stored program.

[0046] The acquisition unit 3031 acquires user registration information for the user to use the unmanned vending system 100. Here, the user registration information refers to information for the user to log in to an app dedicated to the unmanned vending system 100, and, if the user is a purchasing user, information for charging and settling the food provided to the purchasing user (such as credit card information or electronic money information). The acquisition unit 3031 acquires the user registration information by acquiring the data transmitted from the user's user terminal 400 and stores the information in the storage unit 302. The acquisition unit 3031 also acquires a predetermined request from the user. For example, the acquisition unit 3031 acquires a purchase request from the purchasing user for food contained in the unmanned vending machine 500. In this case, as described above in the description of FIG. 2, the purchasing user can use the user terminal 400 to read a two-dimensional code displayed on the unmanned vending machine 500 and transmit a purchase request for the food contained in the unmanned vending machine 500 to the server 300.

[0047] Here, the user terminal 400 in this embodiment has, as functional units, a communication unit 401, an input / output unit 402, and a storage unit 403. The communication unit 401 is a communication interface for connecting the user terminal 400 to the network 200, and is configured to include, for example, a network interface board and a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication. The input / output unit 402 is a functional unit for displaying information transmitted from the outside via the communication unit 401, and for inputting information when transmitting the information to the outside via the communication unit 401. The storage unit 403 is configured to include a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device, similar to the storage unit 302 of the server 300.

[0048] The input / output unit 402 further includes a display unit 4021, an operation input unit 4022, and an image / audio input / output unit 4023. The display unit 4021 has a function of displaying various information and is realized, for example, by an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) display, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) display, an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display, or the like. The operation input unit 4022 has a function of accepting operation input from a user and is realized, specifically, by soft keys or hard keys on a touch panel or the like. The image / audio input / output unit 4023 has a function of accepting input of images such as still images and videos and is realized, specifically, by a camera using an image sensor such as a Charged-Coupled Device (CCD), a Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (MOS), or a Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS). The image / audio input / output unit 4023 has a function of accepting input and output of audio and is realized, specifically, by a microphone or speaker.

[0049] Then, the user can use the user terminal 400 configured in this way to transmit user registration information to the server 300. Note that the server 300 may provide the user terminal 400 with an interface for inputting and transmitting user registration information.

[0050] The acquisition unit 3031 also acquires operation information related to the locking and unlocking operation of the door unit 520 by the electronic lock 550, and status detection information related to the temperature inside the housing 510 detected by the status detection device 570, the open / closed state of the door unit 520, and the status of the unmanned vending machine 500. The acquisition unit 3031 acquires these pieces of data transmitted from the processing device 540 of the unmanned vending machine 500 and stores them in the memory unit 302.

[0051] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 3031 acquires food detection information relating to changes in the quantity and identification of food items taken out by the purchasing user, detected by the weight sensor 560. The acquisition unit 3031 acquires the food detection information by acquiring this data transmitted from the processing device 540 of the unmanned vending machine 500, and stores the food detection information in the memory unit 302.

[0052] Here, the processing device 540 of the unmanned vending machine 500 in this embodiment has, as functional units, a communication unit 541, a processing unit 542, and a storage unit 543. The communication unit 541 is a communication interface for connecting the unmanned vending machine 500 to the network 200, and is configured to include, for example, a network interface board and a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication. The processing unit 542 is configured to include a CPU that executes predetermined processing. The storage unit 543 is configured to include a main storage device and an auxiliary storage device, similar to the storage unit 302 of the server 300.

[0053] Furthermore, the unlock instruction unit 3032 performs user authentication in response to a predetermined request from the user, and based on the user authentication, transmits to the unmanned vending machine 500 a command to unlock the door unit 520 using the electronic lock 550. Details of the processing executed by the unlock instruction unit 3032 will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0054] The inventory information update unit 3033 updates the inventory information of the food items contained in the unmanned vending machine 500 based on the food item detection information acquired by the acquisition unit 3031. Details of the processing executed by the inventory information update unit 3033 will be described later with reference to FIG. 5.

[0055] If the authenticated user is a purchasing user, the billing and settlement processing unit 3034 executes processing related to billing and settlement for the food provided to the purchasing user via the unmanned vending machine 500 based on the difference between before and after the update in the updated inventory information. Here, the billing and settlement processing unit 3034 executes the above processing based on information for billing and settlement (such as credit card information or electronic money information) previously acquired by the acquisition unit 3031. Note that well-known technology can be used for the processing related to billing and settlement executed by the billing and settlement processing unit 3034.

[0056] The control unit 303 executes the processes of the acquisition unit 3031, the unlock instruction unit 3032, the inventory information update unit 3033, and the billing and settlement processing unit 3034, thereby functioning as a control unit according to the present disclosure.

[0057] Next, the flow of operations of the unmanned vending system 100 in this embodiment will be described. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the flow of operations of the unmanned vending system 100 in this embodiment. Figure 5 explains the flow of operations between the server 300, the user terminal 400, and the unmanned vending machine 500 in the unmanned vending system 100 in this embodiment, and the processing executed by the server 300, the user terminal 400, and the unmanned vending machine 500.

[0058] In this embodiment, first, a purchase request from a purchasing user is input to the user terminal 400 of the purchasing user (S101). Here, the purchase request is a request to purchase food contained in the unmanned vending machine 500, and the purchasing user can input the purchase request to the user terminal 400 by reading a two-dimensional code displayed on the unmanned vending machine 500 using the user terminal 400. Then, this purchase request is transmitted to the server 300.

[0059] Then, the server 300 acquires the purchase request sent from the user terminal 400 of the purchasing user and performs user authentication in response to the purchase request (S102). In the process of S102, the server 300 can authenticate the purchasing user who made the purchase request based on the user registration information described above.

[0060] Next, server 300 determines whether the food contained in unmanned vending machine 500 has passed its predetermined sell-by date (S103). In the process of S103, server 300 determines whether each of the multiple foods contained in unmanned vending machine 500 is available for sale based on the current time and the sell-by date. If the determination in S103 is affirmative, that is, if the food contained in unmanned vending machine 500 has not passed its sell-by date and is therefore available for sale, server 300 proceeds to the process of S104, and if the determination in S103 is negative, that is, if the food contained in unmanned vending machine 500 has passed its sell-by date and is therefore unavailable for sale, server 300 proceeds to the process of S117.

[0061] As described above, in the unmanned vending machine 500 of this embodiment, the storage shelves 530 are configured with a plurality of shelves separated by food identification. In other words, predetermined shelf identifications are associated with the identifications of the foods displayed on the shelves. This makes it possible to manage the sell-by dates of foods stored in the unmanned vending machine 500 for each of the plurality of shelves constituting the storage shelves 530. As a result, even when the unmanned vending machine 500 is used to sell a wide variety of foods, the above determination can be made based on the sell-by dates of the foods predetermined for each of the plurality of shelves in the storage shelves 530.

[0062] If the determination in S103 is affirmative, that is, if the food contained in the unmanned vending machine 500 has not passed its sell-by date and is available for sale, the server 300 then acquires state detection information.

[0063] In detail, the processing unit 542 of the unmanned vending machine 500 transmits status detection information regarding the temperature inside the casing 510 detected using the status detection device 570 in the unmanned vending machine 500 and the status of the unmanned vending machine 500 to the server 300 via the communication unit 541 (S104).

[0064] Then, the server 300 acquires the status detection information transmitted from the unmanned vending machine 500 (S105) and stores it in the memory unit 302. Then, the server 300 determines whether the status of the unmanned vending machine 500 is normal or not (S106). In the processing of S106, the server 300 makes the above determination based on the temperature inside the housing 510 detected by a temperature sensor in the unmanned vending machine 500, the communication status between the unmanned vending machine 500 and the server 300 detected by a status sensor in the unmanned vending machine 500, the power supply status of the unmanned vending machine 500, the status of the electronic lock 550, etc.

[0065] Here, if the temperature inside the housing 510 of the unmanned vending machine 500 acquired as the status detection information does not fall within a predetermined temperature range, the server 300 determines that the status of the unmanned vending machine 500 is not normal. Note that the above temperature range is determined depending on the food contained in the unmanned vending machine 500, and is, for example, 5°C to 10°C when the temperature condition inside the housing 510 of the unmanned vending machine 500 is set to a refrigerated condition by the temperature control device 580, or -18°C or lower when the temperature condition is set to a freezer condition.

[0066] If a positive judgment is made in S106, that is, if the status of the unmanned vending machine 500 is normal, the server 300 proceeds to processing S107, and if a negative judgment is made in S106, that is, if the status of the unmanned vending machine 500 is not normal, the server 300 proceeds to processing S117.

[0067] If the determination in S106 is affirmative, that is, if the state of the unmanned vending machine 500 is normal, the server 300 then transmits to the unmanned vending machine 500 an unlock command, which is a command to cause the electronic lock 550 to unlock the door 520, based on the user authentication performed in the processing of S102 (S107). In the processing of S107, the server 300 transmits the unlock command to the unmanned vending machine 500 in response to a purchase request from a purchasing user who is eligible to sell food from the unmanned vending machine 500 as a result of the user authentication performed in the processing of S102. At this time, the server 300 can determine whether or not the food can be sold to the purchasing user, based on, for example, the validity of payment using the purchasing user's credit card information or electronic money information.

[0068] Furthermore, the server 300 can determine whether or not a food product can be sold to the purchasing user authenticated by the processing of S102, based on the sales conditions for the sale of the food product contained in the unmanned vending machine 500. In this case, the server 300 acquires the above sales conditions in advance. The sales conditions include information on eligible users who are purchasing users who can purchase the food product contained in the unmanned vending machine 500. If the authenticated purchasing user does not fall under the eligible users included in the above sales conditions, the server 300 determines that the food product cannot be sold to the purchasing user, and prohibits the server 300 from sending the unlock command to the unmanned vending machine 500.

[0069] More specifically, for example, if the food contained in the unmanned vending machine 500 contains alcoholic beverages, the permitted purchaser is set to a user aged 20 or older, and the server 300 determines that the authenticated purchasing user is under the age of 20 and cannot sell the food to the purchasing user, and prohibits the sending of the unlock command to the unmanned vending machine 500. If the unmanned vending machine 500 also contains a wide variety of foods other than alcoholic beverages, the server 300 prohibits the sending of the unlock command to the unmanned vending machine 500 when it determines that at least one of the wide variety of foods (here, a food containing alcoholic beverages) cannot be sold, thereby stopping the provision of all foods contained in the unmanned vending machine 500 to the purchasing user. This reliably prevents the unmanned vending machine 500 from selling alcoholic beverages to purchasing users under the age of 20, and enables the unmanned vending of food to comply with appropriate laws and regulations.

[0070] Then, based on the user authentication, when the unlock command is sent to the unmanned vending machine 500 to allow food to be sold to the authenticated purchasing user, the electronic lock 550 in the unmanned vending machine 500 is unlocked based on the unlock command from the server 300 (S108). Then, the processing unit 542 of the unmanned vending machine 500 sends an operation to unlock the door unit 520 by the electronic lock 550 to the server 300 via the communication unit 541 (S109). Then, when the server 300 acquires information related to the unlocking operation sent from the unmanned vending machine 500 (S110), it stores the information in the memory unit 302. This allows the server 300 to keep a log related to the unlocking of the unmanned vending machine 500, thereby enabling appropriate management of unmanned food vending.

[0071] When electronic lock 550 is unlocked in unmanned vending machine 500, the purchasing user can take out the food items displayed on storage shelves 530 of unmanned vending machine 500. Therefore, unmanned vending machine 500 detects any food items whose quantity has changed between the time door section 520 is unlocked and the time it is locked by electronic lock 550.

[0072] Specifically, in this embodiment, a shelf where a weight change has occurred is detected from among the plurality of shelves separated by food classification (S111). Such a weight change can be detected by a weight sensor 560 provided on each of the plurality of shelves in the storage shelf 530. Furthermore, by detecting a weight change using the weight sensor 560 provided on each of the plurality of shelves separated by food classification in this manner, it is possible to obtain not only the amount of weight change but also information about the shelf identification previously assigned to the shelf where the weight change was detected. Here, the food identification described above refers to information that enables the food to be identified, such as the food name or type. For example, if the foods stored in the unmanned vending machine 500 are identified as sushi, fried chicken bento, and sweets, the plurality of shelves in the storage shelf 530 are assigned shelf identifications in advance, such as a shelf for sushi, a shelf for fried chicken bento, and a shelf for sweets, and the foods are displayed on the storage shelf 530 so that the food and shelf identifications match.

[0073] In the unmanned vending machine 500, the above detection is performed, and the open / closed state of the door unit 520 after the electronic lock 550 is unlocked by the processing of S108 is detected. Here, in the unmanned vending machine 500, the open / closed state of the door unit 520 can be detected by a door unit sensor included in the state detection device 570. Note that any well-known sensor can be used as the door unit sensor as long as it is capable of detecting the open / closed state of the door unit 520. Then, in the unmanned vending machine 500, after the electronic lock 550 is unlocked by the processing of S108 and the door unit 520 is opened by the purchasing user, it is determined whether the door unit 520 has been closed by the purchasing user (S112). If a positive judgment is made in S112, that is, if the door sensor detects that the door 520 has been closed, the unmanned vending machine 500 proceeds to processing of S113, and if a negative judgment is made in S112, that is, if the door sensor does not detect that the door 520 has been closed, in this case the purchasing user is removing food from the unmanned vending machine 500, and the unmanned vending machine 500 returns to processing of S111.

[0074] If the determination in S112 is affirmative, that is, if the door sensor detects that the door 520 has been closed, then the unmanned vending machine 500 locks the electronic lock 550 (S113). Then, the processing unit 542 of the unmanned vending machine 500 transmits a locking operation of the door 520 by the electronic lock 550 to the server 300 via the communication unit 541 (S114). Then, in the processing of S114, in conjunction with the locking of the door 520 by the electronic lock 550, food detection information regarding the amount of weight change for the shelf where a weight change detected by the weight sensor 560 has been detected and the identification of the shelf is transmitted to the server 300. Then, upon receiving the information regarding the locking operation and the food detection information transmitted from the unmanned vending machine 500 (S115), the server 300 stores the information in the memory unit 302.

[0075] Here, in the process of S115, by storing information about the locking operation together with the state detection information acquired in the process of S105 in the storage unit 302, the server 300 can leave a log of information about the locking and unlocking operation of the electronic lock 550, information about the open / closed state of the door unit 520 and information about the temperature inside the housing 510, etc., thereby more appropriately managing the unmanned sale of food to purchasing users. Specifically, for food sold to purchasing users through the unmanned vending machine 500, evidence can be saved that, when the food was stored in the unmanned vending machine 500, the door unit 520 was not left open so that only a specific user who had been authenticated could access the food, and that the user who locked and unlocked the electronic lock 550 was made identifiable, and that the food was kept at an appropriate temperature.

[0076] Then, after processing S115, server 300 updates the inventory information of the food contained in unmanned vending machine 500 based on the information regarding the change in quantity and identification of the food (S116). In the processing of S116, server 300 updates the inventory information of the food contained in unmanned vending machine 500 by converting the information transmitted from unmanned vending machine 500 into the change in quantity and identification of the food based on the correspondence between the predetermined shelf identification and the identification of the food displayed on the shelf, and the predetermined unit weight of the food. For example, if the identification of the foods stored in unmanned vending machine 500 is sushi, fried chicken bento, and sweets, and the foods are displayed on each shelf of storage shelf 530 so that the identification of these foods matches the identification of the shelves, and weight sensor 560 detects that the weight of the shelf for fried chicken bento has decreased by 600 g, and the unit weight of a fried chicken bento is 600 g, server 300 will convert the information regarding the identification of the shelf where the weight change occurred to identify the food in unmanned vending machine 500 whose inventory has changed as fried chicken bento, and convert the information regarding the weight to treat the change in the quantity of fried chicken bento as one, thereby updating the inventory information of the foods stored in unmanned vending machine 500.

[0077] On the other hand, if a negative determination is made in S103, that is, if the food contained in the unmanned vending machine 500 has passed its sell-by date and is therefore unsalable, or if a negative determination is made in S106, that is, if the unmanned vending machine 500 is not in a normal state, the server 300 prohibits unlocking by transmitting to the unmanned vending machine 500 a command to prohibit the electronic lock 550 from unlocking the door unit 520 (S117). This makes it possible to reliably prevent situations in which food that has passed its sell-by date, food that has not been kept at an appropriate temperature, or food that has been contained in a state in which the user who locked or unlocked the electronic lock 550 cannot be identified or the door unit 520 has been left open, is provided to the purchasing user, and it becomes possible to comply with appropriate laws and regulations even in unmanned food vending.

[0078] In unmanned vending machine 500, when the sell-by date of food on at least one shelf of storage shelves 530 has passed, server 300 may stop the provision of food to purchasing users from all of the shelves by sending unmanned vending machine 500 a command to prohibit electronic lock 550 from unlocking door 520. This reliably prevents purchasing users from mistakenly taking out food whose sell-by date has passed from the wide variety of food stored in unmanned vending machine 500, and enables unmanned food vending to comply with appropriate laws and regulations.

[0079] Furthermore, if the unlocking of the electronic lock 550 is prohibited as described above because the temperature inside the housing 510 of the unmanned vending machine 500 has not been maintained at an appropriate level, the server 300 transmits the recorded status detection information to the vender user together with a predetermined warning. Here, the warning is an alert message or the like sent to the vender user's user terminal 400. This allows the vender user to understand and improve the status of the unmanned vending machine 500 as quickly as possible.

[0080] Furthermore, when the server 300 acquires a state in which the door 520 has been left open, specifically, when the door 520 of the unmanned vending machine 500 acquired as state detection information is left open for a predetermined period of time, the server 300 can transmit the recorded state detection information together with a predetermined warning to the vending user in the same manner as described above. Here, the predetermined period of time is, for example, the time during which the temperature inside the housing 510 of the unmanned vending machine 500 deviates from the refrigeration or freezing conditions controlled by the temperature control device 580.

[0081] In this embodiment, when the inventory information is updated by the process of S116, the server 300 can then execute a process for charging and settling the purchaser for the food provided to the purchaser via the unmanned vending machine 500, based on the difference between the updated inventory information before and after the update. Here, the server 300 executes the process based on the information for charging and settling (such as credit card information or electronic money information) previously acquired by the acquisition unit 3031.

[0082] Then, information regarding the billing and payment process is sent from server 300 to the purchasing user's user terminal 400, and the purchasing user can check the billing and payment status for the food they have taken out of unmanned vending machine 500. At this time, temperature information and other information stored in the evidence trail may also be sent to the purchasing user's user terminal 400. This allows the purchasing user to feel more secure about the food they have purchased.

[0083] Server 300 may calculate the remaining sales time for each of the multiple food items stored in unmanned vending machine 500, based on the current time and the sales expiration date, and may change the sales price of the food item so that the shorter the remaining sales time, the lower the sales price of the food item. Here, the sales price may be displayed on each of the multiple shelves in storage shelf 530, or may be notified to user terminal 400 of the purchasing user. This makes it possible to promote sales of food items with a short remaining sales time and reduce food waste.

[0084] Server 300 may also vary the selling price of each of the multiple food items contained in unmanned vending machine 500 based on the attributes of the purchasing user who has performed user authentication. For example, if unmanned vending machine 500 is installed in a disaster evacuation shelter and the purchasing user who has performed user authentication is an evacuee, the selling price of the food may be free. Alternatively, if unmanned vending machine 500 is installed in a company as a welfare service and the purchasing user who has performed user authentication is an employee of that company, the selling price of the food may be discounted.

[0085] In this way, the unmanned vending system 100 in this embodiment makes it possible to sell a wide variety of foods unmanned while complying with appropriate laws and regulations by managing the expiration date, temperature, and preserving evidence of the food stored in the unmanned vending machine 500, and by issuing alerts in the event of an abnormality.

[0086] According to the unmanned vending system 100 described above, unmanned vending machine 500 in which items for sale are housed in housing 510 can unmannedly sell food such as fresh food and boxed lunches.

[0087] Second Embodiment In the first embodiment described above, an example was described in which a weight sensor 560 is used as a food detection device that detects changes in the quantity of food displayed on storage shelves 530 and is configured to be able to identify food items whose quantity has changed. In the present embodiment, an example will be described in which a camera 590 is used as the food detection device.

[0088] In unmanned vending machine 500 according to this embodiment, camera 590 is provided in housing 510, and photographed image data of food contained in housing 510 is obtained.

[0089] Here, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the unmanned vending machine 500 in this embodiment.

[0090] As shown in Fig. 6, camera 590 is disposed near opening 511 of housing 510 at a position where it can capture an image of opening 511. Camera 590 disposed in this manner acquires captured image data that enables recognition of the movement direction of a user's hand passing through opening 511 of housing 510. Note that Fig. 6 shows an example in which cameras 590 are provided at two locations, above and below opening 511 of housing 510, but the placement of cameras 590 is not limited to this as long as they are located near opening 511 and can capture an image of opening 511. For example, camera 590 may be disposed one above the center of opening 511 on the outside of housing 510, or two above, left and right, of opening 511, or two above the opening inside housing 510, or one above and one below.

[0091] In the unmanned vending machine 500 according to this embodiment, the processing device 540 transmits the image data of the food photographed by the camera 590 to the server 300 as food detection information relating to the change in the quantity and identification of the food between the time when the door section 520 is unlocked and the time when it is locked by the electronic lock 550.

[0092] The control unit 303 of the server 300 then inputs the captured image data into a pre-learning model constructed by learning using specified image data, and updates the inventory information of the food contained in the unmanned vending machine 500 by outputting the change in quantity and identification of the food from the pre-learning model.

[0093] FIG. 7 illustrates the classification results obtained from input to a pre-training model in this embodiment and the neural network that constitutes the pre-training model. In this embodiment, a neural network model generated by deep learning is used as the pre-training model. The pre-training model 30 shown in FIG. 7 includes an input layer 31 that receives input of predetermined image data, an intermediate layer (hidden layer) 32 that extracts features representing food from the image data input to the input layer 31, and an output layer 33 that outputs a classification result based on the features. In the example of FIG. 7, the pre-training model 30 includes one intermediate layer 32, with the output of the input layer 31 input to the intermediate layer 32 and the output of the intermediate layer 32 input to the output layer 33. However, the number of intermediate layers 32 does not have to be limited to one; the pre-training model 30 may include two or more intermediate layers 32.

[0094] 7, each of the layers 31 to 33 includes one or more neurons. For example, the number of neurons in the input layer 31 can be set according to the input image data. The number of neurons in the output layer 33 can be set according to the change in the quantity of food items, which is the classification result, and the food item identification information.

[0095] Neurons in adjacent layers are then connected as appropriate, and weights (connection loads) are set for each connection based on the results of machine learning. In the example of Figure 7, each neuron is connected to all neurons in the adjacent layer, but the neuron connections are not limited to this example and can be set as appropriate.

[0096] Such a pre-training model 30 is constructed by supervised learning using training data, which is a combination of image data containing images of multiple types of food and labels of food identification information. Specifically, the combination of features and labels is provided to a neural network, and the weights of the connections between neurons are tuned so that the output of the neural network is the same as the label. In this way, the features of the training data are learned and a pre-training model for estimating results from inputs is inductively acquired.

[0097] The pre-trained model 30 may be constructed by unsupervised learning. For example, domain adaptation, which is a type of transfer learning, can be used for unsupervised learning. This allows a pre-trained model to be acquired without preparing a large amount of labeled training data.

[0098] Next, the flow of operation of the unmanned vending system 100 in this embodiment will be described. Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating the flow of operation of the unmanned vending system 100 in this embodiment. Figure 8 explains the flow of operation between the server 300, the user terminal 400, and the unmanned vending machine 500 in the unmanned vending system 100 in this embodiment, and the processing executed by the server 300, the user terminal 400, and the unmanned vending machine 500. Note that in each process shown in Figure 8, processes that are substantially the same as the processes shown in Figure 5 above are assigned the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0099] In the present embodiment, an unlocking operation of the door unit 520 by the electronic lock 550 in the unmanned vending machine 500 is transmitted to the server 300 (S109). After the server 300 acquires information about this unlocking operation (S110), the unmanned vending machine 500 acquires detection information by the camera 590 (S211). Here, the detection information in the present embodiment is photographed image data of the food taken by the camera 590, and is photographed image data that can recognize the movement direction of the purchasing user's hand as it passes through the opening 511 of the housing 510. Note that in the unmanned vending machine 500 in the present embodiment, the above-mentioned photographed image data taken by the camera 590 during the period from when the door unit 520 is unlocked by the electronic lock 550 to when it is locked may be used as the detection information, or the above-mentioned photographed image data taken by the camera 590 during the period from when the door unit 520 is unlocked by the electronic lock 550 to when it is locked may be used as the detection information, among the data photographed by the camera 590 at all times.

[0100] Then, in the unmanned vending machine 500, after the electronic lock 550 is unlocked by the processing of S108 and the door unit 520 is opened by the purchasing user, it is determined whether or not the door unit 520 has been closed by the purchasing user (S112). If the determination in S112 is affirmative, that is, if the door unit sensor detects that the door unit 520 has been closed, the unmanned vending machine 500 proceeds to the processing of S113, and if the determination in S112 is negative, that is, if the door unit sensor does not detect that the door unit 520 has been closed, in this case the unmanned vending machine 500 determines that the purchasing user is taking out food from the unmanned vending machine 500, and returns to the processing of S211.

[0101] After processing S115, server 300 updates the inventory information of the food contained in unmanned vending machine 500 based on information regarding the change in quantity and identification of the food (S116). In the processing of S116, server 300 determines that the food contained in the photographed image data has been removed by the purchasing user based on the movement direction of the purchasing user's hand passing through opening 511 of housing 510 in the photographed image data, if the movement direction is from inside to outside of housing 510, and updates the inventory information of the food contained in unmanned vending machine 500. The change in quantity and identification of the food may be output by the pre-learning model 30 described above.

[0102] In this way, by determining whether food has been removed from unmanned vending machine 500 based on the direction in which the purchasing user's hand moves from inside to outside of housing 510, it is possible to relatively accurately determine whether food has been removed from unmanned vending machine 500. Furthermore, by photographing opening 511 with camera 590, it is possible to relatively accurately detect food held in the hand of the purchasing user passing through opening 511.

[0103] The unmanned vending system 100 described above also makes it possible to sell food such as fresh food and boxed lunches in an unmanned vending machine 500 in which items for sale are housed in a housing 510.

[0104] <Other variations> The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the present disclosure may be modified as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the processes and means described in the present disclosure may be freely combined as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

[0105] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which weight sensor 560 and camera 590 were used as a food detection device that detects changes in the quantity of food displayed on storage shelf 530 and is configured to be able to identify food items whose quantity has changed, but the food detection device of the present disclosure may also be configured as an information recording medium affixed to each food item stored in unmanned vending machine 500. The information recording medium is configured so that the information recorded thereon can be obtained contactlessly using a predetermined information terminal, and is an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag that transmits information using wireless communication.

[0106] According to this, for example, when a purchasing user takes food out of unmanned vending machine 500, the RFID tag of the food is read by an information terminal provided in unmanned vending machine 500, making it possible to detect the quantity and identification information of the food taken out from unmanned vending machine 500. In this case, information regarding the sell-by date of the food can be recorded on the RFID tag of the food, thereby making it possible to set a sell-by date for each food item stored in unmanned vending machine 500.

[0107] Furthermore, the processing described as being performed by one device may be shared and executed by multiple devices. For example, the acquisition unit 3031 and the billing and settlement processing unit 3034 may be formed in separate arithmetic processing devices. In this case, these arithmetic processing devices are configured to be able to cooperate with each other. Furthermore, the processing described as being performed by different devices may be executed by one device. In a computer system, the hardware configuration (server configuration) by which each function is realized can be flexibly changed.

[0108] The present disclosure can also be realized by providing a computer program implementing the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and having one or more processors in the computer read and execute the program. Such a computer program may be provided to the computer via a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium connectable to the computer's system bus or via a network. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media include, for example, any type of disk, such as a magnetic disk (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (e.g., a CD-ROM, a DVD disk, a Blu-ray disk), a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, an optical card, or any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0109] 100···Unmanned sales system 200···Network 300 Server 301···Communications Department 302...Storage section 303 Control section 400 User terminal 500···Unmanned vending machine 510···Housing 520···Door section 530 Storage Shelf 540 Processing equipment 550···Electronic Lock 560···Weight sensor 570... Condition detection device 580 Temperature Control Device 590···Camera

Claims

1. An unmanned vending system that manages unmanned vending of food to purchasing users, an unmanned vending machine configured to store the food and provide the stored food to the purchasing user; a server device that manages the sale of the food using the unmanned vending machine; Equipped with The unmanned vending machine is a housing having an opening configured to be accessible by a user who uses the unmanned vending system, and a door unit provided on the housing configured to be able to open and close the opening; a processing device having a communication unit for communicating with the server device and a processing unit for executing predetermined processing including communication processing by the communication unit; an electronic lock that locks and unlocks the door unit, the electronic lock unlocking the door unit based on a command from the server device acquired via the processing device, and locking the door unit when the door unit is closed; a state detection device including a temperature sensor that measures the temperature inside the housing, a door sensor that detects the open / close state of the door, and a state sensor that detects a predetermined abnormal state in the unmanned vending machine; The abnormal state includes a state related to a communication abnormality between the unmanned vending machine and the server device, a power supply abnormality to the unmanned vending machine, and an abnormality in the electronic lock, The processing device transmits to the server device operation information relating to the locking and unlocking operation of the door section by the electronic lock, and status detection information relating to the temperature inside the housing, the open / closed state of the door section, and the status of the unmanned vending machine detected by the status detection device; The server device performing user authentication in response to a predetermined request from the user; transmitting a command to the unmanned vending machine to cause the electronic lock to unlock the door unit based on the user authentication; Record the operation information and the status detection information transmitted from the unmanned vending machine as evidence storage for managing unmanned vending of the food in compliance with laws and regulations, and when the unmanned vending machine is in one of the abnormal states, send to the unmanned vending machine a command to prohibit the unlocking of the door section by the electronic lock, and when the temperature inside the casing of the unmanned vending machine obtained as the status detection information does not fall within a predetermined temperature range, or when the open / closed state of the door section of the unmanned vending machine obtained as the status detection information is that the door section is open for more than a predetermined time, send to the vending user the operation information and the status detection information recorded as evidence storage, including a log of information regarding the temperature inside the casing and information regarding the open / closed state of the door section; a control unit that executes the The control unit transmits to the unmanned vending machine a command to prohibit the unlocking of the door unit by the electronic lock based on a predetermined sell-by date for the food contained in the unmanned vending machine. Unmanned sales system.

2. The control unit of the server device For each of the plurality of foods contained in the unmanned vending machine, whether or not it is possible to sell the food is determined based on the current time and the sell-by date, and if it is determined that at least one of the plurality of foods is not possible to sell, a command to prohibit the unlocking of the door section by the electronic lock is transmitted to the unmanned vending machine, thereby stopping the provision of all of the plurality of foods to the purchasing user. The unmanned sales system according to claim 1.

3. The unmanned vending machine is Further provided is a temperature control device capable of switching the temperature condition inside the housing between a refrigeration condition and a freezing condition, The control unit of the server device and transmitting to the unmanned vending machine a command to cause the temperature control device to switch the temperature condition according to the food contained in the unmanned vending machine. The unmanned sales system according to claim 1.

4. The control unit of the server device calculating a remaining sales time for each of the plurality of foods contained in the unmanned vending machine based on the current time and the sell-by date, which is the time remaining for which the food can be sold, and changing the sales price of the food so that the shorter the remaining sales time is, the lower the sales price of the food is; The unmanned sales system according to claim 1.

5. The control unit of the server device Varying the selling price of each of the plurality of foods contained in the unmanned vending machine based on the attributes of the purchasing user who has performed the user authentication. The unmanned sales system according to claim 1.

6. The unmanned vending machine is The unmanned vending machine further includes a food detection device that detects changes in the quantity of the food contained in the unmanned vending machine and is configured to be able to identify the food whose quantity has changed; the processing device transmits food detection information relating to changes in the quantity and identification of the food detected by the food detection device to the server device in conjunction with the locking of the door unit by the electronic lock; The control unit of the server device acquiring the food detection information transmitted from the unmanned vending machine, and updating inventory information of the food contained in the unmanned vending machine based on the food detection information; The unmanned sales system according to claim 1.

7. The unmanned vending machine is The food product further includes a storage shelf provided in the housing on which the food is displayed, The storage shelf is composed of a plurality of shelves separated by the type of food, the food detection device is configured to include a weight sensor provided on each of the plurality of shelves in the storage shelf, the processing device transmits, as the food detection information to the server device, information regarding the amount of weight change and a pre-assigned shelf identification for a shelf among the plurality of shelves in which a change in weight has been detected by the weight sensor during the period from when the door portion is unlocked by the electronic lock until when the door portion is locked; In the server device, the control unit converts the food detection information transmitted from the unmanned vending machine into a change in quantity and an identification of the food based on a predetermined correspondence between the identification of the shelf and the identification of the food displayed on the shelf, and a predetermined unit weight of the food, thereby updating inventory information of the food stored in the unmanned vending machine; The unmanned sales system according to claim 6.

8. The control unit of the server device transmitting a command to the unmanned vending machine to prohibit the unlocking of the door by the electronic lock based on a predetermined sell-by date for the food displayed on each of the plurality of shelves in the storage shelf; The unmanned sales system according to claim 7.

9. In the unmanned vending machine, The food detection device is configured to include a camera provided in the housing, the processing device transmits, to the server device, photographed image data of the food photographed by the camera as the food detection information during the period from when the door is unlocked by the electronic lock to when the door is locked; In the server device, The control unit inputs the captured image data into a pre-learning model constructed by learning using predetermined image data, and updates inventory information of the food contained in the unmanned vending machine by outputting a change in quantity and identification of the food from the pre-learning model. The unmanned sales system according to claim 6.

10. In the unmanned vending machine, the camera is disposed in the vicinity of the opening of the housing at a position where it can capture an image of the opening, the processing device transmits the captured image data, which allows recognition of the movement direction of the user's hand passing through the opening of the housing, to the server device as the food detection information; In the server device, The control unit determines that the food item included in the photographed image data has been taken out by the purchasing user based on the movement direction of the user's hand passing through the opening of the housing in the photographed image data, if the movement direction is from the inside to the outside of the housing, and updates inventory information of the food item contained in the unmanned vending machine. The unmanned sales system according to claim 9.

Images