Weighing System

Abstract

To provide a measuring system capable of easily obtaining purchase reference information of a commodity when a consumer him / herself measures the commodity.SOLUTION: A measuring system includes: a placement part to place a commodity group; a measuring device arranged in the placement part so as to measure the weight of the commodity to be taken out from the commodity group based on a decrease amount of the commodity group; a control part for calculating a money amount based on the weight measured by the measuring device; and a display device for displaying at least the money amount.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a weighing system. [Background technology]

[0002] In face-to-face sales, multiple products are displayed in a showcase, and customers (consumers) are sold the products they want in the quantities they want. In such face-to-face sales, a salesperson asks the customer which products and quantities they want, then removes the desired products from the showcase, places them in a container, etc., and calculates the product price by placing the container on a scale placed on top of the showcase, for example. Here, the salesperson needs to select the type of product when calculating the product price.

[0003] A weighing system (weighing and pricing system) that can reduce the workload for calculating such product prices has been disclosed (for example, Patent Document 1 below). This weighing system can omit the task of selecting the type of product when calculating the product price, thereby preventing incorrect calculation of product prices due to incorrect product selection by the store clerk. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-33685 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Instead of sales by weight, there is a sales method in which a consumer selects the desired product from a selection of products and then the product is weighed by a store clerk. In this sales method, from the perspective of environmental protection, a container owned by the consumer may be used as a container, and the product may be placed in the container. In this case, a container different from the pre-registered container is often used. Therefore, in order to charge the appropriate amount for the weighed product, the store clerk must accurately measure the weight of the container before placing the product in the container, which is time-consuming. This is because if the weight of the container is not measured accurately, there is a risk that the product itself will not be accurately weighed.

[0006] In addition, consumers who are not accustomed to taking out products may end up purchasing more or less products than expected, or being charged more or less than expected. Therefore, it is desirable for consumers who weigh products to be able to easily obtain reference information for purchases, such as the approximate weight and approximate price of the product.

[0007] An object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a weighing system that allows a consumer to easily obtain reference information for purchasing a product when the consumer weighs the product himself. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A weighing system according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a loading section on which a group of products is placed, a weighing device provided on the loading section that weighs the weight of a product removed from the group of products based on the amount of the product reduced, a control section that calculates an amount based on the weight measured by the weighing device, and a display device that can display at least the amount.

[0009] In this weighing system, the weighing device weighs the weight of each product based on the amount of product removed from the group. This allows the weight of the product to be weighed accurately regardless of the weight of the container containing the removed product. In addition, the control unit calculates the price based on the weight measured by the weighing device, and the display device can display at least this price. Therefore, for example, while weighing the product, the consumer can easily obtain the price of the product and other information via the display device. Therefore, by using the above weighing system, even when the consumer weighs the product themselves, they can easily obtain reference information for purchasing the product.

[0010] The display device has a first display that displays at least the unit price of a group of products and a second display that displays at least the amount, and when a change occurs in the weight measurement result of the weighing device while the display device is displaying the first display, the control unit may switch the display on the display device to the second display. In this case, the consumer can easily obtain the amount of the products while the products are being weighed.

[0011] The display unit may have a plurality of product groups placed thereon, and the display device may display the unit prices of each of the plurality of product groups in the first display. In this case, consumers can easily obtain reference information for purchasing the plurality of products.

[0012] If the decrease in the amount of food consumed exceeds a predetermined threshold while the display device is displaying the first display, the control unit may switch the display device to the second display, which prevents the display device from switching to the second display except when the weighing device is weighing the product.

[0013] The weighing system may further include a second weighing device that weighs a container that can hold a product, and a transmission unit that transmits the weighing result of the second weighing device directly or indirectly to another device. In this case, when a product is weighed by a weighing device other than the weighing system, the other weighing device that receives the weighing result of the container from the transmission unit can accurately weigh the product by excluding the weight of the container.

[0014] A weighing system according to another aspect of the present invention comprises a loading section on which a group of products is placed, a weighing device provided on the loading section for weighing the weight of a product removed from the group of products based on the amount of the product reduced, a control section for calculating a monetary amount based on the weight measured by the weighing device, and a display device capable of displaying at least the weight.

[0015] In this weighing system, the weighing device weighs the weight of each product based on the amount of product removed from the group. This allows the weight of the product to be measured accurately regardless of the weight of the container containing the removed product. Therefore, by using this weighing system, consumers can easily obtain reference information for purchasing the product, even when they weigh the product themselves. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to one aspect of the present invention, a weighing system can be provided that allows consumers to easily obtain reference information for purchasing a product when they weigh the product themselves. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a part of a weighing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a part of the weighing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a display on the display device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a weighing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing another example of a weighing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a display on the display device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment according to one aspect of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0019] Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a part of a weighing system according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of a part of the weighing system according to this embodiment. Fig. 3 is a schematic view showing an example of a display on a display device. In Fig. 2, the load shown in Fig. 1 has been removed.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the weighing system 1 is a device used by, for example, a store clerk, a consumer, or the like when weighing a group of products 201-206. A consumer using the weighing system 1 can easily obtain information such as the approximate weight and price of an item picked from the group of products 201-206. Each of the group of products 201-206 is a group of products A-F (see FIG. 3) suitable for selling by weight. Each of the products A-F is, for example, food such as powder, granules, nuts, and seeds. The group of products 201-206 is contained in, for example, containers 101-106, respectively. Each of the containers 101-106 may have an openable / closable top lid, etc.

[0021] The weighing system 1 comprises a mounting section 2 on which a group of products 201-206 are placed, a weighing device 3 disposed within the mounting section 2, a display device 4 attached to the mounting section 2, and a control unit 5. The mounting section 2 is the housing for the main part of the weighing system 1 and comprises a top plate 11. The top plate 11 is provided with a plurality of openings 12-17. The openings 12-17 accommodate the containers 101-106, respectively. From the viewpoint of the weighing accuracy of the weighing device 3, the containers 101-106 may be accommodated in the openings 12-17 without any gaps in a plan view.

[0022] The weighing device 3 is a device that weighs the weight of products taken out of the product groups 201-206, and has multiple weighing units 21-26. Each of the weighing units 21-26 is a device that weighs a different item (product) and is housed within the mounting unit 2. The weighing units 21-26 overlap the openings 12-17, respectively, as shown in FIG. 2. Therefore, the weighing units 21-26 are exposed through the openings 12-17, respectively. The weighing units 21-26 support the containers 101-106, respectively. In this embodiment, the weighing unit 21 weighs the weight of a product taken out of the product group 201 based on the amount of product reduction in the product group 201. The weighing units 22-26 weigh the weight of products taken out of the product groups 202-206 using a method similar to that of the weighing unit 21.

[0023] Based on a predetermined timing, the weighing unit 21 is considered to be in the middle of weighing when a change occurs in the weighing result of the product A by the weighing unit 21 and when such a change is occurring (for example, when the group of products 201 decreases and is decreasing). The predetermined timing is, for example, when the consumer starts using the weighing system 1. This timing may be determined automatically by the weighing system 1, or may be determined by the consumer operating an operation unit (not shown). In the former case, the timing is determined, for example, when the amount of decrease in the group of products 201-206 by the weighing device 3 exceeds a predetermined threshold value, which will be described later.

[0024] Although not shown, each of the weighing units 21-26 has, for example, a pan, a load cell, and a signal processing circuit. The pan of the weighing units 21-26 supports the containers 101-106 and is exposed through the openings 12-17. The load cell is provided below the pan and converts mechanical strain generated by fluctuations in the weight of the products placed on the pan into an electrical signal. The signal processing circuit amplifies the electrical signal output from the load cell and converts it into a digital signal. When the weighing unit 21 is weighing, the weighing unit 21 outputs a signal (weighing signal) including the weighing result of the product to the control unit 5. The weighing units 22-26 operate in the same manner as the weighing unit 21.

[0025] The display device 4 is a device capable of displaying information (purchase reference information) that may be useful to consumers when purchasing the product group 201-206, and is provided in front of and above the mounting unit 2. The purchase reference information includes, for example, the names of the products included in the product group 201-206, the unit prices of the product group 201-206, the weighing results of the weighing device 3, and the amount based on the weighing results. The weighing results of the weighing device 3 are the weights of the products weighed by the weighing units 21-26, and correspond to the estimated weights of the products to be purchased by the consumer. The weighing results are the weights of the products weighed by the weighing units 21-26 (i.e., the amount of reduction in the product group 201-206), and correspond to the estimated weights of the products to be purchased by the consumer. The amount based on the weighing results is an amount based on the weight, and corresponds to the estimated amount of the products to be purchased by the consumer.

[0026] The display unit 31 included in the display device 4 is a portion capable of displaying at least a portion of the purchasing reference information and is configured, for example, by a liquid crystal display device. The display unit 31 has, for example, areas 31a to 31f. The areas 31a to 31f are areas capable of displaying at least a portion of the purchasing reference information for the product groups 201 to 206, respectively. In FIGS. 1 and 3, the area 31a displays an image (first display) including at least the product name of product A included in the product group 201 and the unit price of the product group 201. Similar first displays are also displayed in areas 31b, 31d, and 31e. In FIG. 3, the area 31b displays at least the product name of product B and the unit price of the product group 202, the area 31d displays at least the product name of product D and the unit price of the product group 204, and the area 31e displays at least the product name of product E and the unit price of the product group 205. On the other hand, area 31c displays an image (second display) including at least an estimated price based on the weight of product C weighed by weighing unit 23 and taken out of product group 203. Area 31f also displays an image including at least an estimated price based on the weight of product F taken out of product group 206.

[0027] In this embodiment, when the weighing unit 21 is not currently weighing, the first display (i.e., an image including at least the product name of product A and the unit price of the product group 201) is displayed in the area 31a. When the weighing unit 21 is currently weighing, the second display (i.e., an image including at least the estimated price based on the weight of product A to be removed from the product group 201) is displayed in the area 31a. When the weighing units 22 to 26 are currently weighing, the display in each of the areas 31b to 31f also changes in the same way as the area 31a. For this reason, it can be seen in FIG. 3 that the weighing units 23 and 26 are currently weighing product C and product F, respectively.

[0028] The control unit 5 is a controller that controls each device included in the weighing system 1, and is provided within the placement unit 2. The control unit 5 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), etc. The control unit 5 controls the display content of the display device 4. The control unit 5 receives a weighing signal output from the weighing device 3. The control unit 5 uses, for example, the weighing signal to calculate a price (approximate price) based on the weight of the product weighed by the weighing device 3.

[0029] Upon receiving the weighing signal, the control unit 5 switches part or all of the display shown by the display device 4. For example, if a change occurs in the weight measurement result by the weighing device 3 while the display device 4 is displaying the first display, the control unit 5 switches the display on the display device 4 to the second display. For example, when the control unit 5 receives a weighing signal output from the weighing unit 21, it outputs a signal including the calculation result of the price of product A calculated using the weighing signal to the display device 4. This causes an image including at least the calculated price (i.e., the second display) to be displayed in the area 31a.

[0030] When the control unit 5 receives the weighing signal, it is not necessary for it to switch some or all of the display shown by the display device 4. From the perspective of preventing malfunction of the display device 4, if the amount of decrease in the product group included in the weighing signal exceeds a predetermined threshold, it may switch some or all of the display shown by the display device 4. In other words, if the amount of decrease in the product group included in the weighing signal is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, it is not necessary for the display shown by the display device 4 to switch. The predetermined threshold is determined appropriately depending on the type of product group weighed by the weighing device 3, and is, for example, 30 g, 20 g, 15 g, or 10 g.

[0031] According to the weighing system 1 of this embodiment described above, the weighing device 3 weighs the weight of product A based on the amount of product A lost from the group of products 201. This allows the weight of product A to be weighed accurately, regardless of the weight of the container 101 containing the removed product A. In addition, the control unit 5 calculates the price based on the weight measured by the weighing device 3, and the display device 4 can display at least this price. Therefore, while weighing product A, consumers can easily obtain reference information for purchasing product A via the display device 4. Therefore, by using the weighing system 1, consumers can easily obtain reference information for purchasing product A even when weighing product A themselves. In particular, consumers can obtain the approximate price of product A while they are taking product A out (i.e., in real time). This improves convenience when consumers weigh product A themselves.

[0032] In this embodiment, the display device 4 has a first display that displays at least the unit price of the product group 201, and a second display that displays at least the price based on the weight of product A weighed by the weighing device 3. If a change occurs in the weight measurement result by the weighing device 3 while the display device 4 is displaying the first display, the control unit 5 switches the display on the display device 4 to the second display. This allows the consumer to easily obtain an approximate price of product A, for example, while weighing product A.

[0033] In this embodiment, a plurality of product groups 201 to 206 are placed on the placement unit 2, and the display device 4 displays the unit prices of each of the plurality of product groups 201 to 206 in the first display. This allows consumers to easily obtain reference information for purchasing a plurality of products A to F.

[0034] In this embodiment, if the amount of product A reduced exceeds a predetermined threshold while the display device 4 is displaying the first display for product A, the control unit may switch the display for product A on the display device 4 to the second display. In this case, switching to the second display can be prevented except when the weighing device 3 is weighing product A. Therefore, for example, if the weighing value of product A fluctuates due to the application of minute vibrations to the container 101, the display in area 31a on the display device 4 will not switch to the second display. This allows the display device 4 to suppress the display of unnecessary purchasing reference information.

[0035] Next, an example of the weighing system 1 according to the above embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0036] 4 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a weighing system according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the weighing system 1A includes an electronic scale 50 in addition to a weighing device 3, a display device 4, and a placement unit 2 on which a control unit 5 is provided.

[0037] The electronic scale 50 is a device that weighs the containers (take-out containers, not shown) that can hold the removed products A to F, and is located in front of the placement unit 2. The electronic scale 50 also transmits the weighing results of the take-out containers directly or indirectly to another device. The other device is not limited to devices included in the weighing system 1A, but may also be a weighing device for store clerks, accounting equipment, etc. For example, when the electronic scale 50 transmits data indicating the weighing results to another device via a wired and / or wireless connection, this corresponds to the electronic scale 50 directly transmitting the weighing results to the other device. On the other hand, when the electronic scale 50 converts the data indicating the weighing results into another form and transmits the converted data to the other device, this corresponds to the electronic scale 50 indirectly transmitting the weighing results to the other device. A specific example of this aspect is when the electronic scale 50 prints the data indicating the weighing results on paper in the form of characters, a barcode, a digital watermark, or the like. In addition, when the electronic scale 50 transfers data indicating the weighing result to a storage medium and another device reads the data stored in the storage medium, this also corresponds to the electronic scale 50 indirectly transmitting the weighing result to another device.

[0038] Electronic scale 50 comprises a weighing device 6 different from weighing device 3, a label issuing device 7, and a control unit 8 different from control unit 5. Weighing device 6 is a device (second weighing device) that weighs the take-out containers, and includes, for example, a pan, a load cell, and a signal processing circuit (not shown). The pan is a portion that supports the take-out containers. The load cell is provided below the pan and converts mechanical strain generated by changes in the weight of the product placed on the pan into an electrical signal. The signal processing circuit amplifies the electrical signal output from the load cell and converts it into a digital signal. Note that an operation unit for operating electronic scale 50, a display unit that displays the weighing results of electronic scale 50, etc. may be provided in front of electronic scale 50.

[0039] The label issuing device 7 is a device that issues labels on which the weighing results of the weighing device 6 are printed, and is located, for example, in front of the electronic scale 50. A barcode or the like indicating the weighing result of the weighing device 6 is printed on the issued label. A device other than the electronic scale 50 can read the barcode or the like, thereby indirectly obtaining the weighing result of the weighing device 6 (i.e., the weight of the take-out container). For this reason, the label issuing device 7 functions as a transmission unit that indirectly transmits the weighing result of the weighing device 6 to another device. Note that the labels issued by the label issuing device 7 may be affixable to the take-out containers. Although not shown, the label issuing device 7 has, for example, a support unit that supports a label roll, a label conveying mechanism, a printing unit, and a label issuing unit.

[0040] The control unit 8 is a part that executes various control processes in the electronic scale 50, and the CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), and RAM (Random Access Memory) are interconnected via a bus line such as an address bus or a data bus. The control unit 8 executes various control processes in the electronic scale 50. For example, the control unit 8 receives a digital signal sent from the weighing device 6 and sends a printing signal based on the digital signal to the label issuing device 7. The control unit 8 is provided inside the weighing device 6.

[0041] The weighing system 1A according to the embodiment described above also achieves the same effects as the above embodiment. Additionally, the weighing system 1A is particularly useful when a separate weighing device (e.g., an electronic scale used by a store clerk) is used to weigh a consumer's own takeout container as a container, and the product contained in the container is weighed. Since various weights of takeout containers are expected to be used in this case, each takeout container must be weighed. Furthermore, in order to charge the appropriate amount for the weighed product, the store clerk must accurately measure the weight of the takeout container before placing the product inside, which places a burden on the store clerk. When using the weighing system 1A, the separate weighing device can obtain the previously obtained weighing results of the takeout container by reading the label issued by the electronic scale 50. Therefore, the separate weighing device can exclude the weight of the takeout container, thereby accurately weighing the product contained in the takeout container. In addition, the store staff using the separate weighing device do not have to weigh the take-out containers in advance, which reduces the burden on the store staff.

[0042] 5 is a schematic plan view showing another example of a weighing system according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the weighing system 1B includes an electronic scale 50A in addition to a weighing device 3, a display device 4, and a placement unit 2 on which a control unit 5 is provided.

[0043] Unlike the above-described embodiments, the electronic scale 50A does not have a label issuing device 7, but instead has a communication unit 9. The communication unit 9 is an interface for exchanging information via wired and / or wireless communication with the weighing device 6, the control units 5 and 8, other devices, etc. The communication unit 9, for example, receives a weighing signal output from the weighing device 6 and transmits the weighing signal to the control unit 5, other devices, etc. This allows the control unit 5, other devices, etc. to directly obtain the weighing result (weight) of the take-out container weighed by the weighing device 6. Therefore, the communication unit 9 functions as a transmitter that directly transmits the weighing result of the weighing device 6 to other devices.

[0044] The other embodiments described above also have the same effects as the above-described embodiments. In addition, the weighing system 1B allows store clerks to obtain the weighing results of take-out containers without having to read labels, thereby further reducing the burden on store clerks.

[0045] The above describes an embodiment of a weighing system according to one aspect of the present invention and its examples, but this aspect of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and examples. For example, the above example and the other example may be combined with each other. In this case, for example, a signal including the name of the product to be weighed by the weighing device 3 may be output from the control unit 5, and the communication unit 9 may receive the signal. The label issuing device 7 may then print the product name.

[0046] In the above embodiment and example, a total of six product groups are placed on the placement unit, but this is not limited to this. The number of product groups placed on the placement unit may be one or more. Furthermore, although the weighing device is provided inside the placement unit, this is not limited to this. The weighing device may also be provided outside the placement unit housing.

[0047] In the above-described embodiment and example, each area of ​​the display device typically displays a first display indicating at least the unit price of the product group, but this is not limited to this. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a display on the display device. For example, if it is determined that the weighing system has not been used for a long time, the display device 4 may display an image or video across the entire display unit 31, as shown in FIG. 6. The image or video may be, for example, an advertisement image or video explaining how to use the weighing system. Displaying such an image or video across the entire display unit 31 can prevent burn-in in each area.

[0048] In the above embodiment and example, while a product is being weighed by the weighing device, the display in the area corresponding to that product on the display device switches to a second display showing an estimated price, but this is not limited to this. For example, the second display may at least display the estimated weight of the product being weighed (the amount of reduction in the product group). In this case, both the estimated weight and the estimated price may be displayed, or information such as the product name and unit price may be displayed in addition to the estimated weight. Even in these cases, the same effects as those of the above embodiment are achieved.

[0049] In the above embodiment and example, while a product is being weighed by the weighing device, the display area on the display device corresponding to the product may always be the second display, or may periodically switch to the first display. Furthermore, when the display device switches from the first display to the second display, the display may first switch from the first display to another display different from the second display, and then switch from that other display to the second display.

[0050] In the above embodiments and examples, the control unit provided in the placement unit is a controller that controls each device included in the weighing system, but this is not limited to this. For example, the control unit provided in the placement unit may include multiple controllers. As an example, the control unit may be composed of a first controller that controls the weighing device and a second controller that controls the display device. Furthermore, the controllers included in the control unit may be provided in different devices, with the first controller provided in the weighing device and the second controller provided in the display device. For example, the first controller receives a weighing signal output from the weighing device and transmits the weighing signal to the second controller. The second controller may then use the received weighing signal to generate a signal including a calculation result such as an estimated price, output the signal to the display device, and thereby display the estimated price, etc., on the display device. Furthermore, the second controller may switch some or all of the display shown by the display device according to the input signal. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1, 1A, 1B... weighing system, 2... placement section, 3... weighing device, 4... display device, 5... control section, 6... weighing device (second weighing device), 7... label issuing device (transmission section), 8... control section, 9... communication section (transmission section), 11... top plate, 12-17... opening, 21-26... weighing section, 31... display section, 31a-31f... area, 50, 50A... electronic scale, 101-106... container, 201-206... product group, A-F... product.

Claims

1. a placement section on which the product group is placed; a weighing device provided on the placement section that weighs the weight of a product taken out of the product group based on the amount of product reduction in the product group; a control unit that calculates an amount based on the weight measured by the weighing device; a display device capable of displaying at least the amount; Equipped with the display device has a first display that displays at least the unit price of the group of products and a second display that displays at least the amount, A weighing system in which, when a change occurs in the weight measurement result by the weighing device while the first display is being displayed by the display device, the control unit switches the display on the display device from the first display to the second display.

2. A plurality of product groups are placed on the placement section, The weighing system according to claim 1 , wherein the display device displays the unit price of each of the plurality of product groups in the first display.

3. The weighing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the amount of decrease exceeds a predetermined threshold while the first display is being displayed by the display device, the control unit switches the display device to the second display.

4. a second weighing device for weighing a container capable of containing the product; The weighing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a transmission unit that directly or indirectly transmits the weighing result of the second weighing device to another device.

5. a placement section on which the product group is placed; a weighing device provided on the placement section that weighs the weight of a product taken out of the product group based on the amount of product reduction in the product group; a control unit that calculates an amount based on the weight measured by the weighing device; a display device capable of displaying at least the weight; Equipped with the display device has a first display that displays at least the unit price of the group of products and a second display that displays at least the amount, A weighing system in which, when a change occurs in the weight measurement result by the weighing device while the first display is being displayed by the display device, the control unit switches the display on the display device from the first display to the second display.

Images