Information processing device, information processing system, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide an information processing device, an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program which can reduce commodities that are disposal objects.SOLUTION: An information processing device includes a deadline acquisition unit, a position acquisition unit, and an information generation unit. The deadline acquisition unit acquires a commodity deadline relating to a sale of a commodity. The position acquisition unit acquires a position of a user that is a target for selling the commodities. The information generation unit generates information on the sale of the commodity on the basis of the commodity deadline and the position of the user. The information generation unit includes a revision price information generation unit for generating revision price information on a revision price obtained by revising the price of the commodity, as the information on the sale of the commodity.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] For example, food products sold in stores are set with expiration dates, and products past their expiration dates are discarded without being sold, resulting in so-called food loss. When products are discarded, it is a waste of resources and there is a loss due to excess inventory, so it is required to reduce the products targeted for disposal.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program capable of reducing products targeted for disposal.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The information processing apparatus according to the embodiment includes a deadline acquisition unit, a position acquisition unit, and an information generation unit. The deadline acquisition unit acquires a product deadline related to the sale of a product. The position acquisition unit acquires the position of a user targeted for the sale of the product. The information generation unit generates information related to the sale of the product based on the product deadline and the position of the user. The information generation unit includes a revised price information generation unit that generates revised price information related to a revised price at which the price of the product is revised as information related to the sale of the product.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] [Figure 1] A diagram showing an example of an information processing system 1 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] A diagram illustrating the content of the information provision service provided by the information processing device 100. [Figure 3] A diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the user terminal 20 in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] A diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the store terminal 30 in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] A diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 100 of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] A diagram showing an example including the functional configuration of the user terminal 20 of the first embodiment. [Figure 7] A diagram showing an example including the functional configuration of the store terminal 30 of the first embodiment. [Figure 8] A diagram showing the contents of sales status information 321. [Figure 9] A diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 100 of the first embodiment. [Figure 10] A diagram showing the contents of user information DB151. [Figure 11] A diagram showing the contents of sales information DB152. [Figure 12] A flowchart showing an example of processing in the information processing device 100 of the first embodiment. [Figure 13] A flowchart showing an example of processing in the information processing device 100 of the first embodiment. [Figure 14] A flowchart showing an example of processing in the information processing device 100 of the first embodiment. [Figure 15] A diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 100 of the second embodiment. [Figure 16] A diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 100 of the third embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] The information processing apparatus, information processing system, information processing method, and program of the embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0008] (First Embodiment) First, the overall configuration of the information processing system 1 of the first embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the information processing system 1 of the first embodiment. The information processing system 1 includes, for example, a user terminal 20, a store terminal 30, and an information processing device 100. The user terminal 20 is a terminal owned and carried by multiple users P, such as a smartphone. The store terminal 30 is, for example, a terminal installed in a store M included in a commercial facility. Examples of commercial facilities include department stores, shopping malls, supermarkets, and retail stores.

[0009] The user terminal 20, the store terminal 30, and the information processing device 100 are each connected to each other via a network NW in a manner that allows them to communicate with one another. This network can be an intranet, local area network (LAN), wireless LAN, etc., and it is preferable that a certain level of information security is in place.

[0010] Figure 2 illustrates the content of the information provision service provided by the information processing device 100. The information processing device 100 collects information on products sold in store M, such as food products F, from the store terminal 30, and also obtains real-time location information of user P inside or outside store M from the user terminal 20.

[0011] The information processing device 100 generates discount product information (hereinafter referred to as price information) regarding the prices of food products (discounted prices of discounted products) and advertising information, which is information about advertisements for products that are estimated to be of interest to user P, based on the information it has collected, and distributes it to the user terminal 20. The display control unit 213 of the user terminal 20 displays the distributed advertising information on the touch panel 202.

[0012] User P who has seen the information transmitted by the information processing apparatus 100 to the user terminal 20 goes to, for example, store M (or the food section in store M) to purchase food items. Alternatively, user P moves to the store that sells the product advertised in the advertisement information received by user terminal 20 and purchases that product.

[0013] For example, a shopping app is installed on user terminal 20. The shopping app is an application program for providing an information providing service including a price information providing service and an advertisement providing service to user P who shops at store M. When the shopping app is launched, user terminal 20 functions as part of the information processing system 1.

[0014] Next, the hardware configuration of each device in the information processing system 1 of the first embodiment will be described. First, the hardware configuration of user terminal 20 will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of user terminal 20 of the first embodiment. User terminal 20 includes, for example, a processor 21, a main storage device 22, a communication interface 23, an auxiliary storage device 24, an input / output device 25, a position detector 26, and a bus 27.

[0015] Processor 21 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), reads out and executes a terminal control program, for example, the shopping app, and realizes each function of user terminal 20. Also, processor 21 may read out and execute a program other than the terminal control program and realize the functions necessary for realizing each function of user terminal 20. Main storage device 22 is, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory) and stores in advance a terminal control program and other programs read out and executed by processor 21.

[0016] The communication interface 23 is an interface circuit for performing communication with the information processing device 100, the store terminal 30, etc. The auxiliary storage device 24 is, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), flash memory, or ROM (read-only memory).

[0017] The input / output device 25 is, for example, a touch panel display. The input / output device 25 receives input related to the use of information services provided by the shopping app in response to user P's operation. The input / output device 25 displays information provided to user P by the shopping app and information related to user P's shopping. The input / output device 25 may be configured with an input device and an output device that are independent of each other.

[0018] The position detector 26 is, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) device such as a GPS (Global Positioning System). By detecting the position of the user terminal 20, the position detector 26 also detects the position of the user P who is carrying (possessing) the user terminal 20.

[0019] The bus 27 connects the processor 21, main memory 22, communication interface 23, auxiliary memory 24, input / output device 25, and position detector 26 so that they can send and receive data from each other.

[0020] Next, the hardware configuration of the store terminal 30 will be described. Figure 4 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the store terminal 30 in the first embodiment. The store terminal 30 includes, for example, a processor 31, a main memory 32, a communication interface 33, an auxiliary storage device 34, an input / output device 35, and a bus 36.

[0021] The processor 31 is, for example, a CPU, which reads and executes the store program and implements the various functions of the store terminal 30. The processor 31 may also read and execute programs other than the store program and implement functions necessary for realizing the various functions of the store terminal 30. The main memory 32 is, for example, RAM, which stores the store status provision program and other programs that are read and executed by the processor 31.

[0022] The communication interface 33 is an interface circuit for performing communication with the user terminal 20 and the information processing device 100, etc., via the network NW. The auxiliary storage device 34 is, for example, a hard disk drive, solid state drive, flash memory, or ROM.

[0023] The input / output device 35 is, for example, a touch panel display. The bus 36 connects the processor 31, main memory 32, communication interface 33, auxiliary storage 34, and input / output device 35 so that they can send and receive data from each other.

[0024] Next, the hardware configuration of the information processing device 100 will be described. Figure 5 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 100 according to the first embodiment. The information processing device 100 includes, for example, a processor 11, a main memory 12, a communication interface 13, an auxiliary storage device 14, an input / output device 15, and a bus 16.

[0025] The processor 11 is, for example, a CPU, which reads and executes the information provision program and realizes the various functions of the information processing device 100. The processor 11 may also read and execute programs other than the information provision program and realize functions necessary for realizing the various functions of the information processing device 100. The main memory 12 is, for example, RAM, which stores the information provision program and other programs that are read and executed by the processor 11 in advance.

[0026] The communication interface 13 is an interface circuit for performing communication with user terminals 20 and store terminals 30, etc., via the network NW. The auxiliary storage device 14 is, for example, a hard disk drive, solid state drive, flash memory, or ROM.

[0027] The input / output device 15 is, for example, a touch panel display. The bus 16 connects the processor 11, main memory 12, communication interface 13, auxiliary storage device 14, and input / output device 15 so that they can send and receive data from each other.

[0028] Next, the functional configuration of the processing unit in the information processing system 1 will be described. First, the user terminal 20 will be described. Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example including the functional configuration of the user terminal 20 of the first embodiment. The user terminal 20 includes, for example, a transceiver 201, a touch panel 202, a GNSS device 203, a processing unit 210, and a storage device 220.

[0029] The transceiver 201 is an example of a communication interface 23. The transceiver 201 transmits information to the store terminal 30 and the information processing device 100, and receives information transmitted by the store terminal 30 and the information processing device 100. The touch panel 202 is an example of an input / output device 25. The input / output device 25 may be provided with separate input devices such as a numeric keypad or operation buttons, and output devices such as a display. The output device may be a display device such as a display, a speaker that outputs sound, or a vibrator that provides vibration. The GNSS device 203 is an example of a position detector 26.

[0030] The processing unit 210 is, for example, an example of a processor 21. The storage device 220 is, for example, an example of a main storage device 22 and an auxiliary storage device 24. The processing unit 210 includes, for example, a transmitting / receiving unit 211, a user position calculation unit 212, and a display control unit 213. The transmitting / receiving unit 211 causes the transceiver 201 to transmit and receive various types of data.

[0031] The user location calculation unit 212 calculates the user location from the location of the user terminal 20 detected by the GNSS device 203. The user location is composed of, for example, latitude and longitude information. The user location calculation unit 212 generates user location information indicating the calculated location of user P.

[0032] The display control unit 213 controls the display on the touch panel 202. For example, the display control unit 213 presents information (advertising information) related to the sale of products distributed and provided by the information processing device 100 to the user by displaying it on the touch panel 202. The display control unit 213 is an example of a presentation unit.

[0033] The storage device 220 stores the user ID 221. The user ID 221 is an ID assigned to the user who owns the user terminal 20. The transmitting / receiving unit 211 assigns the user ID 221 to the user location information generated by the user location calculation unit 212. The transmitting / receiving unit 211 transmits the user location information with the user ID 221 assigned to it to the information processing device 100 using the transmitting / receiving device 201. The transmitting / receiving unit 211 may store the information transmitted to the information processing device 100 in the storage device 220.

[0034] Next, the store terminal 30 will be described. Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the store terminal 30 of the first embodiment. The store terminal 30 includes, for example, a transceiver 301, an input device 302, a processing unit 310, and a storage device 320. Sales status information 321 is stored in the storage device 320.

[0035] Figure 8 shows the contents of sales status information 321. Sales status information 321 includes information on the product's sales location, expiration date, total number sold, and remaining quantity. The sales location is determined according to the product. For example, bento boxes and prepared foods are sold in the prepared food section, bread is sold in the bread section, and vegetables and fruits are sold in the fresh produce section.

[0036] The best-before date is determined for each product, for example. The best-before date is an example of a product expiration date. The product expiration date is the date by which a product can be sold, and it may be a date other than the best-before date. The product expiration date may be, for example, the sales deadline, the expiration date, or the closing time of store M. The total number of units sold is, for example, the total number of units sold for a certain period of time for products with a set best-before date. The total number of units sold is, for example, set before the opening time of store M. The remaining number is the number of units of products with a set best-before date that have not yet been sold.

[0037] An employee of store M monitors the sales status of products within store M. The employee of store M inputs the sales status of products by operating the input device 302 according to the results of the product monitoring. Sales status information 321 is created or updated by the employee of store M who monitors the sales status of products operating the input device 302.

[0038] The transceiver 301 is an example of a communication interface 33. The transceiver 301 transmits information to the user terminal 20 and the information processing device 100, and receives information transmitted by the user terminal 20 and the information processing device 100. The input device 302 performs the input function of the input / output device 35, for example. The input device 302 is, for example, a keyboard or a mouse. The input device 302 may also be an input / output device that doubles as an output device, such as a touch panel. The store terminal 30 may be equipped with an output device such as a display to perform the functions of the input / output device 25.

[0039] The processing unit 310 is an example of a processor 31. The storage device 320 is an example of a main storage device 32 and an auxiliary storage device 34. The processing unit 310 includes, for example, a transmitting / receiving unit 311, a sales status monitoring unit 312, and a data acquisition unit 313. The transmitting / receiving unit 311 causes the transceiver 301 to transmit and receive various types of data.

[0040] The sales status monitoring unit 312 checks the sales status of products in the sales area. Based on the information output by the input device 302, which is operated by employees or others, the sales status monitoring unit 312 monitors the sales status of products and updates the sales status information 321. When a product is sold out, the sales status monitoring unit 312 generates sold-out information. The transmitting and receiving unit 311 transmits the updated sales status information and sold-out information to the information processing device 100 using the transmitting and receiving unit 301.

[0041] The data collection unit 313 collects purchase information from user P who has purchased products using the shopping app. The data collection unit 313 collects purchase information each time user P makes a purchase. The purchase information includes user P's user ID, the type and quantity of products purchased by the user, and the time the user made the purchase. The transmission / reception unit 311 transmits the purchase information collected by the data collection unit 313 to the information processing device 100.

[0042] Next, the functional configuration of the information processing device 100 will be described. Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 100 according to the first embodiment. The information processing device 100 includes, for example, a transceiver 101, an input device 102, a display 103, a processing device 104, and a storage device 105.

[0043] The transceiver 101 is an example of a communication interface 13. The transceiver 101 transmits information to the user terminal 20 and the store terminal 30, and receives information transmitted by the user terminal 20 and the store terminal 30. The input device 102 performs the input function of the input / output device 15, for example. The input device 102 is, for example, a keyboard or a mouse. The input device 102 may also be an input / output device that also functions as an output device, such as a touch panel. The display 103 performs the output function of the input / output device 15.

[0044] The processing unit 104 is an example of the processor 11. The storage device 105 is an example of the main storage device 12 and the auxiliary storage device 14. The storage device 105 stores the user information DB 151 and the sales information DB 152. The user information DB 151 contains user information for multiple users. The sales information DB 152 contains sales information for multiple stores M.

[0045] Figure 10 shows the contents of the User Information DB 151. The User Information DB 151 is a collection of user information registered in the information processing device 100 for each user P, and is stored in the storage device 105. The user information included in the User Information DB 151 includes, for example, basic user information, user location information, and purchase history information. Basic user information includes, for example, user ID, gender, age, address, marital status (single or married), and occupation of user P. Basic user information is information transmitted by the user terminal 20.

[0046] User location information is information transmitted by the user terminal 20. User location information is the real-time location information of the user carrying the user terminal 20, and is indicated, for example, by latitude and longitude. Purchase history information includes, for example, the user ID, the date on which user P purchased the product at store M, the store ID of the purchasing store (store M) (purchase store ID), the purchased product by user P, and the quantity purchased.

[0047] Figure 11 shows the contents of the sales information DB 152. The sales information DB 152 is a collection of sales information generated based on store information registered in the information processing device 100 for each store M, and is stored in the storage device 105. The store information includes, for example, basic store information, sales floor information, sales status information, and price information.

[0048] The basic store information includes, for example, the store ID assigned to store M and information about store M's location. The sales floor information includes, for example, the sales floor ID assigned to each sales floor, the type of sales floor, and information about the sales floor's location within the store. The in-store location information includes the floor on which the sales floor is located within store M and information about the area defined within that floor. The location of the area within store M is indicated separately by latitude and longitude.

[0049] The sales status information includes sales status information 321 transmitted by the store terminal 30 (see Figure 8). The sales status information included in the sales information DB 152 is updated each time sales status information is transmitted by the store terminal 30.

[0050] The price information includes the type of product, the expiration date for each product, and the discount rate for each product at the time the discount starts. The type of product and the expiration date for each product are updated based on sales status information transmitted by the store terminal 30. The price of the product is updated to the revised price calculated by the revised price information generation unit 121. The revised price is, for example, a discounted price obtained by discounting the initial price, which is the price of the product when it was first put on sale.

[0051] The processing unit 104 includes, for example, an acquisition unit 110, an information generation unit 120, and a distribution unit 130. The acquisition unit 110 includes, for example, a user information acquisition unit 111, an expiration date acquisition unit 112, a sales status acquisition unit 113, a location acquisition unit 114, a user count acquisition unit 115, an attribute acquisition unit 116, and an attribute product relationship acquisition unit 117. The information generation unit 120 includes, for example, a revised price information generation unit 121, an advertising information generation unit 122, and a target user information generation unit 123.

[0052] The user information acquisition unit 111 in the acquisition unit 110 acquires, for example, the user's basic information transmitted by the user terminal 20 after the shopping application is installed on the user terminal 20, and stores it in the storage device 105. Once the user's basic information is stored in the storage device 105, the user's basic information is registered, and the shopping application becomes available. If the user's basic information is transmitted again by the user terminal 20 while the user's basic information is already registered, the user's basic information may be updated.

[0053] The user information acquisition unit 111 acquires user information transmitted by the user terminal 20. Based on the acquired user information, the user information acquisition unit 111 searches for user information with a matching user ID in the user information DB 151 stored in the storage device 105, and updates the found user information.

[0054] The expiration date acquisition unit 112 acquires the expiration date of the product based on the sales status information 321 transmitted by the store terminal 30. The sales status acquisition unit 113 acquires the sales status information 321 transmitted by the store terminal 30. When the sales status acquisition unit 113 acquires sales status information, it updates the sales information DB 152.

[0055] The location acquisition unit 114 acquires the user's location based on the user location information transmitted by the user terminal 20 and received by the transceiver 101. The user count acquisition unit 115 counts and acquires the number of users within a predetermined range from store M based on the user location information acquired by the location acquisition unit 114. The attribute acquisition unit 116 acquires the user's attributes based on the user information of the user carrying the user terminal 20 that transmitted the user information.

[0056] The attribute-product relationship acquisition unit 117 acquires the relationship between the user's attributes acquired by the attribute acquisition unit 116 and the product (hereinafter referred to as the attribute-product relationship). The attribute-product relationship is, for example, the relationship between the user's preferences according to their attributes and the product. For example, if the user is female, there is a relationship where they prefer prepared foods and snacks, and if the user is male, there is a relationship where they prefer large-portion bento boxes.

[0057] The revised price information generation unit 121 in the information generation unit 120 sets a revision time for revising the prices of products sold at store M based on various information acquired by the acquisition unit 110. The revision time is set, for example, before a specified time before closing time. The revised price information generation unit 121 calculates the revised price of the products at the set revision time and generates revised price information corresponding to the revised price. The revised price information generation unit 121 transmits the generated revised price information to store M using the transceiver 101.

[0058] The advertising information generation unit 122 generates advertising information that advertises store M, the sales area in store M, the products sold in the sales area, and the prices of the products sold, based on the various information acquired by the acquisition unit 110. When revised price information is generated by the revised price information generation unit 121, the advertising information generation unit 122 generates advertising information with the revised prices of the products.

[0059] The target user information generation unit 123 identifies users (hereinafter referred to as "target users") who are to be targeted for advertising information distribution and product advertisements, based on the various information acquired by the acquisition unit 110. The target user information generation unit 123 generates information about the determined target users (hereinafter referred to as "target user information"). Target user information is information that indicates a target user. Target user information may also be information that indicates users other than target users. For example, if users form a group, target user information may be information that indicates all users who are members of the group including the target user, or it may be information that indicates users who have attributes in common with the target user.

[0060] The distribution unit 130 distributes advertising information to target users indicated by the target user information. The advertising information is generated by the advertising information generation unit 122. The target user information is generated by the target user information generation unit 123. The distribution unit 130 distributes the advertising information using the transceiver 101. The distribution unit 130 stores the user ID of the user of the user terminal 20 to which the advertising information was distributed in the storage unit.

[0061] Next, the processing in the information processing system 1 will be described. Figures 12 to 14 are flowcharts showing examples of processing in the information processing device 100 of the first embodiment. Figure 12 shows the overall processing in the processing device 104. In the information processing device 100, the user information acquisition unit 111 acquires user information transmitted by the user terminal 20 (step S101). Subsequently, the sales status acquisition unit 113 acquires sales status information transmitted by the store terminal 30 (step S103).

[0062] Next, the revised price information generation unit 121 sets the revision time for generating the revised price information (step S105). The revision time is set based on a predetermined time before closing time, for example, by adjusting a standard revision time set in advance for each product. The standard revision time is determined for each product, for example, a predetermined time before closing time. The revised price information generation unit 121 adjusts the standard revision time set in advance according to the sales status of the product, the number of users, etc.

[0063] For example, the revision time for products with high unsold inventory or high customer traffic around the sales area may be moved earlier. The revision time may also be made unchangeable. Alternatively, the store terminal 30 may be able to send revision time request information to set the revision time by operating the input device 302, and the revised price information generation unit 121, which receives the revision time request information sent by the store terminal 30, may adjust the revision time according to the revision time request information.

[0064] The revised price information generation unit 121 sets a revision time and then determines whether or not the revision time has arrived (step S107). If it determines that the revision time has not arrived, the revised price information generation unit 121 returns to step S110. If it determines that the revision time has arrived, the revised price information generation unit 121 calculates the revised price of the product and generates revised price information (step S109). The procedure for calculating the revised price and generating revised price information will be explained later.

[0065] Next, the advertising information generation unit 122 generates advertising information including the revised price information generated by the revised price information generation unit 121 (step S111). Subsequently, the target user information generation unit 123 identifies both targets and generates target user information (step S113). The procedure for identifying target users and generating target user information will be explained later.

[0066] Next, the distribution unit 130 distributes the advertising information generated by the advertising information generation unit 122 to the target users indicated in the target user information generated by the target user information generation unit 123 (step S115). Subsequently, the revised price information generation unit 121 determines whether or not it is the closing time for store M (step S117). If it determines that it is not the closing time, the revised price information generation unit 121 returns to step S101. If the revised price information generation unit 121 determines that it is not the closing time, the information processing device 100 terminates the process shown in Figure 12.

[0067] Next, the process for generating revised price information will be explained with reference to Figure 13. Figure 13 shows the process for generating revised price information in the revised price information generation unit 121. When generating revised price information, the revised price information generation unit 121 first sets a discount base price (step S201). The discount base price is determined for each product, for example, at the time of revision. The discount base price may be a discount amount or a discount rate. For example, if the product is vegetables, it may be a 50 yen discount, and if it is rice balls, the discount rate may be 20%.

[0068] Next, the revised price information generation unit 121 determines whether the user is far from the sales floor based on the user location information acquired by the location acquisition unit 114 (step S203). The criteria for determining whether the user is far from the sales floor can be set in any way. For example, the criteria for determining whether the user is far from the sales floor may be whether the average distance from the sales floor of all users who have a history of using the sales floor and whose location can be identified (hereinafter referred to as "users subject to determination") is greater than or equal to a threshold.

[0069] If the system determines that the user is far from the sales area, the revised price information generation unit 121 lowers the revised price from the discount base price (step S205). The percentage by which the revised price is lowered may be constant or adjusted according to the number of users; for example, the percentage of the reduction may be higher the further the user is from the sales area. If the system determines that the user is not far from the sales area, the revised price information generation unit 121 skips step S205 and maintains the revised price.

[0070] Next, the revised price information generation unit 121 determines whether there are few users or not based on the number of users obtained by the user count acquisition unit 115 (step S207). The criteria for determining whether there are few users or not can be set in any way. For example, the criteria for determining whether there are few users or not may be whether the number of users to be judged is below a threshold.

[0071] If the revised price information generation unit 121 determines that the number of users is small, it lowers the revised price from the discounted base price (step S209). The percentage by which the revised price is lowered may be constant or adjusted according to the number of users; for example, the lower the percentage, the lower the percentage, if there are fewer users. If the revised price information generation unit 121 determines that the number of users is not small, it skips step S209 and maintains the revised price.

[0072] Next, the revised price information generation unit 121 determines whether the relationship between the product and the user's attributes is small or not, based on the attribute-product relationship acquired by the attribute-product relationship acquisition unit 117 (step S211). The criteria for determining whether the relationship between the product and the user's attributes is small or not can be set in any way. For example, when determining the criteria, the information processing device 100 may, for example, acquire in advance the relationship between the product and the attributes of users who are highly likely to purchase that product (hereinafter referred to as preference relationship). The criteria for determining whether the relationship between the product and the user's attributes is small or not may be, for example, whether the percentage of target users who have a preference relationship with the product is above a threshold.

[0073] If the revised price information generation unit 121 determines that the relationship between the product and the user's attributes is small, it lowers the revised price from the discount base price (step S213). The percentage by which the revised price is lowered may be constant or adjusted according to the number of users; for example, the lower the percentage, the smaller the relationship between the product and the user's attributes. If the revised price information generation unit 121 determines that the relationship between the product and the user's attributes is not small, it skips step S213 and maintains the revised price.

[0074] Next, the revised price information generation unit 121 determines whether there are many unsold items based on the sales status of the items obtained by the sales status acquisition unit 113 (step S215). The criteria for determining whether there are many unsold items can be set in any way. For example, the criteria for determining whether there are many unsold items may be whether the number of unsold items is above a threshold.

[0075] If the revised price information generation unit 121 determines that there are many unsold items, it lowers the revised price from the discount base price (step S217). The percentage by which the revised price is lowered may be constant, or it may be adjusted according to the number of unsold items; for example, the higher the number of unsold items, the higher the percentage of the reduction may be. If the revised price information generation unit 121 determines that there are not many unsold items, it skips step S217 and maintains the revised price.

[0076] Next, the revised price information generation unit 121 determines whether the expiration date is approaching based on the expiration date of the product obtained by the expiration date acquisition unit 112 (step S219). The criteria for determining whether the expiration date is approaching can be set in any way. For example, the criteria for determining whether the expiration date is approaching may be whether a set amount of time has passed since the expiration date.

[0077] If the revised price information generation unit 121 determines that the expiration date is approaching, it lowers the revised price from the discount base price (step S221). The percentage by which the revised price is lowered may be constant, or it may be adjusted according to how close the expiration date is; for example, the closer the expiration date, the higher the percentage of the reduction may be. If the revised price information generation unit 121 determines that the expiration date is not approaching, it skips step S221 and maintains the revised price.

[0078] Next, the revised price information generation unit 121 determines whether or not closing time is approaching (step S223). The criteria for determining whether or not closing time is approaching can be set in any way. For example, the criteria for determining whether or not closing time is approaching may be whether or not it is a set number of minutes before closing time. If multiple revision times are set, the process in step S223 may be omitted.

[0079] If the system determines that closing time is approaching, the revised price information generation unit 121 lowers the revised price from the discount base price (step S225). The percentage by which the revised price is lowered may be constant, or it may be adjusted according to how close closing time is; for example, the closer it is to closing time, the higher the percentage of the reduction may be. If the system determines that closing time is not approaching, the revised price information generation unit 121 skips step S225 and maintains the revised price. In this way, the information processing device 100 completes the process shown in Figure 13.

[0080] Next, the process of identifying target users will be explained. Figure 14 shows the process of generating target user information in the target user information generation unit 123. The target user information generation unit 123 first identifies the number of target users and the location of the target users (step S301). The number of target users and the location of the target users may be predetermined for each product, or they may be determined uniformly regardless of the product.

[0081] Next, the target user information generation unit 123 determines whether the expiration date of the products sold in the store is approaching based on the expiration date of the products obtained by the expiration date acquisition unit 112 (step S303). The criteria for determining whether the expiration date of the products sold in the store is approaching can be set in any way. For example, the criteria for determining whether the expiration date of the products sold in the store is approaching may be whether the representative value, such as the average or median of the expiration dates of each product sold in the store, is below a predetermined threshold.

[0082] If the system determines that a product being sold at the sales counter is nearing its expiration date, the target user information generation unit 123 expands the target users (step S305). The target user information generation unit 123 may expand the target users in any way it chooses. For example, the target user information generation unit 123 may expand the target users by increasing the number of target users or by expanding the range from the sales counter that includes the location of the target users.

[0083] Next, the target user information generation unit 123 determines, based on the attribute-product relationship acquired by the attribute-product relationship acquisition unit 117, whether the attributes of each candidate target user are likely to be those of a user who is likely to purchase products (step S307). Candidate target users are, for example, all users who have a user ID. Candidate target users may be defined in other ways. Candidate target users may be, for example, users who have a user ID and have a history of using the sales area or the store M to which the sales area belongs.

[0084] Whether or not a product is easy to purchase is predetermined based on attributes. For example, a product may be easier to purchase if the target user is a single male, and less likely to be purchased if the target user is a married woman. Whether or not an attribute is easy to purchase could also be determined for each sales time.

[0085] If the system determines that the attributes of a candidate target user are those that make it likely to purchase the product, the target user information generation unit 123 makes it easier to identify the candidate target user as a target user (step S309). If the system determines that the attributes of a candidate target user are not those that make it likely to purchase the product, the target user information generation unit 123 skips the process in step S309 and maintains the candidate's ease of identification as a target user.

[0086] Next, the target user information generation unit 123 determines, based on the attribute-product relationship acquired by the attribute-product relationship acquisition unit 117, whether the attributes of the target user candidate are likely to purchase products sold in the store (step S311). Whether the attributes of the target user candidate are likely to purchase products sold in the store are predetermined. For example, prepared foods are likely to be purchased by married women, and rice balls are likely to be purchased by single men. Whether the attributes of the target user candidate are likely to purchase products sold in the store may be predetermined for each sales time, for example.

[0087] If the system determines that the attributes of a candidate target user are such that they are likely to purchase products sold in the store, the target user information generation unit 123 makes it easier for the candidate target user to be identified as a target user (step S313). If the system determines that the attributes of a candidate target user are not such that they are likely to purchase products sold in the store, the target user information generation unit 123 skips the process in step S313 and maintains the candidate's ease of identification as a target user.

[0088] Next, the target user information generation unit 123 determines whether the location of the target user candidate is close to the sales floor based on the user location information acquired by the location acquisition unit 114 (step S315). Whether the location of the target user candidate is close to the sales floor can be determined in any way. For example, if the distance from the sales floor is within a threshold, it may be determined that the location of the target user candidate is close to the sales floor.

[0089] If the system determines that the location of a potential target user is close to the sales floor, the target user information generation unit 123 makes it easier for the potential target user to be identified as a target user (step S317). If the system determines that the location of a potential target user is not close to the sales floor, the target user information generation unit 123 skips the process in step S317 and maintains the ease with which the potential target user can be identified as a target user.

[0090] Next, the target user information generation unit 123 identifies the target user (step S319) and terminates the process shown in Figure 14.

[0091] The information processing device 100 of the first embodiment generates revised price information as information related to the sale of products sold at store M. Therefore, for example, as closing time approaches and the expiration date of commercial consumer goods is nearing, the prices of products can be appropriately revised, thereby promoting product sales without significantly harming the profits of store M. Consequently, it is possible to reduce the amount of products that are subject to disposal.

[0092] Furthermore, in the information processing device 100 of the first embodiment, the revised price is a discounted price obtained by discounting the initial price of the product at the time the product was first put on sale. This makes it possible to promote the sale of products before they become subject to disposal. In addition, the revised price is lower the further the product is sold from the user's location, lower the price when there are fewer users, lower the price when the expiration date is approaching, and lower the price when there are many unsold products.

[0093] Furthermore, the revised price is based on the user's attributes and the relationship between the user's attributes and the product. Therefore, it is possible to further promote product sales without significantly harming store M's profits and to reduce the amount of products that will be discarded.

[0094] Furthermore, in the information processing device 100 of the first embodiment, the target users to whom advertising information is delivered are identified based on the relationship between the product's sales location and the user's location. Therefore, advertising information can be delivered to users who are considered to have a high probability of purchasing the product, thereby promoting product sales without significantly harming the store M's profits and reducing the amount of products that will be discarded.

[0095] Furthermore, the target user information generation unit identifies a larger number of target users and a wider geographical range as the product's expiration date approaches. It also makes it easier to identify target users who are located closer to the product's sales location, and identifies target users based on user attributes and the relationship between user attributes and the product. As a result, it is possible to further promote product sales more effectively without significantly harming the profits of store M, and to reduce the amount of products that will be discarded.

[0096] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described. Figure 15 shows an example of the information processing device 400 of the second embodiment. The information processing system of the second embodiment differs from the information processing system 1 of the first embodiment mainly in that the information processing device 400 is used instead of the information processing device 100. The information processing system of the second embodiment will be described below, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0097] In the second embodiment of the information processing device 400, the acquisition unit 410 in the processing device 404 includes a purchase information acquisition unit 118 in addition to the configuration of the acquisition unit 110 in the processing device 104 of the first embodiment. In the second embodiment of the information processing device 400, the processing device 404 includes a determination unit 140 and a provision unit 150 in addition to the configuration of the processing device 104 in the first embodiment.

[0098] The transceiver 101 in the processing unit 404 receives purchase information collected by the data collection unit 313 in the store terminal 30 and transmitted by the store terminal 30. The purchase information acquisition unit 118 in the acquisition unit 410 acquires the purchase information received by the transceiver 101.

[0099] The determination unit 140 compares the user ID included in the purchase information obtained by the purchase information acquisition unit 118 with the user ID of the user to whom the advertising information was delivered by the delivery unit 130. Based on the user ID comparison result, the determination unit 140 determines whether the user purchased the product after seeing the delivered advertising information. Based on the determination of the product purchase result, the determination unit 140 determines the advertising effect. For example, the determination unit 140 determines that the higher the percentage of users who purchased the product after seeing the delivered advertising information, the higher the advertising effect.

[0100] The providing unit 150 provides the advertising effectiveness information determined by the determination unit 140 to the store terminal 30 using the transceiver 101. The providing unit 150 may also provide the advertising effectiveness by displaying it on the display 103 within the information processing device 400.

[0101] The information processing device 400 of the second embodiment has the same effects as the information processing device 100 of the first embodiment. Furthermore, the information processing device 400 of the second embodiment determines the advertising effect by distributing advertising information in the determination unit 140. By determining the advertising effect, it is possible to measure the effect of promoting product sales by distributing advertisements when there are unsold products, and thus the amount of products that will be discarded can be reduced by utilizing the advertising effect.

[0102] Furthermore, the supply unit 150 provides the advertising effectiveness to store M by transmitting the advertising effectiveness to the store terminal 30. This provides store M with information to decide whether or not to advertise products when unsold inventory occurs. Thus, store M can be made to use advertising effectively. Moreover, by measuring the advertising effectiveness, the content of the advertisements can be improved.

[0103] (Third embodiment) Next, a third embodiment will be described. Figure 16 shows an example of the information processing device 500 of the third embodiment. The information processing system of the third embodiment differs from the information processing system 1 of the first embodiment mainly in that the information processing device 500 is used instead of the information processing device 100. The information processing system of the third embodiment will be described below, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0104] In the third embodiment of the information processing device 500, the acquisition unit 510 in the processing device 504 includes a sold-out information acquisition unit 119 in addition to the configuration of the acquisition unit 110 of the processing device 104 in the first embodiment. The sold-out information acquisition unit 119 acquires sold-out information transmitted by the store terminal 30. The sold-out information acquisition unit 119 may also identify sold-out products (products with a "remaining quantity" of 0) based on the sales status acquired by the sales status acquisition unit 113 and acquire them as sold-out information.

[0105] When the distribution unit 130 obtains sold-out information from the sold-out information acquisition unit 119, it generates sales end information corresponding to the acquired sold-out information. The distribution unit 130 distributes the generated sales end information to the user terminal 20 that received the advertising information. The distribution unit 130 may also distribute sales end information to user terminals 20 other than the user terminal 20 that received the advertising information. The distribution unit 130 may also distribute sold-out information to user terminals 20 that are heading to or approaching the sales area.

[0106] The information processing device 500 of the third embodiment provides the same effects and advantages as the information processing device 100 of the first embodiment. Furthermore, the information processing device 500 of the third embodiment distributes sold-out information to the user terminal 20 when a product is sold out. This prevents users who have received advertising information from wasting their time and effort, thereby suppressing a decline in consumer customer satisfaction (CS).

[0107] The functions of each device in the above embodiments may also be provided by other devices. For example, in the above embodiments, price revisions are performed by the information processing device 100, but price revisions may also be performed by the store terminal 30. In this case, the store terminal 30 may function as an information processing device and transmit the revised price information to the user terminal 20.

[0108] Furthermore, when calculating the revised price, a trained model may be generated using machine learning with the elements for calculating the revised price as input data, and the generated trained model may be used to calculate the revised price. Alternatively, when identifying target users, a trained model may be generated using machine learning with each element for identifying target users as input data, and the generated trained model may be used to identify target users.

[0109] The information processing device of this embodiment includes a deadline acquisition unit that acquires the deadline for acquiring

[0110] While several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be carried out in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0111] 1…Information processing system, 11,21,31…Processor, 12,22,32…Main memory, 13,23,33…Communication interface, 14,24,34…Auxiliary memory, 15,25,35…Input / output device, 16,27,36…Bus, 20…User terminal, 26…Location detector, 30…Store terminal, 100,400,500…Information processing device, 101,201,301…Transceiver, 102,302…Input device, 103…Display, 104,210,310,404,504…Processing device, 105,220,320…Memory device, 110,410,510…Acquisition unit, 111…User information acquisition unit, 112…Expiration date acquisition unit, 113…Sales status acquisition unit, 1 14...Location acquisition unit, 115...Number of users acquisition unit, 116...Attribute acquisition unit, 117...Attribute product relationship acquisition unit, 118...Purchase information acquisition unit, 119...Sold out information acquisition unit, 120...Information generation unit, 121...Revised price information generation unit, 122...Advertising information generation unit, 123...Target user information generation unit, 130...Distribution unit, 140...Determination unit, 150...Provision unit, 202...Touch panel, 203...GNSS device, 211, 311...Transmit / receive unit, 212...User location calculation unit, 213...Display control unit, 312...Sales status monitoring unit, 313...Data collection unit, 321...Sales status information, 151...User information DB, 152...Sales information DB, F...Food products, M...Store, NW...Network, P...User

Claims

1. A deadline acquisition unit that acquires the expiration date of a product related to the sale of the product, A location acquisition unit that acquires the user's location using a terminal owned by the user, The system includes an information generation unit that generates information related to the sale of the product based on the product expiration date and the user's location, The information generation unit includes a revised price information generation unit that generates revised price information relating to the revised price of the product as information relating to the sale of the product, The aforementioned revised price is a discounted price obtained by discounting the initial price of the aforementioned product at the time the product was first put on sale. The information generation unit uses the discounted price at the time of revision as the base discounted price, and when it is determined that the sales location of the product and the user's location are far apart, it generates revised price information by lowering the revised price from the base discounted price. Information processing device.

2. The user count acquisition unit further acquires the number of users located within a predetermined range from the store, based on user location information indicating the location of the user acquired by the location acquisition unit, The aforementioned revised price is a price revised based on the number of users. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The revised price is lower the fewer users there are. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned revised price is the price revised based on the expiration date of the aforementioned product. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The revised price is the price that is lower the closer the expiration date of the product is. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4.

6. The system further includes an attribute acquisition unit that acquires the attributes of the user, The aforementioned revised price is a price revised based on the user's attributes. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The system further includes an attribute-product relationship acquisition unit that acquires the relationship between the user's attributes and the product. The aforementioned revised price is a price revised based on the relationship between the user's attributes and the aforementioned product. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The system further includes a sales status acquisition unit that acquires the sales status of the aforementioned product. The aforementioned revised price is a price revised based on the aforementioned sales situation. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The revised price is a price that is lower the more of the product remaining, based on the sales situation. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8.

10. The aforementioned revised price is the price revised before the specified time before the expiration date of the aforementioned product. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The information generation unit includes a target user information generation unit that generates target user information relating to target users who are to be provided with advertisements for the product, as information relating to the sale of the product. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. When the information generation unit determines that it is close to closing time, it lowers the revised price. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A deadline acquisition unit that acquires the expiration date of a product related to the sale of the product, A location acquisition unit that acquires the user's location using a terminal owned by the user, The system includes an information generation unit that generates information related to the sale of the product based on the user's attributes, the product's expiration date, and the user's location. The information generation unit includes a target user information generation unit that generates target user information relating to target users who are to be provided with advertisements for the product, as information relating to the sale of the product. The aforementioned target user information generation unit is: Based on the relationship between the sales location of the product and the location of the user, the target user is identified. The system determines whether the expiration date of the product is approaching based on the criteria, and if it is determined that the expiration date of the product is approaching, it expands the range to include the user's location to identify the target user. Information processing device.

14. The aforementioned target user information generation unit makes it easier to identify users who are located closer to the sales location of the product as target users. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13.

15. The aforementioned target user information generation unit increases the number of the aforementioned target users based on the expiration date of the aforementioned product. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13 or 14.

16. The aforementioned target user information generation unit increases the number of target users as the expiration date of the product approaches. The information processing apparatus according to claim 15.

17. The system further includes an attribute acquisition unit that acquires the attributes of the user, The aforementioned target user information generation unit further identifies the target user based on the user's attributes. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 13 to 16.

18. The system further includes an attribute-product relationship acquisition unit that acquires the relationship between the user's attributes and the product. The aforementioned target user information generation unit further identifies the target user based on the relationship between the user's attributes and the product. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 13 to 17.

19. The aforementioned target user information generation unit identifies the aforementioned target user before the specified time before the expiration date of the product. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 13 to 18.

20. The system further includes a purchase information acquisition unit that acquires purchase information regarding the purchase of the aforementioned products by the aforementioned target user, The system further includes a determination unit that determines the advertising effectiveness of the advertisement based on the aforementioned purchase information. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 13 to 19.

21. The system further includes a sold-out information acquisition unit that acquires sold-out information regarding the sold-out status of the aforementioned product. The aforementioned target user information generation unit generates sales completion information and provides it to the aforementioned target user when the sold-out information is acquired. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 13 to 20.

22. The aforementioned product expiration date includes at least one of the following: the sale date, the expiration date, or the best-before date of the aforementioned product. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 21.

23. An information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 22, The system includes a user terminal carried by the user, The information processing device includes a distribution unit that distributes information related to the sale of the product to the user terminal. The user terminal includes a display unit that presents to the user information regarding the sale of the product provided by the information processing device. Information processing system.

24. The computer of the information processing device, Obtain the expiration date related to the sale of the product, The user's location is obtained using a device owned by the user. Based on the product expiration date and the user's location, information regarding the sale of the product is generated. The computer generates revised price information regarding the revised price of the product as information relating to the sale of the product, The aforementioned revised price is a discounted price obtained by discounting the initial price of the aforementioned product at the time the product was first put on sale. The computer uses the discounted price at the time of revision as the base discounted price, and when it determines that the sales location of the product and the user's location are far apart, it generates revised price information by lowering the revised price from the base discounted price. Information processing methods.

25. In the computer of the information processing device, Obtain the expiration date related to the sale of the product. The user's location is obtained using a device owned by the user. Based on the product expiration date and the user's location, information regarding the sale of the product is generated. The computer is instructed to generate revised price information regarding the revised price of the product as information related to the sale of the product. The aforementioned revised price is a discounted price obtained by discounting the initial price of the aforementioned product at the time the product was first put on sale. The computer is instructed to generate revised price information, where the discounted price at the time of revision is the base discounted price, and when it is determined that the sales location of the product and the user's location are far apart, the revised price is set to a price lower than the base discounted price. program.

Images