Information processing device and notification system

Abstract

To provide an information processor and a notification system that make it possible to easily configure a system that can notify a consumer of an event that occurs in a product.SOLUTION: An information processor of an embodiment includes: an acquisition unit that acquires transaction information that associates consumer identification information that identifies a consumer with individual item identification information that indicates an individual item of a commodity that the consumer has purchased in a transaction; a management unit that manages the transaction information acquired by the acquisition unit for each consumer; a receipt information output unit that outputs, on the basis of the transaction information managed by the management unit, receipt information to be presented to the consumer as a receipt; a reception unit that receives event information indicating details of an event targeting the commodity; and an identification unit that refers to the transaction information managed by the management unit and identifies consumer identification information corresponding to the individual item identification information of the individual item that is a target of the event information received by the reception unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

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[0003]

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

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, logistics management of goods has been performed using technologies such as RFID (Radio Frequency Identification). A management system used for logistics management manages the process from a manufacturer that manufactures a product to a store that sells the product. For example, a logistics company or a sales company reads tag information from an RF tag attached to each individual product at the time of receipt and transmits this to a management server. As a result, the management server can grasp which vendor is currently managing each individual product.

[0003] By the way, a system for managing individual products purchased by consumers has also been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1). This system manages by associating each sold product with the consumer who purchased the product. When a defect is found in a product and the manufacturer recalls the product (hereinafter, also referred to as "recall"), the above system identifies the consumer who purchased the product to be recalled. Then, the above system notifies the identified consumer of recall information. In this way, when an event related to a product such as a recall occurs, the above system can identify the consumer who purchased the target product, so that it is possible to easily notify the consumer of the event information.

[0004] However, the above system needs to newly provide a consumer database that stores by associating each individual product with the customer who purchased the product. Also, it is necessary to create a mechanism for registering information in the above consumer database. For this reason, it is desired to easily configure a system that can notify a consumer who purchased a product of an event that has occurred in the product.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide an information processing device and a notification system that enable the easy configuration of a system that can notify consumers who have purchased a product of events that have occurred with that product. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The information processing device of the embodiment includes an acquisition unit that acquires transaction information indicating the content of the transaction, which is information that associates consumer identification information that identifies a consumer with individual product identification information that indicates individual products purchased by the consumer in a transaction; a management unit that manages the transaction information acquired by the acquisition unit for each consumer; and a receipt information output unit that outputs receipt information to be presented to the consumer as a receipt based on the transaction information managed by the management unit. From each of the multiple retailers This shows the details of the event related to the product. Event information and store identification information that identifies each of the aforementioned stores. A reception unit that receives the information, and an identification unit that, by referring to the transaction information managed by the management unit, identifies consumer identification information corresponding to the individual item identification information of the individual item that is the subject of the event information received by the reception unit, An output unit outputs the event information received by the reception unit and the consumer identification information identified by the identification unit to the retailer identified by the retailer identification information, It is equipped with. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the entire product management system, including the logistics management system and notification system of the embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows the data structure of the company master stored in the logistics management server of the embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows the data structure of the logistics management file stored in the logistics management server of the embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the main hardware configuration of the electronic receipt server according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows the data structure of the member master stored in the storage unit of the electronic receipt server according to the embodiment. [Figure 6]Figure 6 shows the data structure of the company master stored in the storage unit of the electronic receipt server according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows the data structure of the transaction information management file stored in the storage unit of the electronic receipt server according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a block diagram showing the main functional configuration of the control unit of the electronic receipt server according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a sequence chart showing the operation flow of the product management system of the embodiment. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of the notification destination extraction process by the control unit of the electronic receipt server in the embodiment. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a sequence chart showing the operation flow of a modified product management system. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the event information transmission processing flow by the control unit of a modified electronic receipt server. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] The following describes the information processing device and notification system of the embodiment with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. For example, the embodiment described below describes an example in which the information processing device is applied to an electronic receipt server that manages receipt information from multiple stores, but it is not limited to this. The information processing device may be an electronic receipt server that manages receipt information from a single store.

[0009] In the following explanation, "event" refers to any situation that a manufacturer, logistics company, retailer, etc., notifies consumers who have purchased a product. Examples of events include recalls, software updates, expiration dates, and warranty expirations. Events can be determined at the discretion of the manufacturer, logistics company, retailer, etc.

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the product management system 1. The product management system 1 includes a logistics management system 2 and a notification system 3. The logistics management system 2 is built across multiple manufacturers M, multiple logistics companies L, and multiple retailers S. The notification system 3 is built across multiple retailers S and multiple consumers C. The notification system 3 is a system that provides electronic receipts to consumers C, and can also be called an electronic receipt system.

[0011] The logistics management system 2 comprises a logistics management server 4, a manufacturer server 5, a logistics provider server 6, and a store server 7. The logistics management server 4, the manufacturer server 5, the logistics provider server 6, and the store server 7 are connected to each other via a network such as the Internet, enabling them to communicate with one another.

[0012] The logistics management server 4 manages the distribution process from when individual products (items) manufactured by manufacturer M arrive at retailer S. Here, "product" refers to items identified by a JAN (Japanese Article Number) code, and "item" refers to individual articles belonging to a product. In other words, there are many items for each product.

[0013] For example, the logistics management server 4 acquires individual product information, including tag information read from the RF tag attached to the individual product by manufacturer M at the time of shipment. The tag information includes a serial code that identifies the individual product. The serial code is an example of individual product identification information. The logistics management server 4 acquires individual product information from manufacturer server 5, including manufacturer M's company code, serial code, product code, date information indicating the shipment date, etc.

[0014] Similarly, the logistics management server 4 acquires individual item information, including tag information read from the RF tag attached to the individual item by the logistics company L upon receipt of the item. The individual item information includes the logistics company L's company code, serial code, product code, date information indicating the shipping date, etc.

[0015] The logistics management server 4 acquires individual item information including the tag information read from the RF tag attached to an individual item when the retailer S receives the item. The individual item information includes the company code of the company operating the retailer S, the store code of the retailer S, the serial code, the product code, the date information indicating the shipping date, and the like. Then, by managing the individual item information acquired from each company, the logistics management server 4 can manage the distribution process of the individual items shipped from the manufacturer M.

[0016] Here, the information stored in the storage unit of the logistics management server 4 will be described using FIGS. 2 and 3. The logistics management server 4 stores a company master 41 and a logistics management file 42.

[0017] The company master 41 is a master file that stores information on companies using the logistics management system 2. The information stored in the company master 41 is obtained from each company when the company applies to use the logistics management system 2. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the data configuration of the company master 41. The company master 41 stores the company name, store code, and notification destination in association with the company code.

[0018] The company code is a code that identifies the company that is the manufacturer M, the company that is the logistics provider L, and the company that operates the retailer S. The company name is information indicating the name of the company. The store code is a code that identifies the retailer S. When a company operates multiple retailers S, multiple store codes are stored in association with the company code and the company name. When the company is the manufacturer M or the logistics provider L, information is not normally registered in the store code. The notification destination is information indicating the notification destination of the company or the store. The notification destination is, for example, the communication addresses of the manufacturer server 5, the logistics provider server 6, the store server 7, and the like.

[0019] The logistics management file 42 is a file that manages the distribution process of each individual product. The logistics management file 42 is updated by the logistics management server 4 based on individual product information received from the manufacturer server 5, the logistics company server 6, and the store server 7. Figure 3 shows the data structure of the logistics management file 42. The logistics management file 42 stores product codes, serial codes, and traceability information in association with each other.

[0020] The product code is a code that identifies a product, such as a JAN code. The serial code is a code that identifies an individual product. Traceability information consists of a company code, store code, arrival date, and shipping date. The company code is a company code that identifies the company that manages the individual product identified by the serial code. The company code may include the company codes of multiple companies involved in the distribution process of the individual product. The store code is an example of store identification information that identifies retailer S. The arrival date is information indicating the date the individual product was received by the company identified by the company code. The shipping date is information indicating the date the company identified by the company code shipped the individual product. Note that the logistics management file 42 does not need to store the shipping date.

[0021] Manufacturer Server 5 is managed by Manufacturer M and manages information on individual products manufactured by Manufacturer M. When shipping individual products, Manufacturer M reads the tag information of the RF tag attached to the individual product using an RFID reader (not shown). Manufacturer Server 5 transmits individual product information, which associates the serial code and product code contained in the tag information obtained from the RFID reader with Manufacturer M's company code, date information indicating the shipping date, etc., to the Logistics Management Server 4.

[0022] The logistics provider server 6 manages information on individual items received from manufacturer M, which are managed by logistics provider L. When individual items are received from manufacturer M, logistics provider L reads the tag information of the RF tag attached to the individual item using an RFID reader (not shown). Logistics provider server 6 transmits individual item information to the logistics management server 4, associating the serial code and product code contained in the tag information obtained from the RFID reader with logistics provider L's company code, date information indicating the shipping date, etc.

[0023] The store server 7 is managed by the retail store S that sells the products and manages various information about the retail store S. For example, the store server 7 manages information on individual items that are received from the logistics company L and sold by the retail store S. When individual items are received from the logistics company L, the retail store S reads the tag information of the RF tag attached to the individual item using an RFID reader (not shown). The store server 7 transmits individual item information to the logistics management server 4, associating the serial code and product code contained in the tag information obtained from the RFID reader with the store code, the corporate code of the company that operates the retail store S, date information indicating the date of sale, etc.

[0024] Furthermore, the store server 7 manages various information about individual items purchased by consumer C and transaction information related to the transaction of said individual items. When consumer C purchases an individual item, the retailer S reads the tag information of the RF tag attached to the item using an RFID reader (not shown). The read tag information is entered into a POS (Point of Sales) terminal (not shown) installed at the retailer S. The POS terminal performs accounting processing based on the entered tag information and transmits the transaction information for one transaction to the store server 7. The store server 7 performs sales management at the retailer S based on the received transaction information. Note that the retailer S may be a retailer S that displays various individual products on a sales floor, or a retailer S that conducts sales via the internet.

[0025] The notification system 3 includes a store server 7, an electronic receipt server 8, and a consumer terminal 9. The store server 7, the electronic receipt server 8, and the consumer terminal 9 are connected to each other so that they can communicate with one another via a network such as the Internet.

[0026] The electronic receipt server 8 receives and manages transaction information from the store server 7. The electronic receipt server 8 also manages information about members, or consumers, who receive the electronic receipt service. Based on the managed transaction information, the electronic receipt server 8 generates receipt information, which is necessary for displaying electronic receipts on the consumer terminal 9. The electronic receipt server 8 then publishes the receipt information on a webpage and transmits it to the consumer terminal 9 as needed in response to requests from that terminal. The data format of the receipt information transmitted by the electronic receipt server 8 is not specified. Consumer C can view the receipt information received from the electronic receipt server 8 via the consumer terminal 9.

[0027] Furthermore, the electronic receipt server 8 receives notification requests containing event information from the store server 7. A notification request asks for the identification of the recipient of the event information included in the request. Event information is information indicating the content of an event related to a product. Examples of product-related events include recalls, expiration dates for food products, version upgrades for electrical appliances, and warranty expiration. The event is not limited to those listed above and can be broadly applied to any content that should be notified to consumer C.

[0028] The store server 7 sends a notification request to the electronic receipt server 8 based on event information obtained from the manufacturer M or logistics company L, or event information entered by the retail store S. For example, if a product recall is necessary, the store server 7 obtains the recall information output from the manufacturer server 5 and outputs a notification request. The electronic receipt server 8 receives a request from the store server 7 to identify the notification recipient, which is consumer C, the customer to whom the recalled product was purchased.

[0029] The notification request includes information necessary to identify consumer C (hereinafter also referred to as "identification information"). For example, if the event is a recall, the identification information would be the serial code of the recalled product. The electronic receipt server 8 refers to the transaction information it manages to identify consumer C who purchased the product identified by the serial code included in the notification request. The electronic receipt server 8 then refers to the consumer C information it manages, i.e., the electronic receipt service member information, to identify the notification recipient for the identified consumer C. The electronic receipt server 8 then sends information indicating the identified notification recipient (hereinafter also referred to as "notification recipient information") to the store server 7, which is the source of the notification request. Based on the received notification recipient information, the store server 7 sends event information to the consumer terminal 9. The electronic receipt server 8 is an example of an information processing device. The electronic receipt server 8 is also an example of a server device.

[0030] Furthermore, if the expiration of the warranty period, which occurs after a specified period has elapsed since the date of sale, is the event, the specific information required is the date of sale, etc. The electronic receipt server 8 refers to the transaction information it manages to identify consumer C who purchased the individual item sold on the date included in the notification request. Then, similarly to the above, the electronic receipt server 8 refers to the information of consumer C it manages to identify the notification recipient for the identified consumer C and sends the notification recipient information to the store server 7.

[0031] The notification information transmitted by the electronic receipt server 8 preferably includes a member code that identifies consumer C and consumer C's email address, but it is sufficient if it includes at least one of them. For example, if the store server 7 manages customer information that associates member codes with email addresses, the electronic receipt server 8 may transmit only the member code in the notification information. In this case, the store server 7 identifies the email address corresponding to the received member code based on the customer information it manages, and sends event information, the serial code of the individual product subject to the event, etc., to the identified email address as the recipient.

[0032] Furthermore, if the electronic receipt server 8 is able to communicate with the manufacturer server 5 and the logistics company server 6, it may receive notification destination requests from these servers. In this case, the electronic receipt server 8 identifies the notification destination based on the specific required information included in the notification destination request and sends the notification destination information to the store server 7. For example, the electronic receipt server 8 refers to the transaction information it manages, and if the specific required information is a serial code, it identifies the retailer S that sold the individual product identified by that serial code. The electronic receipt server 8 then sends the notification destination information to the store server 7 of the identified retailer S.

[0033] Furthermore, the electronic receipt server 8 may transmit notification destination information to the manufacturer server 5 or logistics company server 6, which is the source of the notification destination request. In this case, the manufacturer server 5 or logistics company server 6, upon receiving the notification destination information, transmits event information to the consumer terminal 9 based on that notification destination information.

[0034] Consumer terminal 9 is a terminal device such as a smartphone owned by consumer C, who is a member of the electronic receipt service. Consumer terminal 9 sends a receipt information request to the electronic receipt server 8 and receives receipt information from the electronic receipt server 8 in response. Consumer terminal 9 displays an electronic receipt based on the received receipt information.

[0035] The consumer terminal 9 receives and displays event information from the store server 7. This allows consumer C to recognize when an event has occurred with respect to an item they purchased. For example, if the event is a recall, consumer C can recognize that they need to return the item to the retailer S. Also, if the event is the expiration of the warranty period, consumer C can recognize that the item is no longer covered by the warranty.

[0036] Thus, when an event occurs with respect to a product, the notification system 3 can notify consumer C who purchased the individual product affected by the event. Moreover, since it utilizes the electronic receipt server 8 to provide consumer C with an electronic receipt, the notification system 3 can be easily constructed. As will be shown in the modified examples described later, the consumer terminal 9 may also receive event information from the electronic receipt server 8.

[0037] Next, the electronic receipt server 8 will be described in detail. Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the main hardware configuration of the electronic receipt server 8. The electronic receipt server 8 comprises a control unit 80, a storage unit 81, a display unit 82, an operation unit 83, and a communication unit 84. The control unit 80, storage unit 81, display unit 82, operation unit 83, and communication unit 84 are connected to each other via a bus 85, etc.

[0038] The control unit 80 has a computer configuration that includes a CPU 801 (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory) 802, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 803. The CPU 801, ROM 802, and RAM 803 are connected to each other via a bus 85.

[0039] The CPU 801 controls the overall operation of the electronic receipt server 8. The ROM 802 stores various programs and data, such as the program used to drive the CPU 801. The RAM 803 is used as the work area for the CPU 801 and loads the various programs and data stored in the ROM 802 and the memory unit 81. The control unit 80 executes various control processes for the electronic receipt server 8 by having the CPU 801 operate according to the control programs stored in the ROM 802 and the memory unit 81 and loaded into the RAM 803.

[0040] The storage unit 81 is composed of a storage medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or flash memory, and retains its contents even when the power is cut off. The storage unit 81 stores the control program 811, the member master 812, the company master 813, and the transaction information management file 814.

[0041] The control program 811 is a program that implements functions such as acquiring and managing transaction information from the store server 7 of each store S, generating receipt information based on the managed transaction information and sending the receipt information to the consumer terminal 9, receiving notification destination requests including event information from the store server 7, identifying the notification destination of the event information included in the received notification destination request, and outputting event information based on the identified notification destination.

[0042] The Member Master 812 is a master file that stores information about members of the electronic receipt service, i.e., information about Consumer C. The information registered in the Member Master 812 is obtained from Consumer C when they register as a member of the electronic receipt service. Figure 5 shows the data structure of the Member Master 812. The Member Master 812 stores the name, gender, age, and notification address, associated with the member code.

[0043] The membership code is a code that identifies members of the electronic receipt service. The name is information that identifies the member's name. The gender is information that identifies the member's gender. The age is information that identifies the member's age. The notification address is, for example, the email address of the consumer terminal 9 owned by the member. The membership code and notification address information identify consumer C and are examples of consumer identification information.

[0044] The company master file 813 is a master file that stores information about companies participating in the electronic receipt service. The information stored in the company master file 813 is obtained from each company when they apply to participate in the electronic receipt service. Figure 6 shows the data structure of the company master file 813. The company master file 813 stores the company name, store code, and notification recipient, associated with the company code.

[0045] The company code is a code that identifies the company operating store S. The company name is information indicating the name of the company. The store code is a code that identifies store S. If one company operates multiple stores S, multiple store codes are stored, associated with the company code and company name. The notification destination is information that indicates the notification destination of the company or store. The notification destination is, for example, the communication address of store server 7.

[0046] The transaction information management file 814 is a file that manages transaction information obtained from the store server 7 of each sales office S, for each member and for each transaction. The transaction information management file 814 is updated based on the transaction information obtained from the store server 7. Figure 7 shows the data structure of the transaction information management file 814. The transaction information management file 814 stores the transaction number, company code, store code, transaction amount, transaction date, product information, and serial code, associated with the member code.

[0047] As mentioned above, the Member Code is a code that identifies members of the electronic receipt service. The Transaction No. is information that identifies a single transaction at store S. The Company Code is a code that identifies the company that operates store S where the transaction took place. The Store Code is a code that identifies store S where the transaction took place.

[0048] The transaction amount is information indicating the total amount of the goods purchased in a single transaction. The transaction date is information indicating the date the transaction took place, i.e., the date the individual item was purchased (sales date information). The company code, store code, transaction amount, and transaction date are stored in a one-to-one correspondence with the transaction number.

[0049] Product information refers to information about the purchased product. This includes, for example, a product code that identifies the product, the product name, unit price, and tax amount. The serial code is a code that identifies the individual purchased product. If multiple items are purchased in a single transaction, multiple product information entries and serial codes are registered corresponding to the transaction number. Product information is stored in a one-to-one correspondence with the serial code.

[0050] Returning to Figure 4, let's describe the hardware configuration of the electronic receipt server 8.

[0051] The display unit 82 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal panel and displays various information. The display unit 82 displays, for example, information stored in the member master 812, company master 813, and transaction information management file 814 as needed.

[0052] The operation unit 83 is for inputting information to the control unit 80 and consists of a keyboard, touch panel, mouse, etc.

[0053] The communication unit 84 is an interface for communicating with external devices such as the store server 7 and consumer terminals 9. The control unit 80 is connected to the external devices via the communication unit 84, enabling it to send and receive information (data) with the external devices.

[0054] Next, the main functional configuration of the control unit 80 of the electronic receipt server 8 will be described. Figure 8 is a block diagram showing the main functional configuration of the control unit 80 of the electronic receipt server 8. The control unit 80 functions as a transmitting / receiving unit 8001, an input unit 8002, a management unit 8003, and a specific unit 8004, with the CPU 801 operating according to the control program stored in the ROM 802 and the storage unit 81. Note that each of these functions may be configured with hardware such as dedicated circuits.

[0055] The transmitting / receiving unit 8001 transmits and receives various types of information between the store server 7 and the consumer terminal 9. For example, the transmitting / receiving unit 8001 receives transaction information from the store server 7. Transaction information is information that associates the member code with the serial code of the product purchased by consumer C in the transaction. The transmitting / receiving unit 8001 functions as an acquisition unit that obtains transaction information.

[0056] The transmitting / receiving unit 8001 receives a receipt information request from the consumer terminal 9 and transmits the receipt information to the consumer terminal 9 in response to the receipt information request. The transmitting / receiving unit 8001 also functions as a receipt information output unit.

[0057] The transmitting / receiving unit 8001 receives a notification destination request from the store server 7. The notification destination request includes event information indicating an event that occurred with respect to a product. The transmitting / receiving unit 8001 functions as a receiving unit that receives event information.

[0058] The transmitting / receiving unit 8001 transmits notification destination information, which associates event information with consumer identification information, to the store server 7, the source of the notification destination request, as a response to the notification destination request. The transmitting / receiving unit 8001 also functions as a first output unit that outputs the event information and consumer identification information to the retail store S.

[0059] Various information is entered into the input unit 8002 from the operation unit 83. For example, when manually updating the member master 812, company master 813, or transaction information management file 814, information for updating is entered into the input unit 8002.

[0060] The management unit 8003 manages the information stored in the storage unit 81. Here, managing information means storing information in the storage unit 81 or reading information from the storage unit 81 as needed. The management unit 8003 manages the transaction information received by the transmitting / receiving unit 8001 for each consumer C. Specifically, the management unit 8003 registers information in the transaction information management file 814 based on the transaction information received by the transmitting / receiving unit 8001.

[0061] When the transmission / reception unit 8001 receives a receipt information request from the consumer terminal 9, the management unit 8003 reads transaction information that matches the receipt information request from the transaction information management file 814. For example, the management unit 8003 reads transaction information that matches the member code and transaction date specified in the receipt information request and generates receipt information.

[0062] The identification unit 8004 refers to transaction information managed by the management unit 8003 to identify consumer identification information corresponding to the serial code of the individual product that is the subject of the event information received by the transmitting / receiving unit 8001. Specifically, when the transmitting / receiving unit 8001 receives a notification destination request containing event information from the store server 7, the identification unit 8004 reads the notification destination that matches the notification destination request from the member master 812 or the transaction information management file 814. For example, the identification unit 8004 identifies the member code corresponding to the serial code included in the notification destination request as consumer identification information in the transaction information management file 814. Alternatively, the identification unit 8004 may refer to the member master 812 to identify the notification destination corresponding to the identified member code as consumer identification information.

[0063] The following outlines the operation of the product management system 1 with the above configuration. Figure 9 is a sequence chart showing the flow of operation of the product management system 1. Since the operations of the manufacturer server 5 and the logistics provider server 6 are similar, the operation of the manufacturer server 5 will be explained, and the explanation of the operation of the logistics provider server 6 will be omitted.

[0064] First, we will explain the operation of the product management system 1 during the distribution process from when an individual product is shipped from manufacturer M to when it reaches retailer S. When manufacturer M ships an individual product, it reads tag information from the RF tag attached to the product. The tag information includes the product code of the product to which the individual product belongs, the serial code of the individual product, etc. The tag information may also include manufacturer M's company code. The read tag information is input to the manufacturer server 5 (step S1).

[0065] The manufacturer server 5 generates individual product information by associating the product code and serial code included in the tag information with the manufacturer M's company code and date information indicating the shipping date, and transmits this individual product information to the logistics management server 4 (step S2).

[0066] The logistics management server 4 registers the received individual item information in the logistics management file 42 (step S3). If the serial code information included in the received individual item information is already registered in the logistics management file 42, the logistics management server 4 adds the company code and date information included in the received individual item information, associating it with the serial code. For example, the serial code information included in the individual item information received from the logistics company server 6 is already registered by the individual item information from the manufacturer server 5. In this case, the logistics management server 4 stores the company code and date information of the logistics company L included in the individual item information received from the logistics company server 6, associating it with the already registered serial code.

[0067] When an individual item arrives at store S, store S reads the tag information from the RF tag attached to the item. The tag information is entered into the store server 7 (step S4). The store server 7 generates individual item information by associating the product code and serial code contained in the tag information with the store code of store S, the company code of the company operating store S, and date information indicating the arrival date, and transmits this individual item information to the logistics management server 4 (step S5). The logistics management server 4 stores the store code, company code, and date information contained in the individual item information received from the store server 7, associating them with the registered serial code (step S6).

[0068] Through the above operations, the logistics management server 4 can manage the status of individual items in the distribution process.

[0069] Next, we will explain the operation of the product management system 1 from the time an individual item is sold by store S until an electronic receipt is issued to consumer C. When consumer C purchases an individual item at store S, accounting processing is performed by the store S's POS terminal (not shown). The store server 7 obtains transaction information from the POS terminal (step S11). The store server 7 transmits the obtained transaction information to the electronic receipt server 8 (step S12).

[0070] The electronic receipt server 8 registers the received transaction information in the transaction information management file 814 (step S13). When consumer C, who has purchased an item, views the electronic receipt, a receipt information request is entered into the consumer terminal 9 (step S14). The receipt information request includes, for example, receipt information extraction conditions such as the transaction date. The consumer terminal 9 sends the receipt information request, including the receipt information extraction conditions, to the electronic receipt server 8 (step S15).

[0071] The electronic receipt server 8 searches the transaction information management file 814 based on the receipt information extraction conditions included in the received receipt information request and extracts the receipt information necessary for displaying the electronic receipt (step S16). More specifically, the electronic receipt server 8 selects transaction information from the transaction information management file 814 that matches the receipt information extraction conditions. Then, the electronic receipt server 8 extracts the receipt information necessary for displaying the electronic receipt from the selected transaction information. The electronic receipt server 8 transmits the extracted receipt information to the consumer terminal 9 (step S17).

[0072] The consumer terminal 9 displays the received receipt information (step S18). The consumer terminal 9 displays the receipt information received from the electronic receipt server 8 in receipt format using the installed electronic receipt application program. Consumer C can view the electronic receipt with the same ease as a paper receipt.

[0073] Next, we will explain the operation of the product management system 1 when an event related to a product occurs and consumer C who purchased the product to which the event applies is notified of the event information. For example, when an event occurs that should notify consumer C who purchased the product, such as a recall or a software version upgrade, an event notification case is entered into the manufacturer server 5 (step S21). In the event notification case entry, information for selecting the product to which the event applies (hereinafter also referred to as "selection information") is entered. Selection information includes, for example, the serial code of the product to be affected, and a combination of the product code and shipping date of the product to be affected. The manufacturer server 5 sends a request for target product information to the logistics management server 4 (step S22). The request for target product information includes the selection information.

[0074] The logistics management server 4 selects target individual item information based on the selection information included in the received target individual item information request (step S23). More specifically, the logistics management server 4 refers to the logistics management file 42 and selects the serial code that matches the selection information and the store code corresponding to that serial code as target individual item information. The logistics management server 4 transmits the selected target individual item information to the manufacturer server 5 (step S24).

[0075] The manufacturer server 5 extracts the retailer S from the received product information (step S25). In other words, the manufacturer server 5 extracts the retailer S that sold the product that is the subject of the event from the product information. The manufacturer server 5 sends information including event information and the serial code of the product that is the subject of the event to the store server 7 of the extracted retailer S (step S26).

[0076] Furthermore, if manufacturer M is aware of the retail store S where the individual items subject to the event have been received, steps S22 to S25 are unnecessary. Also, if manufacturer server 5 is able to communicate with electronic receipt server 8, the transmission of event information and serial code in step S26 may be performed to electronic receipt server 8.

[0077] When the store server 7 receives event information and a serial code, it sends a notification destination request containing the received event information and serial code to the electronic receipt server 8 (step S28). The store server 7 sends a notification destination request containing the store code of its own store S. The store server 7 queries the electronic receipt server 8 for the recipient of the event information based on the notification destination request.

[0078] When the electronic receipt server 8 receives a notification destination request, it executes a notification destination extraction process (step S28). Details of the notification destination extraction process performed by the electronic receipt server 8 will be described later. The electronic receipt server 8 sends the notification destination information, such as the member code and email address extracted in the notification destination extraction process, to the store server 7 (step S29).

[0079] The store server 7 transmits event information and the serial code of the individual product that is the subject of the event to the consumer terminal 9 identified by the received notification destination information (step S30). At this time, it is desirable for the store server 7 to also transmit information indicating the product name to the consumer terminal 9. This is to make it easier for consumer C to recognize the individual product that is the subject of the event. In addition, the store server 7 may also transmit additional information to the consumer terminal 9. For example, the store server 7 may transmit advertising information such as special sale information from its own store S to the consumer terminal 9 as additional information. Consumer C can recognize the event for the individual product that they purchased by checking the event information, product name, and individual product code transmitted to the consumer terminal 9.

[0080] Through the above operations, the notification system 3 of the product management system 1 can notify consumer C, who has purchased an individual item, of events that have occurred with that item. Moreover, since the notification system 3 utilizes information from the electronic receipt server 8, which provides electronic receipt services to consumer C, to notify consumer C of the event information, the notification system 3 can be easily configured. In other words, there is no need to create a new consumer database to manage transaction information from multiple retail stores S.

[0081] Next, we will explain the notification recipient extraction process performed by the electronic receipt server 8. Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of the notification recipient extraction process by the control unit 80 of the electronic receipt server 8.

[0082] The control unit 80 determines whether the transmitting / receiving unit 8001 has received a notification destination request containing event information from the store server 7 (step S41). If it has not received the request (N in step S41), it returns to the process in step S41 and waits.

[0083] When the transmitting / receiving unit 8001 receives a notification destination request from the store server 7 (Y in step S41), the identification unit 8004 determines whether or not the notification destination request includes a serial code (step S42). If a serial code is included (Y in step S42), the identification unit 8004 identifies the member code corresponding to the serial code (step S43). In other words, the identification unit 8004 identifies consumer C who purchased the item identified by the serial code included in the notification destination request.

[0084] The identification unit 8004 reads the address of the notification destination corresponding to the identified member code by referring to the member master 812 (step S44). The transmitting / receiving unit 8001 sends the read notification destination to the store server 7, which is the source of the notification destination request (step S45). Then, the control unit 80 terminates the notification destination extraction process.

[0085] The transmitting / receiving unit 8001 may also send the member code to the store server 7 as a notification destination. For example, if the store server 7 has customer data that associates the member code with the address of the consumer terminal 9, the transmitting / receiving unit 8001 may send the member code to the store server 7 as a notification destination.

[0086] In the processing of step S42, if the notification request does not include a serial code (N in step S42), the identification unit 8004 determines whether the product code and period information are included in the notification request (step S46). If the notification request includes the product code and period information (Y in step S46), the identification unit 8004 identifies the target transaction by referring to the transaction information management file 814 (step S47). More specifically, the identification unit 8004 extracts from the transaction information management file 814 transactions in which the product with the product code included in the notification request was purchased, and which correspond to the transaction date of the period information included in the notification request.

[0087] The identification unit 8004 extracts the member code from the transaction information of the identified transaction (step S48). In other words, the identification unit 8004 identifies consumer C who purchased the goods in the identified transaction. Then, the control unit 80 proceeds to the processing in step S44.

[0088] In the processing of step S46, if the product code and period information are not included in the notification destination request (N in step S46), the transmitting / receiving unit 8001 sends error information to the store server 7 (step S49). That is, the transmitting / receiving unit 8001 sends error information to the store server 7 indicating that the notification destination request does not include conditions for identifying the notification destination.

[0089] According to the above embodiment, it is possible to easily configure a system that can notify a consumer C who has purchased a product of events that have occurred with that product. Furthermore, since the event information is transmitted from the store server 7 to the consumer terminal 9, the store server 7 can also transmit additional information such as advertising information from the retailer S along with the event information. Therefore, the retailer S can use the notification of events related to the product to conduct advertising.

[0090] Next, a modified example will be described. This modified example differs from the example described above in that the electronic receipt server 8 transmits event information to consumer C. In the following explanation, the same configuration, functions, etc. as those of the product management system 1 described above may be omitted.

[0091] Figure 11 is a sequence chart showing the operation flow of a modified product management system. The processing in steps S21 to S26 is the same as in the example described above. When the store server 7 receives event information and the serial code of the individual product that is the subject of the event from the manufacturer server 5, it sends an event information transmission instruction to the electronic receipt server 8 (step S51). The event information transmission instruction instructs the electronic receipt server 8 to transmit event information to the consumer terminal 9. The event information transmission instruction includes event information and the serial code of the individual product that is the subject of the event.

[0092] When the electronic receipt server 8 receives an event information transmission instruction, it executes the event information transmission process (step S52). Details of the event information transmission process will be described later. The electronic receipt server 8 transmits the event information and the serial code of the individual product that is the subject of the event to the consumer terminal 9 through the event information transmission process (step S53). At this time, it is desirable for the electronic receipt server 8 to also transmit the product name to the consumer terminal 9.

[0093] Through the above operations, the notification system 3 of the product management system 1 can notify consumer C, who has purchased an individual item, of events that have occurred with that item, similar to the example described above. Furthermore, event information can be notified to consumer C using the electronic receipt server 8, which provides electronic receipt services to consumer C.

[0094] Next, we will describe the event information transmission process performed by the electronic receipt server 8. Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of the event information transmission process by the control unit 80 of the electronic receipt server 8.

[0095] The control unit 80 determines whether the transmitting / receiving unit 8001 has received an event information transmission instruction from the store server 7 (step S61). If it has not received the instruction (N in step S61), it returns to the process in step S61 and waits.

[0096] When the transmitting / receiving unit 8001 receives an event information transmission instruction from the store server 7 (Y in step S61), the identification unit 8004 determines whether or not the event information transmission instruction includes a serial code (step S62). If a serial code is included (Y in step S62), the identification unit 8004 identifies the member code corresponding to the serial code (step S63). In other words, the identification unit 8004 identifies consumer C who purchased the item identified by the serial code included in the event information transmission instruction.

[0097] The identification unit 8004 reads the address of the notification destination corresponding to the member code identified by referring to the member master 812, and identifies the destination for sending event information (step S64). The transmitting / receiving unit 8001 transmits the event information, the serial code of the individual product that is the subject of the event, and information indicating the product name to the identified destination consumer terminal 9 (step S65). Then, the control unit 80 terminates the notification destination extraction process. The transmitting / receiving unit 8001 functions as a second output unit that outputs the event information to consumer C.

[0098] In the processing of step S62, if the event information transmission instruction does not include a serial code (N in step S62), the identification unit 8004 determines whether the product code and period information are included in the notification destination request (step S66). If the event information transmission instruction includes the product code and period information (Y in step S66), the identification unit 8004 refers to the transaction information management file 814 to identify the target transaction (step S67). More specifically, the identification unit 8004 extracts from the transaction information management file 814 transactions in which the product with the product code included in the event information transmission instruction was purchased, and which have transaction dates corresponding to the period information included in the event information transmission instruction.

[0099] The identification unit 8004 extracts the member code from the transaction information of the identified transaction (step S68). In other words, it identifies consumer C who purchased the goods in the identified transaction. Then, the control unit 80 proceeds to the processing in step S64.

[0100] In the processing of step S66, if the product code and period information are not included in the event information transmission instruction (N in step S66), the transmitting / receiving unit 8001 sends error information to the store server 7 (step S69). That is, the transmitting / receiving unit 8001 sends error information to the store server 7 indicating that the event information transmission instruction does not contain the information necessary to identify the destination.

[0101] In the above modified example, it is possible to easily configure a system that can notify consumers who have purchased a product of events that have occurred with that product. Furthermore, event information can be sent from the electronic receipt server 8 to the consumer terminal 9 using a mechanism for sending electronic receipts to the consumer terminal 9.

[0102] As described above, the electronic receipt server 8 of the embodiment includes an acquisition unit (transmitting / receiving unit 8001) that acquires transaction information indicating the content of the transaction, which is information that associates a member code that identifies a consumer with a serial code that indicates an individual product purchased by the consumer in the transaction; a management unit 8003 that manages the transaction information acquired by the acquisition unit for each consumer; a receipt information output unit (transmitting / receiving unit 8001) that outputs receipt information to be presented to the consumer as a receipt based on the transaction information managed by the management unit 8003; a reception unit (transmitting / receiving unit 8001) that receives event information indicating the content of an event targeting a product; and a specification unit 8004 that refers to the transaction information managed by the management unit 8003 and identifies a member code corresponding to the serial code of the individual product that is the target of the event information received by the reception unit.

[0103] This allows the electronic receipt server 8 to easily identify consumers who have purchased the items that are the subject of the event. Therefore, the notification system 3 can notify consumers who have purchased the items that are the subject of the event of the event that has occurred. Furthermore, by using the electronic receipt server 8 to provide the electronic receipt service, there is no need to set up a new consumer database, and it becomes possible to easily build a system that notifies consumers of events.

[0104] Furthermore, in the electronic receipt server 8 of this embodiment, the event information received by the transmitting / receiving unit 8001 includes the serial code of the product that is the subject of the event, and the identification unit 8004 refers to the transaction information to identify the member code corresponding to the serial code included in the event information.

[0105] As a result, the electronic receipt server 8 can manage serial codes to identify consumers who purchased individual products that are subject to events, such as product recalls or expiration dates, even if these events are based on the product's manufacturing date.

[0106] Furthermore, in the electronic receipt server 8 of the embodiment, the event information received by the transmitting / receiving unit 8001 includes period information specifying a period from the date of sale, and the transaction information includes sales date information associated with the member code. The identification unit 8004 refers to the sales date information of the transaction information, selects transaction information that matches the period information included in the event information, and identifies the member code corresponding to the selected transaction information.

[0107] This allows the electronic receipt server 8 to identify consumers who purchased the individual items subject to the event by utilizing the transaction date information it has already maintained. Therefore, in the case of events based on the product's sales date, such as notifications of the expiration of the warranty period from the sales date, the electronic receipt server 8 does not need to newly manage the serial codes of the traded products.

[0108] In addition, the electronic receipt server 8 of the embodiment further includes a first output unit (transmitting unit 8001) that receives a store code that identifies the retail store S, and outputs the event information received by the transmitting / receiving unit 8001 and the member code identified by the identification unit 8004 to the retail store S identified by the store code.

[0109] This allows retailer S to notify consumers of events that have occurred. As a result, retailer S can provide consumers with additional information, such as advertisements, along with the event notification.

[0110] Furthermore, the electronic receipt server 8 of this embodiment is further equipped with a second output unit (transmitting / receiving unit 8001) that outputs event information received by the transmitting / receiving unit 8001 to consumers identified by a membership code identified by the identification unit 8004.

[0111] This eliminates the need for retailer S to notify consumers of events that have occurred. As a result, the amount of information that retailer S needs to manage is reduced, thereby alleviating the burden on retailer S.

[0112] In each of the above embodiments, the control programs executed by the store server 7, the electronic receipt server 8, and the consumer terminal 9 may be provided by recording them on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM. Alternatively, the control programs executed by each of the above devices may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by downloading them via the network, or they may be provided via a network such as the Internet.

[0113] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0114] For example, instead of RF tags, two-dimensional codes can be used as the medium for holding individual product identification information. In this case, a label printed with a two-dimensional code showing the individual product identification information can be attached to the product, and the manufacturer M, logistics company L, and retailer S can use a two-dimensional code reader to read the individual product identification information from the two-dimensional code attached to the product. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0115] 3. Notification System 7 Store Servers 8. Electronic receipt server (information processing device, server device) 9 Consumer terminals 8001 Transmitting / receiving unit (acquisition unit, receipt information output unit, reception unit, first output unit, second output unit) 8003 Management Department 8004 Specific part [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0116] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-12540

Claims

1. Information that associates consumer identification information that identifies a consumer with individual product identification information that indicates the individual product purchased by the consumer in a transaction, and an acquisition unit that acquires transaction information indicating the content of the transaction, The aforementioned acquisition unit manages the transaction information acquired by the acquisition unit for each consumer, A receipt information output unit outputs receipt information to be presented to the consumer as a receipt, based on transaction information managed by the aforementioned management unit. A reception unit that receives event information indicating the content of events targeting products from each of multiple retailers, and retailer identification information that identifies each of the said retailers, The identification unit identifies consumer identification information corresponding to the individual item identification information of the individual item that is the subject of the event information received by the reception unit, by referring to the transaction information managed by the management unit. An output unit outputs the event information received by the reception unit and the consumer identification information identified by the identification unit to the retailer identified by the retailer identification information, An information processing device equipped with the following features.

2. The event information received by the aforementioned reception desk includes individual product identification information for the products covered by the event. The identifying unit refers to the transaction information to identify consumer identification information corresponding to the individual item identification information included in the event information. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The event information received by the reception department includes period information specifying the period from the sales date, and the transaction information includes sales date information associated with the individual product identification information. The identifying unit refers to the sales date information of the transaction information to select transaction information that matches the period information included in the event information, and identifies consumer identification information corresponding to the selected transaction information. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

4. A notification system comprising a store server provided by a retail store that sells goods, and a server device that manages transaction information of transactions at the said retail store, The server device is Information that associates consumer identification information to identify a consumer, individual item identification information indicating the individual product purchased by the consumer in the transaction, and store identification information to identify the store that sold the individual item, and an acquisition unit that acquires transaction information indicating the content of the transaction from the store server, The aforementioned acquisition unit manages the transaction information acquired by the acquisition unit for each consumer, A receipt information output unit outputs receipt information to be presented to the consumer as a receipt, based on transaction information managed by the aforementioned management unit. A reception unit that receives event information indicating the content of an event targeting a product and store identification information identifying each of the stores from the store servers each of the multiple stores has, The identification unit identifies consumer identification information corresponding to the individual item identification information of the individual item that is the subject of the event information received by the reception unit, by referring to the transaction information managed by the management unit. The system includes a transmission unit that transmits the event information received by the reception unit and the consumer identification information identified by the identification unit to the store server of the retailer identified by the retailer identification information, The aforementioned store server, The system includes a transmission unit that transmits event information received from the server device to a consumer terminal of a consumer identified by consumer identification information received from the server device. Notification system.

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