Customer service robots and programs

Abstract

To provide a receptionist robot and a program that can support a customer's shopping in a commercial facility occupied by a plurality of shops.SOLUTION: A receptionist robot moves with a customer in a commercial facility occupied by a plurality of shops, and comprises a purchase support unit that, when receiving an operation to demand remote customer reception via an operation receiving unit included in the receptionist robot, connects to a remote attendant terminal via a network and performs transmission and reception of information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 30

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , , , , and, , , , , , , , , , , When the customer service robot arrives at the destination store in the leading mode, the operation control unit switches to the following mode and operates the customer service robot, and the purchase support unit receives an operation requesting remote customer service at the store where the customer service robot has arrived. , , An operation control unit operates the customer service robot by switching between a leading mode in which it guides the customer to the destination store and a following mode in which it follows the customer. , ,

[0005] , , ,

[0003] , [Figure 1] ,

[0006]

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a customer service robot and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, robots for serving customers who visit a store (hereinafter referred to as customer service robots) have been proposed. For example, a self-propelled robot that guides a customer to the location of a product has been proposed for a customer who cannot identify the display location of the product in the store.

[0003] However, the above-mentioned conventional customer service robots are only for shopping support in the store and cannot be applied to commercial facilities such as shopping malls having a plurality of stores. The realization of a more useful customer service robot is desired for customers and stores using commercial facilities.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a customer service robot and a program capable of supporting customer shopping in a commercial facility where a plurality of stores are located.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The customer service robot according to the embodiment is a customer service robot that moves together with a customer in a commercial facility where a plurality of stores are located, An operation control unit operates the customer service robot by switching between a leading mode in which it guides the customer to the destination store and a following mode in which it follows the customer. When an operation for requesting customer service in a remote manner is received via an operation reception unit provided in the customer service robot, a purchase support unit that connects to a remote attendant terminal via a network and performs information transmission and reception and, is provided When the customer service robot arrives at the destination store in the leading mode, the operation control unit switches to the following mode and operates the customer service robot, and the purchase support unit receives an operation requesting remote customer service at the store where the customer service robot has arrived. t>

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a customer service support system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the external configuration of a customer service robot according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the external configuration of a customer service robot according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of the hardware configuration of a customer service robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the store equipment according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example of the data structure of a product master according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an example of the hardware configuration of a server device according to this embodiment. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an example of the data structure of a store management table according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows an example of the data structure of the robot management table according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows an example of the data structure of a user management table according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] Figure 11 shows an example of the data structure of a transaction management table according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] Figure 12 shows an example of the data structure of the remote attendant management table according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] Figure 13 shows an example of the hardware configuration of an attendant terminal according to this embodiment. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the customer service robot, store equipment, and server equipment according to the embodiment. [Figure 15] Figure 15 shows an example of a screen displayed on the front display unit of a customer service robot according to this embodiment. [Figure 16] Figure 16 shows an example of a screen displayed on the front display unit of a customer service robot according to an embodiment of this model. [Figure 17]FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the front display unit of the customer service robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the front display unit of the customer service robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the back display unit of the customer service robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the front display unit of the customer service robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the front display unit of the customer service robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the front display unit of the customer service robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the front display unit of the customer service robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 24] FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the front display unit of the customer service robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 25] FIG. 25 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the front display unit of the customer service robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 26] FIG. 26 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the front display unit of the customer service robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 27] FIG. 27 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the front display unit of the customer service robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 28] FIG. 28 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the back display unit of the customer service robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 29] FIG. 29 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the front display unit of the customer service robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 30] FIG. 30 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the front display unit of the customer service robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 31]FIG. 31 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the front display unit of the customer service robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 32] FIG. 32 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the front display unit of the customer service robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 33] FIG. 33 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the front display unit of the customer service robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 34] FIG. 34 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the front display unit of the customer service robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 35] FIG. 35 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the front display unit of the customer service robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 36] FIG. 36 is a flowchart showing an example of the main processing performed by the customer service robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 37] FIG. 37 is a flowchart showing an example of the check-in processing performed by the customer service robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 38] FIG. 38 is a flowchart showing an example of the personalization processing performed by the customer service robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 39] FIG. 39 is a flowchart showing an example of the action plan generation processing performed by the customer service robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 40] FIG. 40 is a flowchart showing an example of the store cooperation processing performed by the customer service robot and the store device according to the embodiment. [Figure 41] FIG. 41 is a flowchart showing an example of the purchase support processing performed by the customer service robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 42] FIG. 42 is a flowchart showing an example of the purchase support processing performed by the customer service robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 43] FIG. 43 is a flowchart showing an example of the remote attendant processing performed by the customer service robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 44] FIG. 44 is a flowchart showing an example of the purchase support processing performed by the customer service robot according to Modification 1. [Figure 45]Figure 45 is a flowchart showing an example of the payment support process performed by the customer service robot in Modification Example 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below will be those applied to commercial facilities such as shopping centers and train station buildings that house multiple stores. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

[0008] Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of a customer service support system according to an embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the customer service support system 1 includes a customer service robot 10, store equipment 20, server equipment 30, customer terminal 50, and attendant terminal 60. The customer service robot 10, store equipment 20, server equipment 30, and attendant terminal 60 are connected to a network N such as a LAN (Local Area Network). The attendant terminal 60 may also be connected to communicate with other devices (customer service robot 10, store equipment 20, and server equipment 30) via a public network (public line). In this case, encryption or VPN (Virtual Private Network) connection may be used as necessary when communicating via a public network.

[0009] The customer service robot 10 is an autonomous mobile robot capable of autonomous movement. Multiple customer service robots 10 are installed in a commercial facility to provide support to customers using the facility, which includes multiple stores. The number of customer service robots 10 is not limited to the example shown in Figure 1.

[0010] Now, with reference to Figures 2 and 3, the external configuration of the customer service robot 10 will be described. Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views showing an example of the external configuration of the customer service robot 10.

[0011] In Figures 2 and 3, the configuration of the customer service robot 10 is explained using three mutually orthogonal axes: the X, Y, and Z axes. The X axis runs through the customer service robot 10 from front to back, extending from the rear to the front. The Y axis runs through the customer service robot 10 from left to right, extending from the left side to the right side. The Z axis runs through the customer service robot 10 from top to bottom, extending from the bottom to the top. Hereafter, the positive X-axis side of the customer service robot 10 will also be referred to as the front side of the customer service robot 10. The negative X-axis side of the customer service robot 10 will also be referred to as the rear side of the customer service robot 10.

[0012] The customer service robot 10 comprises a main body 11, a mobile unit 12, and an interface unit 13. To provide customers with a sense of psychological security, it is preferable that the customer service robot 10 has an appearance that mimics a character such as an animal. The customer service robot 10 in this embodiment has an appearance that mimics a kangaroo, with the main body 11 and mobile unit 12 corresponding to the kangaroo's body and the interface unit 13 corresponding to the kangaroo's head.

[0013] The main body 11 comprises a roughly cylindrical housing 111, a mounting base 112, and a cover portion 113 that covers the area around the mounting base 112 from the lower rear side to the front side of the housing 111. An opening 114 is provided on the front side of the housing 111, allowing access to the inside of the housing 111 through the opening 114. The mounting base 112 is provided so as to protrude from the inside of the housing 111 to the front side through the opening 114. Items such as goods can be placed on the mounting base 112. Alternatively, a reader / writer portion 157, which will be described later, may be provided on the mounting base 112. Here, the mounting base 112 is designed to correspond to a kangaroo's pouch in the appearance of the customer service robot 10.

[0014] In this embodiment, a portion of the mounting platform 112 is shown protruding from the housing 111. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and the mounting platform 112 may be provided inside the housing 111, allowing items to be stored within the housing 111. Furthermore, while the configuration shows a portion of the upper part of the mounting platform 112 covered by the housing 111, the configuration is not limited to this, and the upper part of the mounting platform 112 may not be covered.

[0015] Furthermore, the opening 114 may be provided with an openable and closable shielding member such as a lid or door to shield the items placed on the mounting platform 112. The shielding member may be made of a light-transmitting material so that the internal state can be seen from the outside. In addition, the closed state of the shielding member may be locked by providing an electronic lock or the like. This prevents items from falling from the mounting platform 112, for example, when the customer service robot 10 is moving. It also prevents items from being inadvertently removed from the mounting platform 112.

[0016] On the other hand, a rear display unit 115 is provided on the back side of the housing 111. The rear display unit 115 is, for example, a touch panel display, and displays various information under the control of the control unit 154, which will be described later. In addition, a tail section 116 corresponding to a kangaroo's tail is provided on the lower rear side of the housing 111.

[0017] The movable part 12 is located below the main body 11 and supports the main body 11 from below. The movable part 12 is equipped with a drive unit 121 (see Figure 4) which has a motor and a rotation mechanism. In addition, multiple drive wheels, auxiliary wheels, etc., which are rotationally driven by the drive unit 121 are provided on the bottom side of the movable part 12 (none of which are shown).

[0018] The drive unit 121, under the control of the control unit 154 (described later), rotates the drive wheels, enabling the robot to travel within the facility. Specifically, the drive unit 121 changes the rotational speed and direction of the drive wheels and the drive source to make the customer service robot 10 travel in any direction and at any speed. In this embodiment, the customer service robot 10 is made to travel with its front facing the direction of travel, but it is not limited to this, and the customer service robot 10 may also be made to travel with its rear facing the direction of travel.

[0019] The interface unit 13 is located on the upper part of the main body unit 11. The interface unit 13 has a housing 131 and a front display unit 132. The front side of the housing 131 has an operating surface that slopes downward from top to bottom, and the front display unit 132 is provided on this operating surface. The front display unit 132 is, for example, a touch panel display and displays various information under the control of the control unit 154, which will be described later. The housing 131 is also provided with ear parts 133 corresponding to kangaroo ears.

[0020] Furthermore, a slit 134 is formed below the operating surface of the housing 111, into which a product card, described later, can be inserted. Inside the slit 134, a reader / writer unit 157 (see Figure 4) capable of reading and writing to wireless tags such as RFID tags is provided. Under the control of the control unit 154, described later, the reader / writer unit 157 reads information that can identify a product from the wireless tag of the product card inserted into the slit 134, and writes information indicating that the product has been purchased to the wireless tag. Note that the position and number of reader / writer units 157 are not limited to those shown. For example, the reader / writer unit 157 may be provided on the mounting base 112.

[0021] Furthermore, the customer service robot 10 is equipped with a light-emitting unit 141 between the main body 11 and the interface unit 13. The light-emitting unit 141 has a light-emitting element such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode) and emits light according to the control of the control unit 154, which will be described later. The light-emitting unit 141 also has multiple colored light-emitting elements and switches the emitted color according to the control of the control unit 154, which will be described later. The light-emitting unit 141 informs various states, such as the status of the customer service robot 10 and the status of product purchases, by emitting light. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the light-emitting unit 141 is provided in a collar-like shape at a position corresponding to the neck of a kangaroo, but the position and shape of the light-emitting unit 141 are not limited to this.

[0022] Furthermore, the customer service robot 10 is equipped with a stop button 142 on its back. The stop button 142 is an operator used to stop the customer service robot 10 from moving. When the stop button 142 is operated, the customer service robot 10 stops moving. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the stop button 142 is located at a position corresponding to the kangaroo's neck, but the position in which the stop button 142 is provided is not limited to this.

[0023] Furthermore, the customer service robot 10 is equipped with an imaging unit 143. The imaging unit 143 has an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary MOS) and is provided on both the front and back sides of the customer service robot 10. For example, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the imaging unit 143 is provided in the part corresponding to the neck between the main body 11 and the interface unit 13, and around the rear display unit 115.

[0024] The imaging unit 143 captures images of the area around the customer service robot 10, for example, to capture customers present in the vicinity of the customer service robot 10. The imaging unit 143 located on the front side is used to capture images of code symbols such as barcodes and QR codes attached to products presented by customers, and code symbols including user IDs displayed on the customer terminal 50. In other words, the imaging unit 143 acquires code symbols such as barcodes and QR codes attached to products. The number and installation location of the imaging units 143 on the customer service robot 10 are not limited to the illustrated example. For example, the imaging unit 143 may be located around the front display unit 132, or it may be located on the side of the customer service robot 10.

[0025] Furthermore, the customer service robot 10 is equipped with a sound-collecting unit 144 such as a microphone and an audio output unit 145 such as a speaker. The sound-collecting unit 144 and the audio output unit 145 are provided, for example, on either the front side and the back side of the customer service robot 10, or both. As an example, the sound-collecting unit 144 and the audio output unit 145 are provided on the interface unit 13 as shown in Figure 2. Note that the number and installation location of the sound-collecting unit 144 and the audio output unit 145 provided on the customer service robot 10 are not limited to the illustrated example.

[0026] Furthermore, the customer service robot 10 is equipped with various sensor units 158 (see Figure 4). For example, the customer service robot 10 is equipped with a distance measuring sensor. The distance measuring sensor is provided, for example, on the front and rear sides of the customer service robot 10, and detects objects around the customer service robot 10 and detects the distance to objects. The sensing results of the distance measuring sensor are output to the control unit 154, which will be described later, and are used for collision avoidance during movement, etc. The distance measuring sensor can be implemented as, for example, a sensor device that detects objects and measures distances using captured images or ultrasound, or a sensor device such as LiDAR (Light Detection and ranging) that detects objects using laser light.

[0027] Furthermore, the customer service robot 10 may be equipped with a vibration detection sensor or the like as a sensor unit 158 ​​capable of detecting contact or impact to the main body 11. The customer service robot 10 may also be equipped with an object detection sensor or weight sensor as a sensor unit 158 ​​capable of detecting whether or not an item is placed on the mounting platform 112. Additionally, the customer service robot 10 may be equipped with a position sensor such as a GPS (Global Positioning System) as a sensor unit 158 ​​or a positioning unit 159 (see Figure 4). The GPS sensor, for example, detects the location of the customer service robot 10 within the commercial facility.

[0028] Furthermore, the customer service robot 10 is equipped with a battery (not shown) in its main body 11 and mobile unit 12 to supply power for driving its own customer service robot 10.

[0029] The configuration of the customer service robot 10 is not limited to the illustrated example. For example, the interface unit 13 may include a reader device for reading information from card media such as IC cards or credit cards. The customer service robot 10 may also include an automated cash payment machine or a printer.

[0030] Returning to Figure 1, the store equipment 20 consists of information processing devices such as POS terminals and store servers installed in each store within the commercial facility. The store equipment 20 performs various processes related to its own store under the control of a processor (not shown).

[0031] The server device 30 is the server device for the customer service support system 1. The server device 30 is implemented by an information processing device such as a PC (Personal Computer). The server device 30 stores and manages various types of data related to the data processing of the customer service support system 1. For example, the server device 30 manages the location and status of the customer service robot 10. For example, the server device 30 manages products registered and purchased via the customer service robot 10.

[0032] In this embodiment, the server device 30 is implemented by a single information processing device, but it may also be a cloud server implemented by multiple information processing devices connected to a network. Furthermore, if the server device 30 is a cloud server, it may be configured to include store servers for each store, etc.

[0033] The customer terminal 50 is a portable terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet owned by the customer. In this embodiment, the customer terminal 50 is used, for example, when the customer performs a check-in operation to begin using the customer service robot 10. As an example, the check-in operation is performed by entering a user ID that can identify the customer. It should be noted that the customer service robot 10 can be used even if the user ID is not entered.

[0034] As an example, the customer terminal 50 is equipped with an application program (hereinafter also referred to as the "cooperation program") related to cooperation with the customer service robot 10. The processor of the customer terminal 50 works in cooperation with the cooperation program to perform various processes for cooperating with the customer service robot 10. For example, the processor of the customer terminal 50 displays a code symbol, including the user ID and user settings described later, on the display device provided by the customer terminal 50, in response to customer operations. Furthermore, the processor of the customer terminal 50 is capable of establishing short-range wireless communication with the customer service robot 10 in response to customer operations.

[0035] The attendant terminal 60 is a terminal used by remote attendants to provide customer service. The attendant terminal 60 is implemented using an information processing device such as a tablet computer or a PC. A remote attendant is an attendant who is responsible for providing customer service remotely, and can be a store employee, a partnered specialist, or other personnel not limited to those within the commercial facility. Remote attendants can provide customer service remotely through communication between the attendant terminal 60 and the customer service robot 10, and therefore can be located outside the commercial facility.

[0036] In the customer service support system 1 described above, customers visiting a commercial facility can enjoy behavioral support from the customer service robot 10. Specifically, customers can receive behavioral support from the customer service robot 10 in conjunction with them by operating the robot. The customer service robot 10 moves with the customer within the commercial facility and performs various processes such as recommending destination stores and providing support related to product purchases.

[0037] The customer service support system 1 is not limited to the configuration shown in Figure 1. For example, the customer terminal 50 may not be included in the customer service support system 1. Furthermore, the customer service support system 1 may include external systems that customers can use, such as e-commerce sites operated by stores located within the commercial facility, e-commerce sites operated by other stores located outside the commercial facility, and various search sites. In this case, the customer service robot 10, server device 30, etc. of the customer service support system 1 may be configured to refer to the purchase history of products purchased by the customer on the e-commerce site, the search history of things the customer searched for on the search site, etc., based on the user ID, etc., as described later.

[0038] The following describes the hardware and functional configurations of the main devices included in Customer Service Support System 1.

[0039] First, let's describe the hardware configuration of the customer service robot 10. Figure 4 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the customer service robot 10. As shown in Figure 4, the customer service robot 10 is equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 151, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 152, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 153.

[0040] The CPU 151 is an example of a processor that comprehensively controls each part of the customer service robot 10. The ROM 152 stores various programs. The RAM 153 is a workspace for displaying programs and various data.

[0041] The CPU 151, ROM 152, and RAM 153 are connected via a bus or the like to form a control unit 154 of the computer configuration. In the control unit 154, the CPU 151 operates according to a program stored in the ROM 152 or memory unit 161 and loaded into the RAM 153, thereby executing various processes.

[0042] The customer service robot 10 also includes the aforementioned drive unit 121, light-emitting unit 141, imaging unit 143, sound-collecting unit 144, and voice output unit 145. The sound-collecting unit 144 collects sounds from the vicinity of the customer service robot 10 (for example, customer speech) and outputs the audio signal of the collected sounds to the CPU 151. The voice output unit 145 outputs sound under the control of the CPU 151.

[0043] The customer service robot 10 also includes a display unit 155, an operation unit 156, a reader / writer unit 157, a sensor unit 158, a positioning unit 159, a communication unit 160, and a storage unit 161, etc.

[0044] The display unit 155 is a display device such as the rear display unit 115 and the front display unit 132 mentioned above. The display unit 155 is composed of, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). The display unit 155 displays various information under the control of the CPU 151.

[0045] The operation unit 156 consists of input devices such as touch panels and stop buttons 142, which are provided on the rear display unit 115 and the front display unit 132. The operation unit 156 outputs the operation content input via the input devices to the CPU 151. The operation unit 156 may also output voice (for example, customer speech) input via the sound pickup unit 144 to the CPU 151 as operation content.

[0046] The reader / writer unit 157 is a reader / writer device capable of writing to and reading from wireless tags. The reader / writer unit 157 has an antenna (not shown) that emits radio waves, and writes data to the wireless tag by transmitting the data to be written via this antenna. The reader / writer unit 157 also reads data from the wireless tag by acquiring radio waves emitted by the wireless tag via the antenna.

[0047] The sensor unit 158 ​​consists of various sensor devices such as the distance measuring sensor and GPS sensor mentioned above. The sensor unit 158 ​​outputs the sensing results obtained through sensing to the CPU 151.

[0048] The positioning unit 159 measures the location where the customer service robot 10 is located. The positioning unit 159 can be implemented using positioning technology, for example, a GPS sensor. Alternatively, the positioning unit 159 may be implemented using a location measurement device that utilizes positioning technology such as beacon positioning. In this case, by installing terminals compatible with positioning technology such as beacon positioning at various locations in the commercial facility, the positioning system formed by these terminals and the positioning unit 159 can measure (identify) the location where the customer service robot 10 is located.

[0049] The communication unit 160 is a wireless communication interface that can connect to the network N. The communication unit 160 communicates with external devices such as the server device 30 via the network N. The communication unit 160 also has short-range wireless communication capabilities such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). For example, the communication unit 160 performs short-range wireless communication with customer terminals 50 located around the customer service robot 10.

[0050] The memory unit 161 has 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 memory unit 161 stores programs that the CPU 151 can execute and various setting information.

[0051] Note that the information stored in the memory unit 161 is not limited to the illustrated example. For example, the memory unit 161 may store map information 3161, store management tables 3162, product masters 2191 for each store, etc., which will be described later.

[0052] Next, the hardware configuration of the store device 20 will be described. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the store device 20. As shown in Figure 5, the store device 20 includes a CPU 211, a ROM 212, and a RAM 213.

[0053] The CPU 211 is an example of a processor that comprehensively controls each part of the store equipment 20. The ROM 212 stores various programs. The RAM 213 is a workspace for displaying programs and various data.

[0054] The CPU 211, ROM 212, and RAM 213 are connected via a bus or the like to form a control unit 214 of the computer configuration. In the control unit 214, the CPU 211 operates according to a program stored in the ROM 212 or memory unit 219 and loaded into the RAM 213, thereby executing various processes.

[0055] The store device 20 also includes a display unit 215, an operation unit 216, a communication unit 217, a connection unit 218, and a storage unit 219, etc.

[0056] The display unit 215 has a display device such as an LCD. The display unit 215 displays various information under the control of the CPU 211. The operation unit 216 has an input device such as a keyboard or a pointing device. The operation unit 216 outputs the operation content input via the input device to the CPU 211. The operation unit 216 may be a touch panel provided on the display unit 215.

[0057] The communication unit 217 is a wireless communication interface that can be connected to the network N. The communication unit 217 communicates with external devices such as the customer service robot 10 and the server device 30 via the network N. The communication unit 217 may also have a short-range wireless communication function, and may be configured to communicate with the customer service robot 10 via short-range wireless communication.

[0058] The connection unit 218 is an interface for connecting various devices installed in the store. For example, a reader device capable of reading code symbols, a printer device, etc., may be connected to the connection unit 218. Electronic shelf labels, etc., which are installed at various positions on the store's display shelves, may also be connected to the connection unit 218. When electronic shelf labels are connected, the control unit 214 controls the electronic shelf labels placed at the product display positions to display the product name, price, etc. If the electronic shelf labels are equipped with light-emitting elements such as LEDs, the control unit 214 controls the light-emitting elements on the electronic shelf labels to emit light, etc., based on instructions from external devices such as the operation unit 216 or the customer service robot 10.

[0059] The memory unit 219 has a storage medium such as an HDD or flash memory and retains its contents even when the power is cut off. The memory unit 219 stores programs that the CPU 211 can execute and various setting information.

[0060] Furthermore, the memory unit 219 stores a product master 2191 in which information about products sold at its own store is registered. The product master 2191 is a data table for storing and managing information about products sold at the store.

[0061] Figure 6 shows an example of the data structure of the product master 2191. As shown in Figure 6, the product master 2191 stores product information such as product name, price, additional information, and product image, associated with the store ID of its own store and the product code of the products sold at its store. Here, the store ID is an example of an identifier that can identify each store. The product code is an example of an identifier that can identify the type of product.

[0062] The "Product Name" field stores the name of the product corresponding to the product code. The "Price" field stores the price of the product corresponding to the product code. The "Additional Information" field stores additional information about the product corresponding to the product code. For example, the "Additional Information" field may store the product type, etc. Also, if the product is clothing, the size, color, design, material, brand, etc. will be stored in the "Additional Information" field. The "Product Image" field stores image data representing the product corresponding to the product code.

[0063] Note that the data structure of the product master 2191 is not limited to the example in Figure 6. For example, the product master 2191 may store the inventory quantity of a product in association with its product code. Alternatively, the product master 2191 may store information that identifies the display location of a product, the electronic shelf label placed at that display location, etc., in association with its product code.

[0064] Furthermore, the products registered in product master 2191 are not limited to products that can actually be picked up and taken home from a store (hereinafter also referred to as store products). For example, products registered in product master 2191 may be services.

[0065] Furthermore, in showroom-type stores that only display products, for example, the product code of the displayed product may be read to register and process payment for the product, and the product may be handed over to the customer using a specified delivery method (delivery, pickup at a counter, etc.). In such cases, additional information may be stored indicating whether the product corresponding to the product code is a store product that can be picked up at the store as described above, or a temporary product that cannot be picked up at the store, as described later. Also, for example, if payment for the displayed product is not made on the spot but on the store's e-commerce site, the e-commerce site address may be stored as additional information.

[0066] Next, the hardware configuration of the server device 30 will be described. Figure 7 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the server device 30. As shown in Figure 7, the server device 30 includes a CPU 311, a ROM 312, and a RAM 313.

[0067] The CPU 311 is an example of a processor that comprehensively controls all parts of the server device 30. The ROM 312 stores various programs. The RAM 313 is a workspace for displaying programs and various data.

[0068] The CPU 311, ROM 312, and RAM 313 are connected via a bus or the like to form a control unit 314 of the computer configuration. In the control unit 314, the CPU 311 operates according to the program stored in the memory unit 316 and loaded into the RAM 313, thereby executing various processes.

[0069] The server device 30 also includes a communication unit 315 and a storage unit 316, etc. The communication unit 315 is a wired or wireless communication interface that can be connected to the network N. The communication unit 315 communicates with external devices such as the customer service robot 10, store equipment 20, and attendant terminal 60 via the network N.

[0070] The memory unit 316 has a storage medium such as an HDD or flash memory, and retains its contents even when the power is cut off. The memory unit 316 stores programs that the CPU 311 can execute and various setting information.

[0071] Furthermore, the memory unit 316 stores map information 3161, a store management table 3162, a robot management table 3163, a user management table 3164, a transaction management table 3165, and a remote attendant management table 3166.

[0072] Map information 3161 is information that shows a map of a commercial facility. Map information 3161 shows the locations of stores and passageways within the commercial facility, and stores store IDs that can identify each store in relation to its location are stored. For example, if the commercial facility has a multi-story structure, map information 3161 is prepared for each floor. In addition, the locations of common spaces other than stores (e.g., elevators, escalators, restrooms, rest areas, etc.) are also stored in relation to identifiers in map information 3161.

[0073] The store management table 3162 is a data table for storing and managing information about stores located within a commercial facility. Figure 8 shows an example of the data structure of the store management table 3162. As shown in Figure 8, the store management table 3162 stores store information such as store name, store type, keywords, and status, associated with the store ID of each store located within the commercial facility. The store name field stores information indicating the name of the store corresponding to the store ID.

[0074] The "Store Type" field stores information such as the type of business the store operates and the classification of the products it handles. For example, the "Store Type" field can be defined in stages, such as a broad category like restaurants or retail stores, a medium category indicating the classification of the products handled (e.g., Japanese food, Chinese food, clothing stores, electronics stores, etc.), and a more detailed subcategory (e.g., sushi, soba noodles, men's clothing, women's clothing, etc.).

[0075] The keyword field stores one or more keywords that describe the characteristics and features of a store. While keywords can be arbitrarily set for each store, it is preferable to use keywords classified based on indicators derived from customer visit behavior. Furthermore, for stores in the same industry and genre, it is preferable to use keywords classified based on common indicators.

[0076] For example, restaurants can set keywords such as "want to eat," retail stores such as clothing stores can set keywords such as "want to buy," and stores such as arcades can set keywords such as "want to play." Furthermore, based on the characteristics of the products handled by the store, keywords such as "for men," "for women," and "for families" may also be set. These keywords can also be used to explore the customer's purpose in the visit purpose confirmation screen described later. Therefore, it is preferable to set indicators based on customer visit behavior.

[0077] The status field stores information such as the store's congestion level and whether it is open or closed.

[0078] Note that the data structure of the store management table 3162 is not limited to the example in Figure 8. For example, the store management table 3162 may store location information indicating the location of the store corresponding to the store ID, associated with the store ID. Furthermore, the store management table 3162 may also store information about shared spaces other than stores.

[0079] The robot management table 3163 is a data table for storing and managing information about the customer service robots 10. Figure 9 shows an example of the data structure of the robot management table 3163. As shown in Figure 9, the robot management table 3163 stores robot information such as current location, status, user ID, user characteristics, and action plan, associated with the robot ID. Here, the robot ID is an example of an identifier that can identify each of the customer service robots 10.

[0080] The "Current Location" field stores information indicating the current location of the customer service robot 10. The "Status" field stores information indicating the current state of the customer service robot 10 corresponding to the robot ID. For example, it stores information indicating the current operating mode of the customer service robot 10. It also stores information indicating the remaining battery level of the customer service robot 10.

[0081] The User ID field stores the User ID of the customer being served by the customer service robot 10, that is, the customer who has checked in with the customer service robot 10 (hereinafter also referred to as the check-in user). As will be described later, the customer service robot 10 can operate even if the User ID field is empty.

[0082] The "User Characteristics" field stores information that indicates the physical characteristics of the check-in user to the customer service robot 10. For example, the "User Characteristics" field stores images of the customer's face and appearance, as well as feature quantities that indicate the characteristics of the customer's face and appearance. User characteristics are used when recognizing the check-in user from images captured by the imaging unit 143. The "Action Plan" field stores the action plan generated by the customer service robot 10, which will be described later.

[0083] Note that the data structure of the robot management table 3163 is not limited to the example in Figure 9. For example, the robot management table 3163 may store the changes made to the customer service robot 10 by the personalization process described later as user settings, associated with the robot ID. Alternatively, the robot management table 3163 may store images, videos, audio, etc., acquired by the corresponding customer service robot 10, along with the date and time of acquisition, associated with the robot ID.

[0084] The user management table 3164 is a data table for storing and managing customer information. Figure 10 shows an example of the data structure of the user management table 3164. As shown in Figure 10, the user management table 3164 stores user information such as username, characteristic information, vehicle registration number, and user settings, associated with the user ID. Here, the user ID is an example of an identifier that can identify each customer.

[0085] The username field stores information indicating the customer's name. The characteristic information field stores information that identifies the customer corresponding to the user ID. For example, characteristic information may include information indicating the customer's gender, age, preferences, etc. Here, the information indicating preferences may be set by the customer themselves, or it may be derived from the customer's purchase history, search history, etc. In the latter case, for example, the control unit 314 may be configured to extract the customer's purchase history corresponding to the user ID from the transaction management table 3165, etc., described later, and estimate the customer's preferences based on the extracted purchase history. Alternatively, for example, the control unit 314 may obtain the purchase history and search history associated with the user ID from an external system and estimate the customer's preferences based on the obtained information. Note that there are no particular restrictions on the method of estimating preferences, and known technologies can be used.

[0086] The "Vehicle Registration Number" field stores the vehicle registration number of the vehicle owned by the customer. The "User Settings" field stores the settings that the customer has configured for the customer service robot 10 during the personalization process described later.

[0087] Note that the data structure of the user management table 3164 is not limited to the example in Figure 10. For example, the user management table 3164 may include the terminal ID and address information of the terminal (customer terminal 50) used by the customer, associated with the user ID. In addition, for facial recognition of the customer, the user management table 3164 may store a facial image of the customer's face, or feature quantities indicating the characteristics of the face, associated with the user ID.

[0088] Furthermore, the user management table 3164 may store information that identifies the delivery destination of the product, such as the customer's address, in association with the user ID. The user management table 3164 may also store payment information in association with the user ID. Here, payment information refers to account information for using an electronic payment service that the customer has contracted in advance. Electronic payment services include code payments, electronic money payments, and credit card payments. If the electronic payment service is a credit card payment, the payment information may also be the customer's credit card number.

[0089] The transaction management table 3165 is a data table for storing and managing information about transactions conducted through the customer service robot 10. Figure 11 shows an example of the data structure of the transaction management table 3165. As shown in Figure 11, the transaction management table 3165 stores transaction information such as store ID, product code, price, and purchased flag, associated with the robot ID and transaction ID.

[0090] Here, the transaction ID is an identifier that can identify each transaction performed by the customer service robot 10 corresponding to the robot ID. For example, a unique transaction ID is issued by the customer service robot 10 each time a customer checks in, and the same transaction ID is used continuously until the customer performs a checkout operation to indicate the end of using the customer service robot 10 (or the end of customer service by the customer service robot 10).

[0091] In this embodiment, each customer service robot 10 issues a transaction ID, but the configuration is not limited to this, and the server device 30 may issue the transaction IDs. In this case, the control unit 314 of the server device 30 monitors the status of the customer service robots 10 based on the robot management table 3163, and when it detects a customer service robot 10 whose status has switched to customer service mode, it issues a transaction ID to that customer service robot 10. The control unit 314 of the server device 30 then notifies the corresponding customer service robot 10 of the issued transaction ID, allowing the customer service robot 10 to continue using the same transaction ID as long as it remains in customer service mode.

[0092] The Store ID, Product Code, and Price fields store the Store ID, product code, and price of the product registered using the customer service robot 10 corresponding to the robot ID. The Purchased Flag field stores information indicating whether payment (accounting) for the product corresponding to the product code has been completed.

[0093] Note that the data structure of the transaction management table 3165 is not limited to the example in Figure 11. For example, the transaction management table 3165 may store the user ID of the check-in user who checked in to the corresponding customer service robot 10, associated with the robot ID and transaction ID. The transaction management table 3165 may also store information that identifies whether the product corresponding to the product code is a recommended product as described later, associated with the product code. Furthermore, the transaction management table 3165 may also store the date and time when the corresponding product was registered or settled, associated with the product code.

[0094] Furthermore, the transaction management table 3165 is updated each time a product is registered or payment is made by each of the customer service robots 10. The data stored in the transaction management table 3165 may be configured to either clear the data of the corresponding robot ID and transaction ID in response to instructions such as the end of customer service specified by the customer service robot 10, or to retain the data. In the latter case, the data stored in the transaction management table 3165 can be treated as the purchase history of each customer who uses the commercial facility.

[0095] The remote attendant management table 3166 is a data table (storage area) for storing and managing information about remote attendant candidates. A remote attendant is an attendant who handles customer service remotely and can be a store employee, a partnered specialist, or other personnel not limited to those within the commercial facility. Remote attendants can be located outside the commercial facility because they provide customer service remotely through communication between the attendant terminal 60 and the customer service robot 10.

[0096] Figure 12 shows an example of the data structure of the remote attendant management table 3166. As shown in Figure 12, the remote attendant management table 3166 stores information such as affiliation, attendant name, image, characteristics, status, and address, associated with the attendant ID.

[0097] The Attendant ID is an example of an identifier that can identify each remote attendant. The Affiliation is, for example, the store ID of the store the remote attendant belongs to, or the company name and contact information if they are not affiliated with a store. The Attendant Name is the name or nickname of the remote attendant. The Image is, for example, a photo of the remote attendant's face or a character image such as an avatar. The Characteristics are the remote attendant's area of ​​expertise (specialty) or special skills. The Status is, for example, "On standby" meaning they are available to handle new inquiries, "Currently handling" meaning they are unavailable, or "Absent." The Address is the connection destination when establishing a remote connection.

[0098] Note that the data structure of the remote attendant management table 3166 is not limited to the example in Figure 12. For example, the remote attendant management table 3166 may include the terminal ID of the terminal (attendant terminal 60) used by the remote attendant, associated with the attendant ID. Furthermore, the remote attendant management table 3166 may store the aggregated results of customer evaluations, associated with the attendant ID.

[0099] Each data table may also be stored at each store (stored in the store device 20).

[0100] Furthermore, the data tables held by the server device 30 are not limited to the above example. For example, the server device 30 may be configured to hold the product masters of all stores within the commercial facility as a comprehensive product master in the storage unit 316 or the like.

[0101] Next, the hardware configuration of the attendant terminal 60 will be described. Figure 13 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the attendant terminal 60. As shown in Figure 13, the attendant terminal 60 includes a CPU 611, ROM 612, RAM 613, communication unit 615, input unit 616, output unit 617, storage unit 619, and the like.

[0102] The CPU 611 is an example of a processor that comprehensively controls all parts of the attendant terminal 60. The ROM 612 stores various programs. The RAM 613 is a workspace for displaying programs and various data.

[0103] The CPU 611, ROM 612, and RAM 613 are connected via a bus or the like to form a control unit 614 of the computer configuration. In the control unit 614, the CPU 611 operates according to the program stored in the memory unit 619 and loaded into the RAM 613, thereby executing various processes.

[0104] The communication unit 615 is a wired or wireless communication interface that can be connected to the network N. The communication unit 615 communicates with external devices such as the customer service robot 10, store equipment 20, and server equipment 30 via the network N.

[0105] The input unit 616 is implemented, for example, by a touch panel, microphone, or camera located on the surface of a display device such as an LCD panel, if the attendant terminal 60 is a tablet computer. The camera is, for example, an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary MOS).

[0106] The output unit 617 can be implemented as a display device or speaker, for example, if the attendant terminal 60 is a tablet computer.

[0107] The memory unit 619 has a storage medium such as an SSD (Solid State Drive), HDD, or flash memory, and retains its contents even when the power is cut off. The memory unit 619 stores programs that the CPU 611 can execute and various setting information.

[0108] Next, we will describe the functional configuration of the customer service robot 10, store equipment 20, and server equipment 30 mentioned above. Figure 14 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the customer service robot 10, store equipment 20, server equipment 30, and attendant terminal 60. First, we will describe the server equipment 30.

[0109] The control unit 314 of the server device 30 functions as an information management unit 3141 and a robot management unit 3142, with the CPU 311 operating according to programs stored in the ROM 312 and memory unit 316. Some or all of these functions may be implemented by hardware such as dedicated circuits.

[0110] The information management unit 3141 updates various data tables stored in the memory unit 316 by coordinating with the customer service robot 10, the store equipment 20, and the attendant terminal 60. For example, the information management unit 3141 acquires information related to the various data tables from the customer service robot 10, the store equipment 20, and the attendant terminal 60, and updates the various data tables based on the acquired information.

[0111] The method of acquiring information is not particularly limited, and various methods can be used. For example, the information management unit 3141 may acquire information in a push-type manner, passively acquiring information transmitted from the customer service robot 10, the store equipment 20, and the attendant terminal 60. Alternatively, the information management unit 3141 may acquire information in a pull-type manner, actively acquiring information by requesting it from the customer service robot 10, the store equipment 20, and the attendant terminal 60.

[0112] For example, when the information management unit 3141 obtains status information from the store device 20, it updates the status related to the store ID of the store device 20 stored in the store management table 3162.

[0113] For example, when the information management unit 3141 obtains location information, status, and action plan information from the customer service robot 10, it updates the corresponding data entry in the robot management table 3163, which is stored in association with the robot ID of the customer service robot 10. Also, when the information management unit 3141 obtains the user ID and user settings of the customer being served from the customer service robot 10, it updates the corresponding data entry in the user management table 3164, which is stored in association with the user ID. Furthermore, for example, when the information management unit 3141 obtains transaction information along with the transaction ID from the customer service robot 10, it adds or deletes data entries, updates the purchased flag, etc., in the transaction management table 3165 based on the robot ID and transaction ID of the customer service robot 10.

[0114] In this embodiment, static information such as user ID, username, characteristic information, and vehicle registration number among the user information stored in the user management table 3164 is assumed to be pre-registered, but is not limited to this. For example, new users may be registered (hereinafter also referred to as member registration) via the customer service robot 10 or customer terminal 50. In this case, the user management table 3164 adds the user information of the new user obtained from the customer service robot 10 or customer terminal 50 to the user management table 3164.

[0115] Furthermore, the information management unit 3141 provides the map information 3161 and various data tables stored in the storage unit 316 so that they can be accessed by each of the customer service robots 10 and store equipment 20. The method of providing the data is not particularly limited. For example, the information management unit 3141 provides the map information 3161 and various data tables so that they can be accessed by each of the customer service robots 10 using technologies such as file sharing. Alternatively, for example, the information management unit 3141 extracts the relevant data entries from the various data tables in response to queries using robot ID, user ID, store ID, etc. as keys, and provides them to the requesting customer service robot 10.

[0116] The robot management unit 3142 comprehensively manages the operation of the customer service robots 10 within the commercial facility based on their location information, status, etc. For example, if there are customer service robots 10 in standby mode that are not serving customers, the robot management unit 3142 instructs the standby customer service robots 10 on where to move. As an example, the robot management unit 3142 instructs each customer service robot 10 to move to the entrance of the commercial facility or to an area where there are relatively few customer service robots 10, based on their location.

[0117] Next, the functional configuration of the store device 20 will be described. The control unit 214 of the store device 20 includes a store information transmission unit 2141, a robot cooperation unit 2142, and a payment processing unit 2143, which are operated by the CPU 211 according to programs stored in the ROM 212 and the storage unit 219. Some or all of these functions may be implemented by hardware such as dedicated circuits.

[0118] The store information transmission unit 2141 transmits store information relating to its own store to the server device 30. For example, the store information transmission unit 2141 transmits information indicating the store's congestion status and whether it is open or closed, along with its own store ID, to the server device 30. Here, the store's congestion status may be derived, for example, based on the number of customers (customer service robots 10) who visit the store per unit of time. Alternatively, the store's congestion status may be derived, for example, based on the number of people included in images captured by surveillance cameras installed in the store. The store information transmission unit 2141 may also transmit keywords related to the store entered by store staff, etc., along with its own store ID, to the server device 30. The store information transmission unit 2141 may also transmit its own store's product master 2191 to the server device 30.

[0119] The robot collaboration unit 2142 accepts access from the customer service robot 10 via network N or short-range wireless communication. The robot collaboration unit 2142 establishes communication with the customer service robot 10 that initiated the access, thereby realizing collaboration with the customer service robot 10. The robot collaboration unit 2142 provides the collaborated customer service robot 10 with access to the product master 2191 and other information held by the store equipment 20.

[0120] Furthermore, the robot coordination unit 2142 works in cooperation with the customer service robot 10 to control the illumination of electronic shelf labels installed in the store. For example, when the robot coordination unit 2142 receives an illumination instruction from the customer service robot 10 specifying the type of product or a specific product, it illuminates the electronic shelf label of the product of the type specified in the illumination instruction or the display location where the specified product is displayed.

[0121] The payment processing unit 2143 performs payment processing for goods sold in the store. For example, the payment processing unit 2143 calculates the total amount based on the product code and quantity of each product registered by the registration device or customer service robot 10 installed in the store, and then performs the process of settling the total amount with the customer's payment amount. Furthermore, once the payment processing unit 2143 completes the payment processing, it issues a receipt with a breakdown of the payment processing from a printer (not shown). In this embodiment, the payment processing unit 2143 performs cash payment processing, but the available payment methods are not limited to this.

[0122] Next, the functional configuration of the attendant terminal 60 will be described. The control unit 614 of the attendant terminal 60 operates according to the program stored in the ROM 612 and memory unit 619 by the CPU 611, thereby realizing functional units such as the display control unit 6141, the robot cooperation unit 6142, the server cooperation unit 6143, and the recommendation processing unit 6144. Some or all of these functions may be realized by hardware such as dedicated circuits.

[0123] The display control unit 6141 causes the display device provided by the output unit 617 to display various information. Specifically, the display control unit 6141 works in cooperation with the various functions of the attendant terminal 60 to display various screens (GUI) on the display device.

[0124] The robot collaboration unit 6142 receives access from the customer service robot 10 via network N or short-range wireless communication, and establishes communication with the accessing customer service robot 10, thereby realizing collaboration with the customer service robot 10. The robot collaboration unit 6142 provides the collaborated customer service robot 10 with information it holds (for example, information on recommended products) in a referable format. The robot collaboration unit 6142 also acquires information provided by the collaborated customer service robot 10 (for example, product information and location information displayed on the product screen Gg).

[0125] The server linkage unit 6143 accesses the server device 30 via network N or short-range wireless communication and establishes communication with the server device 30, thereby realizing cooperation with the server device 30. The server linkage unit 6143 provides the linked server device 30 with information it holds (e.g., customer information and search conditions) in a referable format. The server linkage unit 6143 also acquires information provided by the linked server device 30 (e.g., product information as search results).

[0126] The recommendation processing unit 6144 remotely controls the customer service robot 10, which is linked by the robot coordination unit 2142, based on the operations of the remote attendant received by the input unit 616. Specifically, the recommendation processing unit 6144 causes the customer service robot 10 to display information on specified products or to guide (direct) the customer to a specified store. When guiding the customer service robot 10, the recommendation processing unit 6144 instructs it on the destination.

[0127] Next, the functional configuration of the customer service robot 10 will be described. The control unit 154 of the customer service robot 10 functions as a display control unit 1541, an operation reception unit 1542, a read / write control unit 1543, an operation control unit 1544, a personalization processing unit 1545, an action plan generation unit 1546, a store collaboration unit 1547, and a purchase support unit 1548, with the CPU 311 operating according to the program stored in the ROM 312 and the memory unit 316. Some or all of these functions may be implemented by hardware such as dedicated circuits.

[0128] The display control unit 1541 causes the display unit 155 to display various information. Specifically, the display control unit 1541 works in cooperation with the various functions of the customer service robot 10 to display various screens (GUI: Graphical User Interface) on the rear display unit 115 and the front display unit 132. The screens displayed by the display control unit 1541 will be described later.

[0129] The operation reception unit 1542 receives user input via the operation unit 156. For example, the operation reception unit 1542 receives input for the rear display unit 115 and the front display unit 132. The operation reception unit 1542 also receives input for the stop button 142. Furthermore, the operation reception unit 1542 receives voice input via the sound pickup unit 144, such as a wake word.

[0130] The read / write control unit 1543 reads information via the imaging unit 143, the reader / writer unit 157, etc. For example, when a code symbol such as a barcode or a two-dimensional code is captured by the imaging unit 143, the read / write control unit 1543 decodes the code symbol and reads the information held in the code symbol. Also, for example, the read / write control unit 1543 reads information held in the wireless tag by controlling the reader / writer unit 157. Also, for example, the read / write control unit 1543 writes information to the wireless tag by controlling the reader / writer unit 157.

[0131] For example, the read / write control unit 1543 reads the user ID from the code symbol displayed on the customer terminal 50. For example, the read / write control unit 1543 reads the product code from the code symbol attached to the product. The read / write control unit 1543 also reads the product code from the wireless tag attached to the product.

[0132] The motion control unit 1544 comprehensively controls the operation of the customer service robot 10. Specifically, the motion control unit 1544 controls the drive unit 121 and makes the customer service robot 10 move based on images captured by the imaging unit 143 and sensing results from various sensor units 158, thereby enabling the customer service robot 10 to move autonomously.

[0133] Furthermore, the motion control unit 1544 switches the operating mode of the customer service robot 10 according to the state of the customer service robot 10. The customer service robot 10 in this embodiment has three operating modes: a standby mode, a customer service mode, and a post-closing mode. In addition, the customer service robot 10 has two operating modes when in customer service mode: a lead mode and a follow mode.

[0134] Standby mode is the operating mode when the robot is not providing customer service. Customer service mode is the operating mode for providing customer service. Leading mode is the operating mode for leading customers to their destination, such as a store. Follow mode is the operating mode for following customers. After-hours mode is the operating mode for performing tasks other than customer service, such as after a commercial facility has closed.

[0135] Furthermore, in customer service mode, the operation control unit 1544 activates the personalization processing unit 1545, the behavior plan generation unit 1546, the store collaboration unit 1547, and the purchase support unit 1548 to support customer behavior.

[0136] In standby mode, the motion control unit 1544 displays a check-in screen on the front display unit 132 to initiate the use of the customer service robot 10. For example, the motion control unit 1544 displays a check-in screen on the front display unit 132 as shown in Figure 15.

[0137] Furthermore, the operation control unit 1544 may display a message on the rear display unit 115 indicating that check-in is possible, or an advertisement screen for a commercial facility, etc., while in standby mode. In addition, the operation control unit 1544 may output a voice prompt from the voice output unit 145 to encourage the user to perform the check-in operation.

[0138] Furthermore, the motion control unit 1544 may, during standby mode, stop the customer service robot 10 at a predetermined location, make it travel along a predetermined route, or make it travel in response to instructions from the server device 30. When the motion control unit 1544 makes the customer service robot 10 travel during standby mode, it will stop the customer service robot 10 if it detects the presence of a customer in the vicinity of the device or hears a voice calling out to it via the sensor unit 158 ​​or sound collection unit 144.

[0139] Figure 15 shows an example of a screen displayed on the front display unit 132 of the customer service robot 10. As shown in Figure 15, the check-in screen Ga displays an image that mimics a face, including eyes and a nose. The check-in screen Ga also displays a message Gaa prompting the customer to perform the check-in operation.

[0140] The method of performing the check-in operation is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to provide separate methods for customers whose user information is registered in the user management table 3164 (hereinafter also referred to as members) and for non-members whose user information is not registered in the user management table 3164. In this embodiment, the operation of entering a user ID into the customer service robot 10 is considered the check-in operation for members. Furthermore, the check-in operation for non-members is considered to be a touch operation on the check-in screen Ga that does not require entering a user ID. Note that in the check-in screen Ga of Figure 15, an example is shown in which an image Gab that guides the user to read a code symbol is displayed to prompt the user to enter a user ID.

[0141] Image Gab may also include information guiding the customer service robot 10 to read the code symbol displayed on the customer terminal 50. Furthermore, if a check-in code symbol is displayed on the check-in screen Ga, Image Gab may include the code symbol and information guiding the customer to read it on the customer terminal 50. In the latter case, it is preferable to include information for establishing pairing with the customer service robot 10 (described later) in the code symbol displayed on the check-in screen Ga. In this case, the operation control unit 1544 may accept user ID input by obtaining the user ID from the customer terminal 50 with which pairing has been established.

[0142] For example, when a code containing a user ID displayed on the customer terminal 50 is held towards the front-facing imaging unit 143, the read / write control unit 1543 reads the user ID from the code symbol. When the operation control unit 1544 receives the user ID input via the read / write control unit 1543, it searches the user management table 3164 for the input user ID to verify whether the user is a member or not. If the input user ID is registered in the user management table 3164, the operation control unit 1544 determines that a check-in operation has been performed by a member and switches from standby mode to customer service mode. The operation control unit 1544 may also issue a transaction ID when it switches to customer service mode.

[0143] Furthermore, the motion control unit 1544 acquires images and features of customers who have performed the check-in operation from the images captured by the imaging unit 143 as user features, and stores them in RAM 153 or the like, associated with the input user ID. The motion control unit 1544 then registers the current operating mode, the input user ID, and the user features in the robot management table 3163, associated with the robot ID of its own device.

[0144] In the case where facial images for facial recognition are stored in the user management table 3164, the operation control unit 1544 may accept user ID input by comparing the customer's facial image captured by the imaging unit 143 with the facial image stored in the user management table 3164 and obtaining the corresponding user ID.

[0145] Furthermore, when the motion control unit 1544 receives a touch operation on the check-in screen Ga, it determines that the check-in operation was performed by a non-member and switches from standby mode to customer service mode. In this case, the motion control unit 1544 locally stores the user characteristics of the customer who performed the check-in operation and registers the current operating mode and user characteristics in the robot management table 3163 in association with the robot ID of its own device. In this case, the personalization processing unit 1545 may also display a screen prompting member registration on the front display unit 132.

[0146] Furthermore, even if a check-in operation is performed via touch, during customer service mode, the user can switch to a member check-in state by entering their user ID at any time.

[0147] Furthermore, the motion control unit 1544 can establish short-range wireless communication (pairing) with the customer terminal 50 regardless of whether the customer who has checked in is a member or not. In this case, for example, the motion control unit 1544 displays setting information for pairing with its own customer service robot 10 in the form of a two-dimensional code or the like on the front display unit 132, or reads information held by the customer terminal 50 via the read / write control unit 1543. Once pairing with the customer terminal 50 is established, the motion control unit 1544 captures the location of the check-in user and the distance to the customer service robot 10 based on RSSI (Received Signal Strength Index), etc., and sends and receives various information.

[0148] Furthermore, the device to be paired (hereinafter also referred to as the pairing device) is not limited to the customer terminal 50, but may be a simpler beacon terminal or remote control terminal, etc. In this case, the pairing device may be lent out by the commercial facility, or it may be attached to the customer service robot 10 in a manner that allows it to be attached or detached. Once pairing with the pairing device is established, the motion control unit 1544 will capture the location of the check-in user and the distance to the customer service robot 10 based on RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator), etc., and will send and receive various information. The motion control unit 1544 may also stop the movement of the customer service robot 10 or switch between lead mode and follow mode based on instructions from the pairing device.

[0149] The personalization processing unit 1545 performs personalization processing to change the settings of the customer service robot 10 in response to the check-in user's actions.

[0150] The settings of the customer service robot 10 that can be changed are not particularly restricted as long as they do not interfere with the basic operation of the customer service robot 10. For example, the display color of the light-emitting unit 141, the image of a face displayed on the front display unit 132, the display language of the UI, and the artificial voice (male voice, female voice, spoken language, etc.) emitted by the customer service robot 10 can be changed. In addition, if the customer service robot 10 has a voice assistant function, the wake word used to invoke (activate) the voice assistant function can be changed. Furthermore, various notification methods and payment methods performed by the customer service robot 10 can be set. Note that the initial settings of the customer service robot 10 may be the same or different.

[0151] Furthermore, there are no specific restrictions on how settings can be changed; they can be changed via screen operation or voice control. For example, the personalization processing unit 1545 may display a screen on the front display unit 132 to confirm whether or not to change the settings after the check-in operation. In this case, when the personalization processing unit 1545 is instructed to change the settings, it displays a settings change screen on the front display unit 132 showing the items that can be changed (neither is shown in the diagram). Once the customer has decided on the changed settings, the personalization processing unit 1545 changes the settings of its own device to the changed settings. It should be noted that during customer service mode, settings can be changed at any time.

[0152] Furthermore, when a setting change is made, the personalization processing unit 1545 associates the changed setting with the user ID of the check-in user and registers it as a user setting in the user management table 3164.

[0153] Furthermore, if the check-in user is a member, the personalization processing unit 1545 may read the user settings stored in association with the check-in user's user ID from the user management table 3164 and change the settings of its own device based on those user settings. Also, if the code symbol displayed on the customer terminal 50 includes user settings, the personalization processing unit 1545 may change the settings of its own device based on the user settings read by the read / write control unit 1543 during check-in.

[0154] In this way, the customer service robot 10 allows for customer-specific customization by changing its settings according to customer operations. This allows customers to easily distinguish their own customer service robot 10 from other customer service robots 10. Furthermore, customers can shop and perform other tasks using a customer service robot 10 customized to their preferences.

[0155] In this embodiment, it is possible to change settings regardless of whether the check-in user is a member or not. If the check-in user is not a member, the personalization processing unit 1545 reflects the changes in its own device without registering them in the user management table 3164. Alternatively, the configuration may be set up so that non-members cannot change settings.

[0156] The behavior plan generation unit 1546 performs processing to support the customer's behavior within the commercial facility. Specifically, the behavior plan generation unit 1546 narrows down destinations while confirming the customer's purpose and conditions, generates a planned behavior plan for the customer's destinations within the commercial facility, and presents it to the customer.

[0157] Here, an example of the operation of the action plan generation unit 1546 will be explained with reference to Figures 16 to 18. Figures 16 to 18 show an example of the screen displayed on the front display unit 132 of the customer service robot 10.

[0158] First, the action plan generation unit 1546 displays a visit purpose confirmation screen Gb on the front display unit 132, as shown in Figure 16, in order to confirm the customer's purpose for visiting the store (hereinafter also simply referred to as purpose). The visit purpose confirmation screen Gb displays options Gba that indicate the type of purpose, which are set based on the store type and keywords of each store registered in the store management table 3162. For example, as shown in Figure 16, general purposes such as "I want to buy," "I want to play," and "I want to eat" are displayed as options Gba. Here, it is possible to select, for example, one of the options Gba. After one of the options Gba is selected, and the selection is confirmed by operating the central operator Gbb, the action plan generation unit 1546 displays a visit purpose confirmation screen Gc on the front display unit 132 in order to further narrow down the purpose of the selected option Gba.

[0159] On the visit purpose confirmation screen Gc, options Gca are displayed that offer more detailed objectives based on the objective selected on the previous visit purpose confirmation screen Gb. Figure 17 shows an example of the visit purpose confirmation screen Gc, illustrating the case where the "I want to buy" option Gba is selected from the visit purpose confirmation screen Gb in Figure 16.

[0160] Here, the options Gca on the visit purpose confirmation screen Gc may display, for example, the names of stores where the product can be purchased. Alternatively, the options Gca on the visit purpose confirmation screen Gc may display the types of products available for purchase at the commercial facility. In the latter case, once the type of product is selected via the options Gca and confirmed by the operation of the operator Gcb, the action plan generation unit 1546 may further display a new visit purpose confirmation screen (not shown) with the names of stores selling the selected type of product as options. In this way, the action plan generation unit 1546 determines a destination store (hereinafter also referred to as the destination store) that matches the customer's purpose by gradually narrowing down the customer's objective.

[0161] There is no particular limit to the number of times the customer can narrow down their search using the visit purpose confirmation screen. For example, the number of times the search is narrowed down may differ depending on the purpose. Also, although the example above shows the customer selecting a destination store at the final stage of the narrowing process, the number of selectable stores is not limited to one; there may be multiple stores.

[0162] Furthermore, the action plan generation unit 1546 may be configured to automatically determine destination stores based on the selected objective conditions, without requiring the customer to directly select a destination store. In this case, the action plan generation unit 1546 may determine one or more destination stores based on characteristic information and purchase history stored in association with the check-in user's user ID.

[0163] Furthermore, on the visit purpose confirmation screen, after deciding on a destination store for a certain purpose, it is possible to return to the initial or previous visit purpose confirmation screen to decide on a destination store for a different purpose.

[0164] When the action plan generation unit 1546 receives an operation to confirm a destination store, it generates an action plan showing the route to the destination store based on the location information of each destination store, the current location of its own customer service robot 10, and the map information 3161. The action plan generation unit 1546 then displays a screen representing the generated action plan (hereinafter also referred to as the action plan screen) on the front display unit 132.

[0165] Here, the action plan includes at least a store ID corresponding to each destination store, sequence information to define the order in which the destination stores are visited, and a visit flag to determine whether or not a destination store has been reached (entered). The action plan may also include information indicating the location of the destination stores (e.g., floor). Furthermore, the action plan may include the distance between destination stores, the time required for travel, the time spent at each destination store, the total time including travel time and time spent at each store.

[0166] In this case, a uniform stay time may be set for each store. Alternatively, the stay time may be set according to the destination store and its type, based on the average stay time calculated in advance for each store or store type. Furthermore, in a configuration where the activity history is recorded in association with the user ID of the check-in user, the stay time for destination stores may be extracted from past activity history, and the average of the extracted stay times may be set as the stay time.

[0167] Furthermore, there are no particular restrictions on the method for determining the order in which destination stores are visited, and known techniques such as route searching can be used. For example, the action plan generation unit 1546 may arrange the destination stores in order of proximity to the current location. Alternatively, the action plan generation unit 1546 may also take into account the congestion status of the destination stores and arrange them in an order that minimizes waiting time.

[0168] Figure 18 shows an example of an action plan screen. The action plan screen Gd displays the names of each destination store specified in the action plan, as well as the order in which the stores will be visited. Figure 18 shows an example where the stores are visited in the order of Store A, Store B, Store C, and Store D. Specifically, in Figure 18, information about the destination stores, such as the floor on which the destination store is located Gda, the icon Gdb indicating the type of destination store, and the name of the destination store Gdc, is arranged from top to bottom of the screen in the order of the destination stores to be visited. Figure 18 also shows an example where the travel time Gdd required to move between destination stores and the total time Gde, which is the sum of the travel time and the time spent at each destination store, are displayed.

[0169] Customers operating the customer service robot 10 can view the action plan screen Gd to confirm their destination stores and their order. The action plan screen Gd also allows customers to change the order of destination stores or delete them based on their actions.

[0170] For example, in the action plan screen Gd of Figure 18, if the user long-presses one destination store and moves to a location between other destination stores, the action plan generation unit 1546 updates the action plan by inserting the long-pressed destination store into the moved location. Also, for example, in the action plan screen Gd of Figure 18, if the user flicks one destination store (for example, store C), the action plan generation unit 1546 deletes the destination store that was the target of the operation and updates the action plan.

[0171] Furthermore, the action plan screen Gd allows for the addition of destination stores in response to customer operations. For example, upon receiving an operation from the operator Gdf, the action plan generation unit 1546 displays a screen on the front display unit 132 that allows for the addition of destination stores. Such a screen may be, for example, a screen displaying a list of store names that allows for direct selection of stores, or it may be the store visit purpose confirmation screen described above.

[0172] Furthermore, the action plan screen Gd is provided with an operator Gdg for displaying a map of the commercial facility. When the action plan generation unit 1546 receives an operation from the operator Gdg, it displays a screen on the front display unit 132 (not shown) that shows the location of each destination store on a map of the commercial facility based on the map information 3161. The action plan generation unit 1546 may also perform processing on the displayed map, such as assigning numbers to each location of the destination stores to indicate the order in which to visit them, or highlighting the travel route between destination stores.

[0173] Furthermore, the action plan screen Gd is equipped with an operator Gdh that instructs the user to begin moving to the destination store. When operator Gdh is operated, the operation control unit 1544 switches the operating mode of its device to lead mode. The operation control unit 1544 may also issue a transaction ID when the action plan is generated or when the user is instructed to begin moving to the destination store.

[0174] Furthermore, on the action plan screen Gd, it is possible to select the name of the destination store displayed and set the actions to be performed upon arrival at that store. For example, upon arrival at the destination store, it is possible to set a task to illuminate the electronic shelf labels of the product type selected on the purpose of visit selection screen.

[0175] Here, a task defines the processing requested by the customer and is executed at a predetermined time. For example, a task can be represented as a pair of execution conditions and processing content. In the above example, the execution conditions are defined as a pair of the "store name" of the store where the processing will be performed and "arrival at the store" which defines the timing of the processing. The processing content includes a product code representing the type of product selected on the store visit purpose selection screen, as well as a command to instruct the illumination of the electronic shelf label. The processing content of a task set for a destination store is executed under the control of the operation control unit 1544 based on the execution conditions of that task. Note that the execution conditions and processing content that can be set as a task are not limited to these.

[0176] When the motion control unit 1544 switches to lead mode, it moves the customer service robot 10 toward the destination store based on the action plan generated by the action plan generation unit 1546. Specifically, the motion control unit 1544 moves the customer service robot 10 toward the destination stores in the order specified in the action plan. For example, in the action plan shown in Figure 18, the motion control unit 1544 first moves the customer service robot 10 toward store A. The motion control unit 1544 also makes the customer service robot 10 travel at a speed corresponding to the travel time between stores specified in the action plan.

[0177] Furthermore, in lead mode, the motion control unit 1544 guides (leads) the customer toward the destination store by moving ahead of the customer while maintaining a predetermined distance from the customer who has checked in. Specifically, based on the customer image stored at the time of check-in, the motion control unit 1544 identifies a person who matches the user characteristics from the images captured by the imaging unit 143, i.e., the check-in user. Then, the motion control unit 1544 moves ahead of the identified customer toward the destination store while maintaining a predetermined distance from that person. At this time, the motion control unit 1544 displays a screen on the rear display unit 115 indicating that it is being guided toward the destination store (hereinafter also referred to as the guidance screen), prompting the customer to follow the device.

[0178] Figure 19 shows an example of a screen displayed on the rear display unit 115 of the customer service robot 10, and illustrates an example of a guidance screen. As shown in Figure 19, the guidance screen Ge displays a message Gea indicating that the robot is guiding the customer to the destination store (store A). The guidance screen Ge also displays an arrow Geb indicating the direction in which the customer service robot 10 is moving, and the distance Geec to the destination store. Furthermore, the guidance screen Ge displays surrounding information Ged at the top of the screen, indicating the shared space around the customer service robot 10's current location. Here, the position where the surrounding information Ged is displayed on the screen corresponds, for example, to the direction of the shared space relative to the customer service robot 10's current location and movement method.

[0179] Furthermore, the operation control unit 1544 may provide guidance not only through screen displays but also through voice output. For example, the operation control unit 1544 may output voice guidance for moving to the destination store along with the guidance screen.

[0180] The screen displayed on the front display unit 132 while the customer service robot 10 is moving is not particularly limited. For example, the motion control unit 1544 may display an image resembling a face, such as eyes and a nose, on the front display unit 132 while the customer service robot 10 is moving, similar to the check-in screen Ga described above. However, unlike the check-in screen Ga, it is preferable to also display information indicating that the robot is guiding a customer.

[0181] This allows customers to easily confirm their destination store and the distance to that store by looking at the guidance screen displayed on the rear display unit 115 of the preceding customer service robot 10. In addition, customers can easily check the surrounding common areas while on their way to their destination store, and can go to those common areas if necessary.

[0182] If a customer moves away from the customer service robot 10, for example by heading towards a common area, the customer will move in a direction different from the direction of movement of the customer service robot 10, and the distance to the customer service robot 10 will deviate from a predetermined value, resulting in an action outside the action plan. When the motion control unit 1544 detects the customer's action outside the action plan based on the image from the imaging unit 143, it cancels the leading mode and switches to a follow mode in which it moves following the customer. Also, if a customer enters a common area, the motion control unit 1544 waits, for example, at a predetermined waiting area near the common area, until the customer leaves the common area. Here, the motion control unit 1544 may temporarily switch the operation mode of its customer service robot 10 to standby mode while waiting at the waiting area. Then, when a customer matching the user characteristics leaves the common area, the motion control unit 1544 switches to the leading mode and continues guiding the customer to the destination store.

[0183] Furthermore, if a customer decides to go to another store while being led, the motion control unit 1544 will deactivate the leading mode and switch to the following mode. In this case, the motion control unit 1544 will continue the following mode until the customer leaves the store, and when it detects that the customer has left the store based on the location information of the positioning unit 159, it will switch back to the leading mode and continue guiding the customer to the destination store. In this case, the motion control unit 1544 may also be configured to cooperate with the action plan generation unit 1546 to update the action plan, such as by changing the order in which destination stores are visited.

[0184] The motion control unit 1544 can accept customer input even while operating in lead mode. For example, if the motion control unit 1544 receives an input from the stop button 142 while the customer service robot 10 is moving, it will stop the customer service robot 10 from moving. Also, for example, if the motion control unit 1544 receives an input from the customer such as touching the rear display unit 115, knocking on the main unit 11, or calling out a wake word, it will stop the customer service robot 10 from moving. Furthermore, for example, the motion control unit 1544 will stop the customer service robot 10 from moving in response to instructions from, for example, a customer terminal 50 that has been pre-paired with the customer service robot. The motion control unit 1544 then displays the generated action plan screen Gd (see Figure 16) on the rear display unit 115, making it ready to accept various operations. In addition, if the motion control unit 1544 receives an instruction from a customer, for example, that they want to go to a common space, while moving according to a set movement route, it will change the action plan and lead the customer to the specified common space. At that time, the action plan generation unit 1546 resets the travel route.

[0185] Furthermore, when the motion control unit 1544 stops the customer service robot 10 from moving, it may stop it with the front display unit 132 facing the customer.

[0186] When the motion control unit 1544 determines that the customer service robot 10 has reached its destination store by moving in lead mode, it switches the robot's operation mode from lead mode to follow mode. For example, the motion control unit 1544 determines that the customer service robot 10 has reached its destination store when its current position enters a predetermined area based on the destination store's location information.

[0187] Here, the area used for determining arrival at the destination store can be arbitrarily set. For example, the entire premises of the store may be used as the area for determining arrival. Alternatively, for example, if the destination store is a specific store (restaurant) located in a food court, the entire food court may be used as the area for determining arrival.

[0188] Furthermore, the method for determining arrival at a store is not limited to location information; the operation control unit 1544 may also detect arrival at the destination store by coordinating with gate terminals or beacon terminals installed at the entrance (or exit) of the store. In this case, the operation control unit 1544 determines arrival at the destination store based, for example, on a store ID notified by the gate terminal or beacon terminal.

[0189] When the motion control unit 1544 switches to follow mode, it controls the movement of the customer service robot 10 to follow the customer. For example, the motion control unit 1544 detects the check-in user from the image captured by the front-facing imaging unit 143, and moves the robot behind the detected check-in user while maintaining a predetermined distance from the user. In this way, the motion control unit 1544 makes the customer service robot 10 move to follow the customer while the customer stays at the destination store.

[0190] Furthermore, when the motion control unit 1544 switches to follow mode, it may notify the customer of the switch to follow mode via screen display or voice. For example, when the motion control unit 1544 switches to follow mode, it may turn the front of the customer service robot 10 towards the customer and output information from the front display unit 132 or voice output unit 145 to notify the customer that they have arrived at the destination store, or to notify them of follow actions such as "I will accompany you." In addition, the rear display unit 115 may display information notifying the customer that it is operating in follow mode, or it may display other information. For example, the motion control unit 1544 may display information such as advertisements for the destination store that has been arrived at or advertisements encouraging the use of the customer service robot 10 on the rear display unit 115.

[0191] When the motion control unit 1544 determines that the destination store has been reached, it activates the store coordination unit 1547 and coordinates its own customer service robot 10 with the store equipment 20 installed at the destination store. The store coordination unit 1547 accesses the store equipment 20 via network N or short-range wireless communication, thereby enabling the customer service robot 10 to operate in coordination with the store equipment 20 at the destination store. For example, when the customer service robot 10 reaches the destination store, the store coordination unit 1547 accesses the store equipment 20 at that destination store, enabling it to refer to the product master 2191, etc., held by the store equipment 20.

[0192] The purchase support unit 1548 performs processing to support the purchase of goods at the store to which its customer service robot 10 has moved. For example, the purchase support unit 1548 performs processing to register the goods corresponding to the product code, based on the product code read from the code symbol or wireless tag, as a purchase target. Specifically, when the purchase support unit 1548 reads the product code from the product master 2191 when the product code is read by the read / write control unit 1543, it reads product information such as the product name and price of the goods corresponding to that product code and registers it in a data table (hereinafter also called the local transaction management table) stored in RAM 153 or the like. Here, the local transaction management table may have a data structure similar to the transaction management table 3165, or it may have a data structure that excludes the robot ID from the transaction management table 3165.

[0193] Furthermore, the purchase support unit 1548 executes settlement processing for products registered in the local transaction management table in response to customer operations. Specifically, the purchase support unit 1548 executes settlement processing to settle the total amount of products registered in the local transaction management table with the amount paid by the customer. Once the settlement processing is complete, the purchase support unit 1548 assigns a purchased flag to the product code of the settled product registered in the local transaction management table, associating it with the product code.

[0194] Furthermore, there are no specific restrictions on the payment method; credit card payments, electronic money payments, QR code payments, and other electronic payment methods are all possible. Additionally, if the customer service robot 10 is equipped with an automated cash payment machine, cash payments will also be available.

[0195] If the customer service robot 10 is not equipped with an automated cash payment machine, the purchase support unit 1548 will transmit payment data to an external device capable of cash payment via network N or short-range wireless communication, thereby causing the device to perform the cash payment. For example, the purchase support unit 1548 will transmit payment data to the store's store equipment 20, causing the store equipment 20 to perform the cash payment. Note that the destination of the payment data is not limited to the store equipment 20; the payment data may also be transmitted to an accounting machine for cash payments installed within the commercial facility.

[0196] Furthermore, the purchase support unit 1548 may determine the destination external device based on the status of the external device capable of cash payment. For example, the destination external device may be determined based on the amount of change available in the external device or the usage status of the external device. In addition, when the payment is to be made by an external device, it is preferable for the purchase support unit 1548 to work in cooperation with the operation control unit 1544 to guide the customer to the destination external device.

[0197] Furthermore, upon completion of the payment processing, the purchase support unit 1548 outputs a receipt showing the details of the transaction. For example, if the customer service robot 10 is equipped with a printer, or if a printer is connected to the customer service robot 10, the purchase support unit 1548 controls the printer to output a receipt from it.

[0198] The purchase support unit 1548 may also print a receipt in the form of an electronic receipt. In this case, the purchase support unit 1548 may send the electronic receipt to the customer terminal 50 with which pairing has been established. Alternatively, the purchase support unit 1548 may send the electronic receipt to an address stored in the user management table 3164.

[0199] In this case, the purchase support unit 1548 may print a receipt each time a payment is processed, or it may print a receipt for each store. In the latter case, the purchase support unit 1548 may print a receipt when the customer service robot 10 leaves the store. Furthermore, the purchase support unit 1548 may print a collection of receipts for all the payment processes performed at each store once the visit to all stores specified in the action plan has been completed. The timing of receipt printing can be selected by the customer. The timing of receipt printing can also be set through a personalization process.

[0200] Furthermore, when the purchase support unit 1548 updates the local transaction management table upon registration of a product or completion of payment processing, it sends the updated content along with its robot ID and the transaction ID of the transaction to the server device 30, thereby updating the transaction management table 3165 of the server device 30. As a result, the latest status of transactions performed by each customer service robot 10 is reflected in the transaction management table 3165 of the server device 30. In this embodiment, the transaction status is stored in the transaction management tables of both the customer service robot 10 and the server device 30, but this is not limited to this configuration, and the status may be stored in either one of the transaction management tables.

[0201] Furthermore, the purchase support unit 1548 is equipped with functions to assist customers in selecting potential purchase items. Specifically, the purchase support unit 1548 has a recommendation function that selects and presents products that are suitable for the customer's preferences.

[0202] For example, in a clothing store or similar establishment, when a standard product is selected as the basis for recommendations by reading the product code, the purchase support unit 1548 selects products suitable for combination (or substitution) as recommended products based on additional information such as size, color, and design included in the product's supplementary information. The purchase support unit 1548 then presents the selected recommended products to the customer by displaying them on the front display unit 132. The customer can then instruct the system to register the presented recommended products as items to purchase or to reject them.

[0203] Furthermore, there are no particular restrictions on the method of selecting recommended products, and it is possible to use publicly known recommendation technologies. For example, the purchase support unit 1548 may select products as recommended products that match the customer's purchasing trends and preferences based on the customer's purchase history, search history, etc., associated with the customer's user ID. In this embodiment, the recommended products to be selected are store products sold in stores that are registered in the product master 2191, but are not limited to these.

[0204] Here, we will explain an example of the operation of the purchase support unit 1548 with reference to Figures 20 to 27. Figures 20 to 27 show an example of the screen displayed on the front display unit 132 of the customer service robot 10. Note that Figures 20 to 27 show an example of operation in a clothing store.

[0205] First, when the customer service robot 10 switches to follow mode, the purchase support unit 1548 displays the screen shown in Figure 20 (hereinafter also referred to as the basic operation screen) on the front display unit 132 and waits for customer input.

[0206] Figure 20 shows an example of the basic operation screen. As shown in Figure 20, the basic operation screen Gf displays a message prompting the user to scan the product and an image Gfa. Above the basic operation screen Gf, there is a store name area Gfb that displays the name of the store the user is currently in, and an operator Gfc, which will be described later.

[0207] Additionally, images Gfd and Gfe are displayed below the basic operation screen Gf. Image Gfd is an icon indicating that code symbols can be read, and image Gfe is an icon indicating that wireless tags can be read.

[0208] Furthermore, the image Gfd and Gfe may also be operators for activating the hardware configuration related to the reading function. For example, when either the image Gfd or Gfe icon is touched, the purchase support unit 1548 may perform control to activate the imaging unit 143 or the reader / writer unit 157 according to the touched icon.

[0209] Additionally, the basic operation screen Gf displays the operators Gff, Gfg, and Gfh. Operator Gff is used to contact store staff. Operator Gfg is used to check registered products. Operator Gfh is used to initiate payment processing.

[0210] When the operator Gff is operated, the purchase support unit 1548 works in cooperation with the store device 20 to perform a process to request assistance from a store employee. For example, the purchase support unit 1548 requests assistance from a store employee by sending inquiry information to the store device 20, including the location of its own customer service robot 10, information specifying the product to be inquired about, and the user ID of the check-in user. In this case, the store device 20 notifies the store employee's terminal of the location of the customer service robot 10, prompting the employee to assist the customer.

[0211] During follow-up mode, when the purchase support unit 1548 receives input of a product code by reading a code symbol or wireless tag, it displays a screen (product screen) on the front display unit 132, for example, as shown in Figure 21. Figure 21 is a diagram showing an example of a product screen.

[0212] The product screen Gg has various controls as described in the basic operation screen Gf. In addition, a region Gga for displaying product images is provided in the center of the product screen Gg. Specifically, the purchase support unit 1548 reads product information for the product corresponding to the entered product code from the product master 2191 and displays the product image included in the read product information in region Gga.

[0213] Figure 21 shows the state after product AAA has been read, with the product image of product AAA displayed in area Gga. Figure 21 also shows an example where the product name, price, etc. of product AAA are displayed.

[0214] Furthermore, the product screen Gg is provided with operators Ggb, Ggc, and Ggd. Here, operator Ggd is an operator used to instruct the registration of the product displayed in area Gga, that is, the product corresponding to the entered product code. When the purchase support unit 1548 receives an operation from operator Ggd, it executes a registration process (hereinafter also simply referred to as registration) to register the product information of the corresponding product in the local transaction management table based on the entered product code.

[0215] In this example, the system registers the product corresponding to the entered product code in response to the operation of the operator Ggd, but it is not limited to this configuration. For example, when a product code is entered, the purchase support unit 1548 may immediately register the corresponding product. In this case, the purchase support unit 1548 may display a product screen without the operator Ggd.

[0216] Furthermore, the purchase support unit 1548 registers transaction information in the transaction management table 3165 by sending the record from the local transaction management table relating to the registered product, along with the robot ID of its customer service robot 10 and the transaction ID of the transaction, to the server device 30. The purchase support unit 1548 may also notify the store device 20 of information (e.g., product code) about the product registered with its customer service robot 10.

[0217] The operator Ggb is used to instruct the user to try on the product displayed in area Gga. When the purchase support unit 1548 receives an operation from the operator Ggb, it displays the customer's image captured by the imaging unit 143 on the front display unit 132. This allows the customer who has tried on the product to operate the operator Ggb to have their image captured and then view the image displayed on the front display unit 132 to confirm their appearance.

[0218] In this embodiment, the customer actually tries on the product, but this is not the only option. For example, the system may be configured to allow virtual try-on using known AR (augmented reality) or VR (virtual reality) technologies. In this case, the purchase support unit 1548 generates a composite image by superimposing the product image of the product displayed in area Gga onto the image of the customer captured by the imaging unit 143. The purchase support unit 1548 then displays the generated composite image on the front display unit 132 to realize virtual try-on.

[0219] Furthermore, the operator Ggc is an operator used to request the display of recommended products. When the purchase support unit 1548 receives an operation from the operator Ggc, it selects products that can be combined with the standard product from the product master 2191 as recommended products, based on additional information of the product displayed in area Gga, that is, the product corresponding to the entered product code (standard product). In addition, if the check-in user is a member, the purchase support unit 1548 selects recommended products from the product master 2191 based on the purchase history and search history associated with the user ID. Then, based on the product information of the selected recommended products, the purchase support unit 1548 displays a screen (hereinafter also referred to as the recommendation screen) showing the product image of the product on the front display unit 132.

[0220] Figure 22 shows an example of a recommendation screen. The recommendation screen Gh has a screen configuration similar to, for example, the product screen Gg, and has various controls as described in the basic operation screen Gf. In addition, a region Gha for displaying product images is provided in the center of the recommendation screen Gh. Specifically, the purchase support unit 1548 displays the product image of the selected recommended product (product BBB) in region Gha. The purchase support unit 1548 also displays the product name, price, etc. of the recommended product below region Gha. Furthermore, the purchase support unit 1548 displays a message Ghb recommending the product above region Gha.

[0221] Furthermore, the recommendation screen Gh is provided with an operator Ghc for instructing registration. When the purchase support unit 1548 receives an operation from the operator Ghc, it executes the product registration process based on the product code of the recommended product displayed in area Gha. In this case, the purchase support unit 1548 may also register flag information indicating that the registered product is a recommended product, associating it with the product code, in order to record that the registered product is a recommended product.

[0222] In this way, the purchase support unit 1548 suggests products that can be combined with the product selected by the customer as recommended products. If the customer likes the suggested recommended products, they can register them as products to purchase. The recommendation screen Gh may also be equipped with controls for instructing the customer to try on items, similar to the product screen.

[0223] Furthermore, the purchase support unit 1548 may also use another recommendation method, which is to present recommended products after the customer has tried them on. Here, other recommendation methods will be explained with reference to Figures 23 and 24. In the recommendation method described below, the customer tries on the product corresponding to the product code they entered, and can choose whether or not to register the product based on the results of the try-on.

[0224] Figure 23 shows a screen representing a customer trying on a product (hereinafter also referred to as the "try-on screen"), and is an example of a screen displayed after the operator Ggb in Figure 21 is operated. The try-on screen Gi has a region Gia. Region Gia displays an image of the customer who tried on the product. Specifically, the purchase support unit 1548 displays the image of the customer captured by the imaging unit 143 in region Gia. Note that Figure 23 shows the state of trying on the product displayed in region Gga of Figure 21.

[0225] Furthermore, the fitting screen Gi is equipped with operators Gib, Gic, and Gid. Here, operator Gid is used to signal the end of the fitting. When the purchase support unit 1548 receives an operation on operator Gid, it terminates the display of the fitting screen Gi by, for example, returning to the screen shown in Figure 21. Operator Gic is used to signal that an item should be purchased. When the purchase support unit 1548 receives an operation on operator Gic, it executes the product registration process corresponding to the previously entered product code. This allows the customer to choose whether or not to purchase the item based on how they look while trying it on.

[0226] The operator Gib, like the operator Ggc mentioned above, is an operator used to request the presentation of recommended products. When the purchase support unit 1548 receives an operation on operator Gib, it selects recommended products from the product master 2191 based on additional information of the products displayed in area Gia, that is, the products corresponding to the entered product code (base products). In this case, the purchase support unit 1548 may also select recommended products based on the customer's appearance (wearing appearance) displayed in area Gia. For example, the purchase support unit 1548 extracts physical characteristics such as the customer's height, body shape, and hair color from the try-on image and selects recommended products taking these extracted characteristics into consideration.

[0227] The purchase support unit 1548 then displays a recommendation screen on the front display unit 132, showing product images of the selected recommended products, based on the product information of those products. Here, the displayed recommendation screen may be in the same form as the recommendation screen Gh in Figure 22, or it may be another recommendation screen Gj, as shown in Figure 24, which includes image images of a person wearing the standard product and the recommended product.

[0228] Figure 24 shows another example of a recommendation screen. The recommendation screen Gj has a first area Gja and a second area Gjb. Here, the first area Gja displays image images of a person wearing the standard product and the recommended product. Figure 24 shows an example in which three different recommended products are selected based on the standard product, and for each recommended product, an image image of a person wearing the recommended product and the standard product is displayed.

[0229] The image may be one that has been created in advance for each combination of products sold in the store, or it may be one that has been automatically generated based on a standard product and a recommended product. In the latter case, for example, the recommended product may be virtually superimposed on a previously captured image of the customer using known VR technology, or the basic image and the recommended image may be superimposed on a virtual model.

[0230] In the first area Gja, it is possible to select a desired recommended product based on an image. For example, in the first area Gja, it is possible to select one image from three displayed images by sliding the image in the direction of the arrow in the figure. Specifically, if an image containing the desired recommended product is placed in the center, images of the reference product and the recommended product included in that image will be displayed in the second area Gjb. Figure 24 shows an example in which images of the reference product Gjc (product AAA) and the recommended product Gjd (product BBB) included in the image displayed in the center of the first area Gja are displayed in the second area Gjb.

[0231] Furthermore, customers can instruct the registration process for products by flicking a product displayed in the second area Gjb towards a cart-shaped operator Gje displayed below the second area Gjb. For example, when a standard product Gjc and a recommended product Gjd are both flicked towards the operator Gje, the purchase support unit 1548 executes the registration process for the standard product Gjc and the recommended product Gjd, respectively.

[0232] Furthermore, if another image is centered by a slide operation in the first area Gja, the images of the other recommended products represented in that other image and the reference product will be displayed in the second area Gjb. As described above, it is possible to instruct the registration process from this state, but if the reference product is already registered, it is preferable for the purchase support unit 1548 to add information such as an icon indicating that it is already registered to the image of the reference product and display it.

[0233] Furthermore, if a customer does not like the recommended product, they can return to the screen shown in Figure 21 or the previous screen by, for example, swiping the recommendation screen Gj.

[0234] Furthermore, the recommended products selected by the purchase support unit 1548 are products that the customer has not yet physically held in their hands at that time. In this case, it is anticipated that some customers may request to physically examine the product to check its color and other details. Therefore, for example, when a store product sold within the store is selected as a recommended product, as in this embodiment, the purchase support unit 1548 may provide control to guide the customer to the location where the recommended product is displayed, in response to customer input.

[0235] For example, the purchase support unit 1548 may work in cooperation with the store coordination unit 1547 and the store equipment 20 to display an in-store map showing the location of recommended products on the front display unit 132. Alternatively, the purchase support unit 1548 may work in cooperation with the motion control unit 1544 to guide the customer service robot 10 to the display location of the recommended products. Furthermore, for example, the purchase support unit 1548 may work in cooperation with the store coordination unit 1547 and the store equipment 20 to illuminate electronic shelf labels placed at the display location of recommended products.

[0236] In this embodiment, it is possible to register recommended products, but the system is not limited to this; recommended products may be provided only for reference, and registration may be prohibited.

[0237] Furthermore, while the above example demonstrates that the base product is selected by entering a product code, the method of selecting the base product is not limited to this. For example, the base product may be selected from among the registered products displayed by operating the operator Gfg described later.

[0238] Furthermore, while the above example illustrates a method of selecting recommended products based on a standard product, the system is not limited to this, and may also select recommended products from a state where no product has been selected. In this case, the purchase support unit 1548 may select recommended products based on the purchase history, search history, etc., associated with the user ID of the check-in user. In addition, if the check-in user is not a member, the purchase support unit 1548 may disable the recommendation function, or select recommended products based on popular products in the store, etc.

[0239] Furthermore, when the purchase support unit 1548 receives an operation from the operator Gfg on the screen shown in Figure 21 or the like, it displays, for example, the screen shown in Figure 25 (hereinafter also referred to as the virtual cart screen) on the front display unit 132.

[0240] Figure 25 shows an example of a virtual shopping cart screen. The virtual shopping cart screen Gk has the same controls as the basic operation screen Gf described above. In addition, an area Gka is provided in the center of the virtual shopping cart screen Gk for displaying the product image, product name, price, etc. of each registered product. The purchase support unit 1548 displays the product image, product name, price, etc. of each registered product in area Gka based on the product information of each product registered in the local transaction management table.

[0241] Figure 25 shows the state in which product AAA, described in Figure 21 or Figure 24, and product BBB, a recommended product described in Figure 22 or Figure 24, have been registered. By viewing this virtual cart screen Gk, customers can check the list of products registered using the customer service robot 10.

[0242] Furthermore, the products displayed on the virtual cart screen are not limited to unpaid items; products for which payment has been completed may also be displayed. In this case, it is preferable that the purchase support unit 1548 displays whether or not a product has been paid for based on the presence or absence of a purchased flag. For example, the purchase support unit 1548 may display a mark indicating that a product has been paid for on the product image of a product that has been paid for.

[0243] Below area Gka, area Gkb is provided for displaying the total amount of registered products. The purchase support unit 1548 displays the total amount calculated based on the price of each product registered in the local transaction management table in area Gkb. If the set includes products that have already been settled, it is preferable to display the total amount of unsettled products and the total amount of settled products separately.

[0244] Furthermore, when the operator Gfh is operated on any of the screens described above, the purchase support unit 1548 processes the payment based on the total amount of unpaid items among the registered products. Here, the purchase support unit 1548 may also display a screen for selecting a payment method, such as credit card payment or code payment (the payment method selection screen shown in Figure 27, which will be described later), on the front display unit 132. This allows the purchase support unit 1548 to settle all unpaid items among the registered products at once.

[0245] Furthermore, in the customer service robot 10 of this embodiment, it is also possible to individually process payments for unpaid items by selecting them in area Gka of the virtual cart screen Gk. For example, when the selection operation for item BBB is received in the virtual cart screen Gk shown in Figure 25, the purchase support unit 1548 displays, for example, the screen shown in Figure 26 (hereinafter also referred to as the selected item screen) on the front display unit 132.

[0246] Figure 26 shows an example of the product selection screen. As shown in Figure 26, the product selection screen Gl displays the product image, product name, price, etc., of the product (product BBB) selected on the virtual cart screen Gk. The operator controls Gla, Glb, and Glc are also displayed on the product selection screen Gl.

[0247] Here, operator Gla, like operator Ggc mentioned above, is an operator used to request product recommendations. When the purchase support unit 1548 receives an operation of operator Gla, it uses the selected product as the base product and displays the recommendation screen Gh or recommendation screen Gj mentioned above. Also, operator Glb, like operator Gff mentioned above, is an operator used to make inquiries to store staff. When the purchase support unit 1548 receives an operation of operator Gff, it notifies the store device 20 of the inquiry information, including the current location of its customer service robot 10 and the product code of the selected product, thereby requesting assistance from a store staff member.

[0248] The operator Glc is an operator used to instruct the payment of the selected product. When the purchase support unit 1548 receives an operation on the operator Glc, it processes the payment based on the price of the selected product. The purchase support unit 1548 may also display a screen for selecting a payment method (hereinafter referred to as the payment method selection screen) on the front display unit 132 prior to the payment processing. If a product that has already been paid for is selected, it is preferable for the purchase support unit 1548 to disable or hide the operator Glc to prevent duplicate payment processing.

[0249] Figure 27 shows an example of a payment method selection screen. As shown in Figure 27, the payment method selection screen Gm displays various operators Gma, Gmb, Gmc, and Gmd that allow users to select different payment methods. The total amount of the items to be paid for is also displayed on the payment method selection screen Gm.

[0250] Here, operator Gma is an operator for instructing credit card payment. Operator GmbH is an operator for instructing cash payment. Operator Gmc is an operator for instructing electronic money payment. Operator Gmd is an operator for instructing code payment. When one of operators Gma, GmbH, Gmc, or Gmd is selected, the purchase support unit 1548 executes a payment process to settle the total amount of the items to be paid for using the payment method corresponding to the selected operator.

[0251] Furthermore, if the customer service robot 10 is not equipped with an automatic cash payment machine, the operator GmbH that instructs cash payment may be hidden. Also, as described above, if the configuration is such that cash payment is made by an external device such as the store equipment 20, the operator GmbH may be displayed. In this case, the display and hiding of the operator GmbH may be switched depending on the amount of change available in the external device and the usage status of the external device.

[0252] When the purchase support unit 1548 completes the payment processing for a product, it assigns a "purchased" flag to the product code of that product stored in the local transaction management table. The purchase support unit 1548 also sends the record from the local transaction management table relating to the product for which payment processing has been completed, along with the robot ID of its customer service robot 10 and the transaction ID of that transaction, to the server device 30, thereby assigning a "purchased" flag to the transaction information of the corresponding product stored in the transaction management table 3165.

[0253] Furthermore, the purchase support unit 1548 may also notify the store device 20 of information (e.g., product code) regarding products for which payment has been completed. In this case, the control unit 214 of the store device 20 will perform controls such as reducing the inventory quantity of the products for which payment has been completed. In this case, the robot coordination unit 2142 may also notify each of the customer service robots 10 linked to the store device 20 of the product code of the product in question when the inventory quantity of the product falls below a threshold. In addition, when the purchase support unit 1548 of the customer service robot 10 receives information from the store device 20 regarding products whose inventory quantity has fallen below a threshold, it may display the product information and inventory quantity of the relevant product on the front display unit 132 or on the rear display unit 115. This allows the customer service robot 10 to notify the customer operating its own customer service robot 10 and other customers in the store of products with low inventory quantities.

[0254] In this embodiment, the operation of the customer service robot 10 is restricted so that products registered within the store cannot be taken outside the store until payment is completed within the store. For example, the purchase support unit 1548 works in cooperation with the operation control unit 1544 to restrict the operation of the customer service robot 10 so that it does not leave the store until payment is completed for all registered products.

[0255] For example, the purchase support unit 1548 may disable the operator Gfc or restrict the range in which the customer service robot 10 can move to keep it within the store. Furthermore, if the store has an exit gate or similar device at the exit to manage customer departures, the purchase support unit 1548 may, upon detecting a customer moving towards the exit, cooperate with the store coordination unit 1547 and the store equipment 20 to perform actions such as blocking the exit gate.

[0256] Here, the method for detecting the exit action is not particularly specified. For example, the purchase support unit 1548 may, in cooperation with the motion control unit 1544, detect when a customer moves to the exit as an exit action based on the position information of its own customer service robot 10 that follows the customer. Alternatively, for example, the purchase support unit 1548 may, in cooperation with the motion control unit 1544, detect when a customer moves to the exit as an exit action based on images captured by the imaging unit 143.

[0257] Furthermore, in configurations that allow the customer service robot 10 to move outside the store even if there are unpaid items, it is preferable that the purchase support unit 1548, in cooperation with the motion control unit 1544, restricts the range in which the customer service robot 10 can move. Specifically, the purchase support unit 1548 stops the customer service robot 10 from moving when it moves a predetermined distance away from the store. Here, the range in which the customer service robot 10 can move can be set arbitrarily, but it is preferable that it be within the range in which short-range wireless communication with the store equipment 20 is possible. In addition, the purchase support unit 1548 may display a screen requesting payment for unpaid items on the front display unit 132 or the rear display unit 115.

[0258] Furthermore, the purchase support unit 1548 may notify store staff or customers themselves if there are unpaid items among the registered items. For example, the purchase support unit 1548 may notify that there are unpaid items by changing the color of the light-emitting unit 141 or by making the light-emitting unit 141 blink. In addition to the presence of unpaid items, if there are other conditions that should be notified, such as low battery, the unit may alternately emit light in the appropriate color for each condition, or it may emit light individually by separating the areas to be illuminated.

[0259] Furthermore, the purchase support unit 1548 may, for example, display the registration and payment status of the product on the rear display unit 115, as shown in Figure 28, to draw the attention of the store staff.

[0260] Figure 28 shows an example of a screen displayed on the rear display unit 115 of the customer service robot 10. As shown in Figure 28, the purchase support unit 1548 displays a screen Gn on the rear display unit 115 that shows the number of unpaid items and the number of items that have been paid for, based on the registration status in the local transaction management table. Here, area Gna is the area where the number of unpaid items is displayed, indicating that 2 items are unpaid. Area Gnb is the area where the number of paid items is displayed, indicating that 1 item has been paid for. Area Gnc is a free display space where various information can be displayed, such as store advertisements or the time elapsed since the customer arrived at the store.

[0261] In this way, by displaying the product registration status and payment status on the rear display unit 115, store staff or employees of commercial facilities can easily grasp the status of transactions, such as whether or not there are any unpaid items.

[0262] When the operation control unit 1544 arrives at the store specified in the action plan, it sets the arrival flag of the action plan held in association with the store ID of the store to "arrived". Also, the operation control unit 1544 starts measuring the elapsed time at the timing of arriving at the store. Then, when the elapsed time being measured approaches or reaches the stay time of the store specified in the action plan, the operation control unit 1544 notifies the customer via display or voice that it is time to move to the next store.

[0263] For example, in the action plan of the action plan screen Gd shown in FIG. 18, when the elapsed time since arriving at store A reaches the stay time specified in the action plan, the operation control unit 1544 gives a notification prompting the customer to move to the next store B. The customer who has received the notification can, for example, operate an operator Gfc such as the basic operation screen Gf to instruct the reception robot 10 to move to the next destination store.

[0264] Here, the operator Gfc is an operator for instructing the movement to the next destination store specified in the action plan. When the operation control unit 1544 receives the operation of the operator Gfc, it shifts the reception robot 10 to the leading mode and starts moving to the next destination store specified after the store where the customer is staying.

[0265] Note that the timing when the operator Gfc can be operated is not limited to when the notification prompting the movement is given, and it is assumed that it can be operated even when the elapsed time since arriving at the store is less than the stay time specified in the action plan. Also, it is assumed that the notification based on the stay time can be switched between effective / invalid, for example, by setting the personalization process. Also, in the last destination store (for example, store D) specified in the action plan, it may be configured not to give a notification even when the stay time has been reached.

[0266] Also, the method of instructing the movement to the next destination store is not limited to the operation of the operator Gfc. For example, when the operation control unit 1544 detects the customer's leaving operation, it may shift the customer service robot 10 to the leading mode and start moving to the next destination store. Also, the movement to the next destination store may be instructed by voice operation or operation from the pairing terminal.

[0267] In this way, the customer service robot 10 will move to each store in the order specified in the action plan while switching between the leading mode and the following mode under the control of the operation control unit 1544.

[0268] By the way, among the stores specified in the action plan, there may be stores located beyond the movable range of the customer service robot 10. For example, in the action plan shown in FIG. 18, after moving to store A on the first floor, it is necessary to move to store B on the second floor, so the customer service robot 10 needs to move between floors. In such a case, if the customer service robot 10 is not designed to be able to ride on an elevator or escalator, the customer service robot 10 running on the first floor cannot move to store B on the second floor.

[0269] As described above, when the action plan includes a store that cannot be reached by a single customer service robot 10, the operation control unit 1544 continues to support the customer's actions by passing on the settings to other customer service robots 10 that can reach the store.

[0270] Specifically, when moving to the first store or the next store based on the action plan, the operation control unit 1544 determines whether the floor where its own customer service robot 10 is located is the same as the floor where the destination store is located. If the floors are the same, the operation control unit 1544 guides the customer to the destination store in the leading mode described above.

[0271] Furthermore, if the floors are different, the motion control unit 1544 refers to the robot management table 3163 and searches for other customer service robots 10 that are on the same floor as the destination store and whose status is in standby mode.Then, the motion control unit 1544 transfers various data such as the user ID, user characteristics, user settings, action plan, and local transaction management table of the check-in user held in its own customer service robot 10 to the other customer service robot 10 that was found, and moves the other customer service robot 10 to the location of the transfer point.

[0272] Here, the method of data transfer is not particularly specified. For example, the motion control unit 1544 may directly send data to other customer service robots 10. Alternatively, for example, the motion control unit 1544 may notify other customer service robots 10 of its own robot ID, the user ID of the check-in user, etc., so that the other customer service robots 10 can read the data necessary for the transfer from the various data tables of the server device 30.

[0273] Furthermore, the handover points are, for example, around elevator entrances or escalator entrances, and the motion control unit 1544 instructs the other customer service robot 10 to use the handover point closest to its own position. The motion control unit 1544 then moves in lead mode to the handover point, such as around an elevator or escalator that will be used to get to the floor where the destination store is located, and displays a screen on the front display unit 132 informing the other customer service robot 10 that it will take over customer service on the destination floor.

[0274] Furthermore, if goods or other items are placed on the display stand 112, the operation control unit 1544 may display a screen prompting the customer to move, or a screen instructing them to move to a pick-up counter or the like. In the latter case, upon receiving the instruction to move, the operation control unit 1544 moves the items placed on the display stand 112 to the pick-up counter.

[0275] Meanwhile, the motion control unit 1544 on the other customer service robot 10, upon receiving instructions for a handover point from the customer service robot 10, moves to the instructed handover point while maintaining standby mode. Furthermore, the motion control unit 1544 on the other customer service robot 10 reflects the handover instruction data to its own customer service robot 10, causing, for example, the light-emitting unit 141 to illuminate in a color specified by the user settings.

[0276] The motion control unit 1544 on the other customer service robot 10, upon receiving a check-in operation from a customer who has moved to a different floor, switches its own customer service robot 10 to customer service mode (leading mode) with the transferred data reflected. Furthermore, once the motion control unit 1544 switches to customer service mode, it notifies the original customer service robot 10 that the transfer is complete. Upon receiving the transfer completion notification, the original customer service robot 10 clears various data such as the user ID, user settings, action plan, and local transaction management table held within its own customer service robot 10, and then switches to standby mode. In the case of moving items from a storage unit to a receiving counter, it is preferable that the motion control unit 1544 moves to the destination and then, in response to an operation by an employee, switches to standby mode.

[0277] As a result, even if a customer service robot 10's action plan includes a store that it cannot reach on its own, it can continue to support the customer's actions based on the action plan by coordinating with other customer service robots 10.

[0278] Furthermore, data transfer between customer service robots 10 is not limited to cases where the robots move across floors. For example, if the floors that customer service robots 10 can move to are restricted, the system may be configured to transfer data between customer service robots 10 responsible for each floor. Also, if different customer service robots 10 are responsible for the commercial facility and the parking lot, the system may be configured to transfer data between customer service robots 10 when they move between the commercial facility and the parking lot.

[0279] Furthermore, if a customer service robot 10 is unable to reach its destination store due to physical reasons such as low battery power, the system may be configured to transfer data to a replacement customer service robot 10. In this case, when the battery level of the customer service robot 10 falls below a threshold, the motion control unit 1544 selects another customer service robot 10 located on the same floor as the customer service robot 10, in standby mode, and with a battery level above the threshold, as the data transfer destination. The motion control unit 1544 also instructs the other customer service robot 10 to use the current location or a transfer point set within the range that the customer service robot 10 can move to. This allows customer service robot 10 to continue providing support based on an action plan, even if it runs out of battery power while serving a customer, through cooperation with another customer service robot 10.

[0280] Furthermore, once the motion control unit 1544 has completed moving to all stores specified in the action plan, it terminates customer support based on the action plan, for example, in response to a checkout operation instructed by the customer. After terminating the support, the motion control unit 1544 clears various data held in its customer service robot 10, such as the user ID, user settings, action plan, and local transaction management table, and switches to standby mode. Note that the checkout operation may be performed at any time, not limited to when the movement to all stores specified in the action plan has been completed.

[0281] When the customer service robot 10 enters standby mode, it moves to a predetermined location within the commercial facility, for example, under the control of the motion control unit 1544. As an example, when the customer service robot 10 enters standby mode, it moves to a charging area where its battery can be charged.

[0282] Furthermore, the customer service robot 10 in standby mode may be configured to move to a designated location in response to instructions from the store equipment 20 or the server equipment 30. In this case, the number of movable customer service robots 10 is not limited to one, and it is also possible to move multiple customer service robots 10 together.

[0283] Incidentally, products purchased at each store can be placed on the display stand 112 provided by the customer service robot 10, allowing the robot to transport them. On the other hand, depending on the form of the product and the customer's wishes, it is conceivable that the purchased product may not be received on the spot, but rather at another time or location. For example, if the store is a showroom, the products inside the store are display items, so the actual product cannot be received on the spot. Also, for example, if luggage or other products are placed on the display stand 112 of the customer service robot 10, it may not be possible to place the newly purchased product on the display stand 112.

[0284] Therefore, the purchase support unit 1548 may display a screen on the front display unit 132 that allows the customer to select how to receive the product after the payment processing has been completed. For example, as shown in Figure 29, the purchase support unit 1548 displays a screen on the front display unit 132 that allows the customer to select how to receive the product (hereinafter also referred to as the receiving method selection screen).

[0285] Figure 29 shows an example of a screen displayed on the front display unit 132 of the customer service robot 10, and shows an example of a screen for selecting the receiving method. As shown in Figure 29, the receiving method selection screen Go is provided with operators Goa to God as operators for selecting the receiving method.

[0286] The Goa control is used to instruct the device to be sent by mail or other means. The Gob control is used to instruct the device to be picked up at a pickup counter located within the commercial facility. The Goc control is used to instruct the device to be picked up via a locker located within the commercial facility. The God control is used to instruct the device to be transported to the exit of the commercial facility.

[0287] When the purchase support unit 1548 receives an operation of the operator Goa, for example, it displays on the front display unit 132 a screen for inputting a destination such as the address of the delivery destination, and prompts the customer to input the destination. When the destination is input, the purchase support unit 1548 generates delivery information associating the information capable of specifying the product to be delivered with the destination, and transmits it to the store device 20 and the server device 30. When the store device 20 or the server device 30 receives the delivery information from the customer service robot 10, it arranges for delivery by notifying the terminal of the person in charge or the merchant who will perform the delivery of the product of the delivery information. As a result, the customer can receive the purchased product at the specified destination.

[0288] In addition, when an address is registered in the customer management table in association with the customer's user ID, the purchase support unit 1548 may use the registered address as the destination.

[0289] Further, when the purchase support unit 1548 receives an operation of the operator Gob, it transmits to the store device 20 and the server device 30 recipient information (first recipient information) that specifies information capable of specifying the target product, information capable of specifying the customer, and transfer to the receiving counter. When the store device 20 or the server device 30 receives the first recipient information from the customer service robot 10, it arranges for transfer to the receiving counter by notifying the terminal of the store clerk or the person in charge who will carry the product to the receiving counter of the first recipient information. As a result, the customer can receive the purchased product at the receiving counter provided within the commercial facility.

[0290] When there are a plurality of receiving counters, the purchase support unit 1548 may, for example, specify the receiving counter closest to the current position and transmit the first recipient information. Further, the purchase support unit 1548 may guide the customer to the receiving counter in cooperation with the operation control unit 1544.

[0291] Furthermore, when the purchase support unit 1548 receives an operation from the operator Goc, it transmits information that can identify the target product, information that can identify the customer, and delivery destination information (second delivery destination information) specifying that the product should be transferred to a locker to the store device 20 or server device 30. When the store device 20 or server device 30 receives the second delivery destination information from the customer service robot 10, it notifies the store clerk or the terminal in charge of storing the product in the locker of the second delivery destination information, thereby arranging for the product to be stored in the locker. In addition, when the purchase support unit 1548 obtains information that identifies the locker to which the product will be stored via the store device 20 or server device 30, it notifies the customer by displaying it on the front display unit 132 or by other means. As a result, the customer can pick up the purchased product in the locker where it will be stored.

[0292] If there are multiple lockers, the purchase support unit 1548 may, for example, specify the locker closest to the customer's current location and send the second pickup location information. The purchase support unit 1548 may also work in cooperation with the operation control unit 1544 to guide the customer to the location of the locker. Alternatively, the customer terminal 50 may be notified of the location of the locker by including the customer's phone number or address in the second pickup location information and sending it.

[0293] Furthermore, when the purchase support unit 1548 receives an operation from the operator God, it transmits to the store device 20 or server device 30 information that identifies the target product, information that identifies the customer, and destination information (third destination information) specifying the destination for transport to the exit. When the store device 20 or server device 30 receives the third destination information from the customer service robot 10, it notifies the store clerk or the terminal in charge of transporting the product to the exit, thereby arranging for the product to be transported to the exit. As a result, the customer can pick up the purchased product at the exit of the commercial facility.

[0294] If there are multiple exits, the purchase support unit 1548 may, for example, specify the exit closest to the current location and transmit the third receiving destination information. Alternatively, the purchase support unit 1548 may work in cooperation with the operation control unit 1544 to guide the customer to the receiving destination exit.

[0295] Thus, the customer service robot 10 of this embodiment can hand over the goods to the customer in the manner desired by the customer after payment has been completed.

[0296] Furthermore, when selecting the above-mentioned delivery method, the system may be configured to allow customers to request the inclusion of a paper receipt. In this case, the store employee or other person in charge of transporting the goods will include a paper receipt related to the transaction. This allows customers to receive their purchased goods along with the receipt related to the transaction.

[0297] Furthermore, while the above example uses a pick-up counter, lockers, and exit as locations for receiving goods within a commercial facility, the system is not limited to these, and users may specify any location they wish. For example, the system may allow users to specify their current location or the parking spot of their vehicle.

[0298] For example, when specifying a parking location, the purchase support unit 1548 displays a screen on the front display unit 132 for the customer to input the vehicle registration number of the parked vehicle. The purchase support unit 1548 identifies the parking location corresponding to the entered vehicle registration number based on the relationship between the vehicle registration number managed by the vehicle system via the server device 30, etc., and the parking location. The purchase support unit 1548 then requests transport to the parking location by transmitting third-party delivery information specifying the identified parking location. This allows the customer to receive the purchased goods at the vehicle's parking location. The purchase support unit 1548 may also work with the operation control unit 1544 to guide the customer to the parking location. Furthermore, if the vehicle registration number is registered in association with the customer's user ID, the parking location may be identified using that vehicle registration number.

[0299] Furthermore, while the above example assumes that the goods will be transported to the pick-up location by staff such as store employees, this is not limited to this, and the customer service robot 10 may also transport the goods.

[0300] For example, in a customer service robot 10 that has goods loaded onto a display stand 112, when a checkout operation is performed, the motion control unit 1544 may be configured to move to a previously designated handover location within the commercial facility, thereby handling the transfer of the goods.

[0301] Furthermore, for example, a store device 20 or server device 30 that has received a designated pick-up location within a commercial facility may use the customer service robot 10 as a means of transport by calling the customer service robot 10, which is in a standby state, back to the store or other location from which it was transported, and then instructing it to move to the designated pick-up location.

[0302] Furthermore, the purchase support unit 1548 is equipped with a remote attendant function that allows customers to make inquiries remotely to remote attendants such as store staff or experts, as another function to support customers.

[0303] For example, when the purchase support unit 1548 is instructed to use the remote attendant function through a predetermined operation, it displays a screen on the front display unit 132 for making inquiries to the remote attendant remotely.

[0304] Here, at least part of the "predetermined operation" described above is, for example, an operation to tap the operator Gff or operator Glb. In the above description, the operator Gff and operator Glb were described as operators for making inquiries to store staff (calling store staff), but they may also be operators for making inquiries to remote attendants. In this case, when operator Gff or operator Glb is operated, the purchase support unit 1548 displays the attendant selection screen Gp (see Figure 30, described later) on the front display unit 132.

[0305] Alternatively, the system may be configured to selectively accept inquiries to either a store employee or a remote attendant by operating the operators Gff and Glb. Specifically, when the operator Gff or operator Glb is operated (the first stage of the "predetermined operation"), the purchase support unit 1548 displays a screen on the front display unit 132 allowing the user to select whether to inquire to a store employee or a remote attendant. If a remote attendant is selected (the second stage of the "predetermined operation"), the purchase support unit 1548 displays an attendant selection screen Gp (see Figure 30, described later) on the front display unit 132.

[0306] In the following explanation of the remote attendant function, we will simplify the explanation by assuming the former. In other words, the operators Gff and Glb accept inquiries to the remote attendant instead of receiving inquiries to store staff in the store as described above.

[0307] The following describes an example of the operation of the purchase support unit 1548 related to the remote attendant function, with reference to Figures 30 to 35. Figures 30 to 35 show an example of the screen displayed on the front display unit 132 of the customer service robot 10 according to this embodiment.

[0308] Figure 30 shows an example of the attendant selection screen Gp. The attendant selection screen Gp includes an attendant information field Gpa, an attendant image field Gpb, an attendant introduction field Gpc, and operators Gpd, Gpe, and Gpf. Note that the attendant selection screen Gp shown in Figures 30(a) to (d) each displays information for a different remote attendant.

[0309] Examples of remote attendants include shop staff member M as shown in Figure 30(a), buyers N&O as shown in Figure 30(b), fashion advisor P as shown in Figure 30(c), and customer Q as shown in Figure 30(d).

[0310] The shop staff member M shown in Figure 30(a), the charismatic buyers N&O shown in Figure 30(b), and the fashion advisor P shown in Figure 30(c) are selected according to the products (such as products AAA and BBB shown in Figures 21, 22, 25, and 26) and the store where the customer service robot 10 is located. The customer Q shown in Figure 30(d) is a registered member of the customer, such as a family member or friend, and their contact information is stored in the user management table 3164, for example.

[0311] A remote attendant is an attendant who handles customer service remotely. This can include store staff, affiliated specialists, or other personnel not limited to those within the commercial facility. Because remote attendants communicate remotely between the attendant terminal 60 and the customer service robot 10, they can be located outside the commercial facility. Therefore, remote attendants can include staff at other stores, staff working from home, or freelance coordinators. Several candidates will be displayed as candidates on the attendant selection screen (Gp).

[0312] The Attendant Information section (Gpa) displays information such as the remote attendant's affiliation. The Attendant Image section (Gpb) displays an image of the remote attendant. The Attendant Introduction section (Gpc) displays information such as the remote attendant's characteristics.

[0313] The operator Gpd accepts an operation to switch the remote attendant displayed on the attendant selection screen Gp to a different candidate. When the attendant selection screen Gp shown in Figure 30(a) is displayed, if the right operator Gpd receives an operation, the screen display switches to the attendant selection screen Gp shown in Figure 30(b). Also, when the attendant selection screen Gp shown in Figure 30(a) is displayed, if the left operator Gpd receives an operation, the screen display switches to the attendant selection screen Gp shown in Figure 30(d).

[0314] The operator Gpe accepts an operation to stop displaying the attendant selection screen Gp and return to the previously displayed screen. The operator Gpf accepts an operation to connect to the attendant terminal 60 of the currently displayed remote attendant.

[0315] The purchase support unit 1548 reads information related to attendant IDs from the remote attendant management table 3166, and based on the read information, displays information on remote attendants who are candidates for the inquiry on the attendant selection screen Gp. Here, when the purchase support unit 1548 extracts remote attendants to be displayed on the attendant selection screen Gp, it is preferable to extract, for example, remote attendants whose status is "on standby" or remote attendants whose area of ​​expertise matches the product being inquired about.

[0316] On the attendant selection screen Gp, customers can select the attendant they wish to contact. For example, if a customer selects one of the four remote attendants shown in Figure 30 and operates the corresponding operator Gpf, the purchase support unit 1548 will then communicate with the attendant terminal 60 by accessing the address associated with the selected remote attendant's attendant ID.

[0317] When the purchase support unit 1548 establishes communication with the attendant terminal 60, it displays the attendant screen Gq shown in Figure 31 on the front display unit 132. The purchase support unit 1548 also updates the status of the remote attendant with whom communication has been established to "In Progress".

[0318] Here, the establishment of communication between the customer service robot 10 and the attendant terminal 60 may be achieved through the intervention of a server device 30, a store device 20, or an external system (for example, a web conferencing system). For example, if the server device 30 controls the establishment of communication between the customer service robot 10 and the attendant terminal 60, the control unit 314 of the server device 30 may update the status of the remote attendant.

[0319] Figure 31 shows an example of the attendant screen Gq. The attendant screen Gq has an attendant information field Gqa, an attendant image field Gqb, product images Gqc, Gqd, Gqe, and an operator Gqf. The attendant information field Gqa and the attendant image field Gqb are the same as the attendant information field Gpa and the attendant image field Gpb.

[0320] Product image Gqc is an image representing the product displayed on the screen that preceded the attendant screen Gq (for example, product screen Gg). Product images Gqd and Gqe are images showing products selected and recommended by the remote attendant. Along with these images, information such as product names and prices, as well as buttons to accept registration of these products, may also be displayed.

[0321] Furthermore, in the attendant screen Gq, it may be possible for customers (customer service robot 10) to add products to be displayed, not just the remote attendant. Specifically, when customer service robot 10 performs an operation to select a separate product, the product image and product information can be added to the attendant screen Gq. This improves the convenience of checking the outfit.

[0322] While the attendant screen Gq is displayed, the voice of the remote attendant, captured by the connected attendant terminal 60, is output from the voice output unit 145. Also, while the attendant screen Gq is displayed, the purchase support unit 1548 transmits the customer's image and voice, acquired by the imaging unit 143 and sound acquisition unit 144 of the customer service robot 10, to the connected attendant terminal 60.

[0323] Furthermore, the purchase support unit 1548 transmits information about the product displayed on the screen that was displayed before the attendant screen Gq (for example, the product screen Gg) to the connected attendant terminal 60. This enables communication between the customer and the remote attendant using images and audio.

[0324] On the attendant screen Gq, for example, customers can contact a remote attendant to inquire about products displayed on the screen, such as product images Gqc, Gqd, and Gqe. For instance, a customer can check the size and color variations of product image Gqd. Another example is when a customer consults a remote attendant about coordinating (outfitting) other products with product image Gqe.

[0325] The operator Gqf accepts the instruction to end the consultation with the remote attendant. When operator Gqf is operated, the purchase support unit 1548 terminates the connection with the attendant terminal 60, stops displaying the attendant screen Gq on the front display unit 132, and returns to the previously displayed screen (for example, the product screen Gg). The purchase support unit 1548 also updates the status of the attendant who has ended communication to "standing".

[0326] Furthermore, the screen transition destination from the attendant screen Gq on the front display unit 132 in response to the operation of the operator Gqf may be the review screen Gr. Figure 32 shows an example of the review screen Gr.

[0327] The review screen Gr has an attendant information field Gra, an attendant image field Grb, and operators Grc and Grd. The attendant information field Gra and the attendant image field Grb are the same as the attendant information field Gqa and the attendant image field Gqb.

[0328] The operators Grc and Grd are buttons for transmitting evaluations of the remote attendant function, with operator Grc transmitting, for example, a positive evaluation and operator Grd transmitting a negative evaluation. When operator Grc or operator Grd is operated, the purchase support unit 1548 transmits a signal to the server device 30 indicating the evaluation of the remote attendant function. Upon receiving this signal, the server device 30's information management unit 3141 updates the aggregated evaluation results stored in the remote attendant management table 3166.

[0329] In this way, the customer service robot 10 can use the product selected by the customer as a key to make inquiries to the attendant.

[0330] Note that the attendant selection screen Gp is ​​not limited to the example shown in Figure 30. For example, product selection does not need to be mandatory when using the remote attendant function. Another example is explained below.

[0331] Figure 33(a) shows an example of the attendant selection screen Gs. As shown in Figure 33(a), the attendant selection screen Gs displays a list of remote attendant information Gsa and Gsb that can be used as contact points. Information Gsa is, for example, the most recommended attendant. The criteria for recommendation are that the remote attendant is available for immediate response (free time) and that they are responsible for providing the information (product and store information) requested by the customer. Information Gsb is the information of the remote attendant being loaded. When either of the displayed information Gsa and Gsb is selected, the purchase support unit 1548 displays the attendant details screen Gt on the front display unit 132.

[0332] Figure 33(b) shows an example of the attendant details screen Gt. As shown in Figure 33(b), the attendant details screen Gt displays the detailed information Gta of the remote attendant selected on the attendant selection screen Gs, and the call start button Gtb. When the call start button Gtb is pressed, the purchase support unit 1548 displays the attendant screen Gu on the front display unit 132.

[0333] Figure 33(c) shows an example of the attendant screen Gu. As shown in Figure 33(c), the attendant screen Gu displays the face image Gua of the remote attendant captured by the connected attendant terminal 60. In addition, the voice of the remote attendant, captured by the connected attendant terminal 60, is output from the voice output unit 145. Furthermore, the attendant screen Gu may also display information such as images, product names, and prices representing the products shown on the product screen Gg.

[0334] The purchase support unit 1548 may also transmit the video (or image) acquired by the imaging unit 143 of the customer service robot 10 to the connected attendant terminal 60. As a result, the attendant terminal 60 will display a screen similar to the attendant screen Gq, for example, showing the face image of the customer operating the customer service robot 10.

[0335] Furthermore, the remote attendant function may be configured, for example, to summon a remote attendant using the store as the key.

[0336] Figure 34 shows an example of a screen Gv that displays store information. Screen Gv includes the store name Gva, the store introduction Gvb, and the operator Gvc. The operator Gvc accepts operations to use the remote attendant function using the store information as the key. When the operator Gvc is operated, the purchase support unit 1548, for example, refers to the remote attendant management table 3166 to extract records in which the affiliation associated with the attendant ID matches the store ID, and displays the attendant selection screen Gp or Gs introducing the corresponding remote attendant on the front display unit 132.

[0337] Furthermore, the remote attendant function may be configured to allow users to book appointments for service provided by remote attendants.

[0338] Figure 35 shows an example of a customer service reservation screen Gw. This customer service reservation screen Gw may be configured to transition to the screen when, for example, the operator Gvc is operated on the screen Gv shown in Figure 34.

[0339] The customer service reservation screen Gw includes fields Gwa and Gwb that indicate the time slots during which candidate remote attendants are available to provide customer service. When the purchase support unit 1548 receives a selection operation, for example, in field Gwa or Gwb, it displays a screen on the front display unit 132 that allows the user to specify the time slot for reserving customer service from the corresponding remote attendant.

[0340] Furthermore, the customer service robot 10 operates in a post-closing mode, which is different from the operating mode described above, outside of business hours, such as after the commercial facility closes. Specifically, when the current date and time reaches the end of business hours for the commercial facility, the operation control unit 1544 switches the customer service robot 10 to closing mode.

[0341] In closing mode, the customer service robot 10 performs operations different from those in the standby mode and customer service mode described above. For example, the motion control unit 1544 makes the robot travel along a predetermined route within the commercial facility and uses the imaging unit 143 to capture images of the surrounding environment, thereby performing patrol duties of the commercial facility and stores.

[0342] Furthermore, for example, the customer service robot 10 may be configured to support inventory management within a pre-set store. In this case, for example, the motion control unit 1544 operates the reader / writer unit 157 while patrolling the store to read product codes and individual item codes from the wireless tags of products present in the store. The motion control unit 1544 then compiles the number of products by type based on the reading results and transmits the inventory results to the store device 20, etc.

[0343] The following describes an example of the processing performed by the customer service robot 10 mentioned above.

[0344] Figure 36 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the main processing performed by the customer service robot 10 in this embodiment. It is assumed that the customer service robot 10 is in standby mode (step S11).

[0345] First, the motion control unit 1544 waits for a customer to check in by displaying a check-in screen (see Figure 15) or the like on the front display unit 132. When the motion control unit 1544 receives a customer's check-in request, it executes the check-in process (step S12) and switches the customer service robot 10 into customer service mode (step S13).

[0346] In customer service mode, the personalization processing unit 1545 performs personalization processing in response to customer operations (step S14). The action plan generation unit 1546 interacts with the customer via the visit purpose confirmation screen (see Figures 16 and 17) and performs action plan generation processing to generate an action plan indicating the destination store (destination store) (step S15). Although Figure 36 shows an example where personalization processing is performed before action plan generation processing, the timing of personalization processing is not limited to this and can be performed at any time during customer service mode.

[0347] Next, when the motion control unit 1544 receives an operation to instruct the customer service robot 10 to start moving to the destination store based on the action plan generated in step S15, it switches the customer service robot 10 to lead mode (step S16).

[0348] Next, the motion control unit 1544 determines whether its customer service robot 10 can reach the first destination store specified in the action plan (step S17). For example, the motion control unit 1544 determines that it can reach the store if the floor number of its customer service robot 10 and the floor number of the destination store are the same, and that it cannot reach the store if the floor numbers are different. Also, for example, the motion control unit 1544 determines that it cannot reach the store if the distance that its customer service robot 10 can travel with its remaining battery power is less than the distance to the destination store.

[0349] If it is determined in step S17 that the robot can move (step S17; Yes), the motion control unit 1544 moves the customer service robot 10 to the destination store (step S18). If the customer service robot 10 has not yet arrived at the destination store (step S19; No), the motion control unit 1544 returns to step S17. This ensures that even if the customer service robot 10 becomes unable to reach the destination store due to unforeseen circumstances after starting to move to the destination store, it can hand over to another customer service robot 10.

[0350] Next, when the destination store is reached (step S19; Yes), the motion control unit 1544 switches the customer service robot 10 to follow mode (step S20). Then, the store coordination unit 1547 performs store coordination processing to coordinate with the store equipment 20 (step S21). In addition, the purchase support unit 1548 performs purchase support processing to assist in the purchase of goods (step S22).

[0351] Next, when the customer service robot 10 leaves the store due to customer operation or other reasons, the motion control unit 1544 determines whether or not it has visited all the stores specified in the action plan (step S23). Here, for example, when the motion control unit 1544 receives a checkout operation, it determines that it has visited all the stores. If it determines that it has visited all the stores (step S23; Yes), the motion control unit 1544 proceeds to step S27.

[0352] On the other hand, if it is determined that there are stores that have not been visited (step S23; No), the motion control unit 1544 returns to step S16 to switch the customer service robot 10 to lead mode. Next, in step S17, the motion control unit 1544 determines whether it is possible to reach the next destination store, and if it is determined that it is not possible to reach it (step S17; No), it proceeds to step S24.

[0353] In step S24, the motion control unit 1544 searches the robot management table 3163 for other customer service robots 10 that can reach the destination store. Next, the motion control unit 1544 transfers various data such as the user ID, user characteristics, user settings, action plan, and local transaction management table held by its own customer service robot 10 to the other customer service robot 10, and moves the other customer service robot 10 to the transfer point location (step S24).

[0354] Next, the motion control unit 1544 moves in lead mode to the handover point (step S25). At this point, the motion control unit 1544 displays a screen on the front display unit 132, etc., informing the customer that another customer service robot 10 will take over the customer service. Then, the motion control unit 1544 waits until it is notified that the handover is complete from the other customer service robot 10 (step S26; No), and when it is notified that the handover is complete (step S26; Yes), it proceeds to step S27. The motion control unit 1544 of the other customer service robot 10 continues to support the customer's actions based on the action plan by performing the processing that proceeds to step S16 based on the data it has taken over.

[0355] In the following step S27, the motion control unit 1544 clears the various data held by its customer service robot 10 and switches it to standby mode (step S27). Then, the motion control unit 1544 moves to a predetermined location within the commercial facility (step S28) and terminates this process.

[0356] Next, we will explain the various processes performed in the main process described above.

[0357] First, let's explain the check-in process performed in step S12 of Figure 36. Figure 37 is a flowchart showing an example of the check-in process performed by the customer service robot 10.

[0358] The operation control unit 1544 displays the check-in screen on the front display unit 132 (step S121). Next, the operation control unit 1544 waits until a check-in operation is performed (step S122; No → step S123; No). At this point, when the operation control unit 1544 receives input of a user ID (step S122; Yes), it compares it with the user ID registered in the user management table 3164 (step S124) to determine whether or not the user is a legitimate member (step S125).

[0359] In step S125, if the entered user ID is not registered in the user management table 3164 (step S125; No), the operation control unit 1544 determines that a check-in operation by a non-member has been accepted (step S126), and proceeds to step S13 in Figure 36. Also, in step S123, if a touch operation on the check-in screen is accepted (step S123; Yes), the operation control unit 1544 determines that a check-in operation by a non-member has been accepted (step S126), and proceeds to step S13 in Figure 36.

[0360] Furthermore, if a check-in operation is accepted by a non-member, the operation control unit 1544 may display a message to that effect on the front display unit 132, or a message prompting member registration on the front display unit 132.

[0361] On the other hand, if the entered user ID is registered in the user management table 3164 in step S125 (step S125; Yes), the operation control unit 1544 determines that it has accepted the check-in operation by the member (step S127) and proceeds to step S13 in Figure 36.

[0362] Furthermore, when a member checks in, the motion control unit 1544 stores the entered user ID and customer user characteristics in the robot management table 3163, associating them with the robot ID of its own customer service robot 10. In addition, after receiving a check-in operation from a member or non-member, the motion control unit 1544 may perform pairing with a pairing terminal such as a customer terminal 50.

[0363] Next, with reference to Figure 38, the personalization process performed in step S14 of Figure 36 will be described. Figure 38 is a flowchart showing an example of the personalization process performed by the customer service robot 10.

[0364] First, the personalization processing unit 1545 determines whether the customer (check-in user) who checked in with the customer service robot 10 is a member or not (step S141). If it is determined that the check-in user is a member who entered a valid user ID (step S141; Yes), the personalization processing unit 1545 refers to the user management table 3164 and determines whether an existing user setting associated with the user ID exists or not (step S142).

[0365] If no existing user settings exist, the personalization processing unit 1545 proceeds to step S144. If existing user settings exist, the personalization processing unit 1545 confirms with the check-in user whether or not to use the existing user settings and waits for instructions from the check-in user (step S143). For example, the personalization processing unit 1545 confirms with the check-in user whether or not to use the existing user settings by displaying a screen on the front display unit 132.

[0366] If you choose to use existing user settings (step S143; Yes), proceed to step S147 to reflect the changes specified in the user settings. If you choose not to use existing user settings, proceed to step S144.

[0367] In step S144, the personalization processing unit 1545 determines whether or not it has received a customization operation from the check-in user to change the settings of the customer service robot 10 (step S144). For example, the personalization processing unit 1545 displays on the front display unit 132 a screen that allows the user to change the light color of the light-emitting unit 141 or a screen that allows the user to change various settings related to the operation of the customer service robot 10, and accepts the customer's customization operation. If no customization operation is performed (step S144; No), the personalization processing unit 1545 terminates this process and proceeds to step S15 in Figure 36.

[0368] Furthermore, if a customization operation is accepted in step S144 (step S144; Yes), the personalization processing unit 1545 stores the modified settings as user settings, associates them with the user ID of the checked-in user, and stores them in the user management table 3164 (step S145). Next, the personalization processing unit 1545 proceeds to step S147 to reflect the modified settings.

[0369] On the other hand, if in step S141 it is determined that the check-in user is not a member (step S141; No), the personalization processing unit 1545 determines whether or not it has received a customization operation from the check-in user to change the settings of the customer service robot 10 (step S146). Here, the personalization processing unit 1545 may accept the customization operation by displaying a screen similar to that in step S144, or it may accept the customization operation by displaying a screen for non-members that is different from the one for members. For example, the screen for non-members may have a limited number of changeable settings compared to the screen for members.

[0370] If no customization operation is performed in step S146 (step S146; No), the personalization processing unit 1545 terminates this process and proceeds to step S15 in Figure 36. If a customization operation is accepted (step S146; Yes), the personalization processing unit 1545 proceeds to step S147 to reflect the changed settings.

[0371] In step S147, the personalization processing unit 1545 controls the operation of the customer service robot 10 based on the changed settings to reflect the changed settings, and then proceeds to step S15 in Figure 36.

[0372] The personalization processing unit 1545 stores the changed settings as user settings in the storage unit 161, etc., but it may also store them in the robot management table 3163 in association with the robot ID of its own customer service robot 10. Furthermore, if pairing with the customer terminal 50 has been established, the personalization processing unit 1545 may provide the user settings to the customer terminal 50.

[0373] Next, referring to Figure 39, we will describe the action plan generation process performed by the control unit 154 of the customer service robot 10 as the action plan generation unit 1546 in step S15 of Figure 36. Figure 39 is a flowchart showing an example of the action plan generation process performed by the customer service robot 10.

[0374] First, the action plan generation unit 1546 displays the purpose of visit screen on the front display unit 132 (step S151). Here, the purpose of visit confirmation screen displays options to confirm the customer's purpose of visit, as explained in Figures 16 and 17. The purpose of visit confirmation screen displayed initially displays general purposes of visit as options, such as "I want to buy," "I want to play," or "I want to eat."

[0375] Next, the action plan generation unit 1546 determines whether or not a purpose of visit has been selected based on the check-in user's actions (step S152). If no purpose of visit is selected (step S152; No), the process proceeds to step S156.

[0376] When the action plan generation unit 1546 receives the selection of the purpose of visit (step S152; Yes), it determines whether it is possible to narrow down the destination stores based on the selected purpose of visit (step S153). For example, if the number of destination stores derived from the selected purpose of visit is less than or equal to a threshold (e.g., 3), the action plan generation unit 1546 determines that it is possible to narrow down the destination stores, and if it exceeds the threshold, it determines that it is not possible to narrow down the destination stores.

[0377] If it is not possible to narrow down the destination store (step S153; No), the action plan generation unit 1546 updates the options to allow for a more detailed confirmation of the purpose of visit based on the purpose of visit selected in step S152 (step S154), and returns to step S151. As a result, the purpose of visit confirmation screen including the updated options is displayed on the front display unit 132. The action plan generation unit 1546 also repeatedly executes the processes from steps S151 to S154 until it becomes possible to narrow down the destination store. The updated options may include selecting the type of product, the product itself, or the store itself.

[0378] Furthermore, if it is possible to narrow down the destination stores (step S153; Yes), the action plan generation unit 1546 determines the stores derived by the narrowing down as destination stores (step S155) and proceeds to step S156. At this time, the action plan generation unit 1546 may display a list of destination stores that have been determined so far.

[0379] Next, the action plan generation unit 1546 determines whether or not it has received an operation from the check-in user to confirm the destination store that has been decided so far (step S156). If no confirmation operation is performed (step S156; No), the action plan generation unit 1546 returns to step S151 and displays the store visit purpose confirmation screen. In this case, the action plan generation unit 1546 may display a store visit purpose confirmation screen that includes a general purpose of visit as an option, similar to the store visit purpose confirmation screen displayed initially.

[0380] Furthermore, when the action plan generation unit 1546 receives a confirmation operation (step S156; Yes), it generates an action plan that specifies the order in which to visit the destination stores based on the destination stores that have been determined so far (step S157). Then, the action plan generation unit 1546 displays the generated action plan on the front display unit 132 (step S158) and proceeds to step S16 in Figure 36.

[0381] Furthermore, if the confirmation operation is accepted without the destination store being determined, it is preferable for the action plan generation unit 1546 to display a message such as "Destination store not set" on the front display unit 132 and return the process to step S151. In addition, the customer can set tasks for the destination store specified in the action plan, such as notifying the display location of the type or product selected on the store visit purpose selection screen.

[0382] Next, referring to Figure 40, we will describe the store coordination process that the control unit 154 of the customer service robot 10 executes as the store coordination unit 1547 in step S21 of Figure 36. Figure 40 is a flowchart showing an example of the store coordination process performed by the customer service robot 10 and the store equipment 20. As a prerequisite for this process, it is assumed that the product master 2191 of the store equipment 20 stores information that identifies the display location of a product and the electronic shelf tag placed at that display location, associated with the product code.

[0383] When the customer service robot 10 arrives at the destination store, the store coordination unit 1547 accesses the store equipment 20 installed in that store and executes a process to establish communication with the store equipment 20. Also, when the robot coordination unit 2142 of the store equipment 20 receives an access request from the customer service robot 10, it executes a process to establish communication with the customer service robot 10 that initiated the access. Through this process, coordination is achieved between the customer service robot 10 and the store equipment 20 (steps S211, S31).

[0384] When the store linkage unit 1547 establishes linkage with the store device 20, it determines whether a task has been set for that store as defined in the action plan (step S212). If no task has been set (step S212; No), the system proceeds to step S22 in Figure 36.

[0385] Furthermore, if a task is set (step S212; Yes), the store linkage unit 1547 executes processing according to the task settings. For example, if a task is set to notify the display location of a product type or product selected on the store visit purpose selection screen, the store linkage unit 1547 refers to the product master 2191 and determines the product type or product to be notified at that store (step S213). Next, the store linkage unit 1547 sends a light emission instruction specifying the determined product type or product (product code) to the store device 20 (step S214), and proceeds to step S22 in Figure 36.

[0386] Meanwhile, the robot coordination unit 2142 of the store device 20 waits until it receives instructions from the customer service robot 10 based on a task (in this example, an instruction to light up), and if there are no instructions (step S32; No), it terminates processing. Also, when the robot coordination unit 2142 receives an instruction to light up from the customer service robot 10 (step S32; Yes), it identifies the display location of the instructed product from the product master 2191 (step S33). Then, the robot coordination unit 2142 lights up the electronic shelf label placed at the identified display location (step S34) and terminates processing.

[0387] This allows customers visiting a store to easily find the display location of the product they have chosen. Alternatively, the store coordination unit 1547 may identify the display location of the product to be notified from the product master 2191 and transmit the identified display location as a light emission instruction to the store device 20.

[0388] Next, referring to Figure 41, we will describe the purchase support process that the control unit 154 of the customer service robot 10 executes as the purchase support unit 1548 in step S22 of Figure 36. Figure 41 is a flowchart showing an example of the purchase support process performed by the customer service robot 10.

[0389] When the customer service robot 10 arrives at the destination store, the purchase support unit 1548 prompts the customer to enter a product code by displaying the basic operation screen (see Figure 20) etc. on the front display unit 132.

[0390] When a customer enters a product code (Step S2201; Yes), the purchase support unit 1548 reads the product information associated with the product code from the product master 2191 and displays a product screen (see Figure 21) showing the product corresponding to that product code on the front display unit 132 (Step S2202). Next, the purchase support unit 1548 determines whether the customer has instructed the customer to try on the product corresponding to the entered product code (Step S2203). If the customer has not instructed the customer to try on the product (Step S2203; No), the unit proceeds to Step S2209.

[0391] Furthermore, if the customer instructs to try on the product in step S2203 (step S2203; Yes), the purchase support unit 1548 displays a try-on screen (see, for example, Figure 23) on the front display unit 132 representing the customer who tried on the product corresponding to the product code (step S2204). Next, the purchase support unit 1548 determines whether or not the customer has requested the presentation of recommended products (step S2205).

[0392] If no recommended products are requested (step S2205; No), the process proceeds to step S2208. In this case, the purchase support unit 1548 determines in step S2208 whether or not the customer has instructed the registration of the product corresponding to the entered product code (step S2208).

[0393] If registration is not instructed (step S2207; No), the purchase support unit 1548 returns to step S2201. If registration is instructed (step S2208; Yes), the purchase support unit 1548 registers the product corresponding to the entered product code (step S2209) and returns to step S2201.

[0394] Furthermore, if the customer requests the presentation of recommended products in step S2205 (step S2205; Yes), the purchase support unit 1548 selects recommended products from the products registered in the product master 2191 based on the product corresponding to the entered product code (reference product) (step S2206). Next, the purchase support unit 1548 displays a recommendation screen (see, for example, Figure 24) showing the recommended products on the front display unit 132 (step S2207) and proceeds to step S2208. In this case, the purchase support unit 1548 determines in step S2208 whether or not the customer has requested the registration of the recommended products (step S2208).

[0395] If registration is not instructed (step S2208; No), the purchase support unit 1548 returns to step S2201. If registration is instructed (step S2208; Yes), the purchase support unit 1548 registers the recommended product (step S2209) and returns to step S2201. In addition, the purchase support unit 1548 may, in conjunction with the execution of step S2207 or step S2208, cooperate with the store coordination unit 1547, etc., to control the illumination of the electronic shelf labels placed at the display location of the recommended product.

[0396] In this process, if product registration is not instructed (step S2208; No), and if product registration is performed (step S2209), the process returns to step S2201. However, the process is not limited to these cases; it may also proceed to step S2226.

[0397] Furthermore, if no product code is entered in step S2201 (step S2201; No), the purchase support unit 1548 determines whether the customer has instructed the display of the virtual cart (step S2210). If the customer has instructed the display of the virtual cart (step S2210; Yes), the purchase support unit 1548 displays a virtual cart screen (see, for example, Figure 25) listing the products registered so far (registered products) on the front display unit 132 (step S2211). Next, the purchase support unit 1548 determines whether the customer has requested to select a specific product from the registered products (step S2212).

[0398] If, for example, the user exits the virtual shopping cart screen, the purchase support unit 1548 determines that no product selection will be made (step S2212; No). In this case, the purchase support unit 1548 returns to the basic operation screen or the previous screen, and then proceeds to step S2217.

[0399] Furthermore, in step S2212, when the product selection operation is accepted (step S2212; Yes), the purchase support unit 1548 displays a selected product screen (see, for example, Figure 26) representing the selected product on the front display unit 132 (step S2213).

[0400] Next, the purchase support unit 1548 determines whether or not it has received an operation from the customer requesting the presentation of recommended products (step S2214). If the presentation of recommended products is requested (step S2214; Yes), the purchase support unit 1548 proceeds to step S2206 to select recommended products based on the product (reference product) selected in step S2212. If the presentation of recommended products is not requested (step S2214; No), the purchase support unit 1548 determines whether or not it has received an operation from the customer requesting to inquire with a store clerk (step S2215).

[0401] If a request for assistance from a store employee is made (step S2215; Yes), the purchase support unit 1548 proceeds to step S2225 to make an inquiry regarding the selected product. Specifically, the purchase support unit 1548 transmits inquiry information to the store device 20, including information specifying the product selected in step S2212 and the location of its own customer service robot 10 (step S2225), and then proceeds to step S2226.

[0402] Furthermore, if no inquiry to a store employee is requested in step S2215 (step S2215; No), the purchase support unit 1548 determines whether or not the customer has instructed the customer to make a payment (step S2216).

[0403] If the user is instructed to make a payment (step S2216; Yes), the purchase support unit 1548 proceeds to step S2218 to execute the payment processing for the selected product. Specifically, the purchase support unit 1548 displays a payment method selection screen (see, for example, Figure 27) on the front display unit 132, where the user can select a payment method (step S2218). Next, when the purchase support unit 1548 receives the payment method selection operation (step S2219), it executes the payment processing for the product selected in step S2212 using the selected payment method (step S2220), and then proceeds to step S2221.

[0404] If the customer does not instruct the payment to be made in step S2216 (step S2216; No), the purchase support unit 1548 proceeds to step S2226.

[0405] On the other hand, if the virtual cart is not instructed to be displayed in step S2210 (step S2210; No), the purchase support unit 1548 determines whether or not the customer has instructed the customer to make a payment (step S2217).

[0406] If the user is instructed to make a payment (step S2217; Yes), the purchase support unit 1548 displays a payment method selection screen (see, for example, Figure 27) on the front display unit 132, allowing the user to select a payment method (step S2218). Upon receiving the payment method selection operation (step S2219), the purchase support unit 1548 executes the payment process for all unpaid registered products using the selected payment method (step S2220), and then proceeds to step S21.

[0407] Next, the purchase support unit 1548 determines whether or not it has received an instruction from the customer to select a method of receiving the goods (step S2221). If no selection of a receiving method is given (step S2221; No), the purchase support unit 1548 proceeds to step S2226.

[0408] Furthermore, when instructed to select a delivery method (step S2221; Yes), the purchase support unit 1548 displays a delivery method selection screen (see, for example, Figure 29) on the front display unit 132, allowing the customer to select how to receive the goods (step S2222). When a delivery method is selected from the delivery method selection screen, the purchase support unit 1548 sends the delivery destination information generated based on the selected delivery method to the store device 20 or server device 30 to arrange for the transport of the goods (step S2223), and then proceeds to step S2226.

[0409] On the other hand, if payment is not instructed in step S2217 (step S2217; No), the purchase support unit 1548 determines whether or not the customer has requested to contact a store employee (step S2224). If no inquiry to a store employee is requested (step S2224; No), the purchase support unit 1548 proceeds to step S2226.

[0410] Furthermore, if a request for assistance from a store employee is made (step S2224; Yes), the purchase support unit 1548 transmits inquiry information, including the location of its own customer service robot 10, to the store device 20 (step S2225), and proceeds to step S2226.

[0411] Furthermore, the store device 20, upon receiving the inquiry information, for example, through the control of the robot coordination unit 2142, notifies the store employee of the location of the customer service robot 10, etc., via a terminal held by the employee, thereby prompting the employee to respond to the customer.

[0412] In step S2226, the purchase support unit 1548 determines whether or not the customer has instructed the customer to leave the store (step S2226). For example, the purchase support unit 1548 may accept an operation to instruct the customer to move to the next store as an operation to instruct the customer to leave the store. Alternatively, for example, the purchase support unit 1548 may, in cooperation with the operation control unit 1544, determine that the customer has been instructed to leave the store when it is detected that the customer has moved to the exit.

[0413] If the customer is not instructed to leave the store (step S2226; No), the purchase support unit 1548 returns to step S2201. If the customer is instructed to leave the store (step S2226; Yes), the purchase support unit 1548 determines whether payment processing has been completed for all registered products (step S2227).

[0414] If there are unpaid items (step S2227; No), the purchase support unit 1548 displays an alert message on the front display unit 132 indicating that there are unpaid items (step S2228), and returns to step S2201. In step S2228, the purchase support unit 1548 may also display the alert message on the rear display unit 115. The purchase support unit 1548 may also provide notification by the color of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 141 or by outputting sound. Furthermore, the purchase support unit 1548 may, in cooperation with the motion control unit 1544, stop the movement of the customer service robot 10.

[0415] Furthermore, if all registered items have been paid for (step S2227; Yes), the purchase support unit 1548 proceeds to step S23 in Figure 36.

[0416] In this process, the store linkage unit 1547 stores the record in the local transaction management table relating to the transaction of a product in the transaction management table 3165, each time it registers and settles a product, associating it with the robot ID of its customer service robot 10 and the transaction ID of the transaction. However, this configuration is not limited to this. For example, the store linkage unit 1547 may store the record in the local transaction management table relating to the transaction that took place at the store in the transaction management table 3165 when it moves to step S23.

[0417] Furthermore, the store linkage unit 1547 may perform a process to disconnect from the store device 20 when it moves to step S23.

[0418] Next, with reference to Figures 42 and 43, another example of the purchase support process performed in step S22 of Figure 36 will be described.

[0419] Figure 42 is a flowchart showing an example of the purchase support process performed by the customer service robot 10. Note that the processes in steps S2201 to S2224, S2226, and S2227 are the same as in Figure 41, so their explanation is omitted.

[0420] In step S2225, the purchase support unit 1548 performs remote attendant processing (step S2231).

[0421] Figure 43 is a flowchart showing an example of remote attendant processing performed by the customer service robot 10. In remote attendant processing, the purchase support unit 1548 obtains remote attendant information from the server device 30 (step S61) and displays the attendant selection screen Gp on the front display unit 132 (step S62).

[0422] When the purchase support unit 1548 accepts the selection of a remote attendant (the operator Gpf on the attendant selection screen Gp receives an operation) (step S63; Yes), it displays the attendant screen Gq on the front display unit 132 (step S64).

[0423] When the purchase support unit 1548 receives information indicating recommended products from the attendant terminal 60 while the attendant screen Gq is being displayed (step S65; Yes), it adds and displays the product information on the attendant screen Gq (step S66).

[0424] Furthermore, if the operator Gqf is operated while the attendant screen Gq is displayed (Yes in step S67), the purchase support unit 1548 displays the review screen Gr on the front display unit 132, accepts the review (step S68), and terminates this process. In conjunction with step S68, the purchase support unit 1548 terminates its connection with the attendant terminal 60 and updates the status of the attendant who has terminated communication to "standing".

[0425] If no remote attendant is selected in step S63 (step S63; No), and the operator Gpe receives an operation (step S69; Yes), the purchase support unit 1548 terminates this process.

[0426] As described above, the customer service robot 10 of the above embodiment assists customer behavior in a commercial facility with multiple stores, either leading or following the customer. Specifically, the customer service robot 10 interacts with the customer through a screen confirming the purpose of visit, deriving destination stores according to the customer's purpose of visit and preferences, and generating an action plan that defines the order in which the destination stores should be visited. The customer service robot 10 then moves in leading mode to each destination store in the order defined in the action plan. As a result, the customer service robot 10 can efficiently guide the customer to a store that best suits the customer's needs from among the stores located within the commercial facility.

[0427] Furthermore, the customer service robot 10 moves within the destination store in a follow-me mode, assisting the customer with purchasing products. This allows the customer service robot 10 to provide the customer with an environment where they can register products and complete payment at their destination within the store.

[0428] Furthermore, the customer service robot 10 provides customer support, such as suggesting recommended products, upon request from the customer within the store at the destination. The customer service robot 10 also selects recommended products based on the products the customer has chosen and the customer's appearance when trying on those products. As a result, the customer service robot 10 can present customers with recommended products based on their preferences and body type, thereby efficiently assisting them in purchasing products.

[0429] Furthermore, by operating the customer service robot 10 according to this embodiment, customers can receive assistance from a remote attendant at any time they wish. Therefore, the remote attendant function of this embodiment can prevent the decline in customer satisfaction that occurs in the past, such as when it takes a long time to decide which product to buy or when customers give up on purchasing because they cannot find the product. In addition, the remote attendant function of this embodiment can prevent the loss of sales opportunities due to insufficient customer service, even if there is no suitable staff member in the commercial facility to meet the customer's needs, as a suitable staff member can provide customer service remotely.

[0430] The embodiments described above can also be modified and implemented as appropriate by changing some of the configurations or functions of each of the devices described above. Therefore, several modifications of the embodiments described above will be described below as other embodiments. In the following, we will mainly describe the differences from the embodiments described above, and will omit detailed explanations of points that are common with what has already been described. Furthermore, the modifications described below may be implemented individually or in combination as appropriate.

[0431] [Example 1] In the above-described embodiment, once products are registered in the store, the operation of the customer service robot 10 is restricted until payment for all registered products is completed, thereby preventing unpaid products from being taken out of the store. However, the embodiment is not limited to this one.

[0432] For example, among the products sold in stores, there may be store items that can be actually received and taken home from the store, as well as items that cannot be physically received (hereinafter referred to as "provisional items"). For example, if the store is a showroom store as described above, the products in the store are display items and are therefore provisional items that cannot be physically received on the spot. Also, if a recommended product is presented that is not in stock at the store, that recommended product will also be a provisional item that cannot be received on the spot.

[0433] In the configuration of the embodiment described above, payment can be made in-store even for temporary products. However, it is preferable for convenience to allow payment to be made at any time, rather than having to complete the payment in-store. Therefore, in this modification, we will describe a configuration of a customer service robot 10 that allows for different payment timings for in-store products and temporary products.

[0434] Specifically, in this modified configuration, the purchase support unit 1548 of the customer service robot 10 identifies whether the product to be registered is a store product or a temporary product. There are no particular restrictions on the method of identifying whether a product is a store product or a temporary product, and various methods can be employed.

[0435] For example, identification information such as a flag that can identify whether a product corresponding to a product code is a store product or a temporary product may be registered in the product master 2191 in association with the product code, and the purchase support unit 1548 may identify whether a product is a store product or a temporary product by referring to the identification information.

[0436] Furthermore, for example, by assigning a product code to store merchandise in the form of a code symbol, and assigning a product code to temporary merchandise such as display items in the form of a wireless tag, it is possible to distinguish between store merchandise and temporary merchandise from the input medium of the product code. Specifically, when the read / write control unit 1543 reads a product code from a code symbol, the purchase support unit 1548 identifies the product corresponding to that product code as a store merchandise. Also, when the read / write control unit 1543 reads a product code from a wireless tag, the purchase support unit 1548 identifies the product corresponding to that product code as a temporary merchandise. Note that the relationship between product codes and wireless tags and store merchandise and temporary merchandise may be reversed.

[0437] Furthermore, when the purchase support unit 1548 registers a product corresponding to a product code, it also registers identification information such as a flag that can identify whether the product is a store product or a temporary product. In this way, the purchase support unit 1548 registers products in a state that allows identification of whether they are store products or temporary products.

[0438] Furthermore, the purchase support unit 1548 can process payments for products registered within the store in the same manner as in the embodiment described above. However, in this modified example, payment is required within the store for store products, while it is optional for temporary products. In addition, temporary products may be limited to those registered at the store where the customer is staying, or they may be eligible for payment including temporary products registered at other stores.

[0439] Furthermore, the purchase support unit 1548 works in cooperation with the motion control unit 1544 to restrict the customer service robot 10's movements so that it does not leave the store until payment is completed for all registered store products within the store. As a result, customers can leave the store even if their registered temporary products are still unpaid, provided they have paid for their store products. This allows customers to, for example, receive store products they have purchased at a store while simultaneously registering temporary products sold at that store and moving on to the next store.

[0440] Furthermore, the purchase support unit 1548 in this modified version is capable of processing payments even outside the store. Specifically, even when the customer service robot 10 is moving in follow-me mode, the purchase support unit 1548 will process payments for unpaid items, i.e., temporary items, in response to customer requests.

[0441] Next, with reference to Figures 44 and 45, an example of processing performed by the purchase support unit 1548 of this modified example will be described. First, with reference to Figure 44, the purchase support processing performed by the purchase support unit 1548 of this modified example in step S21 of Figure 36 will be described.

[0442] Here, Figure 44 is a flowchart showing an example of the purchase support process performed by the customer service robot 10 in Modification Example 1. Note that the processes in steps S2201 to S2226 are the same as in Figure 41, so their explanation is omitted.

[0443] In step S2226, when the purchase support unit 1548 receives an instruction to leave the store (step S2226; Yes), it determines whether or not payment processing has been completed for all registered store products (step S2229).

[0444] If there are any unpaid store items (step S2229; No), the purchase support unit 1548 notifies the system that there are unpaid store items (step S2230) and returns to step S2201. If all registered store items have been paid for (step S2229; Yes), the purchase support unit 1548 proceeds to step S23 in Figure 36.

[0445] After moving to step S23, the only unpaid items registered with the customer service robot 10 will be temporary items. Furthermore, if a customer leaves a store with temporary items still unpaid, the temporary items registered at multiple stores will remain unpaid.

[0446] Therefore, the purchase support unit 1548 can process payments for pending provisional items by performing the payment support processing shown in Figure 45 outside the store.

[0447] Here, Figure 45 is a flowchart showing an example of the payment support process performed by the customer service robot 10 in Modification 1. It should be noted that this process can be executed at any time in response to customer interaction, as long as the robot is operating in customer service mode.

[0448] For example, if the customer service robot 10 is stopped by a customer operation such as the stop button 142 while driving in lead mode, the purchase support unit 1548 displays the aforementioned operator Gfg etc. on the front display unit 132, making it possible to confirm the transaction details of the product (registration, payment status).

[0449] The purchase support unit 1548 waits until it receives an instruction from the customer to confirm the transaction details (Step S41; No). When the purchase support unit 1548 receives an instruction to confirm the transaction details, for example, by instructing the display of the virtual cart as described above (Step S42; Yes), it refers to the local transaction management table and determines whether or not there are any unsettled items (provisional items) (Step S42). Specifically, the purchase support unit 1548 determines whether or not the payment has been made based on the status of the purchased flag.

[0450] If all registered products have been paid for (Step S42; No), the purchase support unit 1548 displays a list of registered products on the front display unit 132 (Step S43) and proceeds to Step S51.

[0451] On the other hand, if it is determined that there are unpaid items (step S42; Yes), the purchase support unit 1548 displays a screen on the front display unit 132 that lists the paid items and the unpaid items in a way that allows them to be identified (step S44).

[0452] The screens displayed in steps S43 and S44 will be displayed in a similar format to the virtual cart screen shown in Figure 25, for example. Furthermore, paid-for items will be identifiable by adding information such as an icon indicating that they have been paid for.

[0453] Next, the purchase support unit 1548 determines whether or not the customer has instructed it to make a payment (step S45). If the customer has not instructed it to make a payment (step S45; No), the purchase support unit 1548 proceeds to step S51.

[0454] Furthermore, if the user is instructed to make a payment in step S45 (step S45; Yes), the purchase support unit 1548 displays a payment method selection screen (see, for example, Figure 27) on the front display unit 132, which allows the user to select a payment method for unpaid items (step S46). Then, when the purchase support unit 1548 receives the payment method selection operation (step S47), it executes the payment process for the unpaid items using the selected payment method (step S48).

[0455] While this process describes an example of settling pending provisional items all at once, it is not limited to this; as with the embodiments described above, it is also possible to settle items individually as selected by the customer. Furthermore, it is possible to instruct the customer to cancel the registration of pending provisional items.

[0456] Furthermore, when the purchase support unit 1548 registers or settles store products and temporary products, it may notify the store device 20 of information (e.g., product code) regarding the products that were registered or settled. In this case, for example, the control unit 214 of the store device 20 may, upon notification of the registration of a temporary product, perform control to reduce the inventory quantity of the corresponding product. Also, upon notification of the registration of a temporary product, the control unit 214 of the store device 20 may send a notification to the terminal of a store employee or other person, such as to reserve the corresponding product.

[0457] Next, the purchase support unit 1548 displays a delivery method selection screen (see, for example, Figure 29) on the front display unit 132, which allows the user to select how to receive the goods (step S49). When a delivery method is selected from the delivery method selection screen, the purchase support unit 1548 sends the delivery destination information generated based on the selected delivery method to the store device 20 or server device 30 to arrange for the transport of the goods (step S50), and then proceeds to step S51.

[0458] Next, the purchase support unit 1548 determines whether or not to terminate the verification of the transaction details (step S51; No). If the verification of the transaction details is to be continued (step S51; No), the purchase support unit 1548 returns to step S42. Also, if it receives an instruction to terminate the verification of the transaction details (step S51; Yes), the purchase support unit 1548 terminates this process.

[0459] Thus, in this modified version of the customer service robot 10, payment for temporary products registered at the destination store is permitted outside the store. This allows, for example, customers to pay for temporary products registered at multiple stores at once, or to compare temporary products registered at multiple stores and select which ones to purchase. Therefore, the customer service robot 10 can improve the convenience of purchasing temporary products sold at stores in commercial facilities.

[0460] [Differentiation 2] In the above embodiment, the customer service robot 10 is described as being configured to exchange various information by coordinating with the store's equipment 20 upon arriving at the store. However, the store equipment 20 that can be coordinated is not limited to the store equipment 20 that the robot is currently staying at.

[0461] For example, when the purchase support unit 1548 registers and processes payment for products at a store the customer is visiting, it may, in cooperation with the store collaboration unit 1547, etc., transmit product information for the product and user information about the check-in user, along with its own robot ID, to the store equipment 20 of another store as reference information. In addition, the purchase support unit 1548 may transmit product information of the products the customer tried on, the customer's appearance while trying on the clothes, and the customer's physical characteristics extracted during the try-on, along with its own robot ID, to the store equipment 20 of another store as reference information.

[0462] Furthermore, the products to be transmitted as reference information may include both store products and temporary products, or either one or the other. Also, the store device 20 to which the reference information is transmitted is not particularly limited and can be set arbitrarily. For example, the purchase support unit 1548 may transmit reference information to all stores in the commercial facility. The purchase support unit 1548 may also transmit reference information to stores of the same type as the store the customer is currently visiting. The purchase support unit 1548 may also transmit reference information to destination stores that have not yet been reached among the destination stores specified in the action plan.

[0463] Furthermore, when a customer (customer service robot 10) visits the store where the store equipment 20 (robot coordination unit 2142) has received the reference information, the store equipment 20 may advertise or recommend products to the customer service robot 10 based on the reference information of the corresponding robot ID. Specifically, once the robot coordination unit 2142 has completed coordination with the store coordination unit 1547 of the customer service robot 10, it provides the customer service robot 10 with product information regarding recommended products selected based on the reference information of the corresponding robot ID. Here, the recommended products may be selected using the same selection method as the purchase support unit 1548 described in the above embodiment, or they may be selected by the store staff.

[0464] Meanwhile, when the customer service robot 10 receives product information from the store equipment 20, the purchase support unit 1548 displays the product related to that product information as a recommended product on the front display unit 132. For example, the purchase support unit 1548 displays the recommended product notified by the store equipment 20 on the basic operation screen (see Figure 20).

[0465] In this way, the customer service robot 10 can efficiently provide purchasing support when a customer visits another store by transferring the history of customer transactions conducted at that store to other stores. Furthermore, the store equipment 20 can efficiently promote products by presenting customers with products that match their preferences based on the reference information transmitted from the customer service robot 10.

[0466] [Difference 3] In the above-described embodiment, each of the customer service robots 10 operates independently due to the various functional configurations it possesses. However, the embodiment is not limited to this configuration, and the server device 30 may be configured to comprehensively control the operation of the customer service robots 10.

[0467] In this case, the server device 30 may include, for example, one or all of the following functional configurations: an operation control unit 1544, a personalization processing unit 1545, an action plan generation unit 1546, a store collaboration unit 1547, and a purchase support unit 1548, and the operation of the customer service robot 10 may be individually controlled by the functions of these functional configurations.

[0468] In the above embodiment, the programs executed by the customer service robot 10, store equipment 20, server equipment 30, customer terminal 50, and attendant terminal 60 may be provided by recording them on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM. Alternatively, the 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.

[0469] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, modifications, and combinations 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 of the invention and its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0470] 1. Customer service support system, 10...Customer service robots, 11...Main body, 111...Housing, 112...Mounting platform, 113...Cover part 114...Opening, 115...Back display, 116...Tail, 12...moving part, 121...drive part, 13… Interface section, 131...Housing, 132...Front display section, 133...Ear section, 134...Slit, 141...Light-emitting unit, 142...Stop button, 143...Imaging unit, 144...Sound collection section, 145...Audio output section, 151...CPU, 152...ROM, 153...RAM, 154 ... Control unit, 1541...Display control unit, 1542...Operation reception unit, 1543...Read / write control unit, 1544...Operation control unit, 1545...Personalization processing unit, 1546...Action Plan Generation Department, 1547...Store Collaboration Department, 1548...Purchase Support Department, 155...Display unit, 156...Operation unit, 157...Reader / writer unit, 158...Sensor unit, 159...Positioning unit, 160...Communication unit, 161...Storage section, 20 ...Store equipment, 211...CPU, 212...ROM, 213...RAM, 214 ... Control unit, 2141...Store information transmission unit, 2142...Robot cooperation unit, 2143...Payment processing unit, 215...Display unit, 216...Operation unit, 217...Communication unit, 218...Connection unit, 219... Memory unit, 2191... Product master, 30… Server equipment, 311...CPU, 312...ROM, 313...RAM, 314 ... Control unit, 3141... Information Management Department, 3142... Robot Management Department, 315... Communications Department, 316...Storage section, 3161...Map information, 3162...Store management table, 3163...Robot management table, 3164...User management table, 3165...Transaction management table, 3166...Remote attendant management table, 50... Customer terminal, 60... Attendant terminal (remote attendant terminal), 611...CPU, 612...ROM, 613...RAM, 614 ... Control unit, 6141...Display control unit, 6142...Robot linkage unit, 6143...Server linkage unit, 6144... Recommendation Processing Unit, 615...Communication section, 616...Input section, 617...Output section, 619...Memory section. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0471] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-111128

Claims

1. A customer service robot that moves with customers within a commercial facility containing multiple stores, An operation control unit operates the customer service robot by switching between a leading mode in which it guides the customer to the destination store and a following mode in which it follows the customer. When the customer service robot receives an operation request for remote customer service via its operation reception unit, the purchase support unit connects to the remote attendant terminal via the network to send and receive information. Equipped with, When the customer service robot arrives at the destination store in the leading mode, the operation control unit switches to the following mode and operates the customer service robot. The aforementioned purchase support unit is a customer service robot that receives requests for remote customer service at the store where the customer service robot has been moved.

2. When the purchasing support department receives an operation requesting remote customer service, it selects a candidate attendant to handle the customer service and presents an attendant selection screen displaying the information of the selected candidate. The customer service robot according to claim 1.

3. The purchase support unit is able to access a memory area that stores the areas of expertise of the candidates, and presents the candidates whose areas of expertise match the information of the product specified by the customer on the attendant selection screen. The customer service robot according to claim 2.

4. The purchase support unit is able to access a memory area that stores the affiliation of the candidate, and presents the candidate whose affiliation matches the store specified by the customer on the attendant selection screen. The customer service robot according to claim 2.

5. The purchasing support unit presents an attendant screen that includes product information entered from the remote attendant terminal. A customer service robot according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The computer equipped in a customer service robot that moves with customers within a commercial facility containing multiple stores, An operation control unit operates the customer service robot by switching between a leading mode in which it guides the customer to the destination store and a following mode in which it follows the customer. When the customer service robot receives an operation request for remote customer service via its operation reception unit, the purchase support unit connects to the remote attendant terminal via the network to send and receive information. To make it function as, When the customer service robot arrives at the destination store in the leading mode, the operation control unit switches to the following mode and operates the customer service robot. The aforementioned purchase support unit is a program that accepts requests for remote customer service at the store where the customer service robot has been moved.

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