Product information processing device and product information processing system
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SHARP KK
- Filing Date
- 2022-08-05
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-03
AI Technical Summary
【0009】 本開示によれば、商品情報処理装置および商品情報処理システムは、簡易な方法で顧客が手に取った商品に関する情報を報知することができる。
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a product information processing apparatus and a product information processing system.
Background Art
[0002] In recent years, from the viewpoint of reducing product losses, discount services are often provided to increase customers' willingness to purchase products with approaching expiration dates such as expiration dates, consumption deadlines, and use deadlines. In order to make the discount service of products consistent, a product processing apparatus has been developed that individually grasps the state of products and sets the selling price of products according to the state of the products (for example, Patent Document 1).
[0003] In the product processing apparatus of Patent Document 1, spectral information, which is a measurement result obtained by measuring a product with a hyperspectral camera, is analyzed, and characteristic information representing the state of the product is generated according to the analysis result. Then, the selling price of the product is set based on the characteristic information, and the selling price of the product is displayed on, for example, an electronic shelf label.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0004]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0005] However, in the product processing apparatus of Patent Document 1, in order to display the selling price of a product, it is necessary for an operator to individually measure the product with a hyperspectral camera, which is troublesome.
[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a product information processing apparatus and a product information processing system that can notify information regarding a product taken by a customer in a simple manner. [Means for solving the problem]
[0007] According to this disclosure, the product information processing device comprises a storage unit that stores the ID information of a wireless tag attached to a product in association with the product information of the product, a reading unit that reads the ID information of the wireless tag, and a control unit. The reading unit detects the movement of the wireless tag. The control unit retrieves the product information associated with the ID information of the wireless tag whose movement has been detected from the storage unit, generates notification information to notify the customer, and transmits the notification information to the notification unit.
[0008] According to this disclosure, the product information processing system comprises the product information processing device described above, the wireless tag attached to the product, and the notification unit that notifies the notification information received from the control unit. [Effects of the Invention]
[0009] According to this disclosure, the product information processing device and product information processing system can inform customers of information about the products they have picked up in a simple manner. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0010] [Figure 1] This figure shows the configuration of a product information processing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This figure shows the functions of a product information processing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] Figure 1 shows a display shelf to which the product information processing device is applied, illustrating the state of the product display. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart illustrating the processing steps involved in product display using a product information processing device. [Figure 5] Figure 1 shows a display shelf to which the product information processing device is applied, illustrating the state in which a customer has picked up a product. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart illustrating the process by which a product information processing device detects the movement of a product when a customer picks it up. [Figure 7]This is a flowchart illustrating the process by which a product information processing device notifies a customer of product information when they pick up a product. [Figure 8] Figure 1 shows a display shelf to which the product information processing device is applied, illustrating the state in which a customer has picked up a product. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart illustrating the process by which a product information processing device notifies a customer of product information when they pick up a product. [Figure 10] Figure 1 shows a display shelf to which the product information processing device is applied, illustrating the state in which recommended products are notified when a customer picks up an item. [Figure 11] This is a flowchart illustrating the process by which a product information processing device notifies a customer of recommended products when they pick up an item. [Figure 12] Figure 1 shows a display shelf to which the product information processing device is applied, illustrating the state in which recommended products are notified when a customer picks up an item. [Figure 13] This is a flowchart illustrating the process by which a product information processing device notifies a customer of recommended products when they pick up an item. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0011] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts will be denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be repeated in the description.
[0012] The product information processing device described herein is a device that holds individual product information for products displayed on shelves in a store and informs customers who purchase products of product information. In the following description, fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables will be used as an example of products for which product information is handled by the product information processing device. The product information processing device described herein can also be applied to products such as food products with a best-before date or expiration date, or articles with a use-by date.
[0013] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the product information processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the product information processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functions of the product information processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. [[ID=The reading unit 11 is a device that reads the ID information of the wireless tag 13. The reading unit 11 is, for example, an RFID reader. The reading unit 11 is installed on the display shelf 3. Specifically, the product information processing device 1 is equipped with multiple reading units 11. The multiple reading units 11 are positioned on the display shelf 3, such as above, below, to the left, and to the right, so that the ID information of the wireless tags 13 of all the products 30 displayed on each shelf can be read by at least one reading unit 11.
[0018] The reading unit 11 detects the movement of the wireless tag 13 within its reading area. Specifically, the reading unit 11 acquires changes in the received signal strength (hereinafter also referred to as "RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator)") of the radio waves received from the wireless tag 13. As a result, when the product 30 moves, such as when a customer picks up the product 30, the received signal strength from the wireless tag 13 changes, and the reading unit 11 detects the movement of the product 30 by acquiring this change.
[0019] The storage unit 21 stores the ID information of the wireless tag 13 attached to the product 30 in association with the product information of the product 30. The storage unit 21 is equipped with an auxiliary storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive).
[0020] Product information may include, for example, the product name of product 30 and at least one of price and freshness information. In this embodiment, product information is the product name, price, and freshness information of product 30. Freshness information includes the number of days from the shipping date, best before date, expiration date, use-by date, etc. Product information may also include location information of product 30 displayed in the store.
[0021] The notification unit 12 broadcasts notification information received from the control unit 22. The notification information will be described later. The notification unit 12 is at least one of the following: the electronic shelf label 121 and an electronic device that can communicate via the communication device 2. An electronic device is, for example, a mobile communication terminal such as a smartphone or tablet computer owned by a customer.
[0022] In this embodiment, the notification unit 12 is described as an electronic shelf label 121. The notification unit 12, consisting of an electronic shelf label 121, is installed on the display shelf 3. Specifically, the product information processing device 1 is equipped with one or more notification units 12 for each type (product name) of product 30. The notification units 12 are positioned in a location that makes it easy for customers to grasp the product information of the products 30 displayed on the display shelf 3.
[0023] The control unit 22 retrieves product information associated with the ID information of the wireless tag 13 whose movement has been detected from the storage unit 21, generates notification information to inform the customer, and transmits the notification information to the notification unit 12. The control unit 22 also retrieves product information related to the products 30 displayed on the display shelf 3 from the storage unit 21, generates notification information to inform the customer, and transmits the notification information to the notification unit 12.
[0024] Notification information is information generated based on product information stored in the memory unit 21. Specifically, notification information includes product information for a specific product 30, the lowest and highest prices of product 30 extracted from product information of multiple products 30 with the same product name, or product information and location information for the freshest product 30 among multiple products 30 with the same product name, or product information and location information for the cheapest product 30. The freshest product 30 is determined by the freshness information included in the product information. For example, products with a long expiration date 30 or products with a short number of days since the shipping date are judged to be fresh products. Hereinafter, "notification information" will also be specifically referred to as "product information," "lowest price," "highest price," or "location information."
[0025] Furthermore, if the control unit 22 has a recommended product 30 that it would like to recommend over the product 30 to which the wireless tag 13 whose movement has been detected by the reading unit 11 is attached, it retrieves the product information of the recommended product 30 from the storage unit 21 and transmits the retrieved product information to the notification unit 12 as notification information. Recommended products 30 include, for example, fresh products 30 and inexpensive products 30. The notification unit 12 may transmit the product information of either the fresh product 30 or the inexpensive product 30 as notification information, or it may transmit the product information of both products as notification information. Also, when the control unit 22 transmits the product information of the recommended product 30 as notification information to the notification unit 12, it may transmit the product information of the recommended product 30 together with the product information of the product 30 to which the wireless tag 13 whose movement has been detected is attached, or it may transmit only the product information of the recommended product 30 as notification information.
[0026] The control unit 22 preferably transmits notification information to the electronic shelf label 121 closest to the product 30 to which the wireless tag 13, whose movement has been detected by the reading unit 11, is attached. This allows the customer to immediately check the product information of the product 30 they have picked up by looking at the electronic shelf label 121 near the product 30.
[0027] The control unit 22 is equipped with a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 22 controls the operation of the reading unit 11 and the notification unit 12 by executing a control program.
[0028] The notification unit 12 normally notifies the product name of the product 30 displayed on the display shelf 3, and at least one of the lowest price and highest price of the product 30 displayed on the display shelf 3, as notification information. In this embodiment, the notification unit 12 notifies the product name of the product 30 and the lowest price and highest price of the product 30 as notification information. When the reading unit 11 detects the movement of the wireless tag 13 when a customer picks up the product 30, the notification unit 12 notifies the product information of the product 30 associated with the ID information of the wireless tag 13 whose movement was detected by the reading unit 11.
[0029] Furthermore, if the notification unit 12 has a recommended product 30 that it would like to recommend more than the product 30 that the customer has picked up, and receives product information for the recommended product 30 from the control unit 22, it may also notify the customer of the product information for the recommended product 30. In addition, it may further notify the customer of the location information of the recommended product 30, that is, the location information of the fresh product 30 and / or the location information of the inexpensive product 30. In this case, if the customer picks up the fresh product 30 and / or the inexpensive product 30, the notification unit 12 may further notify the customer that the product 30 they have picked up is one of the recommended products 30. Also, when notifying the customer of the product information of the recommended product 30, it is not necessary to notify the customer of the product information of the product 30 that they have picked up.
[0030] Next, referring to Figures 3 to 13, the operation of the product information processing device 1 will be explained in more detail.
[0031] <Processing when displaying product 30> First, with reference to Figures 1, 3, and 4, the operation of the product information processing device 1 when products 30 are displayed on the display shelf 3 will be explained. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the display shelf 3 to which the product information processing device 1 of this embodiment is applied, and shows the state when products are displayed. Figure 4 is a flowchart of the processing of the product information processing device 1 when products are displayed.
[0032] In the following explanation, we will refer to the top shelf of the display shelf 3 shown in Figure 1 as shelf A, and the second shelf from the top as shelf B, and will use the top shelf A of the display shelf 3 as an example, as shown in Figure 3. In the display shelf 3 illustrated here, three reading units 11 are provided at the top of shelf A and shelf B, and two electronic shelf labels 121 are provided on the shelf boards of shelf A and shelf B, respectively. Note that the electronic shelf label 121 on shelf B is omitted in Figure 3.
[0033] The reading units 11 and electronic shelf labels 121 are spaced apart in the left-right direction in the view of Figure 3. The reading units 11 are numbered 11a to 11f, starting from the leftmost reading unit 11 on shelf A and moving to the right, and then from the leftmost reading unit 11 on the lower shelf B and moving to the right. Similarly, the electronic shelf labels 121 are numbered 121a to 121d, starting from the leftmost electronic shelf label 121 on shelf A and moving to the right, and then from the leftmost electronic shelf label 121 on the lower shelf B and moving to the right. Note that electronic shelf labels 121c and 121d are the electronic shelf labels 121 installed from left to right on shelf B in Figure 1, and are not shown in Figure 3.
[0034] The memory unit 21 stores shelf information (shelf A, shelf B) to which each reading unit 11a to 11f and each electronic shelf label 121a to 121d is attached, as well as position information for each reading unit 11a to 11f and each electronic shelf label 121a to 121d. The position information is stored as coordinates, such as x-coordinate and y-coordinate. The memory unit 21 also stores the names of the products 30 to be displayed on each shelf (shelf A, shelf B). The names of the products 30 to be displayed are registered by the store staff.
[0035] The number and arrangement of the reading units 11 and electronic shelf labels 121 are not limited to those described above. Furthermore, in the following, the vertical direction is defined according to the vertical direction of the display shelf 3, as shown in Figure 3. The front-to-back direction is defined as the direction from which the product 30 can be taken out. The left-to-right direction is defined as the direction perpendicular to the vertical and front-to-back directions.
[0036] Before displaying the products 30 on the display shelf 3, a wireless tag 13 is attached to each product 30 to be displayed, and the ID information of the wireless tag 13 of each product 30 is associated with the product information of each product 30 and registered in the memory unit 21. The registration of product information is performed by a store employee. The price among the product information may be set when the product information is registered, or it may be automatically calculated based on freshness information, etc. Once the registration of product information for all products 30 is complete, the employee displays the products 30 with the wireless tags 13 attached in the designated positions on the display shelf 3. Displaying in the designated position means displaying the product 30 with a product name that matches the product name of shelf A stored in the memory unit 21 on shelf A.
[0037] As shown in Figure 4, when product 30 is placed on display shelf 3, the control unit 22 obtains a list of reading units 11 installed on display shelf 3 from the storage unit 21 (S10). The obtained list is as shown in Table 1. As shown in Table 1, the symbols of the reading units 11 and the symbols of the shelves are obtained in a list.
[0038] [Table 1]
[0039] Then, in order to notify the electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b installed on shelf A of the product information of the products 30 displayed on shelf A, the reading units 11a to 11c installed on shelf A read the ID information and RSSI for each wireless tag 13 from all the wireless tags 13 of the products 30 displayed on display shelf 3 and transmit them to the control unit 22. At this time, each reading unit 11a to 11c transmits the ID information and RSSI of the read wireless tag 13 to the control unit 22. The control unit 22 creates a list of RSSIs for each wireless tag 13 received from the reading units 11a to 11c (S12). The created list is as shown in Table 2.
[0040] [Table 2]
[0041] Table 2 shows that the reading units 11a to 11c also receive the RSSI of the wireless tags 13 attached to the products 30 on shelf B in Figure 1, resulting in a total of seven wireless tags 13. The wireless tags 13 are numbered 13a to 13g, starting from the leftmost wireless tag 13 on shelf A and moving to the right, and then from the leftmost wireless tag 13 on the lower shelf B and moving to the right. Wireless tags 13d to 13g are the wireless tags 13 attached to the products 30 displayed on shelf B from left to right in Figure 1, and are not shown in Figure 3.
[0042] Then, the control unit 22 retrieves the product name of shelf A from the memory unit 21 (S14). The retrieved product name is shown in Table 3. In this case, since spinach is displayed on shelf A, the product name "spinach" is retrieved.
[0043] [Table 3]
[0044] Then, the control unit 22 retrieves product information stored in the storage unit 21 in association with the ID information, based on the ID information of the wireless tags 13 read by the reading units 11a to 11c installed on shelf A. The control unit 22 then compares the product information associated with each wireless tag 13 with the product names on shelf A, extracts the wireless tags 13a to 13c that have matching product names as product information, and creates a list of wireless tags 13a to 13c displayed on shelf A (S16). The created list is as shown in Table 4. As shown in Table 4, the product names and prices of the wireless tags 13a to 13c extracted as being displayed on shelf A are shown in a list.
[0045] [Table 4]
[0046] Then, the control unit 22 extracts the cheapest wireless tag 13a and the most expensive wireless tag 13b from the prices of the wireless tags 13a to 13c displayed on shelf A (S18). The cheapest is extracted as shown in Table 5, and the most expensive is extracted as shown in Table 6.
[0047] [Table 5]
[0048] [Table 6]
[0049] Then, the control unit 22 obtains a list of electronic shelf labels 121 stored in the memory unit 21 (S20). The obtained list is as shown in Table 7. As shown in Table 7, the symbols of the electronic shelf labels 121 and the shelf symbols are obtained in a list.
[0050] [Table 7]
[0051] Then, the control unit 22 extracts the electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b installed on shelf A in order to notify the product information of the product 30 displayed on shelf A, and notifies the electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b of the product name, lowest price, and highest price of the product 30 displayed on shelf A (S22). That is, the electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b are displayed as shown in Figure 3. Then the process ends.
[0052] The process of creating a list of RSSIs and then reporting the product name, lowest price, and highest price may be performed only on shelves where product 30 has been replenished or replaced, or it may be performed on all shelves of display shelf 3. If it is performed on all shelves of display shelf 3, the same process may then be carried out on, for example, shelf B.
[0053] <Processing when retrieving customer product 30> Next, with reference to Figures 5 to 13, the operation of the product information processing device 1 when a customer picks up product 30 will be described. Figure 5 is a diagram showing a display shelf 3 to which the product information processing device 1 of this embodiment is applied, and shows the state when a customer picks up a product. In the following, as shown in Figure 5 and other figures, the case in which product 30 at the right end of shelf A is picked up by a customer will be used as an example for explanation. Note that in Figure 5 as well, the electronic shelf labels 121c, 121d and wireless tags 13d to 13g are not shown.
[0054] <Processing for detecting the movement of product 30> First, referring to Figure 6, we will explain the flow for detecting a change in the position of the wireless tag 13c attached to product 30 when a customer picks up product 30. Figure 6 is a flowchart of the process by which the product information processing device 1 detects the movement of product when a customer picks up product 30.
[0055] The control unit 22 obtains a list of the reading units 11 installed on the display shelf 3 from the storage unit 21 (S30). The reading units 11a to 11f read the ID information and RSSI for each wireless tag 13a to 13g of all the products 30 displayed on the display shelf 3 and transmit it to the control unit 22. At this time, each reading unit 11a to 11f transmits the ID information and RSSI of the wireless tag 13a to 13g that it has read to the control unit 22. The control unit 22 creates a list of RSSIs for each wireless tag 13a to 13g received from the reading units 11a to 11f (S32). The created list is as shown in Table 8.
[0056] [Table 8]
[0057] Once all reading units 11a to 11f have finished reading the wireless tags 13a to 13g, the control unit 22 obtains the position information of all reading units 11a to 11f from the storage unit 21 (S34). The obtained position information is as shown in Table 9.
[0058] [Table 9]
[0059] Then, based on the positional information of all reading units 11a to 11f and the RSSI of each wireless tag 13a to 13g read by the reading units 11a to 11f, the position of each wireless tag 13a to 13g is determined (S36). Specifically, the closer the reading unit 11 is to the wireless tag 13, the larger the RSSI; the further apart they are, the smaller the RSSI. Utilizing this property, a sphere with a radius inversely proportional to the RSSI is drawn, centered on each reading unit 11a to 11f. Using the wireless tag 13c of the product 30 held by the customer in Figure 5 as an example, if a sphere with a radius inversely proportional to the RSSI read by each reading unit 11 is drawn for each reading unit 11 that has read the RSSI of the wireless tag 13c, the position of the wireless tag 13c is determined by assuming that the wireless tag 13c is located at the point where these spheres overlap. This determined position becomes the positional information of the wireless tag 13c. The location information of the wireless tags 13a to 13g identified in this way is shown in Table 10.
[0060] [Table 10]
[0061] The location information of wireless tags 13a to 13g, which was identified when product 30 was first placed on display shelf 3, is stored in the storage unit 21 as the initial location information for wireless tags 13a to 13g. The location information of wireless tags 13a to 13g stored in the storage unit 21 is as shown in Table 11.
[0062] [Table 11]
[0063] Next, once the location information of wireless tags 13a to 13g is identified, the control unit 22 obtains a list of the previous location information of wireless tags 13a to 13g stored in the memory unit 21 (Table 11) (S38). Then, the control unit 22 compares the location information of wireless tags 13a to 13g obtained from the memory unit 21 (Table 11) with the newly identified location information of wireless tags 13a to 13g (Table 10) (S40) to confirm whether or not there is a wireless tag 13 whose location has changed (S42).
[0064] If a wireless tag 13's position changes, the control unit 22 extracts the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed (S44). The list of extracted wireless tags 13 is shown in Table 12. In this case, the wireless tag 13c is extracted because the position of the wireless tag 13c has changed since the product 30 to which the wireless tag 13c was attached was picked up by a customer.
[0065] [Table 12]
[0066] When a wireless tag 13 whose position has changed is detected, the control unit 22 updates the position information of wireless tags 13a to 13g stored in the memory unit 21 with the position information of the newly identified wireless tags 13a to 13g and stores it in the memory unit 21 (S46). Then, the process ends. If there are no wireless tags 13 whose position has changed, the process ends as is. Although the process ends temporarily, the position of the products 30 is constantly changing as customers pick them up and put them back, and as store clerks replenish and rearrange them, so the same process is repeated at all times.
[0067] <Processing to change the display of all electronic shelf labels> Next, with reference to Figures 5 and 7, we will explain how the display of the electronic shelf labels 121 changes when a customer picks up product 30. Here, when a customer picks up product 30, the displays of all electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b on shelf A where product 30 was displayed are changed. Figure 7 is a flowchart of the process by which the product information processing device 1 notifies product information when a customer picks up product 30. Figure 5 shows the state after the display of the electronic shelf labels 121 has been changed through the process shown in Figure 7.
[0068] During the process of detecting the movement of product 30, when it is detected that product 30 has been picked up, that is, that the position of the wireless tag 13c has changed, the control unit 22 acquires the position information of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed (S50). The acquisition of the position information of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed is obtained by extracting the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed during the process of detecting the movement of product 30. At this time, the list in Table 12 is obtained.
[0069] Then, the control unit 22 retrieves product information stored in the storage unit 21 in association with the ID information of the wireless tag 13c, based on the ID information of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed (S52). Here, the product name and price are retrieved as product information, and the product information is listed in Table 13.
[0070] [Table 13]
[0071] Then, the control unit 22 obtains information about the shelf associated with the product name that matches the product name associated with the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed, from the data stored in the memory unit 21 that associates the shelf with the product name of the product 30 displayed on the shelf (S54). The obtained shelf information is shown in Table 14, with the shelf symbol and product name.
[0072] [Table 14]
[0073] Then, the control unit 22 creates a list of electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b on shelf A that match the product name of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed, based on the data that associates the shelf information stored in the memory unit 21 with the electronic shelf labels 121 and the location information of the electronic shelf labels 121 (S56). The created list is shown in Table 15.
[0074] [Table 15]
[0075] Then, the control unit 22 notifies the electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b on shelf A, which match the product name of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed, of the product information (product name and price) of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed (S58). That is, as shown in Figure 5, the electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b are displayed. Then the process ends.
[0076] The electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b, whose displays have been changed, will revert to displaying the lowest to highest prices as shown in Figure 3 after a certain period of time has elapsed, after the customer has placed the product 30 in their shopping basket and left the display shelf 3, or after the customer has returned the product 30 to shelf A. After the customer has placed the product 30 in their shopping basket and left the display shelf 3, and after the customer has returned the product 30 to shelf A, a determination is made based on the location information of the wireless tag 13, which is identified in the product 30 movement detection process. That is, if the location information of the wireless tag 13 read by the reading unit 11 is above or below a predetermined value, or if the wireless tag 13 can no longer be read by the reading unit 11, it is determined that the customer has left the display shelf 3. Also, if the location information of the wireless tag 13 read by the reading unit 11 is a value that indicates the product 30 is displayed on the display shelf 3, it is determined that the product 30 has been returned to the display shelf 3.
[0077] <Processing of changing the display on electronic shelf labels 121 that are close to product 30 that has been picked up> Next, with reference to Figures 8 and 9, a modified example of how the display of the electronic shelf label 121 changes when a customer picks up product 30 will be described. In this example, when a customer picks up product 30, the display of the electronic shelf label 121b closest to the product 30 picked up by the customer changes. Figure 8 is a diagram showing a display shelf 3 to which the product information processing device 1 of this embodiment is applied, and shows the state when a customer picks up product 30. Figure 9 is a flowchart of the processing performed by the product information processing device 1 when a customer picks up product 30 and notifies them of product information. Figure 8 shows the state after the display of the electronic shelf label 121b has changed after the processing in Figure 9. Note that in Figure 8, the electronic shelf labels 121c, 121d and wireless tags 13d to 13g are not shown.
[0078] During the process of detecting the movement of product 30, when it is detected that product 30 has been picked up, that is, that the position of the wireless tag 13c has changed, the control unit 22 acquires the position information of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed (S70). The acquisition of the position information of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed is obtained by extracting the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed during the process of detecting the movement of product 30. At this time, the list in Table 12 is obtained.
[0079] Then, the control unit 22 obtains product information of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed from the storage unit 21, in the same manner as the process for changing the display of all electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b (S72), and obtains information of the shelf associated with the product name that matches the product name of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed (S74). Then, the control unit 22 creates a list of electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b on shelf A that match the product name of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed, in the same manner as the process for changing the display of all electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b (S76). The tables obtained or created in each process are shown in Tables 13 to 15.
[0080] Then, the control unit 22 obtains the location information of electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b located on shelf A that matches the product name of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed, from the storage unit 21, and compares the location information of the electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b with the location information of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed. The control unit 22 then identifies the electronic shelf label 121b that is closest to the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed (S78). Specifically, it subtracts the location information of the electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b, which are both identified by x and y coordinates, from the location information of the wireless tag 13c, and identifies the electronic shelf label 121b with the smallest difference as the electronic shelf label 121b that is closest to the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed. The information of the identified electronic shelf label 121b is shown in Table 16.
[0081] [Table 16]
[0082] When the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed is identified as the nearest electronic shelf label 121b, the control unit 22 notifies the identified electronic shelf label 121b of the product information (product name and price) of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed (S80). That is, as shown in Figure 8, only the display of the electronic shelf label 121b is changed. Then the process ends.
[0083] The electronic shelf label 121b whose display has been changed will, like all electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b whose display has been changed, return to the state shown in Figure 3, displaying the lowest price to the highest price, after a certain period of time has elapsed, after the customer has placed the product 30 in their shopping basket and left the display shelf 3, or after the customer has returned the product 30 to shelf A.
[0084] <Processing of 30 Recommended Product Proposals> Next, referring to Figures 10 and 11, we will explain how the display on the electronic shelf label 121 changes when a customer picks up product 30 and there is a recommended product 30 for the customer. Here, when a customer picks up product 30, the system informs them that there is a cheaper product 30 than the product 30 they picked up. Figure 10 is a diagram showing a display shelf 3 to which the product information processing device 1 of this embodiment is applied, illustrating the state in which a recommended product 30 is notified when a customer picks up a product. Figure 11 is a flowchart of the processing of the product information processing device 1 when a customer picks up product 30 and the system notifies them of a recommended product 30. Figure 10 shows the state in which the display on the electronic shelf label 121 has changed after the processing in Figure 11. Note that in Figure 10, the electronic shelf labels 121c, 121d and wireless tags 13d to 13g are not shown. Also, in Figure 10, the electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b are enlarged to make their displays easier to understand.
[0085] During the process of detecting the movement of product 30, when it is detected that product 30 has been picked up, that is, that the position of the wireless tag 13c has changed, the control unit 22 acquires the position information of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed (S90). The acquisition of the position information of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed is obtained by extracting the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed during the process of detecting the movement of product 30. At this time, the list in Table 12 is obtained.
[0086] Then, the control unit 22 retrieves product information of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed from the storage unit 21, in the same manner as the process for changing the display of all electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b (S92), and retrieves shelf information associated with the product name that matches the product name of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed (S94). The tables retrieved or created in each process are shown in Tables 13 and 14.
[0087] Then, the control unit 22 obtains a list of reading units 11a to 11f from the storage unit 21 and creates a list of reading units 11a to 11c on shelf A that match the product name of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed (S96). The created list is as shown in Table 17.
[0088] [Table 17]
[0089] Then, the control unit 22 reads the ID information and RSSI of wireless tags 13a to 13g using all the reading units 11a to 11c on shelf A that match the product name of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed, and creates a list of the RSSIs of the wireless tags 13a to 13g that were read (S98). The created list is as shown in Table 18.
[0090] [Table 18]
[0091] Once all readers 11a to 11c on shelf A have finished reading the wireless tags 13a to 13g that match the product name of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed, the control unit 22 retrieves the product information of each associated wireless tag 13a to 13g from the ID information of the read wireless tags 13a to 13g in the storage unit 21. The control unit 22 then extracts the wireless tags 13a to 13c whose product names match the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed and creates a list of product information (product name and price) (S100). The created list is shown in Table 19.
[0092] [Table 19]
[0093] Then, the control unit 22 compares the extracted product information and compares the prices of products 30 that match the product name of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed (S102). The control unit 22 then checks if there is a product 30 that matches the product name of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed and is cheaper than the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed (S104).
[0094] If the control unit 22 finds a product 30 that is cheaper than the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed, it extracts the cheapest product 30 among them (S106). The list of extracted products 30 is shown in Table 20.
[0095] [Table 20]
[0096] Furthermore, the control unit 22 creates a list of electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b on shelf A that match the product name of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed, in the same manner as the process for changing the display of all electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b (S108). The created list is shown in Table 21.
[0097] [Table 21]
[0098] Then, the control unit 22 notifies the electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b on shelf A, which match the product name of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed, of the product information (product name and price) of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed, and the product information (price) of the recommended product 30 (S110). That is, the electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b are displayed as shown in Figure 10. Then the process ends. If there are no inexpensive products 30, the process ends immediately.
[0099] If a customer checks the product information of the recommended product 30 and picks up the recommended product 30, the control unit 22 may cause the electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b to display a message such as "That's the product." The determination of whether or not the customer has picked up the recommended product 30 is made by detecting the movement of the product 30 based on the product movement detection process, and determining that the recommended product 30 has been picked up by the customer if the ID information of the wireless tag 13 of the moved product 30 matches the ID information of the wireless tag 13 of the recommended product 30.
[0100] <Processing of suggestion of 30 recommended products and their location information> Next, referring to Figures 12 and 13, we will explain how the display on the electronic shelf label 121 changes when a customer picks up product 30 and there is a recommended product 30 for the customer. Here, when a customer picks up product 30, the system notifies them that there is a cheaper product 30 than the product 30 they picked up and indicates the location of that cheaper product 30. Figure 12 is a diagram showing a display shelf 3 to which the product information processing device 1 of this embodiment is applied, illustrating the state in which a recommended product 30 is notified when a customer picks up product 30. Figure 13 is a flowchart of the processing of the product information processing device 1 when a customer picks up product 30 and is notified of a recommended product 30. Figure 12 shows the state in which the display on the electronic shelf label 121 has changed after the processing shown in Figure 13. Note that the electronic shelf labels 121c, 121d and wireless tags 13d-13g are not shown in Figure 12. Furthermore, in Figure 12, the electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b are enlarged to make their displays easier to understand.
[0101] The process from the detection of the movement of product 30 to checking whether there is a product 30 cheaper than the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed is the same as the process for suggesting a recommended product 30, so the same code is assigned to each process and the explanation is omitted.
[0102] If the control unit 22 finds any products 30 that are cheaper than the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed, it extracts the cheapest product 30 among them (S106). The list of extracted products 30 is shown in Table 20. Subsequently, the control unit 22 obtains the location information of the extracted cheapest product 30 from the storage unit 21 (S112). The obtained location information of the cheapest product 30 is shown in Table 22.
[0103] [Table 22]
[0104] Furthermore, the control unit 22 creates a list of electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b on shelf A that match the product name of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed, in the same manner as the process for changing the display of all electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b (S108). The created list is shown in Table 21.
[0105] Then, the control unit 22 identifies the direction of the cheapest product 30, starting from each electronic shelf label 121a, 121b, based on the location information of the cheapest product 30 on shelf A that matches the product name of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed, and the location information of the electronic shelf labels 121a, 121b on shelf A that match the product name of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed (S114). Specifically, it subtracts the location information of the electronic shelf labels 121a, 121b, which are both identified by x and y coordinates, from the location information of the wireless tag 13c of the cheapest product 30, calculates the angle of the direction of the cheapest product 30, starting from the electronic shelf labels 121a, 121b, from the increase in the x coordinate and the increase in the y coordinate, and identifies the direction of the cheapest product 30.
[0106] Then, the control unit 22 notifies the electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b on shelf A, which match the product name of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed, of the product information (product name and price) of the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed, as well as the product information (price) and position information (arrow indicating direction) of the recommended product 30 (S116). That is, the electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b are displayed as shown in Figure 12. Then, the process ends.
[0107] If the control unit 22 finds no product 30 cheaper than the wireless tag 13c whose position has changed, it will notify the electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b that the product 30 picked up by the customer is the cheapest product 30 (S118). Then, it terminates the process.
[0108] When a customer checks the product information for the recommended product 30 and picks up the recommended product 30, the control unit 22 may cause the electronic shelf labels 121a and 121b to display a message such as "This is the product."
[0109] As described above, in the product information processing device 1 of this disclosure, a wireless tag 13 is attached to each product 30, and when a customer picks up a product 30, the product information of the picked-up product 30 can be displayed. This allows the customer to easily find out the product information, especially the price, of the product 30 they have picked up.
[0110] Furthermore, the product information processing device 1 of this disclosure can display product information for a product 30 that is cheaper than the product 30 that the customer has picked up, as a recommended product 30. For example, by setting a lower price for a product 30 that is nearing its expiration date and suggesting that product 30 to the customer, it is possible to prevent the customer from discarding the product 30 due to its expiration date expiring, etc. This can help to reduce product loss.
[0111] Furthermore, the product information processing device 1 of this disclosure can notify the location information of the recommended product 30. This allows customers to find the location of the recommended product 30 and select it themselves, even in unmanned stores or stores with a small number of staff.
[0112] Embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above with reference to the drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from its spirit. Furthermore, various disclosures can be formed by appropriately combining the multiple components disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiments. Also, each component shown in the above embodiments is an example and is not particularly limiting, and various modifications can be made without substantially departing from the configuration of the present disclosure.
[0113] In the above embodiment, the product name, lowest price, and highest price are displayed for each shelf when products are displayed, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, in shelf A of the display shelf in Figure 3, if high-priced products 30 are displayed on the left side of shelf A and low-priced products 30 are displayed on the right side of shelf A, the left electronic shelf label 121a may display the lowest and highest prices of the products 30 displayed on the left, and the right electronic shelf label 121b may display the lowest and highest prices of the products 30 displayed on the right. In other words, the left electronic shelf label 121a and the right electronic shelf label 121b may show different price ranges even if the product name is the same.
[0114] In the above embodiment, an inexpensive product 30 is designated as the recommended product 30, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, a fresh product 30 could also be designated as the recommended product. In this case, instead of extracting the cheapest product 30 based on price, freshness information can be obtained as product information from the storage unit 21, and a fresh product 30 can be extracted based on the freshness information. Alternatively, instead of selecting either an inexpensive product 30 or a fresh product 30, both an inexpensive product 30 and a fresh product 30 could be extracted sequentially, and both could be proposed to the customer.
[0115] In the above embodiment, the location information of the recommended product 30 is indicated by an arrow, as shown in Figure 12, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the location information of the recommended product 30 may be shown by illustrating the location of the recommended product 30 in a schematic diagram of the display shelf 3. Also, if the customer can identify the shelf number of the display shelf 3, the location information of the recommended product 30 may be displayed by the shelf number.
[0116] In the above embodiment, when suggesting a recommended product 30, the product information of the recommended product 30 was displayed on all electronic shelf labels 121a, 121b on shelf A where the same product 30 as the product 30 picked up by the customer was displayed. However, the disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the recommended product 30 may be displayed only on the electronic shelf labels 121 closest to the product 30 picked up by the customer. In this case, the electronic shelf labels 121 closest to the picked-up product 30 are identified in the same manner as the process for changing the display of the electronic shelf labels 121 closest to the picked-up product 30.
[0117] In the above embodiment, when a customer picks up product 30, the product name and price are provided as product information, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, freshness information may be provided along with the product name and price as product information.
[0118] In the above embodiment, product information for the product 30 picked up by the customer is communicated to the electronic shelf label 121, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, product information may be communicated to an electronic device held by the customer. In this case, the electronic shelf label 121 may communicate product information for the product 30 picked up by the customer, or it may remain in a state that communicates the lowest to highest prices of the products 30 displayed on the display shelf 3. [Industrial applicability]
[0119] This disclosure is applicable to the field of product information processing devices and product information processing systems that hold product information for individual products and inform customers who purchase products of this product information. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0120] 1. Product Information Processing Device 3 display shelves 11 Reading Unit 12 Hochi Department 13 Wireless Tags 21 Memory section 22 Control Unit 30 products 121 Electronic shelf label
Claims
1. A storage unit that stores the ID information of a wireless tag attached to a product displayed on a shelf in association with the product information of the product, and also stores the first position information of the wireless tag, A reading unit reads the ID information of the wireless tag and acquires the received signal strength of the radio waves received from the wireless tag, The control unit is capable of communicating with the aforementioned reading unit. Equipped with, A product information processing system comprising: a control unit receiving location information of the reading unit and the received signal strength from the reading unit; identifying a second location information of the wireless tag based on the location information and the received signal strength; detecting the movement of the wireless tag by comparing the first location information and the second location information; obtaining product information associated with the ID information of the wireless tag whose movement has been detected from the storage unit; generating notification information to notify the customer; and transmitting the notification information to an electronic shelf label that provides notification.
2. The product information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit identifies the second location information based on the location information and the received signal strength obtained from one or more reading units.
3. The product information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising the electronic shelf label that broadcasts the broadcast information received from the control unit.
4. Multiple electronic shelf labels are provided on the display shelves. The product information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit transmits the notification information to the electronic shelf label that is closest to the product to which the wireless tag, which has been detected to have moved, is attached, among a plurality of electronic shelf labels.
5. A storage unit that stores the ID information of a wireless tag attached to a product displayed on a shelf in association with the product information of the said product, A reader unit that reads the ID information of the aforementioned wireless tag, Control unit and Equipped with, The reading unit detects the movement of the wireless tag, The control unit acquires product information associated with the ID information of the wireless tag whose movement has been detected from the storage unit, generates notification information to notify the customer, and transmits the notification information to the electronic shelf label, in a product information processing system, The electronic shelf label further provides the notification information received from the control unit, A product information processing system comprising: an electronic shelf label that normally notifies at least one of the lowest and highest prices of the product displayed on the shelf as notification information; and when the reader detects the movement of the wireless tag, the reader notifies the product information associated with the ID information of the wireless tag whose movement was detected by the reader.
6. A storage unit that stores the ID information of a wireless tag attached to a product displayed on a shelf in association with the product information of the said product, A reader unit that reads the ID information of the aforementioned wireless tag, Control unit and Equipped with, The reading unit detects the movement of the wireless tag, The control unit acquires product information associated with the ID information of the wireless tag whose movement has been detected from the storage unit, generates notification information to notify the customer, and transmits the notification information to the electronic shelf label, in a product information processing system, Product information processing system, wherein the control unit obtains product information from the storage unit for at least one of the following: product information for a product that is fresher than the product to which the wireless tag, whose movement has been detected by the reading unit, is attached, and product information for a product that is cheaper than the product to which the wireless tag is attached, and transmits the obtained product information as notification information to the electronic shelf label.
7. The product information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the product information includes a product name and at least one of price and freshness information.