Sales support system, sales support method and program

Abstract

A sales assistance system according to the present disclosure comprises: a customer specifying means for specifying a customer on the basis of an image taken of the customer in front of a shelf; a product specifying means for specifying a product-of-interest that the customer has noticed on the shelf on the basis of the image; login control means for controlling a terminal installed on the shelf to log into a purchasing system using the specified customer account; and a display control means for displaying a screen for purchasing the product-of-interest on the logged-in terminal.

Description

Sales support system, sales support method, and recording medium

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a sales support system and the like.

[0002] In stores, various ideas are being considered to increase product sales, such as detecting products that customers are interested in and presenting advertisements for those products to the customers.

[0003] Patent Literature 1 discloses a sales information utilization system that supports product sales by using dynamic information such as information on customer contact behavior toward products and information on stopping behavior in front of products, etc. When the dynamic information satisfies predetermined conditions, an advertisement is displayed on a display in a store or on a customer's terminal.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-218821

[0005] Even if a customer is provided with an advertisement or coupon for a product that interests them at a store, they may feel that purchasing the product is too much trouble and may not purchase the product at the store where they saw the product or at an online store related to that store. Also, there is a possibility that the customer may end up purchasing the product at a store or online commerce site that is not related to the store where they saw the product.

[0006] The present disclosure aims to provide a sales support system and the like that increases the likelihood that a customer will purchase a product from a store where the customer has viewed the product.

[0007] The sales support system according to the present disclosure comprises a customer identification means for identifying a customer based on an image of the customer in front of a shelf, a product identification means for identifying a featured product on a shelf that the customer has noticed based on an image of the customer in front of the shelf, a login control means for controlling a terminal installed on the shelf to log in to a purchasing system using the account of the identified customer, and a display control means for displaying a screen for purchasing the featured product on the logged-in terminal.

[0008] The sales support method disclosed herein identifies a customer based on an image taken of the customer in front of a shelf, identifies a featured product on the shelf that the customer has noticed based on the image taken of the customer in front of the shelf, controls a terminal installed on the shelf to log in to a purchasing system using the account of the identified customer, and displays a screen on the logged-in terminal for purchasing the featured product.

[0009] A program according to the present disclosure causes a computer to execute a process of identifying a customer based on an image of the customer standing in front of a shelf, identifying a product of interest on the shelf that the customer has noticed based on the image of the customer standing in front of the shelf, controlling a terminal installed on the shelf to log in to a purchasing system using the account of the identified customer, and displaying a screen for purchasing the product of interest on the logged-in terminal. The program may be stored in a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium.

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to increase the likelihood that a customer will purchase a product from a store where the customer has viewed the product.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of devices connected to the sales support system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the installation of cameras and terminals. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the sales support system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for purchasing a product of interest. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the sales support system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the sales support system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the interior of a store showing an example of the installation of cameras and terminals. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the sales support system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer.

[0012] First Embodiment As a first embodiment, a basic configuration of a sales support system according to the present disclosure will be described. In the first embodiment, when a terminal is installed on a shelf in a store, the sales support system 100 supports customers in purchasing products displayed on the shelf using the terminal. In the following description, an example is assumed in which a product is purchased using a terminal installed on the shelf and the purchased product is delivered to the customer. The product may be delivered from the store or from a warehouse, similar to products purchased on an e-commerce site operated by the store. However, the sales support system 100 can also be applied to cases in which a customer takes the purchased product home from the store. Such an example will be described later.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of devices communicatively connected to a sales support system 100 according to the first embodiment. The sales support system 100 is connected to a camera 10 and a terminal 20. The sales support system 100 is further connected to an authentication server 30, a purchasing system 40, a product location DB (database) 51, a biometric information DB 52, and a featured product DB 53. However, the authentication server 30, the purchasing system 40, the product location DB 51, the biometric information DB 52, and the featured product DB 53 may each be provided as needed. Furthermore, at least one of the authentication server 30, the purchasing system 40, the product location DB 51, the biometric information DB 52, and the featured product DB 53 may be implemented by a device integrated with the sales support system 100.

[0014] The camera 10 is installed in a store and photographs a customer standing in front of a shelf. The camera 10 may be installed so as to photograph the face or iris of the customer standing in front of the shelf. The camera 10 may also be installed so as to photograph an image that identifies the direction of the customer's line of sight. The camera 10 may also be installed so as to photograph an item that the customer has picked up. A plurality of cameras 10 may be installed per shelf. The camera 10 may be a camera included in the terminal 20 or a surveillance camera.

[0015] The terminal 20 is installed on a shelf and is available to customers standing in front of the shelf. The terminal 20 is, for example, a tablet, but is not limited to this. The terminal 20 may also be realized by a smartphone or a personal computer.

[0016] 2 is a diagram showing an example of installation of the camera 10 and the terminal 20. The camera 10 is installed on the ceiling. The camera 10 photographs a customer in front of a shelf X. A plurality of products (P1, P2, P3, ...) are displayed on the shelf X. The camera 10 photographs the customer's actions of picking up a product. The terminal 20 is installed on the shelf X alongside the products. However, the installation method of the camera 10 and the terminal 20 is not limited to the example in FIG. 3. The camera 10 may also be installed on a shelf.

[0017] The product location DB 51 stores product IDs of products in association with their positions on shelves. The product IDs are product codes that identify products. Examples of product codes include the Japanese Article Number (JAN) code, the European Article Number (EAN) code, and the Universal Product Code (UPC).

[0018] The biometric information DB 52 stores a customer ID (identifier) ​​and the customer's biometric information in association with each other. Biometric information is information that can be used for biometric authentication, such as facial or iris characteristics. The customer ID is an identifier that uniquely identifies a customer. The customer ID may be an account ID that specifies an account in the purchasing system 40, or may be an ID separate from the account ID. If the customer ID and the account ID in the purchasing system 40 are separate, the biometric information DB 52 may further store the account ID in association with the customer ID.

[0019] The featured product DB 53 stores featured products that have caught the attention of each customer. The featured product DB 53 may store the featured products in association with the customer ID. The featured product DB 53 may hold the featured products only while the customer is staying at the store. Alternatively, the featured product DB 53 may continue to hold the featured products even after the day the customer visits the store.

[0020] The authentication server 30 is a server that authenticates customers. The authentication server 30 checks whether pre-registered biometric information of a customer matches biometric information acquired from an image captured in a store. For example, the authentication server 30 checks the biometric information by referring to the biometric information DB 52. Then, the authentication server 30 transmits the customer ID of the customer whose biometric information matches to the sales support system 100.

[0021] The purchasing system 40 manages product purchases by customers. Customers can purchase products by logging in to their own accounts registered in the purchasing system 40 via any terminal. In the first embodiment, the purchasing system 40 may also manage the delivery of purchased products to customers. In this case, the purchasing system 40 may be implemented by a system common to the system that realizes the e-commerce site operated by the store. However, examples of the purchasing system 40 are not limited to this. The purchasing system 40 may also manage the names, payment methods, and delivery addresses of pre-registered customers.

[0022] 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the sales support system 100 according to the first embodiment. The sales support system 100 includes a customer identification unit 101, a product identification unit 102, a login control unit 103, and a display control unit 104.

[0023] The customer identification unit 101 identifies a customer in front of a shelf based on an image of the customer in front of the shelf. Identifying a customer means identifying which customer the customer is. For example, the customer identification unit 101 identifies a customer by receiving from the authentication server 30 a customer ID associated with biometric information obtained from an image of the customer in front of the shelf.

[0024] An example of a method for identifying a customer will be described. The customer identification unit 101 acquires a facial image of a customer standing in front of a shelf from the camera 10. The customer identification unit 101 then extracts facial features of the customer from the facial image and transmits the extracted features to the authentication server 30. The authentication server 30 compares the received features with features stored in the biometric information DB 52. The authentication server 30 then transmits the customer ID of a customer whose features match to the customer identification unit 101. Note that the method for identifying a customer is not limited to the above example. The customer identification unit 101 may transmit an image to the authentication server 30. At this time, the authentication server 30 extracts biometric information from the image and uses it for comparison.

[0025] The product identification unit 102 identifies a product of interest that a customer has noticed on a shelf based on an image of the customer in front of the shelf. A product of interest is a product that the customer is interested in and is predicted to have considered purchasing. For example, the product identification unit 102 identifies a product that the customer has picked up or looked at as a product of interest. The product identification unit 102 may also identify a product that the customer has returned to the shelf as a product of interest. The product identification unit 102 identifies a product ID of the product of interest. The image used to identify the product of interest and the image used to identify the customer may be the same or different images.

[0026] An example of a method for identifying a product of interest will be described below. However, the method for identifying a product of interest is not limited to the following. The product identification unit 102 acquires an image of a customer in front of a shelf from the camera 10. The product identification unit 102 then recognizes the customer's hands and arms from the image and analyzes which position on the shelf the customer is reaching for. Alternatively, the product identification unit 102 analyzes which position on the shelf the customer is looking at based on their line of sight. The product identification unit 102 then references the product position DB 51 and identifies the product displayed in the analyzed position as the product of interest.

[0027] If an image of a product is included in the image captured by the camera 10, the product identification unit 102 may identify the product of interest by image recognition of the product. In this case, the product identification unit 102 may refer to the product position DB 51 as necessary.

[0028] The product identification unit 102 associates the identified product ID with the customer ID identified by the customer identification unit 101 and stores the associated product ID in the featured product DB 53. When there are multiple customers in front of the shelf, the product identification unit 102 identifies the customer who has focused on the product from the image and stores the customer's focused product in the featured product DB 53.

[0029] The login control unit 103 controls the terminal 20 to log in to the purchasing system 40 using the account of the identified customer. For example, the login control unit 103 controls the terminal 20 to log in to the purchasing system 40 using the account of the customer associated with biometric information obtained from an image of the customer in front of a shelf. The login control unit 103 may acquire the account ID identified by the customer identification unit 101. Alternatively, the login control unit 103 may refer to the biometric information DB 52 and acquire the account ID linked to the customer ID identified by the customer identification unit 101. The login control unit 103 causes the purchasing system 40 to be logged in using the account ID thus acquired.

[0030] The display control unit 104 causes the logged-in terminal 20 to display a screen for purchasing the product of interest identified by the product identification unit 102. For example, the display control unit 104 causes the terminal 20 to display a screen for purchasing the product using an account controlled by the login control unit 103 to log in. The screen for purchasing the product of interest may be generated by the purchasing system 40. The display control unit 104 may cause the terminal 20 to display the screen generated by the purchasing system 40.

[0031] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for purchasing a featured product. The purchasing system 40 may register featured products associated with a customer ID in the customer's virtual shopping cart by referencing the featured product DB 53. For example, the purchasing system 40 retrieves featured products from the featured product DB 53 on the day the customer visited the store. The display control unit 104 then displays a screen showing the featured products added to the shopping cart, as shown in FIG. 4, for example. The display control unit 104 displays a screen including buttons for proceeding with the purchase process for the products added to the shopping cart, such as a button labeled "Purchase." In FIG. 4, the screen displays the name of the customer of the logged-in account, "Ms. XX." Furthermore, among the products displayed on the shelves, the lipstick and foundation that the customer focused on that day are registered in the shopping cart. Furthermore, the screen displays the address to which the products should be delivered.

[0032] If there are any unwanted items among the featured items, the purchasing system 40 deletes the unwanted items from the virtual shopping cart in response to the customer's operation. The customer operates the terminal 20 to purchase the items. For example, the purchasing system 40 processes payment using a payment method pre-linked to the account ID. When the customer identification unit 101 identifies a customer, the customer in front of the shelf may have been mistakenly identified. Furthermore, the identified customer may have been replaced by another customer. Therefore, before processing the payment, the purchasing system 40 may re-authenticate the customer operating the terminal 20. The authentication method is not particularly limited, and biometric authentication or passcode authentication can be used. The purchasing system 40 then transmits data to a shipping system (not shown) to have the items delivered to a pre-registered address, such as the customer's home.

[0033] The purchasing system 40 may generate a screen for purchasing a featured product by referring to featured products that the customer focused on during a previous store visit, which are stored in the featured product DB 53. The purchasing system 40 may also generate the screen by acquiring featured products from a predetermined period in the past. At this time, the display control unit 104 displays a screen for purchasing a featured product that the customer focused on during a previous store visit.

[0034] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the sales support system 100 according to the first embodiment. The sales support system 100 may start the process shown in FIG. 5 in response to detection of a person in front of a shelf from an image captured by the camera 10.

[0035] The customer identification unit 101 identifies a customer based on an image of the customer standing in front of a shelf (step S1). The product identification unit 102 identifies a product of interest that the customer has noticed on the shelf based on an image of the customer standing in front of the shelf (step S2). The order of steps S1 and S2 is not particularly limited. In other words, the product identification unit 102 may identify the product of interest first, and then the customer identification unit 101 may identify the customer who has noticed the product.

[0036] The login control unit 103 controls the terminal 20 installed on the shelf to log in to the purchasing system 40 using the account of the identified customer (step S3).

[0037] The display control unit 104 causes the logged-in terminal 20 to display a screen for purchasing the product of interest (step S4). With this, the sales support system 100 ends the operation of FIG.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the customer identification unit 101 identifies a customer based on an image of the customer in front of a shelf. The product identification unit 102 identifies a product of interest that the customer has noticed on the shelf. The login control unit 103 then controls the terminal 20 installed on the shelf to log in to the purchasing system 40 using the account of the identified customer. The display control unit 104 causes the logged-in terminal 20 to display a screen for purchasing the product of interest.

[0039] Therefore, according to one embodiment, arrangements for purchasing a product that a customer has seen in a store can be made while the customer is in the store. This prevents, for example, the customer from purchasing the product at another store. It also prevents, for example, the customer from abandoning the purchase because they find it troublesome to take the product to the cash register or because the cash register is crowded. This increases the likelihood that the customer will purchase the product from the store where they saw the product.

[0040] Some stores display products in-store, prompting customers to scan the product's barcode and then purchasing the product on an e-commerce website operated by the store. However, scanning the barcode can be a hassle for customers. It can also be a hassle for customers to search for and purchase the product after returning home. According to one embodiment, a screen is displayed for purchasing a product of interest identified as having attracted the customer's attention. Therefore, compared to when the customer scans a barcode and searches for the product, the hassle of purchasing the product can be reduced. Furthermore, according to one embodiment, control is performed to log in to an account associated with the customer's biometric information from the terminal 20. Then, when the customer simply stands in front of the terminal 20, a screen for purchasing the product using the customer's account is displayed. Therefore, compared to when the customer performs a login operation, the hassle for the customer can be reduced. This increases the likelihood that the customer will purchase the product from the store where they viewed the product.

[0041] Second Embodiment As a second embodiment, another configuration of a sales support system according to the present disclosure will be described. Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a sales support system 110 according to the second embodiment. The sales support system 110 according to the second embodiment differs from the sales support system 100 according to the first embodiment in that it includes a determination unit 105. In describing the configuration of the second embodiment, a description of the same configuration as in the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0042] In the second embodiment, a store may have a plurality of shelves X as shown in FIG. 2 . The camera 10 photographs customers in front of each of the plurality of shelves. The camera 10 may be installed on each shelf. Alternatively, one camera 10 may be installed to photograph customers in front of multiple shelves. The sales support system 110 manages in advance which shelf each photographing area of ​​the camera 10 photographs. A terminal 20 is installed on each shelf. However, there may be shelves on which no terminal 20 is installed. The sales support system 110 manages in advance the correspondence between the terminal 20 and the photographing area of ​​the camera 10 that photographs the area in front of the shelf on which the terminal 20 is installed.

[0043] 7 is a plan view of a store showing an example of the installation of cameras 10 and terminals 20. Cameras 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3 capture images of areas R1, R2, and R3 in front of shelves X1, X2, and X3, respectively. The range of the area captured by each camera 10 can be set as appropriate. Terminals 20-1, 20-2, and 20-3 are installed on shelves X1, X2, and X3, respectively. In such a case, the sales support system 110 is connected to, for example, the multiple cameras 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3 and the multiple terminals 20-1, 20-2, and 20-3 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0044] The customer identification unit 101 identifies customers based on images of customers standing in front of each of a plurality of shelves. For example, the customer identification unit 101 acquires images of customers standing in front of the shelves from cameras 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3. The customer identification unit 101 then identifies the customers through biometric authentication using biometric information obtained from the images.

[0045] The product identification unit 102 identifies a product of interest that has attracted the attention of a customer based on images of the customer in front of each of the multiple shelves. For example, the product identification unit 102 identifies a product of interest that has attracted the attention of a customer in each of the image capture areas R1, R2, and R3 based on images captured by cameras 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3. At this time, the product identification unit 102 may identify the product of interest by referring to a product position DB 51 that stores the position of the product on each shelf. However, the camera 10 that captures the image used to identify the customer and the camera 10 that captures the image used to identify the product of interest may be different cameras.

[0046] The determination unit 105 determines whether a customer is in front of the terminal 20. The determination unit 105 may also determine which of a plurality of terminals 20 the customer is in front of. The range of the area in which it is determined that the customer is in front of the terminal 20 can be set as appropriate. The area in which the product that the customer has focused on is identified and the area in which it is determined that the customer is in front of the terminal 20 may be the same or different. For example, in FIG. 7 , the determination unit 105 may determine that the customer is in front of the terminal 20-1 while the customer is in the image capture area R1 captured by the camera 10-1. Alternatively, the determination unit 105 may determine that the customer is in front of the terminal 20-1 while the customer is in a predetermined area that is smaller than the image capture area R1.

[0047] For example, the determination unit 105 analyzes images captured by the camera 10 and tracks the movement of a customer identified by the customer identification unit 101. When the customer being tracked is within a predetermined area in front of a shelf, the determination unit 105 may determine that the customer is in front of the terminal 20 installed on the shelf. When the customer being tracked leaves the area, the determination unit 105 may determine that the customer is not in front of the terminal 20.

[0048] The determination unit 105 may combine the detection results of a human presence sensor provided near the terminal 20 to determine whether or not a customer is in front of the terminal 20. After a customer in front of a shelf is identified, if a person is detected by an infrared sensor or a floor pressure sensor, the determination unit 105 determines that the identified customer is in front of the terminal 20.

[0049] As in the first embodiment, when a customer in front of a shelf is identified, the login control unit 103 may control the terminal 20 installed on the shelf to log in to the purchasing system 40. Alternatively, when it is determined that the customer is in front of the terminal 20, the login control unit 103 may control the customer to log in to the purchasing system 40. Furthermore, when it is determined that the customer is not in front of the terminal 20, the login control unit 103 may control the customer to log out from the purchasing system 40. The login control unit 103 may also control the customer to log out after a predetermined time has elapsed since it was determined that the customer is not in front of the terminal 20.

[0050] When it is determined that a customer is in front of a terminal 20, the display control unit 104 causes the terminal 20 determined to have the customer to display a screen for purchasing the product of interest identified by the product identification unit 102. For example, when it is determined that a customer is in front of terminal 20-1, the display control unit 104 causes terminal 20-1 to display the screen.

[0051] When a customer moves from one shelf to another shelf, the display control unit 104 may cause the terminal 20 installed on the other shelf to display the products of interest that the customer has noticed in front of the first shelf. For example, the display control unit 104 may cause a screen to be displayed on the terminal 20 installed on the other shelf, which allows the customer to purchase all of the products of interest that the customer has noticed on each of multiple shelves. However, the screen to be displayed is not limited, and the display control unit 104 may cause the terminal 20 installed on the shelf to display a screen to purchase only the products of interest that the customer has noticed on that shelf.

[0052] When it is determined that the customer is not in front of the terminal 20, the display control unit 104, for example, stops displaying a screen for purchasing the noted product on the terminal 20. The display control unit 104 may control the terminal 20 so as not to accept any operation on the screen for purchasing the noted product.

[0053] When the determination unit 105 determines that a customer is in front of a terminal 20, it determines that the customer is not in front of another terminal 20. For example, the determination unit 105 may determine that a customer who was in front of terminal 20-1 is in front of terminal 20-2 before it is determined that the same customer has left in front of terminal 20-1. In this case, the determination unit 105 determines that the customer has left in front of terminal 20-1. This allows the display control unit 104 to prevent the display of a screen for purchasing the product of interest even after the customer has moved on.

[0054] Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the sales support system 110 according to the second embodiment. The sales support system 110 may start the process shown in Fig. 8 in response to detection of a person in front of a shelf from an image captured by the camera 10.

[0055] The customer identification unit 101 identifies a customer based on an image of the customer in front of the shelf (step S11).

[0056] The product identification unit 102 identifies a product of interest that has been noticed by the customer on the shelf based on an image of the customer standing in front of the shelf (step S12). For example, the product identification unit 102 identifies the product ID of the product of interest.

[0057] The determination unit 105 determines whether or not the customer is in front of the terminal 20 (step S13).

[0058] If it is determined that the customer is in front of the terminal 20 (step S13: Yes), the login control unit 103 controls the terminal 20 installed on the shelf to log in to the purchasing system 40 using the customer's account (step S14). Then, the display control unit 104 causes the logged-in terminal 20 to display a screen for purchasing the product of interest (step S15). After that, the process returns to step S13.

[0059] If it is determined that the customer is not in front of the terminal 20 (step S13: No), the display control unit 104 stops the display of the screen for purchasing the target product on the terminal 20 (step S16). After that, the login control unit 103 controls the terminal 20 to log out from the purchasing system 40 (step S17).

[0060] With the above, the sales support system 110 ends the operation shown in FIG.

[0061] As in the first embodiment, a customer purchases a product of interest by operating the terminal 20. In the second embodiment, the customer can purchase the product of interest from a shelf different from the shelf where the terminal 20 is installed. The product purchased by the customer is delivered in the same manner as in the example described in the first embodiment.

[0062] According to one embodiment, the product identification unit 102 identifies a product of interest that a customer has noticed on each of a plurality of shelves. Then, the display control unit 104 causes the terminal 20 to display a screen for purchasing the product of interest identified by the product identification unit 102. Therefore, if a customer leaves a shelf where products are displayed and then wants to purchase the product, the customer can purchase the product without returning to the original shelf. Furthermore, the system can support customers in purchasing products of interest on each of a plurality of shelves all at once using a terminal installed on the shelf. This reduces the customer's effort and increases the likelihood that the customer will purchase products at the store.

[0063] Furthermore, according to one embodiment, the determination unit 105 determines whether or not a customer is in front of the terminal 20. If it is determined that a customer is in front of the terminal 20, the display control unit 104 causes a screen for purchasing the attention product identified by the product identification unit 102 to be displayed on the terminal 20 where it has been determined that the customer is present. If it is determined that the customer is not in front of the terminal 20, the display control unit 104 stops displaying the screen for purchasing the attention product on the terminal 20. This makes it possible to prevent the attention product from being displayed to other customers. It also makes it possible to prevent other customers from proceeding with the purchase process using the customer's account.

[0064] [Modifications] The above-described embodiments may be modified and used. Modifications will be described below.

[0065] <Identifying featured products> The product identification unit 102 may also identify products that have attracted the attention of customers, even if the products are displayed on shelves where the terminals 20 are not installed, and store the products in the featured product DB 53 in association with the customer ID.

[0066] In the above embodiments, the product identification unit 102 identifies a product of interest from an image of a customer standing in front of a shelf. The product identification unit 102 may identify a product of interest to a customer by combining information from other sensors installed on the shelf in addition to the image captured by the camera 10. The shelf may be equipped with sensors such as a sensor that detects the movement of a hand in and out, a sensor that detects the removal of a product, or a camera that captures images of the shelf. Based on the sensor information, the product identification unit 102 recognizes that a product in a predetermined position has been picked up. The product identification unit 102 then references the product position DB 51 to identify the product ID of the product that has been picked up. The product identification unit 102 also associates the product ID with the customer ID of the customer who was standing in front of the shelf when the product was picked up, and stores the associated information in the product of interest DB 53.

[0067] <Displayed Screen> In the above embodiments, the display control unit 104 has been described as causing the terminal 20 to display a screen for purchasing a focused product. The display control unit 104 may also cause predicted products that are predicted to be likely to be purchased by the customer to be displayed on the purchase screen. The sales support systems 100 and 110 may, for example, predict predicted products based on the customer's purchase history. Products that the customer has previously purchased or products related to products that the customer has previously purchased are predicted to be likely to be purchased. For example, the display control unit 104 may display an image showing the focused product and predicted products placed in a virtual shopping cart.

[0068] The display control unit 104 may display a purchase screen for an additional product that the customer added by operating the terminal 20. For example, the purchasing system 40 manages product searches and additions. The customer operates the terminal 20 to search for a product using a keyword search. The customer then selects the searched product as an additional product. The display control unit 104 may display a screen showing the state in which the featured product and the additional product have been placed in a virtual shopping cart.

[0069] <Taking Home Products> In the above embodiment, a case where a product is delivered to a customer has been described. However, the present disclosure is also applicable to a case where a customer takes home a purchased product from a store. Instead of managing delivery, the purchasing system 40 may display a screen on the store clerk's terminal instructing the clerk to collect the product for the customer. For example, the clerk may collect a product corresponding to a previously purchased product from within the store and hand it over to the customer. Alternatively, the customer may purchase a featured product displayed on the terminal 20 and take the product from the shelf home.

[0070] <Different Purchasing Systems for Each Shelf> Some stores have shelves for each brand. Also, there may be an e-commerce site for each brand. In this case, the sales support systems 100, 110 may be communicatively connected to multiple purchasing systems 40 that realize the multiple e-commerce sites. Furthermore, the sales support systems 100, 110 may be communicatively connected to terminals 20 installed on shelves for each brand. The sales support systems 100, 110 then support purchases on the e-commerce sites for each brand. When a customer purchases a product using a terminal 20 installed in the store, a reward may be paid to the store by each brand.

[0071] The biometric information DB 52 stores the account ID of a customer of each purchasing system 40 in association with the customer's biometric information. The biometric information DB 52 may store multiple account IDs in association with one customer ID. The login control unit 103 controls login to the purchasing system 40 of the brand on the shelf on which the terminal 20 is installed, on the terminal 20. The display control unit 104 then displays on the logged-in terminal 20 a screen for purchasing a product of interest that the customer has noticed on the shelf on which the terminal 20 is installed.

[0072] <Installation of Terminal Other Than on a Shelf> In the above embodiment, the terminal 20 is described as being installed on a shelf displaying products. A terminal similar to the terminal 20 may be installed anywhere in the store other than on a shelf. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the terminal 20-4 may be installed near the exit of the store. The camera 10-4 captures an image of the image capture area R4 in front of the terminal. The customer identification unit 101 identifies customers who are present within the image capture area R4. The login control unit 103 causes the terminal 20-4 to log in to the customer's account. The display control unit 104 causes the terminal 20-4 to display a screen for purchasing a product that the customer has noticed in the store. This allows the sales support systems 100, 110 to support the customer in purchasing a product that the customer has noticed in the store before leaving.

[0073] <Biometric Authentication Other Than in Front of a Shelf> In the above embodiment, biometric authentication of a customer standing in front of a shelf is performed using an image captured by the camera 10 that captures the customer standing in front of the shelf. The camera 10 may also capture images of other areas in the store, including the entrance and the store aisles. Customer biometric authentication may also be performed, for example, at the store entrance. The customer identification unit 101 may identify the customer at the entrance based on biometric information obtained from the image captured at the entrance. The customer identification unit 101 then analyzes the image captured by the camera 10 to track the customer's movement from the entrance through the store. The customer identification unit 101 also tracks the customer's arrival in front of the shelf, so it can identify the customer standing in front of the shelf by inheriting the results of biometric authentication using the image captured at the entrance. When the movement of a customer identified at the entrance is tracked, the customer identification unit 101 may omit identifying the customer standing in front of the shelf using biometric authentication.

[0074] Furthermore, when a customer is identified at the entrance, the login control unit 103 may perform control so that the customer logs in to their account from the terminal 20 in the store at the time the customer is identified. Alternatively, the login control unit 103 may perform control so that the customer logs in to their account after they arrive in front of a shelf or in front of the terminal 20. Then, when the customer is in front of a shelf or in front of the terminal 20, the display control unit 104 displays a screen in which the customer is logged in to their account.

[0075] [Hardware Configuration] In each of the above-described embodiments, each component of the sales support system 100, 110 is represented by a functional block. Some or all of the components of the sales support system 100, 110 may be realized by any combination of a computer 500 and a program.

[0076] 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer 500. Referring to Fig. 9, the computer 500 includes, for example, a processor 501, a read only memory (ROM) 502, a random access memory (RAM) 503, a program 504, a storage device 505, a drive device 507, a communication interface 508, an input device 509, an input / output interface 511, and a bus 512.

[0077] The processor 501 controls the entire computer 500. The processor 501 may be, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The number of processors 501 is not particularly limited, and there may be one or more processors 501.

[0078] The program 504 includes instructions for implementing each function of the sales support systems 100, 110. The program 504 is stored in advance in the ROM 502, RAM 503, or storage device 505. The processor 501 implements each function of the sales support systems 100, 110 by executing the instructions included in the program 504. For example, the processor 501 of the sales support systems 100, 110 implements the functions of the sales support systems 100, 110 by executing the instructions included in the program 504. The RAM 503 may also store data to be processed in each function of the sales support systems 100, 110.

[0079] The drive device 507 reads and writes data from and to the recording medium 506. The communication interface 508 provides an interface with a communication network. The input device 509 is, for example, a mouse or keyboard, and receives information input from a store manager or the like. The output device 510 is, for example, a display, and outputs (displays) information to the manager or the like. The input / output interface 511 provides an interface with peripheral devices. The bus 512 connects these hardware components. The program 504 may be supplied to the processor 501 via a communication network, or may be stored in advance on the recording medium 506, read by the drive device 507, and supplied to the processor 501.

[0080] It should be noted that the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 9 is an example, and other components may be added, or some components may not be included.

[0081] There are various variations in the method of realizing the sales support systems 100 and 110. For example, the sales support systems 100 and 110 may be realized by any combination of different computers and programs for each component. Furthermore, multiple components included in the sales support systems 100 and 110 may be realized by any combination of a single computer and program.

[0082] Furthermore, at least a part of the sales support systems 100 and 110 may be provided in a software as a service (SaaS) format. That is, at least a part of the functions for realizing the sales support systems 100 and 110 may be executed by software that is executed via a network.

[0083] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present disclosure within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the configurations in the respective embodiments can be combined with each other without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0084] 100, 110 Sales support system 101 Customer identification unit 102 Product identification unit 103 Login control unit 104 Display control unit 105 Determination unit 10 (10-1, 10-2, 10-3, 10-4) Camera 20 (20-1, 20-2, 20-3, 20-4) Terminal 30 Authentication server 40 Purchasing system 51 Product position DB 52 Biometric information DB 53 Attention product DB P1, P2, P3 Product X (X1, X2, X3) Shelf R1, R2, R3, R4 Photography area

Claims

1. a customer identification means for identifying a customer based on an image of the customer in front of the shelf; a product identification means for identifying a product of interest on the shelf that has been noticed by the customer based on an image of the customer in front of the shelf; a login control means for controlling a terminal installed on the shelf to log in to a purchasing system using the account of the identified customer; a display control means for displaying a screen for purchasing the product of interest on the logged-in terminal; A sales support system equipped with:

2. the customer identification means identifies the customer based on biometric information obtained from the image; The login control means controls the customer to log in to the purchasing system using the account associated with the customer's biometric information. The sales support system according to claim 1 .

3. When the customer moves from one shelf to another shelf, the display control means displays the product of interest that the customer has noticed in front of the one shelf on the terminal installed on the other shelf. The sales support system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. further comprising a determination means for determining whether the customer is in front of the terminal; The display control means displays the screen when it is determined that the customer is in front of the terminal. The sales support system according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The display control means stops the display of the screen when it is determined that the customer is not in front of the terminal. The sales support system according to claim 4.

6. The login control means controls the customer to log in to the purchasing system from the terminal using the account when it is determined that the customer is in front of the terminal, and controls the customer to log out from the purchasing system when it is determined that the customer is not in front of the terminal. The sales support system according to claim 4.

7. When the determining means determines that the customer is in front of the terminal, the determining means determines that the customer is not in front of another terminal. The sales support system according to claim 4.

8. The display control means displays the screen for purchasing the product of interest that the customer has noticed when visiting the store in the past. The sales support system according to claim 1 or 2.

9. Identifying a customer based on an image of the customer in front of the shelf; Identifying a product of interest on the shelf that has been noticed by the customer based on an image of the customer in front of the shelf; Controlling the terminal installed on the shelf to log in to a purchasing system using the identified customer's account; A screen for purchasing the featured product is displayed on the logged-in terminal. Sales support methods.

10. Identifying a customer based on an image of the customer in front of the shelf; Identifying a product of interest on the shelf that has been noticed by the customer based on an image of the customer in front of the shelf; Controlling the terminal installed on the shelf to log in to a purchasing system using the identified customer's account; A screen for purchasing the featured product is displayed on the logged-in terminal. A program that causes a computer to perform a process.