Cashier operation support device, method, and program

Abstract

The present invention makes it possible for an employee to become aware that a customer has come to a checkout, without any action on the part of the customer. A checkout condition determination unit (11) determines whether there is an employee at a checkout provided in a store. A checkout waiting determination unit (12) determines whether there is a customer waiting for checkout in front of the checkout in the store. When the checkout condition determination unit (11) has determined that there is no employee at the checkout and the checkout waiting determination unit (12) has determined that there is a customer waiting for checkout, a notification unit (13) notifies an employee that there is a customer waiting for checkout.

Description

Cashier operation support device, method, and computer-readable medium

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cash register operation support device, method, and computer-readable medium.

[0002] As a related technique, Patent Document 1 discloses an accounting support device that supports accounting operations in a store. In Patent Document 1, the accounting support device detects the status of customers waiting to check out based on video of the area where customers are waiting at the register. The accounting support device also detects the status of people staying in the store based on video captured inside the store. Depending on the status of customers waiting to check out and the congestion level inside the store, the accounting support device determines whether to issue a notification to instruct a store clerk or manager to take action to reduce the time customers spend waiting to check out.

[0003] Specifically, in Patent Document 1, if the cash register is in operation, there are many customers waiting in line, and the store is crowded, the accounting support device sends a notification to a portable terminal carried by a store clerk or manager instructing them to help with the accounting work at the cash register.Even if there are many customers waiting in line, the accounting support device does not send a notification instructing them to help with the accounting work at the cash register if the store is not crowded.If the cash register is not in operation and the store is crowded, the accounting support device sends a command to start operating the cash register to the portable terminal.

[0004] JP 2015-148918 A

[0005] In stores such as convenience stores and restaurants, employees are not always stationed at the cash registers, but rather move to the register as needed to handle the transaction when a customer comes to the register. In such cases, the employee may be located away from the register and may not notice that a customer has come to the register. In such cases, the customer may have to wait in front of the register, resulting in a long wait time. In such stores, a bell may be placed at the register so that customers can ring it to call an employee. However, in such cases, the customer must take action themselves, which may result in a poor user experience.

[0006] In Patent Document 1, whether to issue a notification instructing an action to reduce customer wait times is determined based on the number of customers waiting at the register and the congestion level. However, the checkout support device described in Patent Document 1 does not have a mechanism for calling a store clerk to the register if there is no store clerk at the register. As a result, if there is no one at the register, the customer must take action themselves to call a store clerk, which may degrade the user experience.

[0007] In view of the above circumstances, the present disclosure aims to provide a cash register operation support device, method, and computer-readable medium that enable employees to notice that a customer has come to the cash register without the customer taking any action.

[0008] To achieve the above object, the present disclosure provides, as a first aspect, a cash register operation support device including: a cash register status determination unit that determines whether an employee is present at a cash register installed in a store; a cash register waiting determination unit that determines whether a customer is waiting in front of a cash register in the store; and a notification unit that, when it is determined that there is no employee at the cash register and that there is a customer waiting, notifies the employee that there is a customer waiting.

[0009] In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides a cash register operation support method, which includes determining whether an employee is present at a cash register installed in a store, determining whether a customer is waiting in front of a cash register in the store, and, if it is determined that no employee is present at the cash register and that a customer is waiting in front of the cash register, notifying the employee that a customer is waiting in front of the cash register.

[0010] In a third aspect, the present disclosure provides a computer-readable medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a process including determining whether an employee is present at a cash register installed in a store, determining whether a customer is waiting in line at a cash register in the store, and, if it is determined that no employee is present at the cash register and that a customer is waiting in line, notifying the employee that a customer is waiting in line.

[0011] The cash register operation support device, method, and computer-readable medium according to the present disclosure can enable an employee to notice that a customer has come to the cash register, even if the customer does not take any action.

[0012] A block diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a cashier operation support device according to the present disclosure. A block diagram showing a configuration example of a cashier operation support system including a cashier operation support device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. A schematic diagram showing an example of a store layout and an installation status of cameras in the store. A flowchart showing an operation procedure of a cashier operation support device. A block diagram showing a cashier operation support device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. A block diagram showing a cashier operation support device according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. A block diagram showing a configuration example of a computer device.

[0013] Prior to describing embodiments of the present disclosure, an overview of the present disclosure will be described. Fig. 1 shows a schematic configuration example of a cashier operation support device according to the present disclosure. The cashier operation support device 10 includes a cashier status determination unit 11, a cashier waiting time determination unit 12, and a notification unit 13.

[0014] The cash register status determination unit 11 determines whether an employee is present at a cash register installed in a store. The cash register waiting determination unit 12 determines whether a customer is waiting in front of a cash register in the store. If it is determined that there is no employee at the cash register and that there is a customer waiting in front of the cash register, the notification unit 13 notifies a store employee that there is a customer waiting in front of the cash register.

[0015] In the present disclosure, when it is determined that there is no employee at the register and that there is a customer waiting in front of the register, the notification unit 13 notifies the employee that there is a customer waiting in front of the register. The employee who receives the notification notices that there is a customer waiting in front of the register and can move to the register. In the present disclosure, when a customer approaches the register while the register is unmanned, the employee is notified of the presence of a customer waiting in front of the register. Therefore, in the present disclosure, the employee can notice that a customer has come to the register even if the customer does not take any action.

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description and drawings have been omitted or simplified as appropriate for clarity of explanation. In addition, in the following drawings, the same or similar elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted as necessary.

[0017] 2 shows an example configuration of a cashier operation support system including a cashier operation support device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. The cashier operation support system 100 includes a cashier operation support device 110, cameras 200-1 to 200-n, and a store clerk terminal device 210, where n is an integer equal to or greater than 1.

[0018] The cashier operation support device 110 is used to support cashier operations by employees in a store where customers purchase products, etc. In this embodiment, the store in which the cashier operation support device 110 is used is a store in which employees leave the cashier counter at least temporarily and perform tasks other than cashier operations in the sales floor or back room. The employees move to the cashier as needed and perform cashier operations. The cashier operation support device 110 may be located in the store or in a location separate from the store. The cashier operation support device 110 corresponds to the cashier operation support device 10 shown in FIG. 1.

[0019] The clerk terminal device 210 is a terminal device used by a store employee. The clerk terminal device 210 may be a terminal device carried by the employee, such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. Alternatively, the clerk terminal device 210 may be a wearable terminal such as a smartwatch. The clerk terminal device 210 is configured to be capable of wireless communication with the cashier operation support device 110.

[0020] Cameras 200-1 to 200-n are cameras that are placed in a store and capture images of a predetermined area within the store. Cameras 200-1 to 200-n include cameras that capture images or videos of the area of ​​the cash register counter where the cash register is installed. Cameras 200-1 to 200-n also include cameras that capture images of the area on the sales floor side of the cash register counter. The camera that captures the image of the cash register counter area and the camera that captures the image of the area on the sales floor side of the cash register counter may be the same camera. In other words, a single camera may be used to capture images of the cash register counter area and images of the area on the sales floor side of the cash register counter. In the following description, unless a particular distinction is required, cameras 200-1 to 200-n may also be referred to as cameras 200.

[0021] FIG. 3 shows an example of a store layout and an installation state of the camera 200. In the store, a cash register is provided at the cash register counter where an employee registers purchased items and performs payment. The cash register is also called a POS (Point of Sales) terminal. The cash register provided at the cash register counter may be a semi-self-service cash register where an employee registers purchased items and customers pay at a payment machine. In addition to manned cash registers that require the involvement of an employee, the store may also be provided with unmanned cash registers or self-service cash registers where customers can perform operations from registering purchased items to paying.

[0022] In the example shown in FIG. 3, cameras 200-1 to 200-5 are placed in the store. Camera 200-1 is a camera that captures images of the cash register counter and the area in front of the cash register counter. Camera 200-2 is a camera that captures images of the area at the entrance and exit of the store. Cameras 200-3 to 200-5 are cameras 200 that capture images of the area between product display shelves, i.e., the aisle area. Each camera 200 may be a camera that captures images or videos within a predetermined angle of view, or may be an omnidirectional camera that can capture 360-degree images in all directions, up, down, left, and right.

[0023] 2 , the cashier operation support device 110 includes an image acquisition unit 111, a cashier waiting status determination unit 112, a cashier status determination unit 113, and a store clerk notification unit 114. The cashier operation support device 110 may be physically configured as a device having one or more processors and one or more memories. For example, at least some of the functions of each unit in the cashier operation support device 110 may be realized by the processor executing processing in accordance with instructions read from the memory.

[0024] The video acquisition unit 111 acquires images or videos acquired by each camera 200 from one or more cameras 200. The register waiting determination unit 112 determines whether or not there are customers waiting in front of the register. The register waiting determination unit 112 determines whether or not there are customers waiting in front of the register based on, for example, an image acquired by a camera that acquires an image of the area in front of the register, i.e., an image of the area on the sales floor side of the register counter. The register waiting determination unit 112 determines whether or not there are customers waiting in front of the register based on, for example, an image acquired by camera 200-1 shown in FIG. 3.

[0025] More specifically, the register waiting determination unit 112 performs image analysis on the image captured by the camera 200-1 to determine whether or not a person is in front of the register counter. The register waiting determination unit 112 also determines whether or not a person has been standing in front of the register counter for a predetermined period of time or longer. For example, if the register waiting determination unit 112 determines that a person is in front of the register counter and has been standing in front of the register counter for two seconds or longer, the register waiting determination unit 112 determines that there is a customer waiting in front of the register counter. For example, if there is no person in front of the register counter, or if a person who has stopped in front of the register counter moves away from the register counter in less than two seconds, the register waiting determination unit 112 determines that there is no customer waiting in front of the register counter. The register waiting determination unit 112 corresponds to the register waiting determination unit 12 shown in FIG. 1.

[0026] When a person is detected in front of the register counter in the image analysis, the register waiting determination unit 112 may detect at least one of the line of sight and the facial direction of the person in front of the register counter. In addition to or instead of determining whether a person has stopped in front of the register counter for two seconds or more, the register waiting determination unit 112 may determine whether there are customers waiting in line based on the line of sight or the facial direction of the person in front of the register counter.

[0027] For example, the checkout waiting determination unit 112 may determine that there is a customer waiting if a person in front of the checkout counter frequently looks toward the checkout counter. Alternatively, the checkout waiting determination unit 112 may determine that there is a customer waiting if the person in front of the checkout counter looks at products such as cigarettes placed at the back of the checkout counter. The checkout waiting determination unit 112 may determine that there is no customer waiting if the gaze or face of the person in front of the checkout counter is not directed toward the checkout counter, even if the person stops in front of the checkout counter for more than two seconds. When determining whether a customer is waiting in line based on the gaze direction or facial direction, it is believed that it is possible to more accurately determine whether a person is simply stopping in front of the checkout counter or whether the person is in front of the checkout counter to purchase a product.

[0028] The cash register status determination unit 113 determines whether an employee is present at the cash register. For example, the cash register status determination unit 113 determines whether an employee is present at the cash register based on an image acquired by a camera that acquires an image of the area inside the cash register. For example, the cash register status determination unit 113 determines whether an employee is present at the cash register who is able to handle transactions based on an image acquired by the camera 200-1 shown in FIG. 3.

[0029] More specifically, the cash register status determination unit 113 performs image analysis on the image captured by the camera 200-1 to determine whether or not there is a person at the cash register counter. If there is a person at the cash register counter, the cash register status determination unit 113 determines that there is an employee at the cash register. If there is no person at the cash register counter, the cash register status determination unit 113 determines that there is no employee at the cash register. The cash register status determination unit 113 corresponds to the cash register status determination unit 11 shown in FIG. 1.

[0030] In image analysis, when there is a person at the register counter, i.e., when an employee is present at the register counter, the register status determination unit 113 may detect the gaze direction or facial direction of the employee. In addition to determining whether or not an employee is present at the register, the register status determination unit 113 may also determine whether or not the employee is able to notice customers waiting at the register based on the gaze direction or facial direction of the employee. For example, when the employee at the register counter has their back to the sales floor, the register status determination unit 113 determines that the employee is unable to notice customers waiting at the register. When the employee at the register counter is facing in front of the register counter, the register status determination unit 113 determines that the employee is able to notice customers waiting at the register.

[0031] If the register waiting determination unit 112 determines that there is a customer waiting at the register and the register status determination unit 113 determines that there is no employee at the register, the clerk notification unit 114 notifies the employee that there is a customer waiting at the register. The clerk notification unit 114 sends a notification to the clerk terminal device 210 notifying that there is a customer waiting at the register. Upon receiving the notification, the clerk terminal device 210 displays a message on the display notifying the employee that there is a customer waiting at the register. The clerk terminal device 210 may notify the employee that there is a customer waiting at the register by using sound or vibration. The clerk notification unit 114 corresponds to the notification unit 13 shown in FIG. 1 .

[0032] Even if there is an employee at the register, if the register status determination unit 113 determines that the employee is unable to notice customers waiting at the register, the store clerk notification unit 114 may send a notification to the store clerk terminal device 210 informing the employee that there are customers waiting at the register. In this case, the employee at the register can notice the customers waiting at the register before the customers call out to the store clerk, and can quickly serve the customers.

[0033] Next, the operation procedure will be explained. Fig. 4 shows the operation procedure of the cash register operation support device 110. The operation procedure of the cash register operation support device 110 corresponds to the cash register operation support method. The cash register status determination unit 113 determines whether or not an employee is present at the cash register (step S1). In step S1, the cash register status determination unit 113 determines whether or not an employee is present at the cash register based on, for example, an image acquired by the video acquisition unit 111 from the camera 200 that acquires an image of the area inside the cash register. Step S1 is repeatedly performed until it is determined that no employee is present at the cash register.

[0034] If it is determined in step S1 that there is no employee at the register, the register waiting determination unit 112 determines whether there is a customer waiting in front of the register counter (step S2). In step S2, the register waiting determination unit 112 determines whether there is a customer waiting in front of the register counter to pay, for example, based on an image acquired by the video acquisition unit 111 from the camera 200 that acquires an image of the area in front of the register counter.

[0035] In the above example, when it is determined in step S1 that there is no employee at the register, the register waiting determination unit 112 determines in step S2 whether there are customers waiting at the register. However, this embodiment is not limited to this. The register waiting determination unit 112 may determine whether there are customers waiting at the register without relying on the determination result of the register status determination unit 113. In this case, step S1 and step S2 may be performed first, or may be performed in parallel.

[0036] If it is determined in step S1 that there is no employee at the register and if it is determined in step S2 that there is a customer waiting at the register, the clerk notification unit 114 notifies the employee in charge of the register that there is a customer waiting at the register (step S3). In step S3, the clerk notification unit 114 sends a notification to the clerk terminal device 210 carried by the employee indicating that there is a customer waiting at the register. The employee can become aware of the customer waiting at the register by, for example, looking at a message displayed on the clerk terminal device 210. The employee will stop what they are doing outside the register and head to the register to attend to the customer.

[0037] In this embodiment, the cash register status determination unit 113 determines whether an employee is present at the cash register. The cash register waiting determination unit 112 determines whether a customer is waiting in front of the cash register. If there is no employee at the cash register but a customer is waiting in front of the cash register, the store clerk notification unit 114 notifies the employee that a customer is waiting in front of the cash register. In this embodiment, even if the customer does not take action to call the employee, the employee can immediately notice the customer and move to the cash register counter. Therefore, this embodiment can shorten the time customers spend waiting in front of the cash register. Furthermore, since the customer does not need to call the employee in this embodiment, this embodiment can prevent a degradation of the customer's user experience. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the employee can concentrate on tasks other than cash register work without having to worry about whether there are customers waiting in front of the cash register. Therefore, this embodiment can improve employee work efficiency.

[0038] Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Fig. 5 shows a cashier operation support device according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. The cashier operation support device 110a according to this embodiment includes a purpose estimation unit 115 in addition to the configuration of the cashier operation support device 110 described in the first embodiment shown in Fig. 2.

[0039] The purpose estimation unit 115 estimates the purpose of the customer's visit to the cash register. For example, the purpose estimation unit 115 estimates the purpose of the customer's visit to the cash register based on an image acquired by a camera 200 that acquires an image of the area in front of the cash register. For example, the purpose estimation unit 115 performs image analysis on an image acquired by a camera 200-1 shown in FIG. 3 to determine whether the customer has come to the cash register with a product to purchase. For example, in the image analysis, the purpose estimation unit 115 determines whether the customer is holding a product in their hand or whether there is a product in the basket they are carrying. The purpose estimation unit 115 estimates the purpose depending on whether the customer has a product to purchase.

[0040] For example, when a customer comes to the register counter holding a product, it is highly likely that the customer has come to the register counter to purchase that product. On the other hand, when a customer comes to the register counter without a product, it is highly likely that the customer has come to the register counter to purchase a product that is not displayed in the sales area, such as cigarettes or stamps, or to pay various fees. When a customer has a product, the purpose estimation unit 115 estimates that the customer has come to the register counter to purchase that product. When a customer is standing in front of the register counter without a product, the purpose estimation unit 115 estimates that the customer has come to the register counter to purchase a product that is displayed in the register or to pay various fees, i.e., for agency income.

[0041] In the above description, an example has been described in which the camera that acquires the image used by the register waiting determination unit 112 to determine whether or not there is a customer waiting at the register and the camera that acquires the image used by the purpose estimation unit 115 to estimate the purpose for which the customer has come to the register are the same camera. However, this embodiment is not limited to this. The camera that acquires the image used by the register waiting determination unit 112 to determine whether or not there is a customer waiting at the register and the camera that acquires the image used by the purpose estimation unit 115 to estimate the purpose for which the customer has come to the register do not necessarily have to be the same camera.

[0042] In this embodiment, the clerk notification unit 114 notifies the clerk that there is a customer waiting at the register, and also notifies the clerk of the purpose estimated by the purpose estimation unit 115 as additional information. The clerk notification unit 114 transmits the purpose estimated by the purpose estimation unit 115 to the clerk terminal device 210 as additional information. The clerk terminal device 210 displays the purpose of the customer's visit to the register on a display. By referring to the additional information, the clerk can predict what tasks will occur at the register when moving to the register counter. Furthermore, for example, if a customer comes to the register counter for the purpose of making a proxy income, one of multiple clerks who is accustomed to making a proxy income can head to the register.

[0043] The store clerk notification unit 114 may set a priority for the notification informing the employee that there are customers waiting in line at the register, depending on the purpose estimated by the purpose estimation unit 115. Here, the priority indicates the degree of necessity for the employee to head to the register counter. Instead of or in addition to notifying the employee of the purpose estimated by the purpose estimation unit 115, the store clerk terminal device 210 may notify the employee of the set priority.

[0044] For example, if a store has self-checkout registers, a customer who comes to the register with an item may complete the payment at the self-checkout. In this case, there is no need for an employee to go to the register. Therefore, it is considered that there is a relatively low need for an employee to go to the register. On the other hand, if a customer comes to the register to purchase an item in the register or for proxy income, the customer cannot pay at the self-checkout, so an employee must assist them. Therefore, it is considered that there is a high need for an employee to go to the register.

[0045] The clerk notification unit 114 sets the priority to "high" if the estimated purpose is to purchase a product at the register or to make a proxy payment. The clerk notification unit 114 sets the priority to "low" if the estimated purpose is to purchase a product. If the estimated purpose is to purchase a product, the clerk notification unit 114 may set the priority according to the operation status of the self-checkout register. For example, the clerk notification unit 114 may set the priority to "low" if the customer can use the self-checkout register. If another customer has already used the self-checkout register and the customer waiting in line cannot use the self-checkout register, the clerk notification unit 114 may set the priority to "medium." Furthermore, even if the estimated purpose is to purchase a product, the clerk notification unit 114 may set the priority to "high" if the customer's gaze, as detected by the checkout queue determination unit 112, is directed toward a product at the register, such as cigarettes. When the priority is notified to the employee, the employee can determine whether they must proceed to the register or whether they can proceed to the register while watching the situation.

[0046] In this embodiment, the purpose estimation unit 115 estimates the purpose for which the customer has come to the register. The store clerk notification unit 114 notifies the staff member of the estimated purpose. In this embodiment, the purpose for which a customer waiting in line has come to the register is estimated, and the staff member is notified of the estimation result. By notifying the staff member of the purpose for which the customer has come to the register, the staff member can predict the work to be done at the register before moving to the register counter. Therefore, it is believed that the staff member can perform their cash register work smoothly.

[0047] Next, a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Fig. 6 shows a cashier operation support device according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure. The cashier operation support device 110b according to this embodiment includes a timing prediction unit 116 in addition to the configuration of the cashier operation support device 110 described in the first embodiment shown in Fig. 2. The cashier operation support device 110b may also include a timing prediction unit 116 in addition to the configuration of the cashier operation support device 110a described in the second embodiment shown in Fig. 5.

[0048] The timing prediction unit 116 predicts when a customer who has entered the store will come to the cash register. The timing prediction unit 116 predicts when the customer will come to the cash register based on at least one of the customer's movement trajectory in the store and the customer's past behavior history information. For example, the timing prediction unit 116 tracks the movement of the customer who has entered the store based on images captured by multiple cameras 200 arranged in the store, as shown in FIG. 3. The timing prediction unit 116 determines whether the customer is moving through the store along a predetermined route that is assumed in advance, based on the tracking result, i.e., the movement trajectory. The predetermined route is not limited to one, and several routes may be assumed in the store.

[0049] The timing prediction unit 116 compares the customer's movement trajectory with a predetermined route and determines whether the customer is moving along the normal route depending on whether the customer's movement trajectory deviates from the normal route. The timing prediction unit 116 predicts the timing at which the customer will come to the register depending on whether the customer is moving along the normal route. For example, if a customer heads directly from the entrance to the register counter, the timing prediction unit 116 determines that the customer is not moving through the store along the normal route. If the timing prediction unit 116 determines that the customer is not moving through the store along the normal route, it predicts that the customer will come to the register a first predetermined time after entering the store. If the timing prediction unit 116 determines that the customer is moving through the store along the normal route, it predicts that the customer will come to the register a second predetermined time after entering the store (the second predetermined time > the first predetermined time).

[0050] When predicting when a customer will come to the cash register using the customer's past behavioral history information, the timing prediction unit 116 acquires behavioral history information of the customer who entered the store from a storage device that stores behavioral history information. For example, behavioral history information is stored for each customer. The timing prediction unit 116 identifies the customer using, for example, facial recognition, and acquires the identified customer's past behavioral history information. Alternatively, behavioral history information may be stored for each customer attribute, such as age and gender. In this case, the timing prediction unit 116 may identify the customer's attribute from, for example, a facial image, and acquire behavioral history information corresponding to the identified attribute. Using the behavioral history information makes it possible to determine whether the customer will head to the cash register immediately after entering the store, or whether the customer will take their time shopping after entering the store and then head to the cash register. Therefore, when behavioral history information is used, it is believed that the timing when the customer will come to the cash register can be accurately predicted.

[0051] In this embodiment, in addition to the operations described in the first or second embodiment, the clerk notification unit 114 notifies an employee of the prediction result of the timing prediction unit 116, i.e., the prediction result of when a customer will come to the register. After a customer enters the store, the clerk notification unit 114 transmits the prediction result of when the customer will come to the register to the clerk terminal device 210. The clerk terminal device 210 displays the prediction result of when the customer will come to the register, for example, how long it will be until the customer comes to the register, on a display.

[0052] In this embodiment, the store clerk notification unit 114 notifies the employee of the prediction result of the timing prediction unit 116. By viewing the prediction result, the employee can predict when the customer will come to the register and decide whether to stop what they are doing outside the register and head to the register counter, or to continue working. For example, if the employee predicts that the customer will come to the register soon, they can stop what they are doing and head to the register counter immediately. On the other hand, if the employee predicts that the customer will not come to the register soon, they can continue working. Therefore, this embodiment can improve the work efficiency of the employees.

[0053] In the present disclosure, the cashier operation support device 110 may be configured using a computer device or a server device. Fig. 7 shows an example configuration of a computer device that may be used in the cashier operation support device 110. The computer device 500 has a control unit (CPU: Central Processing Unit) 510, a storage unit 520, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 530, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 540, a communication interface (IF: Interface) 550, and a user interface 560.

[0054] The communication interface 550 is an interface for connecting the computer device 500 to a communication network via wired communication means, wireless communication means, etc. The user interface 560 includes a display unit such as a display, and an input unit such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a touch panel.

[0055] The storage unit 520 is an auxiliary storage device that can store various types of data. The storage unit 520 does not necessarily have to be a part of the computer device 500, but may be an external storage device or cloud storage connected to the computer device 500 via a network.

[0056] The ROM 530 is a non-volatile storage device. For example, a semiconductor storage device with a relatively small capacity, such as a flash memory, is used for the ROM 530. The programs executed by the CPU 510 can be stored in the storage unit 520 or the ROM 530. The storage unit 520 or the ROM 530 stores various programs for realizing the functions of each unit in the cashier operation support device 110, for example.

[0057] The program includes instructions (or software code) that, when loaded into a computer, cause the computer to perform one or more functions described in the embodiments. The program may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium or a tangible storage medium. By way of example and not limitation, computer-readable media or tangible storage media include random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD) or other memory technologies, compact discs (CDs), digital versatile discs (DVDs), Blu-ray discs or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tapes, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices. The program may also be transmitted on a transitory computer-readable medium or communication medium. By way of example and not limitation, transitory computer-readable media or communication media include electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals.

[0058] The RAM 540 is a volatile storage device. Various semiconductor memory devices such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) or SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) are used for the RAM 540. The RAM 540 can be used as an internal buffer for temporarily storing data, etc. The CPU 510 loads a program stored in the storage unit 520 or the ROM 530 into the RAM 540 and executes it. The CPU 510 executes the program, thereby realizing the functions of each unit in the cash register operation support device 110. The CPU 510 may have an internal buffer for temporarily storing data, etc.

[0059] In each of the above embodiments, the cashier operation support device 110 does not necessarily have to be configured as a single device. The cashier operation support device 110 may be configured using multiple physically separated devices.

[0060] The above describes the embodiments of the present disclosure in detail, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and changes and modifications to the above-described embodiments that do not deviate from the spirit of the present disclosure are also included in the present disclosure.

[0061] For example, some or all of the above embodiments can be described as, but are not limited to, the following supplementary notes.

[0062] [Supplementary Note 1] A cash register operation support device comprising: a cash register status determination unit that determines whether or not there is an employee at a cash register installed in a store; a cash register waiting determination unit that determines whether or not there are customers waiting in front of a cash register in the store; and a notification unit that notifies the employee that there are customers waiting at the cash register when it is determined that there is no employee at the cash register and that there are customers waiting at the cash register.

[0063] [Appendix 2] The cash register waiting determination unit determines whether there are customers waiting at the cash register based on an image acquired by a camera that acquires an image of the area on the sales floor side of the cash register counter where the cash register is installed. This is the cash register operation support device described in Appendix 1.

[0064] [Appendix 3] The cash register waiting determination unit detects a person from an image acquired by a camera that captures the area on the sales floor side of the cash register, and determines that there is a customer waiting at the cash register if the detected person remains standing there for a predetermined period of time or more. This is the cash register operation support device described in Appendix 2.

[0065] [Appendix 4] The cash register operation support device described in Appendix 3, wherein the cash register waiting determination unit detects at least one of the gaze direction and facial direction of the detected person, and determines whether there are customers waiting at the cash register based on at least one of the detected gaze direction and facial direction.

[0066] [Appendix 5] The cash register status determination unit determines whether or not an employee is present at the cash register based on an image acquired by a camera that acquires an image of the area within the cash register counter where the cash register is installed. This is the cash register operation support device described in any one of Appendices 1 to 4.

[0067] [Appendix 6] The cash register operation support device described in any one of Appendices 1 to 5 further comprises a purpose estimation unit that estimates the purpose of the customer's visit to the cash register based on an image acquired by a camera that acquires an image of the area on the sales floor side of the cash register counter where the cash register is installed, and the notification unit notifies the employee of the estimated purpose.

[0068] [Supplementary Note 7] The cash register operation support device according to Supplementary Note 6, wherein the purpose estimation unit estimates the purpose depending on whether or not the customer is carrying a product.

[0069] [Appendix 8] The cash register operation support device described in Appendix 6 or 7, wherein the notification unit sets a priority for a notification informing the employee that there is a customer waiting at the cash register according to the estimated purpose, and notifies the employee of the set priority.

[0070] [Appendix 9] The cash register operation support device described in any one of Appendices 1 to 8, further comprising a timing prediction unit that predicts when a customer who has entered the store will come to the cash register, and the notification unit notifies the employee of the predicted timing.

[0071] [Supplementary Note 10] The cash register operation support device according to Supplementary Note 9, wherein the timing prediction unit predicts the timing when the customer will come to the cash register based on at least one of the customer's movement trajectory in the store and the customer's past behavior history information.

[0072] [Appendix 11] A cash register operation support method comprising: determining whether or not there is an employee at a cash register installed in a store; determining whether or not there are customers waiting in front of a cash register in the store; and, if it is determined that there is no employee at the cash register and that there are customers waiting, notifying the employee that there are customers waiting.

[0073] [Appendix 12] A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores a program for causing a computer to perform a process including determining whether or not there is an employee at a cash register installed in a store, determining whether or not there is a customer waiting in front of a cash register in the store, and, if it is determined that there is no employee at the cash register and that there is a customer waiting in line, notifying the employee that there is a customer waiting in line.

[0074] 10: Cashier operation support device 11: Cashier status determination unit 12: Cashier waiting determination unit 13: Notification unit 100: Cashier operation support system 110: Cashier operation support device 111: Video acquisition unit 112: Cashier waiting determination unit 113: Cashier status determination unit 114: Clerk notification unit 115: Purpose estimation unit 116: Timing prediction unit 200: Camera 210: Clerk terminal device

Claims

1. a cash register status determination unit that determines whether an employee is present at a cash register installed in a store; a register waiting determination unit that determines whether or not there are customers waiting in front of a register in the store; The cash register operation support device is provided with a notification unit that notifies the employee that there is a customer waiting at the cash register when it is determined that there is no employee at the cash register and that there is a customer waiting at the cash register.

2. The cash register operation support device according to claim 1, wherein the waiting-at-register determination unit determines whether there are customers waiting at the cash register based on an image acquired by a camera that acquires an image of the area on the sales floor side of the cash register counter where the cash register is installed.

3. The cash register operation support device of claim 2, wherein the checkout waiting determination unit detects a person from an image acquired by a camera capturing an area on the sales floor side of the cash register, and determines that there is a customer waiting at the cash register if the detected person remains standing there for a predetermined period of time or more.

4. The cash register operation support device of claim 3, wherein the checkout waiting determination unit detects at least one of the gaze direction and facial direction of the detected person, and determines whether there are customers waiting at the cash register based on at least one of the detected gaze direction and facial direction.

5. The cash register status determination unit determines whether an employee is present at the cash register based on an image acquired by a camera that captures an image of the area within the cash register counter where the cash register is installed.

6. The system further includes a purpose estimation unit that estimates the purpose of the customer's visit to the cash register based on an image acquired by a camera that acquires an image of an area on the sales floor side of a cash register counter where the cash register is installed, The cashier operation support device according to claim 1 , wherein the notification unit notifies the employee of the estimated purpose.

7. The cash register operation support device according to claim 6 , wherein the purpose estimation unit estimates the purpose depending on whether or not the customer is carrying a product.

8. The cash register operation support device according to claim 6, wherein the notification unit sets a priority for a notification informing the employee that there is a customer waiting at the cash register according to the estimated purpose, and notifies the employee of the set priority.

9. Determine whether there is an employee at the cash register installed in the store, determining whether there are customers waiting in front of a cash register in the store; This cash register operation support method includes, when it is determined that there is no employee at the cash register and that there is a customer waiting at the cash register, notifying the employee that there is a customer waiting at the cash register.

10. Determine whether there is an employee at the cash register installed in the store, determining whether there are customers waiting in front of a cash register in the store; A program for causing a computer to perform processing including notifying the employee that there is a customer waiting at the register when it is determined that there is no employee at the register and that there is a customer waiting at the register.