Customer guidance system, customer guidance method, and program

Abstract

A customer guidance system according to the present disclosure comprises: a detecting means for detecting, from an image obtained by imaging a region in which a queue is formed, the positions of the customers lined up in the queue; a determining means for determining a projection position for projection by a projector on the basis of the positions of the lined-up customers; and a control means for controlling the projector to project, at the projection position, guidance information for the customers when lining up in the queue.

Description

Customer guidance system, customer guidance method, and recording medium

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a customer guidance system and the like.

[0002] In a store, customers often wait in a queue. For example, customers may wait in a queue at the cash register to pay for their purchases. To guide customers in the store to a queue such as a checkout area, the store may display information to customers.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an information processing system that displays an image on the floor of a store that guides customers to one of a plurality of checkout locations provided in the store.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-153152

[0005] The positions of customers waiting in a queue may vary, and the appropriate position for displaying guidance for queuing may vary depending on the positions of customers waiting in a queue.

[0006] One object of the present disclosure is to provide a customer guidance system etc. that enables guidance to customers at more appropriate locations.

[0007] A customer guidance system in one aspect of the present disclosure includes a detection means for detecting the positions of customers waiting in queue from an image captured of an area where the queue is formed, a determination means for determining a projection position by a projector based on the positions of the customers waiting in queue, and a control means for controlling the projector to project guidance information for customers as they wait in queue at the projection position.

[0008] A customer guidance method in one aspect of the present disclosure detects the positions of customers waiting in queue from an image captured of an area where a queue is formed, determines a projection position for a projector based on the positions of the customers waiting in queue, and controls the projector to project guidance information for customers as they wait in queue at the projection position.

[0009] A program according to one aspect of the present disclosure causes a computer to execute a process of detecting positions of customers waiting in queue from an image captured of an area where a queue is formed, determining a projection position for a projector based on the positions of the customers waiting in queue, and controlling the projector to project guidance information for the customers when they are waiting in queue at the projection position. The program may be stored in a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium.

[0010] One example of the effect of the present disclosure is that it enables guidance to customers at more appropriate locations.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a customer guidance system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of installation of a camera and a projector in a store. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of operation of the customer guidance system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing another example of operation of the customer guidance system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a customer guidance system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of guidance information to be projected. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of operation of the customer guidance system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a customer guidance system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of operation of the customer guidance system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer.

[0012] First Embodiment A customer guidance system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can be used to guide customers in a queue at a store's cash register. However, the application of the customer guidance system 100 is not limited to this. While the following describes an example in which multiple queues are formed in a store, the customer guidance system according to the present disclosure can also be applied to a case in which a single queue is formed in a store.

[0013] The configuration of a customer guidance system 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The customer guidance system 100 is communicably connected to one or more cameras 20 and one or more projectors 30 via a communication network, either wired or wirelessly. Note that the hardware that realizes the customer guidance system 100 may be realized by a device separate from the camera 20 and the projector 30, or the camera 20 and the projector 30 may have the functions of the customer guidance system 100.

[0014] Camera 20 is installed so as to capture an area where a queue is formed. Camera 20 captures images of customers waiting in line and customers who will soon be waiting in line. Camera 20 may also be installed so as to capture images of the area around the area where a queue is formed and capture images of customers who will soon be waiting in line. For example, camera 20 is installed near the cash register, on the ceiling or a shelf in a location in the store where customers move around.

[0015] The projector 30 is installed to project information to at least one of customers who will soon be waiting in line and customers who are already waiting in line. For example, the projector 30 is installed on the ceiling, shelves, etc. in an area of ​​the store where customers move around. For example, the projector 30 emits visible light and projects an image onto the floor, wall, shelves, etc. of the store. In the projector 30 according to the present disclosure, the projection position at which the information is projected is controlled by the customer guidance system 100. The customer guidance system 100 can change the projection position by controlling a motor that changes the orientation and position of the projector 30 itself. Furthermore, the customer guidance system 100 can change the projection position by controlling the orientation and position of mirrors and lenses provided in the projector 30.

[0016] The projector 30 is configured to project guidance information for customers as they wait in line. Customers to whom the guidance information is projected include customers who will soon be waiting in line or customers who are already waiting in line. The guidance information is information that guides such customers. In the first embodiment, a case will be described in which the projection content of the projector 30 is fixed. That is, in the first embodiment, each projector 30 projects predetermined projection content. The projection content of the projector 30 may be fixed by setting a filter with a designed projection content in front of the light source. Furthermore, the projection content of a projector 30 whose projection content is electronically variable may be fixed. When multiple projectors 30 are provided, the projection content of each projector 30 may be the same or different.

[0017] An example of guidance information for customers waiting in line will now be described. The guidance information here is, for example, text or graphics indicating the end of the queue or the location of the area where the queue will be formed. The projector 30 may be fixed to project text such as "end of the queue" or graphics such as an arrow indicating the direction of the area where the queue will be formed. Here, the direction of the area where the queue will be formed is the direction from the position where the guidance information is projected to the location of the area where the queue will be formed.

[0018] The guidance information for customers about to join the queue may include information indicating the type of queue. For example, in a store, the type of queue may be distinguished by the payment method accepted at the register, such as cash or credit card, or whether the queue is for a self-service register or a manned register operated by a store clerk. Furthermore, the guidance information projected in the store may include text or graphics indicating that the register is in operation.

[0019] An example of guidance information for customers waiting in line will be described. The guidance information here, for example, guides customers to where they should line up. The projector 30 can be configured to project guidance information that guides customers whose distance from the customer ahead is greater than a predetermined standard to move forward. The projector 30 can also be configured to project guidance information that guides customers whose distance from the customer ahead is shorter than a predetermined standard to maintain social distance.

[0020] Although examples of guidance information for customers who will soon be waiting in line and for customers already waiting in line have been described above, the projector 30 may be configured to project other guidance information. The next guidance information may be projected for either customers who will soon be waiting in line or customers already waiting in line. For example, the projector 30 may be configured to project guidance information for products displayed on shelves next to the queue. For example, guidance information including product names, product images, and product logos may be projected. The projector 30 may also be configured to project guidance information including text or graphics that guide customers to the end of another queue that is less crowded. In the first embodiment, which queue a customer is guided to from one queue is fixed.

[0021] FIG. 2 shows an example of the installation of the camera 20 and the projector 30 in a store. In the example of FIG. 2, customers form parallel queues in front of each of several cash registers. In stores, product shelves are often installed on both sides of the queue along the direction in which the queue is formed. Therefore, areas A2, A3, and A4 in which queues are formed may be provided in each area between the product shelves. When product shelves are installed along the queue, an aisle may be formed perpendicular to the queue at a location where no product shelves are installed. The entrance to the area in which the queue is formed is, for example, a location where no product shelves are installed, where the area in which the queue is formed enters from the aisle.

[0022] 2, camera 20 is installed in each area where a queue is formed so as to capture images of customers waiting in each queue. However, camera 20 may be installed so that one camera 20 captures images of customers waiting in each of multiple queues. Also, multiple cameras 20 may be installed so as to capture images of multiple areas of one queue. Which areas in the image captured by camera 20 correspond to areas A2, A3, and A4 where queues are formed is set in advance by a system administrator.

[0023] Camera 20 may further capture the area surrounding the area where the queue is formed. For example, camera 20 may capture area A1 of the passageway surrounding the area where the queue is formed and leading to the area where the queue is formed. In this case, a camera 20 different from the camera 20 capturing the areas A2, A3, and A4 where the queue is formed may be installed. Note that area A1 of the passageway may also be included in the area where the queue is formed.

[0024] In FIG. 2 , projectors 30 are installed near each of areas A2, A3, and A4 where queues are formed. A projector 30 may be installed for each area where a queue is formed. In this case, a single projector 30 may have a projection range that covers, for example, the area where the queue is formed and the entrance to the area where the queue is formed, and may change its projection position within the projection range. Multiple projectors 30 may also be installed for one queue. In this case, each projector 30 may change its projection position within its projection range. Alternatively, a single projector 30 may be installed for multiple queues. In this case, one projector 30 is installed whose projection range covers each of the floors of the multiple queues. The projector 30 may also be installed on the ceiling of area A1, which is the passageway leading to the area where the queue is formed. In FIG. 2 , a projector 30 whose projection range covers the vicinity of area A3 where the queue is formed is installed on the ceiling of area A1.

[0025] The customer information system 100 according to the first embodiment includes a detection unit 101 , a determination unit 102 , and a control unit 103 .

[0026] The detection unit 101 detects the positions of customers waiting in line from an image captured of an area where a queue is formed. In one example, the detection unit 101 detects the positions of customers waiting in line by using object detection technology on the image captured by the camera 20. For example, the detection unit 101 first detects people from the image. Then, the detection unit 101 detects customers waiting in line from the detected people. After that, the detection unit 101 detects the positions of the customers waiting in line.

[0027] The criteria for detecting customers waiting in a queue from an image are not particularly limited. For example, the detection unit 101 detects customers in an area where a queue is formed as customers waiting in line. In this case, the position where the queue is formed in the image captured by the camera 20 is preset. The detection unit 101 may acquire information on whether the cash registers are operating and detect customers in an area where a queue is formed for an operating cash register as customers waiting in line. In FIG. 2 , among the customers in areas A2, A3, and A4 where a queue is formed, there may be customers walking through the aisles or customers looking at the shelves. Therefore, the detection unit 101 may detect customers who are in the center between the shelves on both sides of the queue as customers waiting in line. The detection unit 101 may also detect customers who stay in the same place for a predetermined period of time or who move to the front of the queue after staying in the same place for a predetermined period of time as customers waiting in line. The detection unit 101 may also detect the orientation of the customer's face or body and detect customers who are facing the front of the queue as customers waiting in line. Furthermore, the detection unit 101 may use the distance between customers to detect customers detected within a predetermined distance, such as within one meter, as customers waiting in line. Customers who are a predetermined distance, such as two meters or more, from customers waiting in line may be determined to be customers not waiting in line. The distance between customers may be recognized from an image by predetermining the relationship between the number of pixels in the image and the distance. The detection unit 101 may also detect that there are no customers waiting in line when there are no customers in an area where a queue is formed or when there are no customers facing the front of the queue.

[0028] The position of a customer in line may be represented by coordinates representing a position on a store floor map. Alternatively, the position of a customer in line may be represented by the customer's location within an area where a queue is formed. The customer's location within an area may be represented by coordinates based on the position of the head of the queue or by the distance from the head of the queue. For example, the customer's location may be represented by the distance from a cash register. Alternatively, the customer's location within an area may be represented by whether the customer is at the front or back of the queue, relative to a reference position set in the area where the queue is formed. Specific examples of reference positions will be described later.

[0029] The detection unit 101 may detect the position of a customer in a queue as the position of the customer waiting in the queue. For example, the detection unit 101 may use the results of detecting each customer in a queue to count the number of customers from the front and detect their position in the queue. The detection unit 101 may also detect the distance between customers as the position of the customer in the queue. Furthermore, when the camera 20 captures images of multiple queues, the detection unit 101 may detect which queue the customer is in as detecting the position of the customer in the queue. For example, the detection unit 101 may detect which of the areas where queues are formed the customer is in based on the customer's position on the floor map. The detection unit 101 may also detect which queue the customer is in based on which queue the camera 20 capturing the image captured.

[0030] The detection unit 101 may detect the position of a specific customer among the customers waiting in the queue. For example, the detection unit 101 detects the position of the customer at the end of the queue among the customers waiting in the queue. For example, in FIG. 2, the detection unit 101 detects the positions of customers C2, C3, and C4. The detection unit 101 detects the last customer using the results of detecting each of the customers waiting in the queue. If no customer is detected behind a customer in the queue, the detection unit 101 may detect that customer as the last customer. Then, the detection unit 101 detects the position of the last customer in the area where the queue is formed, depending on the customer's position in the image. However, the detection unit 101 may detect the position of each customer in the queue, not just the position of the last customer.

[0031] The detection unit 101 may detect the positions of customers who will soon be waiting in line, in addition to the positions of customers who are currently waiting in line. For example, the detection unit 101 detects customers who will soon be waiting in line from among customers in an area where a queue is formed, detected from an image of the queue. The detection unit 101 may detect customers who are within a predetermined distance, such as within 3 meters, from the last customer in the queue as customers who will soon be waiting in line. The detection unit 101 may detect the orientation and movement of customers, and detect customers who are not facing the product shelves and customers moving toward the last customer as customers who will soon be waiting in line. The detection unit 101 then detects the positions of the detected customers.

[0032] The detection unit 101 may also detect the positions of customers who will soon be queuing up from an image captured around the area where the queue is to be formed. For example, in Fig. 2, the detection unit 101 detects the positions of customers from an image captured of an area A1 of an aisle. The detection unit 101 may detect, among customers in the area A1 of the aisle, customers who are not facing the product shelves or customers who are moving toward the area where the queue is to be formed, as customers who will soon be queuing up.

[0033] The detection unit 101 may detect customers from an image captured around the area where the queue is formed, and detect customers within a predetermined distance from the entrance to the area where the queue is formed as customers who will be waiting in line. The position of the entrance in the image is set in advance. The predetermined distance from the entrance is set as appropriate, such as within one meter. For example, in FIG. 2, the detection unit 101 detects the position of customer C1 who is at the entrance to the area where the queue is formed. It is also possible that the queue may extend beyond the entrance to the area where the queue is formed.

[0034] The detection unit 101 may detect a movement of the queue, including a change in the customers at the head or tail of the queue, or a movement of customers waiting in the queue. When the detection unit 101 detects a movement of the queue, the detection unit 101 may detect the positions of the customers again.

[0035] The determination unit 102 determines the projection position of the projector 30 based on the positions of the customers waiting in line detected by the detection unit 101. The position at which the determination unit 102 determines the projection position varies depending on the type of customers the projector 30 is configured to project information toward. The projection content of the projector 30 may be fixed so that it projects information toward customers who will soon be waiting in line. In this case, the determination unit 102 determines the projection position of the information toward customers who will soon be waiting in line. Alternatively, the projection content of the projector 30 may be fixed so that it projects information toward customers who will soon be waiting in line. In this case, the determination unit 102 determines the projection position of the information toward customers who are already waiting in line. In one example, the determination unit 102 may determine the projection positions of both the projector 30 that projects information toward customers who will soon be waiting in line and the projector 30 that projects information toward customers already waiting in line.

[0036] First, a case will be described in which the determination unit 102 determines the projection position of information for customers who will soon be waiting in line. Based on the position of the last customer detected by the detection unit 101, the determination unit 102 determines the projection position to be behind the last customer in the queue. For example, the determination unit 102 determines the projection position to be behind the last customer and in an area that is a predetermined distance from the last customer. In this case, the area that is a predetermined distance from the last customer in line is an area that is close to the last customer to the extent that customers who will soon be waiting in line can see that the projected information indicates the last position. The area that is a predetermined distance from the customer is, for example, an area within a one-meter radius from the customer's standing position, but is not limited to this. An area within a range of 50 centimeters or two meters from the customer's standing position may also be set as the area that is a predetermined distance from the customer. The determination unit 102 determines the projection position to be, for example, a one-meter radius from the customer's standing position. Guidance information indicating the position of the end of the queue is projected in an area at a predetermined distance from the last customer in line, so that customers who are about to join the queue can know the position of the end of the queue and join the queue.

[0037] When determining the projection position of information for customers who will soon be queuing up, the determination unit 102 may determine the projection position depending on whether the last customer in the queue is located before or after a predetermined reference position. For example, the reference position is set to a position that is difficult for customers who will soon be queuing up to see. In this case, if the last customer is located in front of the predetermined reference position in the area where the queue is formed, the determination unit 102 determines the projection position to be at the entrance to the area where the queue is formed. If the last customer is located behind the reference position in the queue, the determination unit 102 may determine the projection position to be in an area a predetermined distance from the last customer. A specific example is described below.

[0038] For example, in FIG. 2 , the projection position of the projector 30 is variable along the direction of the queue. Assume that customer C3, who is at the end of the queue, is further forward in the queue than a preset reference position, and customer C4 is further back than the reference position. Because customer C3's queue is short, it is difficult for customer C1 to see the status of the queue, which is hidden by the shelves. Even if information is projected at customer C3's feet, the projected information is hidden by the shelves, making it difficult for customer C1 to see. The determination unit 102 determines the projection position on the floor at the entrance to the area where customer C3's queue is formed, allowing customer C1 to see the projected information. Because customer C4's queue is long, customer C1 can also see customer C4, who is at the end of the queue. The determination unit 102 determines the projection position at customer C4's feet, allowing customer C1 to see the projected information. For example, by projecting information at the entrance to the area where a queue is forming, indicating the direction of the queue and whether the cash registers are open, customers who are about to line up can know where to line up without having to check the actual queue.

[0039] When determining the projection position of information for customers who will soon be queuing up, the determination unit 102 may determine the projection position in response to the detection unit 101 detecting customers who will soon be queuing up. Furthermore, the determination unit 102 may determine the projection position not only using the positions of customers already in line, but also using the positions of customers who will soon be queuing up, detected by the detection unit 101. For example, the determination unit 102 determines the projection position at a position that does not overlap with the standing positions of customers who will soon be queuing up. Furthermore, the determination unit 102 may determine the projection position on the floor in front of the customers who will soon be queuing up, using the orientation of the customers detected by the detection unit 101.

[0040] If the detection unit 101 detects that there are no customers waiting in line, the determination unit 102 may determine the entrance of an area where a queue is formed as the projection position. At this time, for example, the determination unit 102 determines the projection position using information on whether or not a cash register is operating. The determination unit 102 may determine the projection position to be the entrance of an area where a queue is formed for an operating cash register.

[0041] Next, a case will be described in which the determination unit 102 determines the projection position of information directed to a customer waiting in line. For example, the determination unit 102 determines the projection position of information directed to a specific customer in an area a predetermined distance from the specific customer based on the customer's location. In this case, the area a predetermined distance from the specific customer is an area close enough to the specific customer that it is clear that the projected information is directed to the specific customer. The determination unit 102 may determine the projection position in an area at the front of the queue within the area a predetermined distance from the specific customer. For example, the determination unit 102 determines the projection position in a semicircular area with a radius of 1 meter at the front of the queue, centered on the location of the specific customer. This allows customers facing the front of the queue to easily see the content projected by the projector 30. Alternatively, the determination unit 102 may determine the projection position in an area in front of the customer within the predetermined range from the customer, using the customer's orientation detected by the detection unit 101.

[0042] When determining the projection position of information for specific customers waiting in a queue, the determination unit 102 may determine a projection position for each customer in the queue. That is, each customer in the queue is treated as a specific customer. In this case, the detection unit 101 detects the position of each customer. Then, each customer is a target for determining a projection position, and a location near each customer is determined as a projection position. Alternatively, the determination unit 102 may determine projection positions for some of the customers in the queue. That is, some of the customers in the queue are treated as specific customers. For example, the customer at the end of the queue is treated as a specific customer. It is assumed that the number of projection positions that one projector 30 can project at one time is limited, and the number of projectors 30 is limited. Therefore, the determination unit 102 may determine projection positions for a predetermined number of customers. For example, a predetermined number of customers at the back of the queue are treated as specific customers. The determination unit 102 may exclude one or more predetermined number of customers from the front of the queue from targets for determining a projection position. That is, when the detection unit 101 detects that a customer has moved to the front of the queue, the determination unit 102 excludes that customer from the targets for determining the projection position. The determination unit 102 may also select a target customer for determining the projection position based on the distance between multiple customers waiting in queue. For example, when the distance between customers is greater than or less than a predetermined standard, the determination unit 102 determines the projection position to be a predetermined distance from the customer behind. Here, the predetermined standard is, for example, a standard representing the appropriateness of the customer's queuing position. When the customer's queuing position is inappropriate, the determination unit 102 determines the projection position to be near the customer.

[0043] Next, a case will be described in which the determination unit 102 determines the projection position of information that can be projected toward both customers who will soon be queuing up and customers already in the queue. When determining the projection position of guidance information guiding customers to another queue, the determination unit 102 may determine the projection position by comparing the position of the customer in the original queue with the position of the customer at the end of the destination queue. The positions of the customers to be compared include the distance from the front of the queue and the number of customers in the queue. When the position in the original queue is behind the end of the destination queue, the determination unit 102 may determine the projection position in an area a predetermined distance from the customers in the original queue. For example, when information guiding customers who will soon be queuing up is to be projected, the determination unit 102 determines the projection position to be behind the customer at the end of the original queue. Furthermore, when information guiding a specific customer already in the queue is to be projected, the determination unit 102 determines the projection position to be near the specific customer. This allows customers who intend to join a longer queue or customers already in a long queue to move to another queue. Customers who want to join a shorter queue or who are already waiting in line can simply join the other queue without checking the information.

[0044] The above describes an example in which the determination unit 102 determines the projection position of the projector 30 based on the position of a customer waiting in line. When the detection unit 101 detects that a customer in a queue has moved forward, the determination unit 102 determines the projection position based on the customer's position. When multiple projectors 30 are installed in a store, the determination unit 102 determines which projector 30 to determine the projection position for based on the customer's position. The determination unit 102 determines the projection position of the projector 30, with the projection range being the area where the detected queue is formed, using the result of detection by the detection unit 101 as to which of multiple queues the customer is waiting in. The determination unit 102 may determine multiple projection positions for a single projector 30. In this case, a single projector 30 may be capable of simultaneously projecting information at multiple projection positions. Alternatively, the projector 30 may be capable of switching the projection position every few seconds under the control of the control unit 103, which will be described later. In this manner, information is projected at each of the multiple projection positions.

[0045] The control unit 103 controls the projector 30 to project guidance information for customers when they are waiting in line at the projection position determined by the determination unit 102. The control unit 103 may stop the projection of the guidance information by the projector 30 after a predetermined time has elapsed since the projection of the guidance information. Alternatively, the control unit 103 may stop the projection when the detection unit 101 detects that the customer has moved to the front of the queue.

[0046] An example of the operation of the customer guidance system 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 3 . First, in step S11, the detection unit 101 detects the positions of customers waiting in line from an image captured of the area where the queue is formed. In step S12, the determination unit 102 determines a projection position for the projector 30 based on the positions of the customers detected by the detection unit 101. In step S13, the control unit 103 controls the projector 30 to project guidance information for customers when they are waiting in line at the projection position determined by the determination unit 102. This completes the operation of the customer guidance system 100 shown in FIG. 3 .

[0047] A more detailed example of the operation of the customer guidance system 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 shows an example of the operation of the customer guidance system 100 in a case where the projector 30 is configured to project guidance information to customers who are about to line up in a queue.

[0048] In step S111, the detection unit 101 detects the position of the customer at the end of the queue from an image captured of the area where the queue is formed. In step S121, the determination unit 102 determines whether the position of the last customer is behind a predetermined reference position in the queue. If the position of the last customer is behind the reference position (step S121: Yes), in step S122, the determination unit 102 determines a projection position near the last customer. If the position of the last customer is ahead of the predetermined reference position in the queue (step S121: No), in step S123, the determination unit 102 determines a projection position at the entrance to the area where the queue is formed. In step S131, the control unit 103 projects guidance information at the determined projection position. After step S131, the control unit 103 may stop projection by the projector 30 if a customer detected as a customer who will soon be queuing is detected as a customer at the end of the queue. With the above, the customer information system 100 completes the operation shown in FIG.

[0049] According to the customer guidance system 100 of the first embodiment, the determination unit 102 determines the projection position of the guidance information by the projector 30 based on the positions of the customers waiting in line. Then, the control unit 103 projects the guidance information at the determined projection position. Therefore, the projector 30 can project the guidance information at an appropriate position. Therefore, the customer guidance system 100 can guide customers at a more appropriate position.

[0050] [Second Embodiment] An example of the configuration of a customer guidance system 200 according to a second embodiment will be described using Figure 5. With regard to the configuration of the customer guidance system 200, a description of the same configuration as the configuration of the customer guidance system 100 according to the first embodiment will be omitted. The customer guidance system 200 according to the second embodiment controls the information projected by the projector 30 in addition to the position at which the projector 30 projects information. In the second embodiment, the projection content of the projector 30 is variable.

[0051] The customer guidance system 200 differs from the customer guidance system 100 according to the first embodiment in that it includes a determination unit 104. The customer guidance system 200 can be communicably connected to a guidance information storage unit 40 via a network. The guidance information storage unit 40 stores, for example, the guidance information exemplified in the first embodiment. The guidance information storage unit 40 may further store guidance information such as the following examples. The guidance information storage unit 40 may be realized by a storage unit included in hardware that realizes the customer guidance system 200.

[0052] The determination unit 104 determines the guidance information to be projected according to the customer's position detected by the detection unit 101. The determination unit 104 determines the guidance information to be projected by the projector 30 for which the determination unit 102 has determined the projection position. For example, the determination unit 104 acquires the guidance information to be projected from the guidance information storage unit 40. Then, the control unit 103 controls the projector 30 to project the guidance information acquired by the determination unit 104 at the projection position determined by the determination unit 102.

[0053] First, an example will be described in which the determination unit 104 determines guidance information for customers who will soon be waiting in line. The determination unit 104 may determine the guidance information to be projected depending on the position of the last customer. For example, the determination unit 104 compares the area in which the queue is formed with a predetermined reference position and determines to project different guidance information depending on whether the last customer is in front of or behind the queue.

[0054] When the predetermined reference position for differentiating the guidance information is a reference representing the length of the queue, the determination unit 104 may determine to project different guidance information related to the length of the queue. As a specific example, when the position of the last customer is behind the reference position, the determination unit 104 determines to project guidance information indicating that the queue is crowded. When the position of the last customer is ahead of the reference position, the determination unit 104 determines to project guidance information indicating that the queue is empty.

[0055] Alternatively, if the predetermined reference position for different guidance information is a position that is difficult to see from customers who will soon be queuing up, the determination unit 104 may determine to project different guidance information to guide customers to the queue. That is, if the position of the last customer is behind the reference position, the determination unit 104 may acquire guidance information indicating the end of the queue. Then, if the position of the last customer is ahead of the reference position, the determination unit 104 may determine to project guidance information indicating the direction of the area where the queue will be formed. Regarding the guidance information determined in this manner, if the position of the last customer is behind the reference position, the determination unit 102 may be configured to determine the projection position of the guidance information indicating the end of the queue to be near the last customer. Then, if the position of the last customer is ahead of the reference position, the determination unit 102 may be configured to determine the projection position of the guidance information indicating the direction of the area where the queue will be formed to be the entrance to the area where the queue will be formed. This allows the customer guidance system 200 to switch the guidance information to be projected so as to more appropriately guide customers even when the queue is short and it is difficult to check the status of the queue.

[0056] Alternatively, the predetermined reference position for differentiating the guidance information may be the end position of another queue. The determination unit 104 may compare the original queue closest to the customer who will soon be queuing with the other queue and determine to project guidance information instructing the customer to move to a shorter queue. For example, the determination unit 104 may compare the end position of the customer in the original queue with the end positions of the customers at the end of each of multiple other queues to determine the shorter queue. When the determination unit 102 determines the vicinity of the customer at the end of the queue as the projection position, such guidance information is acquired to guide the customer who will soon be queuing. Here, the determination unit 104 may determine to project guidance information instructing the customer to move from the longer original queue to another queue within a predetermined range. A queue within a predetermined range from the original queue is, for example, a queue within a predetermined range in terms of the number of lanes or distance from the original queue. For example, the determination unit 104 may acquire guidance information instructing the customer to move to a queue on either the left or right side of the original queue. When the determining unit 104 acquires such guidance information, customers who are about to join a queue are guided to another queue that is closer to the customer.

[0057] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of guidance information for customer C1, who is about to join the queue. Assume that customer C3 is ahead of the queue relative to a preset reference position, and customer C4 is behind the reference position. The determination unit 104 acquires guidance information indicating that the queue is empty based on the position of customer C3. The control unit 103 then projects the guidance information at the entrance to the area where customer C3 is waiting, which is the projection position determined by the determination unit 102. The determination unit 104 acquires guidance information based on the positions of customers C2, C3, and C4, instructing customer C4 to move to a shorter queue to the right of customer C4's queue. The control unit 103 then projects the guidance information at the feet of customer C4, which is the projection position determined by the determination unit 102.

[0058] Next, an example of guidance information acquired by the determination unit 104 and directed to customers waiting in a queue will be described. The determination unit 104 may determine, based on the position of the specific customer waiting in the queue and the position of the customer at the end of the other queue, to project guidance information instructing the specific customer to move to another queue that is shorter than the one in which the specific customer is currently waiting. If the specific customer's current position in the queue is further back than the end of the other, shorter queue, the determination unit 104 acquires guidance information instructing the specific customer to move to the other queue. In this case, the determination unit 102 may determine the projection position in an area that is a predetermined distance from the specific customer who is waiting in the longer queue and is further back than the end of the other, shorter queue. When the determination unit 102 determines the projection position in an area that is a predetermined distance from the specific customer waiting in queue, the acquisition of such guidance information allows customers already waiting in queue to be guided to the other queue.

[0059] The determination unit 104 may determine to project guidance information guiding products displayed next to the queue in which customers are waiting. When the products displayed next to the queue differ for each area in which a queue is formed, the guidance information storage unit 40 stores guidance information guiding products displayed next to the queue for each area in which a queue is formed. The determination unit 104 acquires guidance information guiding products from the guidance information storage unit 40 depending on which queue a specific customer is in. When the determination unit 102 determines a projection position in an area a predetermined distance from the specific customer in queue, acquiring such guidance information increases the likelihood that the specific customer in queue will take additional products from the shelf. The guidance information storage unit 40 may store guidance information guiding products displayed at each position in the area in which a queue is formed. The determination unit 104 may acquire guidance information guiding products displayed next to the specific customer's position in the area in which a queue is formed, or guidance information for products displayed ahead of the specific customer's position in the queue, depending on the position in the area in which a queue is formed. This increases the likelihood that customers will grab items from the shelves as they move forward in line.

[0060] The determination unit 104 may determine to project guidance information introducing a product when the position of a specific customer is further back in the queue than a predetermined reference position. Here, the predetermined reference position is a position where the customer feels that the waiting time is long. By projecting guidance information introducing a product to a specific customer who is behind the reference position, the customer can spend their waiting time considering whether to purchase the product. Furthermore, by projecting guidance information guiding the customer to another queue to a specific customer who is behind the reference position, the customer can move to another shorter queue.

[0061] An example of the operation of the customer guidance system 200 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7 . First, in step S21, the detection unit 101 detects the positions of customers waiting in line from an image captured of the area where the queue is formed. In step S22, the determination unit 102 determines the projection position of the projector 30 based on the customer positions detected by the detection unit 101. In step S23, the determination unit 104 determines the guidance information to be projected based on the customer positions detected by the detection unit 101. Note that step S23 may be executed before step S22 or in parallel with step S22. In step S24, the control unit 103 controls the projector 30 to project the guidance information determined by the determination unit 104 at the projection position determined by the determination unit 102. After step S24, the control unit 103 may stop the projection of the guidance information by the projector 30 after a predetermined time has elapsed. This completes the operation of the customer guidance system 200 shown in FIG. 7 .

[0062] The customer guidance system 200 according to the second embodiment, like the first embodiment, allows for more appropriate guidance to customers. Furthermore, the determination unit 104 determines the guidance information to be projected based on the positions of the customers waiting in line. Therefore, the projector 30 can project appropriate guidance information. Therefore, the customer guidance system 200 can more appropriately guide customers.

[0063] In the second embodiment, the determination unit 104 determines the guidance information to be projected based on the location of the customer detected by the detection unit 101. The determination unit 104 may also determine the guidance information to be projected based on the length of the waiting time of the customer in the queue. For example, the determination unit 104 acquires guidance information indicating the length of the predicted waiting time, such as five minutes. Furthermore, if the predicted waiting time exceeds a predetermined threshold, the determination unit 104 acquires guidance information indicating that the queue is crowded. Furthermore, the determination unit 104 may compare the predicted waiting times of multiple queues and acquire guidance information instructing the customer to move to a less crowded queue. In this case, the customer guidance system 200 may include a queue analysis unit that analyzes the length of the waiting time. The queue analysis unit may analyze the waiting time based on the location of the customer detected by the detection unit 101. The queue analysis unit may analyze the waiting time by taking into account the processing speed of each queue. Furthermore, the queue analysis unit may analyze the waiting time by taking into account the number of items each customer purchases, which is analyzed from the image. The determining unit 104 may refer to the customer's position detected by the detecting unit 101 as necessary when determining the guidance information according to the length of the waiting time.

[0064] Third Embodiment The configuration of a customer guidance system 300 according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 8 . The configuration of the customer guidance system 300 will not be described for parts that are similar to the configurations of the customer guidance systems 100 and 200 according to the first and second embodiments. The customer guidance system 300 controls the projection position of guidance information projected to customers waiting in line based on the position of the customer in the queue. The customer guidance system 300 also analyzes the customers and controls at least one of the projection position or projection content by the projector 30 according to the analysis results. In the third embodiment, the projection content by the projector may be fixed or variable.

[0065] The customer guidance system 300 differs from the customer guidance systems 100 and 200 according to the first and second embodiments in that it includes a customer analysis unit 105. The customer guidance system 300 may include a determination unit 104 as needed. The customer guidance system 200 may be communicably connected to a guidance information storage unit 40 and a customer information storage unit 50 via a network. However, the guidance information storage unit 40 and the customer information storage unit 50 may each be provided as needed. The guidance information storage unit 40 and the customer information storage unit 50 may be realized by storage units included in the hardware that realizes the customer guidance system 300.

[0066] The guidance information storage unit 40 according to the third embodiment may store the same guidance information as the guidance information storage unit 40 according to the second embodiment. Furthermore, the guidance information storage unit 40 according to the third embodiment may store correspondence between customer attributes and products to be guided to. Customer attributes include, for example, the gender or age of the customer. Furthermore, the guidance information storage unit 40 may store correspondence between customers who have purchased certain products and products to be guided to. Products that are likely to be purchased by customers according to the customer attributes or purchased products may be automatically or manually registered in the guidance information storage unit 40 in correspondence with products to be guided to the attributes or purchased products.

[0067] The customer information storage unit 50 stores customer information for each customer. For example, the customer information storage unit 50 stores information about the customer's attributes, the customer's purchase history when the customer visited the store in the past, or information about the customer's behavior while waiting in line at the store, in association with a customer identifier that identifies the customer. Information about the customer's behavior while waiting in line at the store includes, for example, a history of whether the customer moved between queues. The customer information storage unit 50 may also store biometric information that identifies the customer, such as the customer's facial features.

[0068] The customer analysis unit 105 analyzes customers waiting in queue. For example, the customer analysis unit 105 may analyze customer analysis information, including customer attributes, waiting behavior, and types of purchased items, from images of customers waiting in queue. A customer's waiting behavior includes the customer's facial expression or behavior while waiting in queue. For example, by analyzing facial expressions, the customer may be analyzed as being irritated or calm. Furthermore, by analyzing customer behavior, waiting behavior indicating irritation may be analyzed, including a customer repeatedly moving sideways while waiting in queue or peering toward the front of the queue. Customer behavior with a smaller range of movement than a standard may be analyzed as waiting behavior indicating calm. The customer analysis unit 105 may analyze, as waiting behavior, whether a customer who saw the projected guidance information moved to another queue. The types of purchased items analyzed by a customer may be, for example, the types of items in the shopping cart of a customer waiting in queue.

[0069] In analyzing customers, the customer analysis unit 105 may identify customers waiting in a queue. The customer analysis unit 105 may identify customers by recognizing customer features from an image captured of an area where a queue is formed and comparing the features with features pre-registered in the customer information storage unit 50. For example, the customer analysis unit 105 may identify customers by comparing pre-registered customer facial features with facial features of customers waiting in a queue obtained from an image. Furthermore, when a barcode or the like indicating a customer identifier is read at a store entrance or the like, the customer analysis unit 105 may identify customers by tracking the movement of the customer who presented the barcode. For example, the customer analysis unit 105 tracks customers who move around the store after entering the store using images until they join a queue. The customer analysis unit 105 may acquire information about the customer stored in the customer information storage unit 50 using the results of customer identification. Furthermore, when the customer analysis unit 105 identifies customers, various analysis results may be stored in the customer information storage unit 50.

[0070] In one example, the determination unit 102 determines the projection position of the projector 30 based on the analysis results of current or past customers by the customer analysis unit 105. That is, the determination unit 102 determines the projection position based on both the customer's location and their waiting-in-queue behavior. For example, the determination unit 102 determines the projection position at a predetermined distance from a customer who exhibited a predetermined behavior during their past or current visit to the store. The predetermined distance from the customer is a distance close enough to the customer that it is clear that the projected guidance information is intended for the customer who exhibited the predetermined behavior. The predetermined behavior includes waiting-in-queue behavior indicating irritation, behavior indicating calmness, or behavior of moving between queues.

[0071] For example, when the projection content is fixed, the projector 30 may be provided to project guidance information to an irritated customer instructing them to move to another queue. In this case, the determination unit 102 determines the projection position at a predetermined distance from a customer who exhibits queuing behavior indicating irritation. This allows the customer guidance system 300 to move an irritated customer or a customer who may become irritated to another queue. Also, for example, the projector 30 may be provided to project guidance information to calm customers that introduces products. In this case, the determination unit 102 determines the projection position at a predetermined distance from a customer who exhibits behavior indicating calm. This allows the customer guidance system 300 to keep calm customers in the queue. Note that the projector 30 may be provided to project guidance information to an irritated customer that introduces products.

[0072] When a customer who previously moved to another queue comes back to the store, the determination unit 102 may determine the projection position to be in an area a predetermined distance from the customer. Guidance information guiding the customer to move to another queue may be projected to the customer who moved to another queue. Furthermore, the determination unit 102 may determine the projection position to be in an area a predetermined distance from a customer who did not move to another queue. Guidance information guiding the customer to a product may be projected to the customer who did not move to another queue.

[0073] In another example, the determination unit 102 may not use the analysis results of customers, including the analysis results of waiting behavior, in determining the projection position. That is, the determination unit 102 may determine the projection position in the same manner as in the first or second embodiment.

[0074] In the third embodiment, the determination unit 104 determines the guidance information to be projected based on the analysis results of the current or past customer. For example, the determination unit 104 acquires guidance information that provides product guidance according to the customer's attributes from the guidance information storage unit 40. The determination unit 104 may also acquire product guidance information according to the customer's purchase history or the products purchased in the current shopping trip.

[0075] The determination unit 104 may determine the guidance information to be projected based on the customer's waiting behavior. For example, for a customer who exhibits waiting behavior that indicates irritation, guidance information guiding the customer to move to another queue may be acquired. Furthermore, the determination unit 104 may acquire guidance information that provides product information for a customer who exhibits waiting behavior that indicates calmness. Furthermore, the determination unit 104 may acquire guidance information that provides product information for a customer who exhibits waiting behavior that indicates irritation.

[0076] In the third embodiment, the determination unit 104 does not have to be used to determine the guidance information that projects the analysis result of the customer, including the analysis result of the waiting behavior of the customer. That is, the determination unit 104 may determine the guidance information in the same manner as in the second embodiment.

[0077] An example of the operation of the customer guidance system 300 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 9 . First, in step S31, the detection unit 101 detects the positions of customers waiting in line from an image captured of an area where a queue is formed. In step S32, the customer analysis unit 105 analyzes the customers waiting in line. For example, in step S32, the customer analysis unit 105 analyzes the waiting behavior of customers. Step S32 may be executed in parallel with step S31.

[0078] In step S33, the determination unit 102 determines a projection position for the projector 30 based on the detected customer's location and the analyzed waiting behavior. In step S34, the determination unit 104 determines the guidance information to be projected based on the customer analysis results. Note that step S34 may be executed before step S33 or in parallel with step S33. In step S35, the control unit 103 controls the projector 30 to project the guidance information acquired by the determination unit 104 at the projection position determined by the determination unit 102. After step S35, the control unit 103 may stop the projection of the guidance information by the projector 30 after a predetermined time has elapsed. With this, the customer guidance system 300 ends the operation of FIG. 9.

[0079] According to the third embodiment, similar to the first and second embodiments, it is possible to guide customers at a more appropriate location. Furthermore, the determination unit 104 determines the guidance information to be projected based on the customer's waiting behavior. Therefore, the projector 30 can project guidance information that suits the customer's condition. Furthermore, the determination unit 102 determines the projection position near a customer who exhibits a predetermined waiting behavior. Therefore, the customer guidance system 300 can project information to customers who require guidance.

[0080] Other Application Examples The customer guidance system according to each embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied not only to guiding customers waiting in line at store cash registers, but also to guiding customers waiting in line at fitting rooms.

[0081] Furthermore, the customer guidance system according to each embodiment of the present disclosure may also be applied to guiding customers waiting in line at an airport security checkpoint. For example, the customer analysis unit 105 of the customer guidance system 300 may analyze the customer's clothing and determine whether the customer is wearing clothing that needs to be removed for security. The determination unit 102 determines a projection position in an area a predetermined distance from the customer wearing clothing that needs to be removed. The determination unit 104 determines to project guidance information instructing the customer to remove clothing that needs to be removed, and acquires the guidance information from the guidance information storage unit 40. For example, the determination unit 104 acquires guidance information instructing the customer to remove their coat or shoes.

[0082] The customer analysis unit 105 of the customer guidance system 300 may also analyze the size of luggage of customers waiting in line at the security checkpoint from the image. The determination unit 102 determines a projection position in an area a predetermined distance from a customer carrying luggage larger than a predetermined standard. Examples of luggage larger than the predetermined standard include luggage excluding the customer's personal belongings, and are carry-on luggage for which the number of items allowed onto an aircraft is restricted. The projector 30 may project guidance information regarding the carrying of luggage as guidance information. The determination unit 104 may acquire guidance information that differs depending on the size of the customer's luggage. For example, the determination unit 104 acquires guidance information indicating a fee required for the customer to carry on luggage. The determination unit 104 may further acquire guidance information regarding the carrying of luggage depending on the number of pieces of luggage the customer has. The determination unit 104 may acquire guidance information indicating that the carrying of the second and subsequent pieces of luggage is restricted.

[0083] [Hardware Configuration] In each of the above-described embodiments, each component of the customer guidance systems 100, 200, and 300 represents a functional block. Some or all of the components of the customer guidance systems 100, 200, and 300 may be realized by any combination of a computer 500 and a program.

[0084] Fig. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer 500. Referring to Fig. 10, 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 output device 510, an input / output interface 511, and a bus 512.

[0085] 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.

[0086] The program 504 includes instructions for implementing each function of the customer information systems 100, 200, and 300. The program 504 is stored in advance in the ROM 502, RAM 503, and storage device 505. The processor 501 executes the instructions included in the program 504 to implement each function of the customer information systems 100, 200, and 300. The RAM 503 may also store data to be processed in each function of the customer information systems 100, 200, and 300.

[0087] 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.

[0088] It should be noted that the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 10 is an example, and other components may be added, or some components may not be included.

[0089] There are various variations in the method of realizing the customer information systems 100, 200, and 300. For example, the customer information systems 100, 200, and 300 may be realized by any combination of different computers and programs for each component. Furthermore, multiple components included in the customer information systems 100, 200, and 300 may be realized by any combination of a single computer and program.

[0090] Furthermore, at least a part of the customer information systems 100, 200, and 300 may be provided in a software as a service (SaaS) format. That is, at least a part of the functions for realizing the customer information systems 100, 200, and 300 may be executed by software that is executed via a network.

[0091] 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.

[0092] Some or all of the above embodiments may be described as, but are not limited to, the following supplementary notes.

[0093] [Supplementary Note 1] A customer guidance system comprising: a detection means for detecting the positions of customers waiting in queue from an image taken of an area where a queue is formed; a determination means for determining a projection position by a projector based on the positions of the customers waiting in queue; and a control means for controlling the projector to project guidance information for customers when they are waiting in queue at the projection position.

[0094] [Supplementary Note 2] The customer guidance system according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein the detection means detects the position of the customer standing at the end of the queue, and the determination means determines the projection position to be further back in the queue than the position of the last customer.

[0095] [Appendix 3] The customer guidance system described in Appendix 2, wherein the determination means determines the projection position to be an area a predetermined distance from the last customer when the last customer is behind a predetermined reference position, and determines the projection position to be the entrance to an area where a waiting line is formed when the last customer is ahead of the predetermined reference position.

[0096] [Supplementary Note 4] The customer guidance system described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3 further comprises a determination means for determining the guidance information to be projected depending on the position of the customer, and the control means controls the projector to project the determined guidance information.

[0097] [Supplementary Note 5] The customer guidance system described in Supplementary Note 4, wherein the detection means detects the positions of the customers waiting in each of a plurality of queues; the determination means determines the projection position to be in an area at a predetermined distance from one of the customers waiting in a longer queue who is waiting further back than the end of another shorter queue; and the determination means determines to project the guidance information guiding the customer to move to the other queue.

[0098] [Supplementary Note 6] The customer guidance system described in Supplementary Note 4 or 5, wherein the detection means detects in which of a plurality of queues one of the customers is waiting, the determination means determines the projection position to be in an area at a predetermined distance from the one customer, and the judgment means determines that the guidance information that guides customers to products displayed next to the queue in which the one customer is waiting should be projected.

[0099] [Supplementary Note 7] The customer guidance system according to any one of Supplementary Notes 4 to 6, further comprising a customer analysis means for analyzing the waiting behavior of the customers waiting in queue, wherein the determination means determines the projection position to be in an area at a predetermined distance from the customers who have exhibited a predetermined behavior based on the waiting behavior of the customers.

[0100] [Supplementary Note 8] The customer guidance system described in any one of Supplementary Notes 4 to 7, further comprising a customer analysis means for analyzing the waiting behavior of the customers waiting in queue, wherein the determination means determines the guidance information to be projected onto one of the customers according to the waiting behavior of the one of the customers.

[0101] [Supplementary Note 9] A customer guidance method comprising: detecting the positions of customers waiting in queue from an image captured of an area where a queue is formed; determining a projection position for a projector based on the positions of the customers waiting in queue; and controlling the projector to project guidance information for the customers when they are waiting in queue at the projection position.

[0102] [Supplementary Note 10] The customer guidance method according to Supplementary Note 9, further comprising: detecting a position of the customer standing at the end of a queue; and determining the projection position to be behind the position of the customer at the end of the queue.

[0103] [Supplementary Note 11] The customer guidance method described in Supplementary Note 10, wherein if the last customer is behind a predetermined reference position, the projection position is determined to be an area a predetermined distance from the last customer, and if the last customer is ahead of the predetermined reference position, the projection position is determined to be the entrance to an area where a waiting queue is formed.

[0104] [Supplementary Note 12] The customer guidance method according to any one of Supplementary Notes 9 to 11, further comprising: determining the guidance information to be projected according to a position of the customer; and controlling the projector to project the determined guidance information.

[0105] [Supplementary Note 13] The customer guidance method described in Supplementary Note 12, which includes detecting the positions of the customers waiting in each of a plurality of queues, determining the projection position in an area at a predetermined distance from one of the customers waiting in a longer queue who is waiting further back than the end of another shorter queue, and determining to project the guidance information guiding the customer to move to the other queue.

[0106] [Supplementary Note 14] A customer guidance method according to Supplementary Note 12 or 13, which includes detecting which of a plurality of queues a single customer is waiting in, determining the projection position to be in an area at a predetermined distance from the single customer, and determining to project the guidance information that guides customers to products displayed next to the queue in which the single customer is waiting.

[0107] [Supplementary Note 15] The customer guidance method according to any one of Supplementary Notes 12 to 14, further comprising: analyzing the queueing behavior of the customers waiting in a queue; and determining the projection position in an area at a predetermined distance from the customers who have exhibited a predetermined behavior based on the queueing behavior of the customers.

[0108] [Supplementary Note 16] The customer guidance method according to any one of Supplementary Notes 12 to 15, further comprising: analyzing the waiting behavior of the customers waiting in a queue; and determining the guidance information to be projected to one of the customers according to the waiting behavior of the one of the customers.

[0109] [Supplementary Note 17] A program that causes a computer to execute the following processes: detect the positions of customers waiting in line from an image captured of an area where a queue is formed; determine a projection position by a projector based on the positions of the customers waiting in line; and control the projector to project guidance information for customers when they are waiting in line at the projection position.

[0110] [Supplementary Note 18] The program according to Supplementary Note 17, further comprising: detecting a position of the customer standing at the end of a queue; and determining the projection position behind the position of the customer at the end of the queue.

[0111] [Appendix 19] The program described in Appendix 18, wherein if the last customer is behind a predetermined reference position, the projection position is determined to be an area a predetermined distance from the last customer, and if the last customer is ahead of the predetermined reference position, the projection position is determined to be the entrance to an area where a waiting line is formed.

[0112] [Supplementary Note 20] The program according to any one of Supplementary Notes 17 to 19, further comprising: determining the guidance information to be projected according to a position of the customer; and controlling the projector to project the determined guidance information.

[0113] [Supplementary Note 21] The program described in Supplementary Note 20, which detects the positions of the customers waiting in each of a plurality of queues, determines the projection position in an area at a predetermined distance from one of the customers waiting in a longer queue who is waiting further back than the end of another shorter queue, and determines to project the guidance information guiding the customer to move to the other queue.

[0114] [Supplementary Note 22] The program described in Supplementary Note 20 or 21, which detects which of a plurality of queues a single customer is waiting in, determines the projection position to be in an area at a predetermined distance from the single customer, and determines to project the guidance information that guides customers to products displayed next to the queue in which the single customer is waiting.

[0115] [Supplementary Note 23] The program according to any one of Supplementary Notes 20 to 22, further comprising: analyzing the queueing behavior of the customers waiting in a queue; and determining the projection position in an area at a predetermined distance from the customers who have exhibited a predetermined behavior based on the queueing behavior of the customers.

[0116] [Supplementary Note 24] The program according to any one of Supplementary Notes 20 to 23, further comprising: analyzing the waiting behavior of the customers waiting in line; and determining the guidance information to be projected to one of the customers according to the waiting behavior of the one of the customers.

[0117] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-190763, filed November 8, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

[0118] 100, 200, 300 Customer guidance system 101 Detection unit 102 Determination unit 103 Control unit 104 Determination unit 105 Customer analysis unit 20 Camera 30 Projector 40 Guidance information storage unit 50 Customer information storage unit

Claims

1. A detection means for detecting the position of customers waiting in line from an image taken of an area where a queue is formed, A determination means for determining the projection position of the projector based on the positions of the customers lined up, Control means for controlling the projector to project guidance information for customers queuing at the projection position. A customer guidance system equipped with the following features.

2. The detection means detects the position of the customer who is standing at the end of the queue, The determination means determines the projection position to be behind the position of the last customer in the queue. The customer guidance system according to claim 1.

3. The determination means determines the projection position to be in an area at a predetermined distance from the last customer if the last customer is behind a predetermined reference position, and determines the projection position to be at the entrance of the area where the queue is formed if the last customer is in front of a predetermined reference position. The customer guidance system according to claim 2.

4. The system further includes a determination means for determining the guidance information to be projected according to the customer's location, The control means controls the projector to project the determined guidance information. The customer guidance system according to claim 1.

5. The detection means detects the location of each of the multiple queues, The determination means determines the projection position in a region at a predetermined distance from a customer who is positioned further back in a longer queue compared to the end of another shorter queue. The determination means determines that it will project the guidance information that directs the user to move to the other queue. The customer guidance system according to claim 4.

6. The detection means detects which of the multiple queues a single customer is in, The determination means determines the projection position in an area at a predetermined distance from the one customer, The determination means determines whether to project the guidance information that directs customers to products displayed next to the queue where the first customer is waiting. The customer guidance system according to claim 4.

7. The system further includes a customer analysis means for analyzing the waiting behavior of the aforementioned customers who are standing in line, The determination means determines the projection position in an area at a predetermined distance from the customer who has performed the predetermined action, based on the customer's waiting behavior in line. A customer guidance system according to any one of claims 4 to 6.

8. The system further includes a customer analysis means for analyzing the waiting behavior of the aforementioned customers who are standing in line, The determination means determines the guidance information projected to one customer in accordance with the waiting behavior of that customer. A customer guidance system according to any one of claims 4 to 6.

9. By detecting the positions of customers waiting in line from images taken of the area where a queue is formed, Based on the positions of the customers lined up, the projection position of the projector is determined. The projector is controlled to project guidance information for customers queuing at the projection location. Customer guidance methods.

10. By detecting the positions of customers waiting in line from images taken of the area where a queue is formed, Based on the positions of the customers lined up, the projection position of the projector is determined. The projector is controlled to project guidance information for customers queuing at the projection location. A program that instructs a computer to perform a process.