Display control device, display control method, and recording medium

Abstract

A display control device according to the present invention is provided with: an estimation means for estimating the degree of congestion at a store on the basis of sensor information at the store; a determination means for determining a priority level in terms of suitability of labor for the degree of congestion as a priority level of display information relating to a product on the basis of labor required for the sales of the product as well as the degree of congestion; and a display control means for causing a display device to display the display information on the basis of the priority level.

Description

Display control device, display control method, and recording medium

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a display control device, a display control method, and a recording medium storing a display control program.

[0002] There are technologies that display advertisements promoting products on display devices such as signage in stores. For example, there is a technology that recognizes customers near the display device and changes the products displayed as advertisements depending on the customer's attributes and preferences.

[0003] There is also a technique for displaying product information of products for sale on a terminal device and accepting product orders by inputting information into the terminal device.

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes a technology in which, in a restaurant or other food service establishment that prepares and serves food, the kitchen determines whether cooking operations are saturated, and if so, displays on an in-store display that orders have been suspended, making it impossible to order some menu items.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-222614

[0006] However, in stores such as convenience stores and supermarkets that display and sell products, it is difficult to prevent advertised products or products that are subject to order from being purchased, even if the store staff are overwhelmed with work.

[0007] An example of an objective of the present disclosure is to provide a technology for displaying information according to the status of a store.

[0008] A display control device in one aspect of the present disclosure includes an estimation means for estimating the degree of congestion of a store based on sensor information from the store, a determination means for determining the priority of display information related to a product based on the effort required to sell the product and the degree of congestion so that the priority is appropriate for the degree of congestion, and a display control means for displaying the display information on a display device based on the priority.

[0009] In one aspect of the present disclosure, a display control method involves a computer estimating the degree of congestion in a store based on sensor information from the store, determining the priority of display information related to products based on the effort required to sell the products and the degree of congestion, so that the priority is appropriate for the degree of congestion, and displaying the display information on a display device based on the priority.

[0010] A display control program in one aspect of the present disclosure estimates the degree of congestion in a store based on sensor information from the store, determines the priority of display information related to products based on the effort required to sell the products and the degree of congestion, so that the priority is appropriate for the degree of congestion, and causes a computer to execute a process to display the display information on a display device based on the priority.

[0011] Each program may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium.

[0012] One example of the effect of the present disclosure is that it is possible to display information according to the store's situation.

[0013] 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a system including a display control device; 2 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a display control device; 3 is a diagram illustrating a display example; 4 is a diagram illustrating another display example; 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a display control device; 6 is a block diagram illustrating another example of the functional configuration of a display control device; 7 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration for realizing a display control device in the present disclosure by a computer and its peripheral devices;

[0014] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0015] [Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system including a display control device according to the present disclosure.

[0016] 1, a display control device determines the priority of display information to be displayed on a display device based on the degree of congestion in a store. The display control device displays the display information on a display device in the store based on the determined priority. The display control device is connected to the display device so as to be able to communicate with the display device.

[0017] 1, the display control device is depicted as a server outside the store, but the display control device may be provided inside the store. Furthermore, the display control device may perform display control for multiple stores according to the degree of congestion.

[0018] The store is, for example, a retail store that sells products. In the following embodiment, convenience stores and supermarkets are mainly assumed, but the store is not limited to these examples.

[0019] The display device is a display device that displays store information, advertisements, and product information for accepting product orders.

[0020] For example, the display device may display advertisements for products sold in the store. For example, the display device that displays the advertisements may be signage installed inside or outside the store, or a terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet used by a customer. For example, the advertisements may be displayed on an application, a store website, or a self-scan shopping screen in the store on the terminal device used by the customer. Note that self-scan shopping is a shopping method in which a customer uses a terminal device to register products on a shopping list on the sales floor of a store.

[0021] When the display device displays an advertisement, the display information is advertising information promoting a product. Note that the advertising information may also include advertising information promoting something other than a product. Furthermore, the display device that displays the advertisement may also display information about the store in addition to the advertisement. The information about the store is, for example, information indicating the products handled in the store and the store's facilities. The display control device determines a priority for displaying advertisements promoting products on the advertising display device based on the degree of congestion in the store.

[0022] Furthermore, for example, a display device that displays product information for product ordering has an order reception function that allows a customer to select products to be picked up at a store. A product purchasing method using the order reception function will be described. When accepting an order for a product to be purchased at a store, the display device displays product information for products that can be ordered. The customer selects the product to be ordered from the product information displayed on the display device. Then, the product selected by the customer, i.e., the product ordered by the customer, is picked up at the store by a store clerk or robot, etc., and handed over to the customer. Note that in this product purchasing method, there are no particular limitations on the payment method or timing for the product.

[0023] For example, a display device with an order reception function may be a terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet used by a customer, or an order terminal device installed inside or outside the store and operable via a touch panel or the like.

[0024] If the display device has an order reception function, the display information is product information that customers refer to when ordering products. The product information includes, for example, the product name and the product price. The display control device determines the priority for displaying the product information on the display device based on the degree of congestion in the store.

[0025] Next, the configuration of the display control device 100 according to the embodiment will be described.

[0026] 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the display control device 100. Referring to FIG. 2, the display control device 100 includes an estimation unit 101, a determination unit 102, and a display control unit 103.

[0027] In FIG. 2 , the estimation unit 101 is an example of an estimation means for estimating the congestion level of a store based on sensor information of the store. The estimation unit 101 may acquire sensor information from sensors installed in the store that detect various types of information, and estimate the congestion level of the store using a known method. The sensor information of the store may be any information that can be used to estimate the congestion level of the store. The sensor information of the store may be, for example, an image captured by a camera or carbon dioxide concentration, but is not limited to these examples.

[0028] The store congestion level is information that indicates the degree of congestion in the store on a number of levels, and may be, for example, the number of people in the store, the number of customers other than store staff in the store, the number of people waiting at the cash register in the store, etc.

[0029] The degree of congestion may be expressed in multiple stages, for example, in two stages of "crowded" or "not congested," or in three stages of "high," "medium," and "low," but the method of expressing the degree of congestion is not limited to these examples.

[0030] Furthermore, the estimation unit 101 may estimate the congestion degree based on the congestion degree input by customers or store clerks in the store, in addition to the sensor information. In this case, for example, a customer or store clerk in the store may input the congestion degree of the store into a terminal device, and the estimation unit 101 may acquire the congestion degree input into the terminal device. The estimation unit 101 estimates the congestion degree by, for example, averaging the congestion degrees input by multiple store clerks or customers. Because each store clerk or customer may have a different perception of the congestion degree, in this example, the estimation unit 101 estimates the congestion degree using statistical values ​​of the congestion degrees input by multiple store clerks or customers.

[0031] The estimation unit 101 may also acquire the degree of congestion. In this case, the degree of congestion may be estimated by another device, and the acquisition unit may acquire the degree of congestion of the store from the other device.

[0032] The determination unit 102 is an example of a determination means that determines the priority of display information related to products based on the effort required to sell the products and the congestion level, so that the effort is appropriate for the congestion level. The determination unit 102 extracts information indicating the effort required to sell the products for the products displayed in the display information stored in a database or the like communicatively connected to the display control device 100. For example, the determination unit 102 extracts the information indicating the effort required to sell the products by referencing information associating the products with the effort required to sell the products. Then, the determination unit 102 determines the priority of each piece of display information related to the products based on the effort required to sell the products and the congestion level. The information associating the products with the effort required to sell the products may be stored in a database or the like together with the display information, or may be stored in a separate database.

[0033] The effort required to sell a product may be the time and effort required by a store clerk to sell the product. For example, if the product is a hot snack displayed in a warming cabinet, the store clerk receives an order for the product from a customer, moves the product to the warming cabinet, removes the product from the warming cabinet, places it in a dedicated bag, and registers the product in a POS (Point of Sales) terminal. For example, if the product is cigarettes, the store clerk receives an order for the product, finds and removes the product, verifies the customer's age, and registers the product by reading a barcode attached to the product. It can be said that selling these products requires more effort than selling products brought by a customer to a cash register and registered by reading a barcode attached to the product.

[0034] The effort required to sell a product may be set in advance for each product. The effort required to sell a product may be expressed in multiple stages, or may be expressed as the average time required to register the product. The effort required to sell a product may also be set in advance for each product category. This is because it is expected that the effort required to sell each product category is similar.

[0035] The display information is information about a product that is displayed on a display device. The display information is at least one of advertising information about the product, or product information displayed for ordering a product on a display device that has an order receiving function for receiving product orders. Advertising information may also be displayed on a display device that has an order receiving function.

[0036] The priority determined by the determination unit 102 is the priority of the display information to be displayed on the display device. The priority is the degree of priority given to display. The priority may be expressed numerically, in multiple stages, or as a priority order. The determination unit 102 determines the priority of the display information related to a product based on the effort required to sell the product and the level of congestion, so that the effort required to sell the product is appropriate for the level of congestion. For example, the determination unit 102 determines a lower priority for display information related to products that require a lot of effort to sell. In this way, when the level of congestion is high, determining a lower priority for display information related to products that require a lot of effort to sell makes it less likely that the display information related to products that require a lot of effort to sell will be displayed or will attract less attention. Because display information can motivate customers to select products, products that are not displayed on the display device may be less likely to be purchased or ordered by customers. This may reduce the time required for store clerks to handle cash register operations when the level of congestion is high. Therefore, when the level of congestion is high, by setting a low priority to display information relating to products that require a lot of effort to sell, it may be possible to alleviate congestion in the store or prevent it from becoming worse.

[0037] Furthermore, the determining unit 102 may determine a predetermined priority when the congestion level is lower than a predetermined level. The predetermined level may be set to a level that allows the congestion level to be determined to be not very crowded. For example, when a store is not very crowded, even if a salesperson handles a product that requires a lot of effort to sell, it is unlikely to affect the congestion level. Therefore, in such a case, it may be desirable to prioritize displaying information aimed at promoting products that the store wants to sell or attracting customers, rather than displaying display information aimed at alleviating congestion. The predetermined priority may be, for example, a degree of recommendation to customers. The degree of recommendation to customers may be a degree to which the store or a company operating the store is willing to sell the product. Furthermore, in a display device with an order receiving function, the predetermined priority may be a degree that matches customer preferences.

[0038] A specific example of the processing of the determination unit 102 will be described. In this example, it is assumed that the degree of congestion is expressed in three levels: "high," "medium," and "low," and the effort required to sell a product is expressed in three levels: "high," "medium," and "low." In this example, priority is used as an example of priority. For example, when the degree of congestion is "low," the determination unit 102 determines a predetermined recommendation order as the priority of the display information. For example, when the degree of congestion is "high," the determination unit 102 lowers the priority of display information related to products requiring "high" effort to sell by a predetermined degree in the recommendation order. The predetermined degree by which the determination unit 102 lowers the priority may be a number, such as "lowering by 10 places," in the priority order. The predetermined degree by which the determination unit 102 lowers the priority may be a step that belongs to the lowered priority, such as "lowering to the bottom 10%" in the priority order. Furthermore, when the congestion degree is "high," the determination unit 102 may lower the priority of display information related to products requiring "medium" effort to sell in the recommendation order to a degree that is smaller than the degree that is predetermined for display information related to products requiring "large" effort to sell. For example, in the above example, the degree that is smaller than the degree that is predetermined for display information related to products requiring "large" effort to sell may be "lowered by five places" in the priority order or "lowered to the bottom 30%" in the priority order.

[0039] Furthermore, for example, when the congestion level is "medium", the determination unit 102 may lower the priority of display information related to products requiring "high" effort to sell in the recommendation order by a predetermined degree. Furthermore, when the congestion level is "medium", the determination unit 102 may not change the priority of display information related to products requiring "medium" effort to sell. Alternatively, when the congestion level is "medium", the determination unit 102 may lower the priority of each of display information related to products requiring "high" effort to sell and display information related to products requiring "medium" effort to sell by a degree smaller than the degree of lowering the priority when the congestion level is "high".

[0040] It should be noted that the method of expressing the priority, the specific process by which the determining unit 102 determines the priority, and the method of expressing the degree of congestion and the effort required to sell the product are not limited to these examples.

[0041] The display control unit 103 is an example of a display control means that causes the display information to be displayed on the display device based on the priority determined as described above. The display control unit 103 displays the display information in a manner that makes it easier for customers to see the display information with a higher priority.

[0042] For example, the display control unit 103 may cause the display device to display a predetermined number of pieces of display information in descending order of priority. The predetermined number to be displayed on the display device may be determined in advance depending on the display format of the display device. For example, the display control unit 103 may cause the display device to display three pieces of advertising information in descending order of priority. Furthermore, for example, the display control unit 103 may display the advertising information with the highest priority on a portion of the display screen of the display device operating with the order receiving function, and display product information in the order selected by the customer.

[0043] Furthermore, for example, the higher the priority of the display information, the larger the display information is displayed on the display device by the display control unit 103. For example, when a plurality of pieces of display information are displayed on the display device, the display control unit 103 may display the display information such that the ratio of the size at which the display information is displayed on the display device increases as the priority of the display information increases.

[0044] FIG. 3 shows an example of an advertisement display screen when the store is crowded, i.e., when the degree of congestion is high. In FIG. 3, advertisement information for cafe au lait is displayed large. In this way, for example, the display control unit 103 displays the display information with the highest priority of advertisement information at 50% of the display screen size. Also, in FIG. 3, advertisement information for lettuce sandwich is displayed next largest. In this way, for example, the display control unit 103 displays the display information with the second highest priority of advertisement information at 35% of the display screen size. Also, in FIG. 3, advertisement information for corn hot dogs is displayed third largest. In this way, for example, the display control unit 103 displays the display information with the third highest priority of advertisement information at 15% of the display screen size. Note that the display size, the number of display information items to be displayed, and the priority for changing the display size are not limited to these examples.

[0045] In FIG. 3 , the display priorities of the predetermined advertising information are, in descending order, corn hot dogs, cafe au lait, and lettuce sandwiches. When a corn hot dog is purchased, the sales staff's sales effort is expected to include, for example, accepting the order, moving the corn hot dog to the warming cabinet where it is displayed, removing it from the warming cabinet, wrapping it, and registering the product in a POS terminal. Therefore, the sales effort required for selling a corn hot dog is expected to be "high." While cafe au lait and lettuce sandwiches may be prepared by a store staff member after receiving an order, this example assumes that they are packaged and ready to purchase. In this case, when a cafe au lait or lettuce sandwich is purchased, the sales staff's sales effort is expected to include, for example, registering the product in a POS terminal by reading a barcode. Therefore, the sales effort required for selling a cafe au lait or lettuce sandwich is expected to be "low." In response to this, the determining unit 102 lowers the priority of advertising information including corn hot dogs, which require "high" sales effort, by two places, in accordance with the "high" congestion level. In this case, the priorities of cafe au lait and lettuce sandwich, which require "little effort" to sell, are relatively increased due to the lower priority of corn hot dogs. By determining priorities in this way and displaying them according to the priorities, it is possible to reduce customer attention to corn hot dogs, which require a lot of effort to sell, thereby alleviating congestion in the store or preventing it from getting worse.

[0046] Furthermore, for example, the display control unit 103 may increase the number of display items of the display information as the priority of the display information increases. In this case, the display control unit 103 may display the display information larger and increase the number of display items of the display information as the priority of the display information increases. For example, the display control unit 103 may display display information whose priority is higher than a predetermined value as advertising information consisting of items such as a product image, a product name, a product catchphrase, and a product price, or product information for order acceptance. In contrast, the display control unit 103 may display display information whose priority is lower than a predetermined value as advertising information consisting of items such as a product image and a product name, or product information consisting of items such as a product name and a product price.

[0047] Furthermore, for example, when switching some or all of the display information displayed on the display device over time, the display control unit 103 may display the display information for a longer period of time as the priority of the display information increases. For example, the display control unit 103 may display advertising information with a priority higher than a predetermined value for 10 seconds, and advertising information with a priority lower than the predetermined value for 5 seconds. Note that the display time and the number of predetermined values ​​by which the display time is changed are not limited to this example.

[0048] Furthermore, for example, when switching some or all of the display information displayed on the display device over time, the higher the priority of the display information, the higher the display frequency of the display information. For example, when the display information is switched every 10 seconds, the display control unit 103 may display the display information with the highest priority once every three times, the display information with the second highest priority once every six times, and the display information with the third to tenth highest priorities once every 12 times. Note that the display frequency and the priority order for changing the display frequency are not limited to this example.

[0049] Furthermore, for example, when the display control unit 103 switches the display information to be displayed on the display device in response to a user operation, the display control unit 103 fixes and displays display information having a priority higher than a predetermined value.

[0050] FIG. 4 shows an example of an order reception screen when the store is not busy. In FIG. 4, the product information for corn hot dogs is displayed large and fixed without scrolling using a scroll bar. Also, in FIG. 4, the product information for fried chicken, sandwich (ham), sandwich (egg), and rice ball (salmon) is displayed vertically scrollable using a scroll bar. In this case, for example, the display control unit 103 displays the product information for corn hot dogs in a fixed manner on the order reception device, since corn hot dogs require the most effort to sell but have the highest display priority. Furthermore, the display control unit 103 displays the product information in the order reception device in descending order of display priority, next to corn hot dogs, within the range that can be scrolled using the scroll bar. Note that the size of the fixedly displayed product information, the size of the scrollable product information, and the number of fixedly displayed product information are not limited to this example.

[0051] 4, the determination unit 102 determines that the corn hot dog is given the first priority, which is a predetermined priority, as the display priority for the product information because the store is not crowded. This is because the store is not crowded, so it is not difficult for the store staff to handle products that require a lot of effort to sell, and the level of congestion allows them to recommend products that the store staff wants to promote to customers. The display control unit 103 controls the display of the corn hot dog product information to be large or fixed in size, depending on the fact that the corn hot dog has the first priority.

[0052] Although a plurality of display control methods according to priority have been described, these display control methods according to priority may be combined with each other.

[0053] An example of the operation of the display control device 100 configured as above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0054] The estimation unit 101 estimates the degree of congestion in a store (step S101).

[0055] Next, the determination unit 102 determines whether the congestion level is higher than a predetermined level (step S102).

[0056] In step S102, if it is determined that the degree of congestion is higher than a predetermined degree (step S102: Yes), the determination unit 102 determines the priority such that the higher the degree of congestion, the lower the priority of display information related to products that require more effort to sell (step S103). Note that the method of determining the priority by the determination unit 102 is not limited to the example of step S103.

[0057] In step S102, if it is determined that the congestion level is not higher than the predetermined level (step S102: No), the determining unit 102 determines the priority in a predetermined order (step S104).

[0058] Then, the display control unit 103 causes the display device to display the display information based on the priority determined in step S103 or step S104 (step S105).

[0059] This completes the series of operations of the display control device 100.

[0060] In the display control device 100 according to the present embodiment, the estimation unit 101 estimates the degree of congestion of a store based on sensor information from the store. The determination unit 102 determines the priority of display information related to products based on the effort required to sell the products and the degree of congestion, so that the priority is appropriate for the degree of congestion. The display control unit 103 then displays the display information on the display device based on the priority.

[0061] As a result, the display control device 100 in this embodiment can perform display according to the store situation.

[0062] For example, the determination unit 102 may lower the priority of displaying display information related to products requiring a high level of sales effort when the store is crowded, causing the display control unit 103 to display the display information related to products requiring a high level of sales effort so as not to draw too much attention to the product. This reduces the chances that customers will choose products requiring a high level of sales effort when the store is crowded, increasing the likelihood that customers will choose products requiring a low level of sales effort. Therefore, the display control device 100 of the present disclosure can alleviate store congestion and prevent the store from becoming more crowded. This can reduce the workload and effort of store clerks when the store is crowded, and can potentially reduce the time required for customers to purchase products, thereby increasing the satisfaction of both store clerks and customers.

[0063] [Modification 1] Next, Modification 1 of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Below, explanations of content that overlaps with the above explanation will be omitted to the extent that the explanation of this modification is not unclear.

[0064] In Modification 1, it is assumed that the display device provided in the store is a display device that can switch between an advertisement display function and an order reception function. In Modification 1, the display control device 200 enables the order reception function of the display device when the store is crowded, thereby alleviating congestion at the store's cash registers.

[0065] 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the display control device 200. The display control device 200 includes an enabling unit 204 and a notification unit 205 in addition to the configuration of the display control device 100.

[0066] The enabling unit 204 is an example of an enabling means that enables the order receiving function of the display device when the degree of congestion is higher than a predetermined level. For example, when the degree of congestion is higher than a predetermined level, the enabling unit 204 changes the display information of the display device from advertising information to product information for order receiving. Furthermore, for example, when the degree of congestion is higher than a predetermined level, the enabling unit 204 may change operations such as touch operations on the display device from an inoperative state to an operable state. Note that the order receiving function may be realized by a known method, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0067] Furthermore, the enabling unit 204 may disable the order receiving function when the order receiving function of the display device is enabled and the congestion level of the store falls below a predetermined level. For example, when the congestion level falls below a predetermined level, the enabling unit 204 may change the display information of the display device from product information for order receiving to advertising information. Furthermore, for example, when the congestion level is higher than a predetermined level, the enabling unit 204 may change the state in which operations such as touch operations on the display device are possible to an incapable state.

[0068] In this case, if the order acceptance function is being used by a customer, the enabling unit 204 may disable the order acceptance function when the order is completed. The case where the order acceptance function is being used by a customer may be when an operation is performed on the display device within a certain time period, or when an unordered item is registered in the order list of the order acceptance function. Furthermore, the enabling unit 204 may disable the order acceptance function when a customer attempting to use the order acceptance function is not detected in front of the display device. A customer attempting to use the order acceptance function may be detected, for example, by a video image of a person in front of the display device. A customer attempting to use the order acceptance function is, for example, a customer who is watching the display device among the people appearing in the video.

[0069] Here, the predetermined degree may be the same as or different from the predetermined degree when the determination unit 102 determines that the higher the congestion level, the lower the priority of display information related to products that require more effort to sell. For example, the predetermined degree to which the enabling unit 204 enables the order receiving function may be set higher than the predetermined degree when the determination unit 102 determines that the lower the priority of display information related to products that require more effort to sell.

[0070] The notification unit 205 is an example of a notification means that, when the enabling unit 204 enables the order reception function of the display device, issues a notification that the order reception function of the display device has been enabled. When the enabling unit 204 enables the order reception function of the display device, the notification unit 205 may cause at least one of an audio output device, a light, and a display device to issue a notification. The audio output device and the light that the notification unit 205 issues a notification to may be connected to the display device, or may be provided in the store separately from the display device. The display device that the notification unit 205 issues a notification to may be a display device in which the order reception function is enabled, or may be another display device provided in the store.

[0071] The notification unit 205 notifies a store staff member or a customer that the order reception function of the display device has been enabled. For example, the notification unit 205 may provide a notification by voice or display indicating which display device has enabled the order reception function or the location of the display device that has enabled the order reception function. Furthermore, for example, the notification unit 205 may provide a notification by changing lights provided around the display device from an off state to an on state or by changing the color of the lights to a color different from that used when an advertisement is displayed. Here, the on state may be constant or may flash. Furthermore, for example, the notification unit 205 may provide a notification by displaying, on the display device that has enabled the order reception function, that the order reception function is available or by displaying a button to switch to the order reception function.

[0072] By the notification unit 205 issuing a notification, customers can be notified that the display device can be used as an order receiving device, and customers' use of the order receiving device can reduce congestion at store cash registers. Note that the notification unit 205 is not an essential component of the display control device 200, and the display control device 200 does not need to be equipped with the notification unit 205. In this case, too, customers can be notified that the order receiving function can be used by the display content changing from advertising information to product information.

[0073] In Modification 2, the display control device 100 or the display control device 200 may determine the priority of displaying information other than the display information related to the products, depending on the degree of congestion. Also, in Modification 2, the display control device 100 or the display control device 200 may determine whether to display information other than the display information related to the products.

[0074] A description will be given of other information about the product display information and a method of controlling its display in Modification 2. In the following description, a modification of the display control device 100 will be described, but the same may be applied to the display control device 200 as to the display control device 100.

[0075] (1) Display of Other Store Functions In Modification 2, the display control device 100 may control the display of other functions that customers can use in addition to purchasing products in the store, depending on the level of congestion. Here, the other functions include restrooms, ATMs, multi-copy machines, multimedia stations, and payment of various fees in the store. The display of the other functions controlled by the display control device 100 may be at least one of these.

[0076] Convenience stores, supermarkets, and other stores may display information in advertisements or on store signs indicating that these other functions are available. In this case, the determining unit 102 may determine the priority of display information including information about the other functions in addition to display information about products. For example, the determining unit 102 may determine the priority of information about the other functions to be lower the higher the degree of congestion.

[0077] The information regarding the other functions may be information such as an icon indicating that the other functions are available, or guidance information indicating the location of the other functions within the store.

[0078] Furthermore, the determining unit 102 may determine that the greater the impact on congestion in the store, the lower the priority of information relating to other functions.

[0079] Each of these functions has a different impact on store congestion. For example, some functions using the multimedia station, such as payment of various fees, require the assistance of a store clerk at the register, which significantly impacts store congestion. Furthermore, functions such as restrooms, ATMs, and multi-copy machines do not necessarily require the assistance of a store clerk at the register, but the clerk may be asked about how to use them or where they are located. Furthermore, customers who use restrooms, ATMs, and multi-copy machines may also purchase products, which can impact store congestion.

[0080] The display control unit 103 may determine the display size and whether or not to display the display information related to other functions according to the priority. For example, when the degree of congestion is high, the display control unit 103 may not display information related to other functions that have a large impact on the congestion of the store, and may reduce the size of the display of information related to other functions that have an impact on the congestion of the store. The method of controlling the display of the display information related to other functions is not limited to these examples, and various methods and combinations of various methods described in the embodiments may be used.

[0081] (2) Display of Information Regarding Self-Checkout Registers In the second modification, the display control device 100 may control the display of information regarding self-checkout registers installed in a store depending on the degree of congestion. Here, a self-checkout register is a register in a store where a user performs at least a portion of the transaction themselves. Self-checkout registers may include registers where customers register products themselves, registers where customers register products and perform the transaction themselves, and self-scan shopping where customers register products using a portable terminal device.

[0082] Convenience stores, supermarkets, and other stores may encourage customers to use self-checkouts, particularly when the store is crowded, through advertisements, store signs, or by talking to store staff. In this case, the determination unit 102 may determine the priority of display information including information about self-checkouts in addition to display information about products, depending on the level of congestion. For example, the determination unit 102 may determine a higher priority for information about self-checkouts as the level of congestion increases.

[0083] The information regarding the self-checkout may be information indicating that the self-checkout is available for use, guidance information indicating the location of the self-checkout within the store, or the like.

[0084] Furthermore, the determination unit 102 may determine the priority of the guidance information for the self-checkout registers using attribute information such as the age group of customers in the store estimated based on video footage of the store, in addition to the degree of congestion. For example, the determination unit 102 may determine a higher priority for the information about the self-checkout registers as the degree of congestion increases and the age group of customers in the store becomes younger.

[0085] The display control unit 103 may determine the display size and whether or not to display information about self-checkouts according to the priority. For example, when the level of congestion is high, the display control unit 103 may display information about self-checkouts in a large size. Also, for example, when the level of congestion is high, the display control unit 103 may change the state of not displaying information about self-checkouts to displaying it. The method of controlling the display of information about self-checkouts is not limited to these examples, and various methods and combinations of various methods described in the embodiments may be used.

[0086] (3) Display of Coupon Information or Coupon Preview Information In Modification 2, the display control device 100 may control the display of coupon information or coupon preview information according to the level of congestion. Here, the coupon information is information that allows customers to obtain coupons that can be used when the store is not crowded. Furthermore, the coupon preview information is information that allows customers to obtain coupons that can be used if they return to the store when the store is not crowded. The time when the store is not crowded may be set in advance, estimated from the congestion level history, or determined from the real-time congestion level. For example, the coupon information or coupon preview information is represented by a barcode or two-dimensional code for displaying the coupon or for accessing the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of a website for obtaining the coupon.

[0087] In this case, the determining unit 102 may determine the priority of display information including coupon information or coupon preview information. For example, the determining unit 102 may determine that the higher the degree of congestion, the higher the priority of coupon information or coupon preview information.

[0088] The display control unit 103 may determine the display size or whether or not to display the coupon information or coupon preview information according to the priority. For example, when the degree of congestion is high, the display control unit 103 may display the coupon information or coupon preview information in a large size. Furthermore, when the degree of congestion is high, the display control unit 103 may change the state of the coupon information or coupon preview information from not displaying it to displaying it. The method of controlling the display of the coupon information or coupon preview information is not limited to these examples, and various methods and combinations of various methods described in the embodiments may be used.

[0089] (4) Display of Information Informing Customers of Time Zones When a Store is Open In the second modification, the display control device 100 may control the display of information informing customers of time zones when a store is open, depending on the degree of congestion.

[0090] In this case, the determination unit 102 may determine the priority of display information including information notifying the time slots when the store is vacant. For example, the determination unit 102 may determine that the higher the degree of congestion, the higher the priority of information notifying the time slots when the store is vacant.

[0091] The display control unit 103 may determine the display size and whether or not to display the information informing users of the time periods when the store is open, depending on the priority. For example, when the degree of congestion is high, the display control unit 103 may display the information informing users of the time periods when the store is open in a larger size. Furthermore, when the degree of congestion is high, the display control unit 103 may change the state of displaying the information informing users of the time periods when the store is open from not displaying it to displaying it. The display control method for displaying the information informing users of the time periods when the store is open is not limited to these examples, and various methods and combinations of various methods described in the embodiments may be used.

[0092] (5) Display of Information Regarding Use of Other Stores In Modification 2, the display control device 100 may control the display of information regarding use of other stores according to the degree of congestion. Here, the information regarding use of other stores may be information recommending use of other stores, guidance information informing the location of other stores, etc. The information recommending use of other stores may be display information regarding products available for purchase at other stores according to the degree of congestion at the other stores.

[0093] The other store may be, for example, a store affiliated with the store for which the display control device 100 performs display control, or may be a nearby store. For example, a store closest to a station, a large company, or other facility with a lot of foot traffic is likely to be crowded, but a nearby store a little further away from such a store may be less crowded. In such a case, by displaying guidance information in the store closest to the facility with a lot of foot traffic, indicating that there is another store a little further away from the facility with a lot of foot traffic, it may be possible to alleviate congestion at the store closest to the facility with a lot of foot traffic.

[0094] In this case, the determination unit 102 determines the priority of display information including information about use of other stores. For example, the determination unit 102 may determine that the higher the degree of congestion, the higher the priority of information about use of other stores. Note that the threshold of the degree of congestion at which the determination unit 102 increases the priority of information about use of other stores may be set higher than the threshold of the degree of congestion at which the determination unit 102 decreases the priority of display information about products that require a lot of effort to sell.

[0095] The information regarding the use of the other store may include display information of products available for purchase at the other store. In this case, the determining unit 102 may determine the priority of the display information of products available for purchase at the other store based on the degree of congestion at the other store so that the effort required for selling the products is appropriate for the degree of congestion at the other store.

[0096] The display controls for the display information other than the product-related display information described in Modification 2 above may be combined as appropriate.

[0097] [Hardware Configuration] Some or all of the components of each device or system in each embodiment of the present disclosure described above are realized by any combination of an information processing device 1000 and a program, for example, as shown in Fig. 7. The information processing device 1000 includes, as an example, the following configuration.

[0098] - CPU (Central Processing Unit) 1001 - ROM (Read Only Memory) 1002 - RAM (Random Access Memory) 1003 - Program 1004 loaded into RAM 1003 - Storage device 1005 for storing program 1004 - Drive device 1007 for reading and writing from and to recording medium 1006 - Communication I / F 1008 for connecting to communication network 1009 - Input / output I / F 1010 for inputting and outputting data - Bus 1011 for connecting each component. Note that I / F is an abbreviation for Interface.

[0099] Each component of each device or system in each embodiment is realized by the CPU 1001 acquiring and executing a program that realizes the function of that component. The program that realizes the function of each component of each device is stored in the storage device 1005 or RAM 1003 in advance, for example, and is read by the CPU 1001 as needed. The program 1004 may be supplied to the CPU 1001 via a communication network, or may be stored in the recording medium 1006 in advance, and the drive device 1007 may read the program and supply it to the CPU 1001.

[0100] There are various variations in the method of realizing each device. For example, each device or system may be realized by any combination of a separate information processing device 1000 and a program for each component. Furthermore, multiple components included in each device may be realized by any combination of a single information processing device 1000 and a program.

[0101] Furthermore, some or all of the components of each device or system may be realized by general-purpose or dedicated circuits (circuitry) including a processor or the like, or a combination of these. Examples of circuits include a CPU, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and an AI (Artificial Intelligence) processing LSI (Large Scale Integration). These may be configured by a single chip or by multiple chips connected via a bus. Some or all of the components of each device may be realized by a combination of the above-mentioned circuits and a program.

[0102] When some or all of the components of each device or system are realized by multiple information processing devices, circuits, etc., the multiple information processing devices, circuits, etc. may be centrally or decentralized. For example, the information processing devices, circuits, etc. may be realized as a client-server system, a cloud computing system, or the like, in which they are connected via a communication network.

[0103] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present invention within the scope of the present invention.

[0104] Furthermore, although the operations are described in a sequential order in the form of a flowchart, the order of the description does not limit the order in which the operations are performed. Therefore, when implementing each embodiment, the order of the operations may be changed as long as it does not affect the content.

[0105] Some or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but are not limited to, the following supplementary notes.

[0106] [Supplementary Note 1] A display control device comprising: an estimation means for estimating the degree of congestion of a store based on sensor information of the store; a determination means for determining a priority of display information related to the product based on the effort required to sell the product and the degree of congestion so that the effort is appropriate for the degree of congestion; and a display control means for displaying the display information on a display device based on the priority.

[0107] [Supplementary Note 2] The display control device according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein the determining unit determines a lower priority for the display information relating to the product requiring a greater effort as the degree of congestion increases.

[0108] [Supplementary Note 3] The display control device according to Supplementary Note 1 or 2, wherein the determining means determines a predetermined priority when the congestion degree is lower than a predetermined degree.

[0109] [Supplementary Note 4] The display control device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3, wherein the display information is advertising information for the product.

[0110] [Supplementary Note 5] The display control device according to Supplementary Note 4, wherein the display control means causes a terminal device having an order receiving function that is a function of receiving an order for the product to display product information to be displayed for ordering the product as the display information.

[0111] [Supplementary Note 6] The display control device according to Supplementary Note 5, further comprising an enabling unit that enables an order receiving function of the display device when the congestion level is higher than a predetermined level.

[0112] [Supplementary Note 7] The display control device according to Supplementary Note 6, further comprising a notification means for, when the enabling means enables the order receiving function of the display device, issuing a notification that the order receiving function of the display device has been enabled.

[0113] [Supplementary Note 8] The display control device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 7, wherein the display information further includes information about other functions that the user can use in the store, and the determining means determines the priority of the display information that includes the information about the other functions.

[0114] [Supplementary Note 9] The display control device according to Supplementary Note 8, wherein the determining unit determines that the higher the degree of congestion, the lower the priority of the information relating to the other function.

[0115] [Supplementary Note 10] The display control device according to Supplementary Note 8 or 9, wherein the other function is at least one of a restroom, an ATM, a multi-copy machine, and a multimedia station in the store.

[0116] [Appendix 11] A display control device described in any of Appendices 1 to 10, wherein the display information further includes information about a self-checkout register where the user performs at least part of the transaction themselves at the store, and the determination means determines the priority of the display information that includes information about the self-checkout register.

[0117] [Supplementary Note 12] The display control device according to Supplementary Note 11, wherein the priority of the display information including the information about the self-checkout register is determined such that the higher the degree of congestion, the higher the priority of the information about the self-checkout register.

[0118] [Supplementary Note 13] The display control device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 12, wherein the display information further includes coupon information or coupon preview information, and the determining means determines the priority of display information including the coupon information or the coupon preview information.

[0119] [Supplementary Note 14] The display control device according to Supplementary Note 13, wherein the determining means determines that the higher the degree of congestion, the higher the priority of the coupon information or the coupon preview information.

[0120] [Supplementary Note 15] The display control device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 14, wherein the display information further includes information indicating a time period when the store is open, and the determining means determines the priority of the display information including the information indicating a time period when the store is open.

[0121] [Supplementary Note 16] The display control device according to Supplementary Note 15, wherein the determining means determines that the higher the degree of congestion, the higher the priority of the information notifying the time periods when the store is less crowded.

[0122] [Supplementary Note 17] The display control device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 16, wherein the display information further includes information regarding use of other stores, and the determining means determines the priority of the display information including the information regarding use of the other stores.

[0123] [Supplementary Note 18] The display control device according to Supplementary Note 17, wherein the determining means determines that the higher the degree of congestion, the higher the priority of the information relating to the use of the other store.

[0124] [Supplementary Note 19] The display control device described in Supplementary Note 17 or 18, wherein the information regarding the use of the other store includes display information of products that can be purchased at the other store, and the determining means determines the priority of the display information of products that can be purchased at the other store based on the degree of congestion of the other store so that the effort is appropriate for the degree of congestion of the other store.

[0125] [Supplementary Note 20] The display control device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 19, wherein the display control means displays the display information larger as the priority of the display information becomes higher.

[0126] [Supplementary Note 21] The display control device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 20, wherein, when switching part or all of the display information to be displayed on the display device over time, the higher the priority of the display information, the longer the display time of the display information.

[0127] [Supplementary Note 22] The display control device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 21, wherein, when switching part or all of the display information to be displayed on the display device over time, the display control means increases the display frequency of the display information as the priority of the display information increases.

[0128] [Supplementary Note 23] The display control device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 22, wherein, when the display information to be displayed on the display device is switched in response to a user operation, the display control means fixes and displays the display information whose priority is higher than a predetermined value.

[0129] [Supplementary Note 24] A display control method in which a computer estimates the degree of congestion of a store based on sensor information of the store, determines a priority of display information related to the product based on the effort required to sell the product and the degree of congestion so that the effort is appropriate for the degree of congestion, and displays the display information on a display device based on the priority.

[0130] [Supplementary Note 25] The display control method according to Supplementary Note 24, wherein the computer determines a lower priority for display information relating to the product requiring more effort as the degree of congestion increases.

[0131] [Supplementary Note 26] The display control method according to Supplementary Note 24 or 25, wherein the computer determines a predetermined priority when the congestion degree is lower than a predetermined degree.

[0132] [Supplementary Note 27] The display control method according to any one of Supplementary Notes 24 to 26, wherein the display information is advertising information for the product.

[0133] [Supplementary Note 28] The display control method described in Supplementary Note 27, wherein the computer causes the display device, which is a terminal device having an order receiving function that receives orders for the product, to display, as the display information, product information to be displayed for ordering the product.

[0134] [Supplementary Note 29] The display control method according to Supplementary Note 28, wherein the computer enables an order receiving function of the display device when the degree of congestion is higher than a predetermined degree.

[0135] [Supplementary Note 30] The display control method according to Supplementary Note 29, wherein, when the computer enables the order receiving function of the display device, it issues a notification informing the user that the order receiving function of the display device has been enabled.

[0136] [Supplementary Note 31] The display control method described in any one of Supplementary Notes 24 to 30, wherein the display information further includes information regarding other functions that the user can use in the store, and the computer determines the priority of the display information that includes the information regarding the other functions.

[0137] [Supplementary Note 32] The display control method according to Supplementary Note 31, wherein the computer determines that the higher the degree of congestion, the lower the priority of the information relating to the other functions.

[0138] [Supplementary Note 33] The display control method according to Supplementary Note 31 or 32, wherein the other function is at least one of a restroom, an ATM, a multi-copy machine, and a multimedia station in the store.

[0139] [Appendix 34] A display control method described in any of Appendices 24 to 33, wherein the display information further includes information about self-checkout registers at the store where users can complete at least part of their own transactions, and the computer determines the priority of display information that includes information about the self-checkout registers.

[0140] [Supplementary Note 35] The display control method according to Supplementary Note 34, wherein the computer determines that the higher the degree of congestion, the higher the priority of the information relating to the self-checkout register.

[0141] [Appendix 36] The display control method described in any of Appendices 24 to 35, wherein the display information further includes coupon information or coupon preview information, and the computer determines the priority of the display information including the coupon information or the coupon preview information.

[0142] [Supplementary Note 37] The display control method according to Supplementary Note 36, wherein the computer determines that the higher the degree of congestion, the higher the priority of the coupon information or the coupon preview information.

[0143] [Appendix 38] A display control method described in any one of Appendices 24 to 37, wherein the display information further includes information indicating the time periods when the store is open, and the computer determines the priority of the display information including the information indicating the time periods when the store is open.

[0144] [Supplementary Note 39] The display control method according to Supplementary Note 38, wherein the computer determines that the higher the degree of congestion, the higher the priority of information notifying the time periods when the store is less crowded.

[0145] [Supplementary Note 40] The display control method described in any one of Supplementary Notes 24 to 39, wherein the display information further includes information regarding the use of other stores, and the computer determines the priority of the display information including the information regarding the use of other stores.

[0146] [Supplementary Note 41] The display control method according to Supplementary Note 40, wherein the computer determines that the higher the degree of congestion, the higher the priority of the information relating to the use of the other store.

[0147] [Appendix 42] The display control method described in Appendix 40 or 41, wherein the information regarding the use of the other store includes display information of products that can be purchased at the other store, and the computer determines the priority of the display information of products that can be purchased at the other store based on the degree of congestion of the other store so that the effort is appropriate for the degree of congestion of the other store.

[0148] [Supplementary Note 43] The display control method according to any one of Supplementary Notes 24 to 42, wherein the computer displays the display information larger as the priority of the display information becomes higher.

[0149] [Appendix 44] The display control method described in any one of Appendices 24 to 43, wherein when the computer switches some or all of the display information to be displayed on the display device over time, the higher the priority of the display information, the longer the display time of the display information.

[0150] [Appendix 45] The display control method described in any one of Appendices 24 to 44, wherein, when the computer switches some or all of the display information to be displayed on the display device over time, the higher the priority of the display information, the higher the display frequency of the display information.

[0151] [Supplementary Note 46] The display control method according to any one of Supplementary Notes 24 to 45, wherein when the computer switches the display information to be displayed on the display device in response to a user operation, the computer fixes and displays the display information whose priority is higher than a predetermined value.

[0152] [Supplementary Note 47] A recording medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute the following processes: estimating the degree of congestion of a store based on sensor information of the store; determining a priority of display information related to the product based on the effort required to sell the product and the degree of congestion so that the effort is appropriate for the degree of congestion; and displaying the display information on a display device based on the priority.

[0153] [Supplementary Note 48] The recording medium according to Supplementary Note 47, storing a program that causes the computer to execute a process in which the higher the degree of congestion, the lower the priority of display information related to the product that requires the most effort is determined.

[0154] [Supplementary Note 49] The recording medium according to Supplementary Note 47 or 48, storing a program that causes the computer to execute a process of determining a predetermined priority if the congestion degree is lower than a predetermined degree.

[0155] [Supplementary Note 50] The recording medium according to any one of Supplementary Notes 47 to 49, wherein the display information is advertising information for the product.

[0156] [Supplementary Note 51] The recording medium according to Supplementary Note 50, storing a program that causes the computer to execute a process of displaying, as the display information, product information to be displayed for ordering the product on the display device, which is a terminal device having an order receiving function that is a function for receiving an order for the product.

[0157] [Supplementary Note 52] The recording medium according to Supplementary Note 51, storing a program that causes the computer to execute a process of enabling an order receiving function of the display device when the degree of congestion is higher than a predetermined degree.

[0158] [Supplementary Note 53] The recording medium according to Supplementary Note 52, wherein, when the order receiving function of the display device is enabled, a notification is given to inform the user that the order receiving function of the display device has been enabled.

[0159] [Appendix 54] A recording medium according to any one of Appendices 47 to 53, storing a program that causes the computer to execute a process in which the display information further includes information about other functions that the user can use in the store, and the priority of the display information including the information about the other functions is determined.

[0160] [Supplementary Note 55] The recording medium according to Supplementary Note 54, storing a program for causing the computer to execute a process in which the higher the degree of congestion, the lower the priority of the information relating to the other function is determined to be.

[0161] [Supplementary Note 56] The recording medium according to Supplementary Note 54 or 55, wherein the other function is at least one of a restroom, an ATM, a multi-copy machine, and a multimedia station in the store.

[0162] [Appendix 57] A recording medium described in any of Appendices 47 to 56 that stores a program that causes the computer to execute a process in which the display information further includes information about self-checkout registers where users at the store perform at least part of their own checkout, and determines the priority of the display information that includes information about the self-checkout registers.

[0163] [Supplementary Note 58] The recording medium according to Supplementary Note 57, storing a program that causes the computer to execute a process in which the higher the degree of congestion, the higher the priority of the information regarding the self-checkout register is determined to be.

[0164] [Appendix 59] A recording medium described in any of Appendices 47 to 58, which stores a program that causes the computer to execute a process in which the display information further includes coupon information or coupon preview information, and the priority of display information including the coupon information or the coupon preview information is determined.

[0165] [Supplementary Note 60] The recording medium according to Supplementary Note 59, storing a program for causing the computer to execute a process in which the higher the degree of congestion, the higher the priority of the coupon information or the coupon preview information is determined to be.

[0166] [Appendix 61] A recording medium according to any one of Appendices 47 to 60, storing a program that causes the computer to execute a process in which the display information further includes information indicating the time periods when the store is open, and the priority of the display information including the information indicating the time periods when the store is open is determined.

[0167] [Supplementary Note 62] The recording medium according to Supplementary Note 61, storing a program that causes the computer to execute a process in which the higher the degree of congestion, the higher the priority of information notifying the time periods when the store is less crowded is determined.

[0168] [Appendix 63] A recording medium according to any one of Appendices 47 to 62, storing a program that causes the computer to execute a process in which the display information further includes information regarding use of other stores, and the priority of the display information including the information regarding use of other stores is determined.

[0169] [Supplementary Note 64] The recording medium according to Supplementary Note 63, storing a program for causing the computer to execute a process in which the higher the degree of congestion, the higher the priority of information relating to use of the other store is determined to be.

[0170] [Appendix 65] The recording medium described in Appendix 63 or 64 stores a program that causes the computer to execute a process in which the information regarding the use of the other store includes display information of products that can be purchased at the other store, and the priority of the display information of products that can be purchased at the other store is determined based on the degree of congestion of the other store so that the effort is appropriate for the degree of congestion of the other store.

[0171] [Supplementary Note 66] The recording medium according to any one of Supplementary Notes 47 to 65, storing a program that causes the computer to execute a process in which the higher the priority of the display information, the larger the display information is displayed.

[0172] [Appendix 67] A recording medium according to any one of Appendices 47 to 66, storing a program for causing the computer to execute a process in which, when part or all of the display information to be displayed on the display device is switched over over time, the higher the priority of the display information, the longer the display time of the display information.

[0173] [Appendix 68] A recording medium according to any one of Appendices 47 to 67, storing a program for causing the computer to execute a process in which, when some or all of the display information to be displayed on the display device is switched over over time, the higher the priority of the display information, the higher the display frequency of the display information.

[0174] [Supplementary Note 69] A recording medium according to any one of Supplementary Notes 47 to 68, storing a program that causes the computer to execute a process of: when the display information to be displayed on the display device is switched in response to a user operation, fixing and displaying the display information whose priority is higher than a predetermined value.

[0175] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 Display control device 101 Estimation unit 102 Determination unit 103 Display control unit 200 Display control device 204 Validation unit 205 Notification unit 1000 Information processing device 1001 CPU 1002 ROM 1003 RAM 1004 Program 1005 Storage device 1006 Recording medium 1007 Drive device 1008 Communication I / F 1009 Communication network 1010 Input / output I / F 1011 Bus

Claims

1. A display control device comprising: an estimation means for estimating the degree of congestion of a store based on sensor information of the store; a determination means for determining a priority of display information related to the product based on the effort required to sell the product and the degree of congestion so that the effort is appropriate to the degree of congestion; and a display control means for displaying the display information on a display device based on the priority.

2. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein the determining means determines that the higher the degree of congestion, the lower the priority of the display information relating to the product that requires a lot of effort.

3. The display control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the determining means determines a predetermined priority when the degree of congestion is lower than a predetermined degree.

4. A display control device according to claim 1, wherein the display information is advertising information for the product.

5. The display control device according to claim 4, wherein the display control means causes the display device, which is a terminal device having an order receiving function for receiving orders for the product, to display product information to be displayed for ordering the product as the display information.

6. The display control device according to claim 5, further comprising an enabling means for enabling an order receiving function of said display device when said degree of congestion is higher than a predetermined degree.

7. The display control device according to claim 6, further comprising a notification means for, when the enabling means enables the order receiving function of the display device, providing a notification that the order receiving function of the display device has been enabled.

8. A display control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the display information further includes information regarding other functions available to the user in the store, and the determination means determines the priority of the display information including the information regarding the other functions.

9. The display control device according to claim 8, wherein the determining means determines that the higher the degree of congestion, the lower the priority of the information relating to the other functions.

10. The display control device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the other functions are at least one of a restroom, an ATM, a multi-copy machine, and a multimedia station in the store.

11. A display control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the display information further includes information regarding self-checkout registers at the store where users can perform at least part of their own transactions, and the determination means determines that the higher the degree of congestion, the higher the priority of the information regarding the self-checkout registers.

12. A display control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the display information further includes coupon information or coupon preview information, and the determination means determines that the higher the degree of congestion, the higher the priority of the coupon information or coupon preview information.

13. A display control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the display information further includes information informing of the time periods when the store is open, and the determination means determines that the higher the degree of congestion, the higher the priority of the information informing of the time periods when the store is open.

14. A display control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the display information further includes information regarding the use of other stores, and the determination means determines that the higher the degree of congestion, the higher the priority of the information regarding the use of other stores.

15. A display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the display control means displays the display information larger as the priority of the display information increases.

16. A display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein, when the display control means switches some or all of the display information to be displayed on the display device over time, the higher the priority of the display information, the longer the display time of the display information.

17. A display control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein, when the display control means switches part or all of the display information to be displayed on the display device over time, the higher the priority of the display information, the higher the display frequency of the display information.

18. A display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein, when the display information to be displayed on the display device is switched in response to a user operation, the display control means fixes and displays the display information whose priority is higher than a predetermined value.

19. A display control method in which a computer estimates the degree of congestion of a store based on sensor information from the store, determines a priority of display information regarding the product based on the effort required to sell the product and the degree of congestion, so that the effort is appropriate for the degree of congestion, and displays the display information on a display device based on the priority.

20. A recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a process of estimating the degree of congestion of a store based on sensor information from the store, determining a priority of display information regarding the product based on the effort required to sell the product and the degree of congestion so that the effort is appropriate for the degree of congestion, and displaying the display information on a display device based on the priority.

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