Shopping supervision device, shopping supervision method, and recording medium

Abstract

This shopping supervision device includes: an acquisition means for acquiring purchase information related to a user of a store; a determination means for determining whether there are any suspicious points in the behavior of the user on the basis of the purchase information; a transmission means for transmitting an alert to a supervisor terminal used by a supervisor associated with the user if there are any suspicious points; a reception means for receiving a request for taking an action toward the user from the supervisor terminal; and an execution means for executing the requested action.

Description

Shopping supervision device, shopping supervision method, and recording medium

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a shopping supervision device, a shopping supervision method, and a recording medium.

[0002] For example, customers of a store may end up purchasing unnecessary products or making purchases that cost a large amount in total, so it is necessary for customers to manage their own shopping.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a product purchase information supervision system suitable for preventing duplicate purchases of the same product or repurchasing of unnecessary products. The product purchase information supervision system described in Patent Document 1 displays a warning message regarding the purchase of the desired product on the user's mobile information terminal when it is determined that product information of the product that the user wishes to purchase is registered in the purchase history.

[0004] JP 2009-205293 A

[0005] For example, elderly store users may find it difficult to manage their own shopping. In the product purchase information supervision system described in Patent Document 1, even if a warning message is displayed to a user who has difficulty managing their own shopping, the user may not be able to take appropriate action. In situations where a user has difficulty managing their own shopping, it may be necessary for the user to have a supervisor manage the shopping.

[0006] One of the objects of the present disclosure is to provide a shopping supervision device or the like that enables a supervisor to supervise a user's shopping.

[0007] A shopping supervision device in one aspect of the present disclosure includes an acquisition means for acquiring purchasing information of store users, a determination means for determining whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior based on the purchasing information, a transmission means for sending an alert to a supervisor terminal used by a supervisor associated with the user if there is anything suspicious, a reception means for receiving a request from the supervisor terminal to take action against the user, and an execution means for carrying out the action that has been received.

[0008] A shopping supervision method in one aspect of the present disclosure acquires purchasing information of a store user, determines whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior based on the purchasing information, and if there is anything suspicious, sends an alert to a supervisor terminal used by a supervisor associated with the user, accepts a request for action to be taken against the user from the supervisor terminal, and carries out the action that has been accepted.

[0009] A shopping supervision program in one aspect of the present disclosure acquires purchasing information of store users, determines whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior based on the purchasing information, and if there is anything suspicious, sends an alert to a supervisor terminal used by a supervisor associated with the user, accepts a request from the supervisor terminal to take action against the user, and carries out the action that has been requested.

[0010] Each program may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium.

[0011] One example of the effect of the present disclosure is that it allows a supervisor to supervise a user's purchases.

[0012] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a case where a store to which a shopping supervision device is applied is an EC shop. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a system including a shopping supervision device. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a shopping supervision device. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the display screen of a supervisor terminal. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the display screen of a store clerk terminal. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the display screen of a supervisor terminal. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the shopping supervision device. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a case where a store to which a shopping supervision device is applied is a brick-and-mortar store. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the shopping supervision device.

[0013] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0014] Here, stores to which the shopping supervision device 10 can be applied include EC (Electronic Commerce) stores and physical stores. When the store is an EC store, customers of the store order products in advance. Then, the store customers can receive the ordered products by delivery. When the store is a physical store, customers visit the physical store. Then, the users can purchase the products. A store may have either the store format of an EC store or a physical store. Also, one store may have both the store format of an EC store and a physical store.

[0015] Therefore, in the embodiment, a case where the store is an EC shop will be described. Since the shopping supervision device 10 can also be applied to a physical store, a case where the store is a physical store will be described as an application example.

[0016] [Embodiment] First, a case where the store to which the shopping supervision device 10 is applied is an EC shop will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a case where the store to which the shopping supervision device 10 is applied is an EC shop. When the store is an EC shop, the shopping supervision device 10 supervises shopping in which products ordered in advance by a user are delivered.

[0017] Here, store users include users who have difficulty recognizing that their purchasing behavior is abnormal when it is not normal. An example of a user who has difficulty recognizing that their purchasing behavior is abnormal is the elderly. Therefore, a supervisor may be needed to oversee the user's shopping. The supervisor monitors the user's purchasing behavior to ensure there is nothing suspicious. Furthermore, if there is anything suspicious about the user's shopping, the supervisor requests appropriate action. The supervisor may be, for example, the child of the elderly user. In other words, the child supervisor can oversee the shopping of the parent user. Figure 1 explains an example in which the user is a parent and the supervisor is the user's child.

[0018] Referring to FIG. 1 , first, a parent, who is the user, orders products in advance. Then, the shopping supervision device 10 determines whether there is anything suspicious about the parent's behavior based on the information about the pre-ordered products ordered by the parent. If it determines that there is anything suspicious about the parent's behavior, the shopping supervision device 10 sends an alert to the child, who is supervising the parent. The child can then request any necessary action regarding the parent's shopping. When supervising a shopping trip in which products ordered in advance by the parent are delivered, the child can request, for example, that the pre-ordered products be canceled or that the delivery person for the pre-ordered products check on the parent. The shopping supervision device 10 then executes the action requested by the child. Here, "executing an action" by the shopping supervision device 10 means executing the processing necessary to take the action requested by the supervisor.

[0019] FIG. 1 shows an example of a situation in which the shopping supervision device 10 can be applied. The user and supervisor are not limited to parent and child. They can be any person who has a relationship with a store user and supervises the user's shopping. The actions requested by the supervisor are not limited to the above. Furthermore, the timing of carrying out the actions requested by the supervisor is not limited to the above.

[0020] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a system including the shopping supervision device 10. Referring to Fig. 2, the shopping supervision device 10 is connected to a database 90 via a wired or wireless network. The shopping supervision device 10 is also connected to a supervisor terminal 91 and a store clerk terminal 92 via a wireless network.

[0021] The database 90 stores information about store users, such as user attribute information and purchase information. The database 90 may be included in the shopping supervision device 10.

[0022] The supervisor terminal 91 is a terminal used by a supervisor. The supervisor terminal 91 is, for example, a smartphone, a personal computer, or a tablet terminal. The supervisor terminal 91 is not limited to these. The supervisor terminal 91 may be any terminal that can be used by a supervisor. The number of supervisor terminals 91 is not limited to one. There may be multiple supervisor terminals 91. A case where there are multiple supervisor terminals 91 means, for example, a case where there are multiple supervisors. Furthermore, a case where there are multiple supervisor terminals 91 includes a case where one supervisor uses multiple supervisor terminals 91. The process of generating the screen to be displayed on the supervisor terminal 91 may be performed by the shopping supervision device 10 or the supervisor terminal 91.

[0023] The clerk terminal 92 is a terminal used by a clerk. Here, the clerk includes a delivery clerk who delivers pre-ordered items and a clerk who works at a physical store (hereinafter referred to as a physical store clerk). The clerk terminal 92 used by a delivery clerk is referred to as a delivery clerk terminal. Furthermore, the clerk terminal 92 used by a clerk at a physical store is referred to as a physical store clerk terminal. The clerk terminal 92 is, for example, a POS (Point of Sale) terminal, a smartphone, a personal computer, or a tablet terminal. The clerk terminal 92 is not limited to these. The clerk terminal 92 may be any terminal that can be used by a clerk. The number of clerk terminals 92 is not limited to one. There may be multiple clerk terminals 92. The multiple clerk terminals 92 may include a delivery clerk terminal and a physical store clerk terminal. The process of generating a screen to be displayed on the clerk terminal 92 may be performed by the shopping supervision device 10 or the clerk terminal 92.

[0024] Next, the configuration of the shopping supervision device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the shopping supervision device 10. The shopping supervision device 10 comprises an acquisition unit 101, a determination unit 102, a transmission unit 103, a reception unit 104, and an execution unit 105. The shopping supervision device 10 may further comprise a notification unit 106.

[0025] First, the acquisition unit 101, the determination unit 102, the transmission unit 103, the reception unit 104, and the execution unit 105 will be described.

[0026] The acquisition unit 101 is one aspect of acquisition means for acquiring purchasing information of store users. The acquisition unit 101 acquires information about products purchased by users. The product information includes the product name, product price, number of products purchased, and total price of the purchased products. The product information may also include information identifying the product, and the expiration date or best-before date of the purchased product. The information about products purchased by users is linked to information identifying the user. The information identifying the user is, for example, the user's name, contact information, or membership number. The information about products purchased by users is stored, for example, in a database 90. The acquisition unit 101 can acquire information about products purchased by users from the database 90 based on the information identifying the user.

[0027] When the store is an e-commerce shop, the acquisition unit 101 acquires, as purchase information, information about pre-ordered products that a user has ordered in advance. For example, a user may order products in advance using a terminal that the user uses. Alternatively, a user may order products in advance by handing an order form listing the products to be ordered to a delivery person. When a user orders products in advance, information about the pre-ordered products is stored in the database 90. The acquisition unit 101 can then acquire the information about the pre-ordered products stored in the database 90.

[0028] The determination unit 102 is one aspect of a determination means that determines whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior based on the purchase information. Here, the user's behavior particularly refers to the user's purchasing behavior. The determination unit 102 determines that there is something suspicious when, for example, the product details included in the purchase information are abnormal. If the store is an e-commerce shop, the purchase information is information about pre-ordered products that the user has ordered in advance.

[0029] An example of an abnormality in the product content included in the purchase information is when the content of the product purchased by the user differs from the content of the product that the user normally purchases. In other words, when the content of the product purchased by the user is not what would be expected from the content of the product that the user normally purchases. When the content of the product purchased by the user differs from the content of the product that the user normally purchases, for example, the number of the same product purchased is greater than the user's usual number of purchases, or the total amount of the purchased products is higher than the user's usual total amount. When the content of the product purchased by the user differs from the content of the product that the user normally purchases, it also includes when the frequency of purchase of a certain product is higher than in the past. When the content of the product purchased by the user differs from the content of the product that the user normally purchases, it also includes when the user purchases a luxury item that the user has not purchased before.

[0030] Another example of an abnormal product content included in purchasing information is when the content of the product purchased by a user is not reasonably possible given the user's attributes. In other words, when the content of the product purchased by a user is inconceivable given the user's attributes. Specifically, when the content of the product purchased by a user is not predictable given the user's gender, age, or family composition. When the content of the product purchased by a user is not predictable given the user's gender, for example, the purchasing information contains a product targeted at a gender different from the user's gender. When the content of the product purchased by a user is not predictable given the user's age, for example, the purchasing information contains a product that is not targeted at the user's age. When the content of the product purchased by a user is not predictable given the user's family composition, for example, the purchasing information contains a large quantity of the product even though the user lives alone. The quantity of the product included in the purchasing information refers to the total quantity of the product purchased by the user, the number of a certain product purchased, or the total amount of the product purchased.

[0031] Therefore, the determination unit 102 determines whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior using suspicious determination conditions that indicate there is something suspicious about the user's behavior. The suspicious determination conditions are conditions that indicate that the user's purchasing behavior is not normal. In other words, the determination unit 102 determines that there is something suspicious when the purchasing information matches the suspicious determination conditions.

[0032] The suspiciousness determination conditions are explained below. The suspiciousness determination conditions are, for example, conditions related to the quantity of products included in the user's purchasing information. In other words, if the contents of the products included in the user's purchasing information are inconsistent with the contents of the products the user normally purchases, the determination unit determines that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior. Specifically, the suspiciousness determination conditions are conditions related to the number of purchases of each product included in the purchasing information. An example of content that is inconsistent with the contents of the products the user normally purchases is when the purchase quantity of each product included in the user's purchasing information is significantly higher than usual. The determination unit 102 determines that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior, for example, if the purchase quantity of at least one type of product included in the purchasing information is equal to or greater than a predetermined number. The predetermined number is, for example, a purchase quantity significantly higher than the user normally purchases. The predetermined number is set, for example, from the user's purchasing history. The predetermined number may be set to twice the number of products the user normally purchases. In other words, if a user purchases four units of a product when they normally purchase two, the determination unit 102 can determine that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior. The method of setting the predetermined number is an example and is not limited to this. For example, the predetermined number may be set to the number of units of the product that a user normally purchases plus 10. The number to be added to or multiplied by the number of units of the product normally purchased is an example. The number to be added to or multiplied by the number of units of the product normally purchased can be set by a supervisor or a store.

[0033] Another example of a condition related to the quantity of products included in a user's purchasing information will be described. The suspiciousness determination condition may be a condition related to the weight of each product included in the purchasing information. One example of a condition that is not considered to be related to the products typically purchased by a user is when the weight of each product included in the user's purchasing information is significantly heavier than usual. In the case of products measured by weight, the determination unit 102 determines that the user's behavior is suspicious if the weight of at least one product included in the purchasing information is equal to or greater than a predetermined weight. The predetermined weight may be set, for example, from the user's purchasing history. For example, the predetermined weight may be set to three times the weight of the product that the user typically purchases. In other words, if a user typically purchases 100 g of a product but purchases 300 g, the determination unit 102 can determine that the user's behavior is suspicious. The method of setting the predetermined importance is merely an example and is not limited thereto. For example, the predetermined importance may be set to the weight of the product that the user typically purchases plus 300 g. The number added to or multiplied by the weight of a commonly purchased item is an example. The number added to or multiplied by the weight of a commonly purchased item can be set by a supervisor or store.

[0034] The suspiciousness determination condition is, for example, a condition related to the total amount of products included in the user's purchasing information. An example of a content that is inconsistent with the products that the user usually purchases is when the total amount of products included in the user's purchasing information is significantly higher than usual. Specifically, the suspiciousness determination condition is a threshold value for the total amount of products included in the user's purchasing information. The determination unit 102 can determine that the user's behavior is suspicious when the total amount of products included in the user's purchasing information is higher than a predetermined amount. The predetermined amount is, for example, an amount significantly higher than the amount the user usually purchases. The predetermined amount may be set, for example, from the user's purchasing history. Furthermore, the user's usual purchase amount is calculated by analyzing the purchasing history. For example, the user's usual purchase amount is the average of the purchase amounts included in the purchasing history. The average is an example of a statistical quantity of the purchase amount, and the statistical quantity of the purchase amount is not particularly limited, such as the median or mode. The predetermined number may be set to an amount three times the user's usual purchase amount. In other words, if a user normally purchases 5,000 yen worth of items but instead purchases 15,000 yen worth of items, the determination unit 102 can determine that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior. The method of setting the predetermined amount is an example and is not limited to this. For example, the predetermined amount may be set to the amount the user normally purchases plus 10,000 yen. The number to be added to or multiplied by the amount normally purchased is an example. The number to be added to or multiplied by the amount normally purchased can be set by a supervisor or a store. Whether the total amount of items included in the user's purchase information is significantly higher than usual may be analyzed using a known analysis model for detecting anomalies.

[0035] The suspiciousness determination condition is, for example, a condition related to the purchase frequency of a product included in the user's purchase information. If the purchase frequency of a product included in the purchase information is higher than in the past, the determination unit 102 can determine that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior. The purchase frequency of a product can be obtained from the purchase history.

[0036] The suspiciousness determination condition is, for example, a condition related to the type of product included in the user's purchase information. If the contents of the product purchased by the user include a luxury item that the user has not purchased before, the determination unit 102 can determine that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior.

[0037] The suspiciousness determination condition may be a condition indicating that the product included in the user's purchasing information is abnormal in terms of the user's attributes. In other words, if the purchasing information contains a product that does not match the user's attributes, the determination unit 102 determines that the user's behavior is suspicious. The user's attributes may be, for example, the user's gender, age, or family composition. The determination unit 102 may determine that the user's behavior is suspicious if the gender targeted by the product included in the user's purchasing information is different from the user's gender. The determination unit 102 may also determine that the user's behavior is suspicious if the user's age is not included in the age group targeted by the product included in the user's purchasing information. Furthermore, the determination unit 102 may determine that the user's behavior is suspicious if the quantity of products included in the user's purchasing information is large compared to the user's family composition. The quantity of products may be the total quantity of products purchased by the user, the number of products purchased, or the total amount of products purchased. An example of a case where the quantity of products included in the user's purchasing information is large compared to the user's family composition will be described. If a user lives alone but purchases ingredients for 10 people, the determination unit 102 can determine that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior.

[0038] The suspiciousness determination conditions may be set in advance. Alternatively, the store may set the suspiciousness determination conditions, or the supervisor may set the suspiciousness determination conditions. When the store sets the suspiciousness determination conditions, different conditions may be set for each user, or common conditions may be set for all users. Alternatively, some of the suspiciousness determination conditions may be set by the store, and the rest may be set by the supervisor.

[0039] The set suspiciousness determination conditions are stored, for example, in the database 90. If the suspiciousness determination conditions differ for each user, the user and the suspiciousness determination conditions for that user may be associated and stored. The determination unit 102 acquires the suspiciousness determination conditions from the database. Then, the determination unit 102 determines whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior. As an example of associating a user with the suspiciousness determination conditions for that user, it is sufficient that identification information for identifying the user and the suspiciousness determination conditions are associated and stored.

[0040] The determination unit 102 may determine whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior at the time when the purchase information is acquired. Alternatively, the determination unit 102 may periodically determine whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior. Furthermore, the determination unit 102 may determine whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior at a time predetermined by the store. The timing at which the determination unit 102 makes a determination is not limited to these.

[0041] The transmitting unit 103 is one aspect of a transmitting means that transmits an alert to the supervisor terminal 91 used by the supervisor associated with the user when there is something suspicious. When there is something suspicious, it means that the determining unit 102 determines that there is something suspicious in the behavior of the user.

[0042] The transmitting unit 103 first identifies a supervisor associated with the user determined to be suspicious. That is, the transmitting unit 103 identifies the destination of the alert. The transmitting unit 103, for example, refers to correspondence information that associates the user with the supervisor, and identifies the destination of the alert. The correspondence information includes information about the supervisor terminal 91 to which the transmitting unit 103 sends the alert. The supervisor can register in advance information about the supervisor terminal 91 to which the transmitting unit 103 wishes to send the alert. The transmitting unit 103 may send the alert to one or more supervisor terminals 91. The correspondence information is stored, for example, in the database 90. Note that, as an example of associating a user with a supervisor, the correspondence information may associate identification information that identifies the user with identification information that identifies the supervisor.

[0043] The transmitting unit 103 transmits an alert indicating that the determining unit 102 has determined that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior. The supervisor terminal 91 then receives the alert. By checking the alert displayed on the supervisor terminal 91, the supervisor can know that the determining unit 102 has determined that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior.

[0044] The transmitting unit 103 may transmit a request to confirm the details of the product included in the purchase information to the supervisor terminal 91. By checking the details of the product included in the user's purchase information, the supervisor can determine whether the user's behavior is suspicious.

[0045] The transmitting unit 103 may further transmit information regarding possible responses to the user to the supervisor terminal 91. The information regarding the possible responses includes the content of the response to the user and the timing of executing the response. The content of the response to the user will be explained later. By checking the possible responses, the supervisor can smoothly request a response, which will be described later.

[0046] The transmitting unit 103 may determine the information to be transmitted to the supervisor terminal 91. That is, the transmitting unit 103 determines which information to transmit to the supervisor terminal 91: an alert, a request to confirm the contents of the product included in the purchase information, or information regarding possible responses to the user. The transmitting unit 103 may determine to transmit two or more pieces of information: an alert, a request to confirm the contents of the product included in the purchase information, or information regarding possible responses to the user.

[0047] The transmitting unit 103 may determine the information to be transmitted based on, for example, the product included in the purchase information.

[0048] When the transmitting unit 103 transmits information regarding possible responses to the user, the possible responses may be determined based on the product included in the purchase information. That is, the transmitting unit 103 can determine, as a possible response, a response appropriate to the user's purchasing situation. Specifically, when the content of the product included in the purchase information is not what would normally be purchased by the user, the transmitting unit 103 can determine a store clerk confirmation response as a possible response. On the other hand, when the content of the product included in the purchase information is not what would normally be purchased by the user, the transmitting unit 103 can determine a cancellation response as a possible response.

[0049] Furthermore, even if the quantity of products included in the purchase information is significantly greater than the amount normally purchased, the transmitting unit 103 may determine the store clerk confirmation response as a candidate response depending on the quantity of products. The transmitting unit 103 may also determine the cancellation response as a candidate response depending on the quantity of products. Even if the products included in the purchase information are abnormal with respect to the user's attributes, the transmitting unit 103 may determine the store clerk confirmation response as a candidate response depending on the number of products that do not match the user's attributes. The transmitting unit 103 may also determine the cancellation response as a candidate response depending on the number of products that do not match the user's attributes. Specifically, if the user purchases one product whose age is outside the target age range, the transmitting unit 103 may determine the store clerk confirmation response as a candidate response. On the other hand, if the user purchases multiple products whose age is outside the target age range, the transmitting unit 103 may determine the cancellation response as a candidate response.

[0050] The transmitting unit 103 can determine the candidate countermeasures by referring to information in which the products included in the purchase information are pre-associated with the candidate countermeasures. The pre-associated information in which the products included in the purchase information are pre-associated with the candidate countermeasures is stored in, for example, the database 90.

[0051] The product details included in the purchase information are associated in advance with the information to be transmitted. The information associating the product details included in the purchase information with the information to be transmitted is stored, for example, in a database 90. The transmitting unit 103 can then refer to the information associating the product details included in the purchase information with the information to be transmitted, and determine the information to be transmitted to the supervisor terminal 91.

[0052] Furthermore, the transmitting unit 103 may decide to transmit information designated in advance by a supervisor. When it is determined that there is something suspicious about the behavior of a user, the supervisor can register in advance the designation of information that the supervisor wishes to transmit. The designation of information that the supervisor wishes to transmit, registered in advance, is stored in, for example, the database 90. Then, the transmitting unit 103 can refer to the designation of information that the supervisor wishes to transmit, stored in the database 90, and determine the information to transmit.

[0053] The transmitting unit 103 may determine to transmit information designated in advance by the store. The store designates the information to be transmitted.

[0054] The transmitting unit 103 may transmit an alert at the timing of the determination. Alternatively, the transmitting unit 103 may transmit an alert at a time designated in advance by a supervisor. Furthermore, the transmitting unit 103 may transmit an alert at a time determined in advance by the store.

[0055] A case will be described in which the transmitting unit 103 transmits an alert at a time specified by a supervisor or a time determined by the store. The determining unit 102 stores the determination that there is something suspicious in a database. The transmitting unit 103 then references the database 90. The transmitting unit 103 may then transmit an alert to the supervisor terminal 91 if the database 90 stores the determination that there is something suspicious.

[0056] The sending unit 103 may send the alert before a store clerk first contacts the user after the acquisition unit 101 acquires the purchasing information. If the store is an e-commerce shop, the timing when a store clerk first assists the user after the acquisition unit 101 acquires the purchasing information is, for example, when a delivery person delivers the pre-ordered items. The delivery person delivers the pre-ordered items on a date designated in advance by the user. Therefore, the sending unit 103 can send the alert before the delivery date of the pre-ordered items.

[0057] Here, after the transmission unit 103 transmits the alert, the supervisor needs time to consider how to respond to the user. Furthermore, depending on the content of the response requested by the supervisor, a preparation period for the response may be required. Therefore, the transmission unit 103 needs to transmit the alert well before the delivery date. Therefore, the transmission unit 103, for example, obtains the user's delivery date from the database 90. Then, the transmission unit 103 transmits the alert on a date that allows the supervisor enough time to consider how to respond and the preparation period for the response before the delivery date. Specifically, the transmission unit 103 may transmit the alert, for example, up to three days before the delivery date.

[0058] The transmitting unit 103 may transmit an alert when the number of times that the determining unit 102 determines that there is something suspicious satisfies the condition for transmitting an alert. In other words, the transmitting unit 103 may transmit an alert when the number of times that the determining unit 102 determines that there is something suspicious is equal to or greater than a predetermined number. The predetermined number is a number that indicates a high need for action against the user. The predetermined number is a value that is set in advance by the store or a supervisor. The predetermined number may be different for each user or may be the same for all users.

[0059] When the determination unit 102 determines that there is something suspicious, it links the determination to the user's information and stores the information in a database. That is, the number of times the user has been determined to be suspicious is stored in the database. Then, each time the determination unit 102 determines that there is something suspicious, the transmission unit 103 references the number of times the user has been determined to be suspicious, which is stored in the database. Then, when the number of times the determination unit 102 has determined that there is something suspicious is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, the transmission unit 103 sends an alert.

[0060] The reception unit 104 is one aspect of reception means that receives a request for assistance from the supervisor terminal 91 to the user.

[0061] The supervisor checks the alert sent by the sending unit 103 and considers whether or not a response is required for the user. When the sending unit 103 sends a request to confirm the product details included in the purchase information, the supervisor can check the product details included in the purchase information and consider whether or not a response is required for the user.

[0062] When the supervisor determines that a response is required for the user, the supervisor requests the response using the supervisor terminal 91. The reception unit 104 receives the request for the response for the user from the supervisor terminal 91. Here, the supervisor can specify the content of the desired response. In other words, the reception unit 104 receives the request for the response for the user that the supervisor desires.

[0063] Furthermore, when the supervisor determines that no action is required for the user, the supervisor can transmit a message indicating that no action is required using the supervisor terminal 91. Then, the reception unit 104 may receive, from the supervisor terminal 91, a message indicating that no action is required for the user.

[0064] Next, the response to the user will be described. The response to the user may be a candidate response determined by the transmission unit 103 based on the details of the product included in the purchase information. The transmission unit may also determine the response to the user as specified by a supervisor. Alternatively, the response to the user may be determined by the store clerk at their own discretion.

[0065] One example of how a store clerk might respond to a user is a store clerk checking-in response, where the store clerk checks on the user. In this case, the store clerk can ask the user questions about the products included in the purchase information or inquire about the user's health. This also includes the store clerk observing the user's behavior.

[0066] If the store is an e-commerce shop, the determination unit 102 determines whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior based on information about the pre-ordered items. If the determination unit 102 determines that there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior, the reception unit 104 can receive a request for a store clerk confirmation response in which a delivery person delivering the pre-ordered items checks on the user's condition. The store clerk confirmation response in which a delivery person checks on the user's condition is referred to as a delivery person confirmation response.

[0067] Another example of a response to a user is a cancellation response in which pre-ordered items are canceled when the store used by the user is an e-commerce shop. The acquisition unit 101 acquires information about the pre-ordered items, and the determination unit 102 determines whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior based on the information about the pre-ordered items. If the determination unit 102 determines that there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior based on the information about the pre-ordered items, the reception unit 104 can accept a request for cancellation. The reception unit 104 may accept a request for cancellation of all pre-ordered items. Alternatively, the reception unit 104 may accept a request for cancellation of some of the pre-ordered items. When accepting a cancellation of some of the pre-ordered items, the reception unit 104 accepts the request for cancellation and information about the items to be canceled.

[0068] The response to the user is not limited to these. The response to the user may be any response necessary for a user whose behavior is determined by the determination unit 102 to be suspicious. In other words, the response to the user may be any response appropriate to the user's purchasing information. Furthermore, the response to the user may be a response that can be carried out up until the first time the store clerk and the user meet after the purchasing information is acquired, or a response that can be carried out when the store clerk and the user meet for the first time after the purchasing information is acquired. An example of a response that can be carried out up until the first time the store clerk and the user meet after the purchasing information is acquired is a cancellation response. Furthermore, an example of a response that can be carried out when the store clerk and the user meet for the first time after the purchasing information is acquired is a store clerk confirmation response.

[0069] The reception unit 104 can receive requests for assistance via the Internet. A supervisor uses, for example, the supervisor terminal 91 to log in to a supervisor site to request assistance. The supervisor can then request assistance on the supervisor site. The reception unit 104 can receive requests for assistance made by the supervisor on the supervisor site.

[0070] The supervisor can also request a response from the screen of the supervisor terminal 91, on which the alert sent by the transmission unit 103 is displayed. For example, the screen on which the alert sent by the transmission unit 103 is displayed is also a screen on which the required response can be selected. In this case, the supervisor requests the required response from the screen on which the alert is displayed. Then, the supervisor terminal 91 transmits the response request to the reception unit 104. The reception unit 104 receives the response request from the supervisor terminal 91.

[0071] The reception unit 104 can also accept a request for assistance by telephone. A supervisor can make a request for assistance by, for example, using the supervisor terminal 91 to call a call center that accepts requests for assistance. If the supervisor's call is connected to, for example, an automated response system, the supervisor can input the request for assistance in accordance with the automated response system. The reception unit 104 can then accept the content of the request for assistance from the supervisor's input. Also, if an operator answers the supervisor's call, the operator, after hearing the content of the response, inputs the content of the request for assistance into a terminal, for example. The reception unit 104 can then accept the content of the request for assistance input from the terminal through which the operator input the content.

[0072] Here, if there are multiple supervisor terminals 91, the supervisor terminal 91 from which the reception unit 104 receives a response request may be the same as the supervisor terminal 91 from which the alert was transmitted. Also, if there are multiple supervisor terminals 91, the supervisor terminal 91 from which the reception unit 104 receives a response request may be a supervisor terminal 91 different from the supervisor terminal 91 from which the alert was transmitted. An example of a case where there are multiple supervisor terminals 91 is when a supervisor uses a smartphone and a personal computer as the supervisor terminals 91. In this case, the transmission unit 103 may transmit an alert to the smartphone, and the reception unit 104 may receive a response request from the personal computer. The types of supervisor terminals 91, the supervisor terminals 91 that transmit alerts, and the supervisor terminals 91 that receive response requests are merely examples.

[0073] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of the supervisor terminal 91. This is an example of a screen displayed on the supervisor terminal 91 to which an alert has been sent from the transmission unit 103. FIG. 4 shows an example in which the store is an e-commerce shop and the user is the supervisor's parent. Referring to FIG. 4, an alert is displayed indicating that the user's behavior has been determined to be suspicious. A request to confirm the contents of the product included in the purchase information is also displayed. The supervisor can confirm the contents of the product purchased by the user by pressing "Check details." Information regarding possible responses to the user, including cancellation and delivery person confirmation, is also displayed.

[0074] On the display screen shown in FIG. 4 , the supervisor can select a response request. If the supervisor determines that no response is required for the user, the supervisor can press "No Response Required." When "No Response Required" is pressed, the supervisor terminal 91 transmits a message to the reception unit 104 indicating that no response is required for the user. The reception unit 104 accepts the message indicating that no response is required for the user. On the other hand, if the supervisor determines that a response is required for the user, the supervisor can press the required response button. When the response button is pressed, the supervisor terminal 91 transmits a request for a response to the user to the reception unit 104. The reception unit 104 accepts the request for a response to the user. As shown in FIG. 4 , the supervisor can directly request a response via his / her own supervisor terminal 91 without going through the user, thereby improving the communication performance of the computer environment compared to a system that simply notifies the user of an alert. Therefore, communication efficiency can be improved.

[0075] The execution unit 105 is one aspect of an execution means that executes a response in response to a received request. The execution unit 105 executes a response in response to the response request received by the reception unit 104. If the reception unit 104 receives that no response is required for the user, the execution unit 105 does not execute the response.

[0076] A case will be described where the reception unit 104 receives a request for a store clerk confirmation response. In this case, the execution unit 105 executes transmission of an instruction to check the user's condition to the store clerk terminal 92 of the store clerk who will be the first to assist the user after receiving the request. The store clerk who will be the first to assist the user after receiving the request is, for example, a delivery person who delivers pre-ordered items. In other words, when the reception unit 104 receives a request for a delivery person confirmation response, the execution unit 105 can execute transmission of an instruction to check the user's condition to the delivery person terminal.

[0077] A method for identifying the store clerk who will send instructions will be described. The execution unit 105 can identify the store clerk who will send instructions by referring to a delivery schedule. The delivery schedule includes two pieces of information: information about the delivery person who will deliver the product, information about the user for whom the delivery person will deliver the product, and the delivery date for the user. Therefore, the execution unit 105 can identify the delivery person who will deliver the product pre-ordered by the user by referring to the delivery schedule. Here, the delivery schedule is stored in, for example, the database 90.

[0078] The execution unit 105 executes transmission of an instruction to check the status of the user to the delivery person terminal used by the identified delivery person. The execution unit 105 may execute transmission of an instruction to check the status of the user to the delivery person terminal into which the identified delivery person logs in.

[0079] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of the clerk terminal 92. FIG. 5 is an example of the display screen of the clerk terminal 92 to which an instruction to check on the user's condition has been sent. FIG. 5 also shows an example of a screen displayed on the delivery clerk terminal of the delivery clerk for a pre-ordered item. An instruction to check on the user's condition is displayed on the screen. By looking at the screen shown in FIG. 5, the clerk can understand that he or she needs to check on the user who ordered the item. Then, when the check is complete, the delivery clerk may press an "End" button to transition to the next screen. The display screen of the clerk terminal to which an instruction to check on the user's condition has been sent is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 5. Any screen may be used as long as it allows the clerk to confirm the instruction to check on the user's condition.

[0080] Next, a case where the receiving unit 104 receives a request for cancellation will be described. In this case, the execution unit 105 performs a cancellation process for the pre-ordered items. The cancellation process includes modifying the purchase information stored in the database and refunding the user. When a cancellation request is received for some of the pre-ordered items, the execution unit 105 performs a cancellation process for those items using the information of the items to be canceled received by the receiving unit 104.

[0081] The execution unit 105 may execute the response to the received request at the timing when the receiving unit 104 receives the response request. Furthermore, the execution unit 105 may execute the response to the received request at a predetermined timing. The predetermined timing may be set in advance by the store, for example. Specifically, the execution unit 105 may execute the cancellation process at a time determined by the store. Furthermore, the execution unit 105 may execute transmission of an instruction to the delivery person terminal to check the status of the user at a time determined by the store.

[0082] The shopping supervision device 10 may include a notification unit 106 .

[0083] The notification unit 106 is one aspect of notification means that notifies the supervisor terminal 91 of the completion of the response. The notification unit 106 may notify the supervisor terminal 91 of the content of the response that has been performed together with the completion of the response. The notification unit 106 may also notify the supervisor terminal 91 of the date and time when the receiving unit 104 received the response request together with the completion of the execution. Furthermore, the notification unit 106 may also notify the supervisor terminal 91 of the date and time when the executing unit 105 performed the response together with the completion of the execution. The content that the notification unit 106 notifies the supervisor terminal 91 together with the completion of the response is not limited to these.

[0084] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of the supervisor terminal. Referring to Fig. 6, a notice of completion of the response is displayed on the screen. The screen also displays the content of the response, the date and time when the response request was received, and the date and time when the response was performed. By looking at the screen shown in Fig. 6, the supervisor terminal 91 can understand that the requested response has been completed. The completion notice screen is not limited to the example of Fig. 6.

[0085] The notification unit 106 may further notify the user terminal (not shown) used by the user of the details of the action taken. The user can check the details of the action taken using the user terminal. Here, the user terminal is, for example, a smartphone, a personal computer, or a tablet terminal. The user terminal is not limited to these. The user terminal may be any terminal that the user can use. The shopping supervision device 10 and the user terminal are connected via a wireless network.

[0086] 7, the operation of the shopping supervision device 10, which includes the acquisition unit 101, the determination unit 102, the transmission unit 103, the reception unit 104, and the execution unit 105, will be described.

[0087] In step S101, the acquisition unit 101 acquires purchasing information of store users. If the store is an e-commerce shop, the acquisition unit 101 acquires information about pre-ordered items ordered by the user in advance. Then, in step S102, the determination unit 102 determines whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior. If the store is an e-commerce shop, the determination unit 102 determines whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior based on the information about the pre-ordered items.

[0088] If the determination unit 102 determines that there is nothing suspicious about the user's behavior (NO in step S102), the shopping supervision device 10 ends operation. If the determination unit 102 determines that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior (YES in step S102), in step S103, the transmission unit 103 transmits an alert to the supervisor terminal 91 used by the supervisor associated with the user. If the store is an e-commerce shop, the transmission unit 103 transmits an alert to the supervisor terminal before the delivery of the pre-ordered items.

[0089] In step S104, the reception unit 104 receives a request for assistance with the user from the supervisor terminal 91. Then, in step S105, the execution unit 105 executes the response to the received request. The shopping supervision device 10 ends operation. If the store is an e-commerce shop, when the reception unit 104 receives a request for a store clerk confirmation response in which a delivery person for a pre-ordered item checks on the user, the execution unit 105 executes transmission of an instruction to check on the user's condition to the store clerk terminal 92 used by the delivery person. Furthermore, when the reception unit 104 receives a request for cancellation response to cancel a pre-ordered item, the execution unit 105 executes cancellation processing for the pre-ordered item.

[0090] On the other hand, if the receiving unit 104 receives a message that no action is required for the user, the executing unit 105 does not take any action, and the shopping supervision device 10 then ends its operation.

[0091] Next, we will explain the operation of the shopping supervision device 10 when it is equipped with the notification unit 106. In step S105 of Fig. 7, the execution unit 105 executes a countermeasure. Thereafter, the notification unit 106 notifies the supervisor terminal 91 that the execution of the countermeasure has been completed. Then, the shopping supervision device 10 ends its operation.

[0092] In this embodiment, the shopping supervision device 10 includes an acquisition unit 101 that acquires purchase information of store users, a determination unit 102 that determines whether the user's behavior is suspicious based on the purchase information, a transmission unit 103 that sends an alert to a supervisor terminal used by a supervisor associated with the user if suspicious behavior is detected, a reception unit 104 that receives a request for action against the user from the supervisor terminal, and an execution unit 105 that executes the action in response to the received request. Users need to manage their own shopping, but some users may find it difficult to manage their shopping. For example, this may occur when an elderly person develops dementia. When a user finds it difficult to manage their own shopping, their behavior may be suspicious. In such cases, a supervisor in a position to supervise the user must supervise the user's shopping. Furthermore, the supervisor must take appropriate action against the user depending on the situation. If the sending unit 103 detects any suspicious behavior in the user, it sends an alert to the supervisor terminal used by the supervisor associated with the user, and the receiving unit 104 receives a request for action to be taken against the user. The supervisor then implements the requested action. This allows the supervisor to determine that the user's behavior is suspicious. Furthermore, the supervisor can request an appropriate action for the user. In other words, the configuration of the shopping supervision device 10 enables the supervisor to supervise the user's shopping. Furthermore, by enabling the supervisor to supervise the user's shopping, the user can prevent unnecessary purchases and expensive purchases. Furthermore, the supervisor can save the trouble of checking whether the user is managing their shopping. Furthermore, the supervisor can confirm through the alert that the user has been determined to be suspicious. Therefore, the supervisor can be aware that the user may be in a situation where it is difficult to manage their shopping.

[0093] In this embodiment, the shopping supervision device 10 determines that there is something suspicious when the determination unit 102 determines that the product details included in the purchasing information are abnormal. When a user is in a situation where it is difficult to manage their shopping, there may be something suspicious about the user's behavior. Specifically, the user's behavior is suspicious when the product details included in the purchasing information are abnormal. That is, the user's behavior is suspicious when the product details included in the purchasing information are not consistent with normal shopping. When the product details included in the purchasing information are not consistent with normal shopping, the supervisor may need to take appropriate action. Therefore, the determination unit 102 determines that there is something suspicious when the product details included in the purchasing information are abnormal. The transmission unit 103 then sends an alert to the supervisor terminal 91, allowing the supervisor to recognize that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior. The supervisor can also request that the user take action. As a result, the supervisor can supervise the user's shopping.

[0094] In this embodiment, the transmission unit 103 of the shopping supervision device 10 transmits a request to confirm the product details included in the purchase information. Even if a user's behavior is determined to be suspicious, the user may be able to manage their shopping. In other words, even if a user's behavior is determined to be suspicious, the user may be intentionally engaging in unusual purchasing behavior. For example, the user may be intentionally making bulk purchases. If the supervisor knows the user's shopping intentions, there is no need to take action against the user. Therefore, the supervisor first confirms the product details purchased by the user. Then, the supervisor needs to determine whether the user's behavior is truly suspicious. By transmitting a request to confirm the product details included in the purchase information from the transmission unit 103, the supervisor can confirm the product details purchased by the user. Then, the supervisor can determine whether the user's behavior is truly suspicious. As a result, it is possible to prevent unnecessary response requests.

[0095] In this embodiment, the transmission unit 103 of the shopping supervision device 10 transmits an alert before the first contact of a store clerk with the user after acquiring the purchasing information. If the user's behavior is suspicious, the supervisor requests a response. For example, if the acquisition unit 101 acquires information about pre-ordered items, the timing when the store clerk first responds to the user after acquiring the purchasing information is the timing when the pre-ordered items are delivered. For example, if a suspicious behavior is determined based on the information about the pre-ordered items, it would be difficult for the supervisor to respond appropriately even if an alert is sent after the pre-ordered items are delivered. Therefore, the transmission unit 103 transmits an alert before the first contact of a store clerk with the user after acquiring the purchasing information. This configuration enables prediction and appropriate response to the user. Furthermore, if an alert is sent after acquiring the purchasing information and after the store clerk and the user have already had a chance to interact, it is difficult for the supervisor to request an appropriate response based on the alert. In other words, an alert sent after acquiring the purchasing information and after the store clerk and the user have already had a chance to interact may be an unnecessary alert. Therefore, by sending an alert before the first store clerk contacts the customer after acquiring the purchase information, it is possible to reduce unnecessary alerts, thereby reducing unnecessary communications.

[0096] In this embodiment, the receiving unit 104 of the shopping supervision device 10 receives from the supervisor terminal a notification that no action is required for the user. Even if the determination unit 102 determines that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior, there are cases in which no action is required for the user. For example, the supervisor checks the product details included in the user's purchase information. If the supervisor determines that there is no problem with the product details, no action is required for the user. Therefore, by receiving from the supervisor terminal a notification that no action is required for the user, the receiving unit 104 can prevent unnecessary action for the user. Furthermore, by preventing unnecessary action, it is possible to reduce unnecessary communications required to execute the action.

[0097] In this embodiment, the receiving unit 104 of the shopping supervision device 10 accepts a request for a store clerk to check the user's condition. After accepting the request, the execution unit 105 of the shopping supervision device 10 transmits an instruction to check the user's condition to the store clerk terminal 92 of the store clerk who will first handle the user. Checking the user's condition by the store clerk may involve, for example, the store clerk asking the user questions about products included in the purchase information or inquiring about the user's health. Checking the user's condition by the store clerk may also involve the store clerk observing the user's behavior. Having the store clerk check the user's condition can encourage the user to manage their shopping. Having the store clerk check the user's condition may also clarify the user's unusual shopping intentions. Having the store clerk check the user's actual condition can help determine whether the user is unable to manage their shopping, for example, whether the user is suffering from dementia. Furthermore, the store clerk may determine from the user's condition that there are no problems with the user's behavior. Therefore, the supervisor can supervise the user's shopping.

[0098] In this embodiment, the acquisition unit 101 of the shopping supervision device 10 acquires information about pre-ordered items ordered by a user in advance, and the determination unit 102 determines whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior based on the information about the pre-ordered items. The transmission unit 103 of the shopping supervision device 10 then sends an alert to the supervisor terminal before the pre-ordered items are delivered. If the contents of the items ordered in advance by the user are abnormal, the supervisor cannot take appropriate action unless he or she is aware of the situation until delivery. Therefore, by having the transmission unit 103 send an alert before the pre-ordered items are delivered, the supervisor can consider the need for action and the content of the action to be requested. In other words, the supervisor can recognize that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior and can further consider how to respond. In other words, the supervisor can supervise the user's shopping.

[0099] In this embodiment, the receiving unit 104 of the shopping supervision device 10 receives a request for a store clerk check, in which a delivery person for a pre-ordered item checks on the user. Furthermore, the execution unit 105 executes transmission of an instruction to check on the user's condition to the store clerk terminal 92 used by the delivery person. When a request for a store clerk check is received from a supervisor, an instruction to check on the user's condition is transmitted to the store clerk terminal 92 used by the delivery person. For pre-ordered items determined to be abnormal, the delivery person can check on the user at the time of delivery. As a result, the supervisor can monitor the user's shopping and take appropriate action as necessary.

[0100] In this embodiment, the receiving unit 104 of the shopping supervision device 10 receives a cancellation request to cancel a pre-ordered item. Furthermore, the execution unit 105 executes the cancellation process for the pre-ordered item. Depending on the contents of the user's purchase, the supervisor may need to cancel the pre-ordered item before it is delivered. In such cases, the supervisor can cancel the pre-ordered item by requesting a cancellation. In other words, a request to cancel a pre-ordered item can be received at the supervisor's discretion. As a result, the user can avoid purchasing unnecessary items or expensive purchases.

[0101] In this embodiment, the shopping supervision device 10 transmits an alert when the determination unit 102 determines that there is something suspicious a predetermined number of times or more. Even when the determination unit 102 determines that there is something suspicious, the user may actually be intentionally purchasing the product. Therefore, if the transmission unit 103 transmits an alert every time the determination unit 102 determines that there is something suspicious, unnecessary alerts may be transmitted. On the other hand, if the determination unit 102 determines that there is something suspicious a large number of times, the user may not be managing their shopping, and there may be a high need to inform the supervisor of the user's situation. Therefore, by transmitting an alert when the determination unit 102 determines that there is something suspicious a predetermined number of times or more, unnecessary alerts can be reduced. Furthermore, by transmitting an alert when the determination unit 102 determines that there is something suspicious a predetermined number of times or more, an alert can be transmitted when there is a high need to send an alert to the supervisor. Furthermore, by reducing unnecessary alerts, unnecessary communication associated with the transmission of alerts can be reduced.

[0102] In this embodiment, the shopping supervision device 10 determines that a user's behavior is suspicious when the pre-ordered items or in-store purchased items are abnormal considering the user's attributes. An example of an abnormal user's shopping is when the shopping content is inconceivable given the user's attributes. For example, the shopping content is inconceivable when the user's gender is different from the gender targeted by the purchased items. Another example of an abnormal user's shopping content is when the user's age is different from the targeted age of the purchased items. Because a user is unable to manage their own shopping, they may unintentionally make purchases that are inconceivable given their attributes. Furthermore, if a user is unable to manage their own shopping, they may be unable to take appropriate action themselves. Therefore, when the user's shopping content is abnormal, the determination unit 102 determines that the user's behavior is suspicious, and the transmission unit 103 sends an alert to the supervisor. As a result, the supervisor can understand the user's situation and, if necessary, request appropriate action. This means that a supervisor can monitor the user's purchases.

[0103] In this embodiment, the judgment unit 102 of the shopping supervision device 10 judges whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior based on the quantity of goods included in the purchase information. If a user is unable to manage their own shopping, they may end up purchasing large quantities of the same goods. Therefore, by making a judgment based on the quantity of goods included in the purchase information, the judgment unit 102 can determine that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior if the user is purchasing a large quantity of goods.

[0104] In this embodiment, the shopping supervision device 10 includes a notification unit 106 that notifies the supervisor terminal of the completion of the execution of a response. After requesting a response, the supervisor may be concerned about whether the requested response has been implemented. Therefore, by having the notification unit 106 notify the supervisor of the completion of the execution of the response, the supervisor can know that the requested response has been implemented. Furthermore, if the supervisor is unable to know that the requested response has been implemented, the supervisor may, for example, inquire at the store. In this case, a store clerk at the store must respond to the supervisor's inquiry, which places a burden on the clerk. Therefore, by having the notification unit 106 notify the supervisor of the completion of the execution of the response, the burden on the clerk can be reduced. Furthermore, it is possible to reduce the amount of communication generated by inquiries from the supervisor.

[0105] In this embodiment, the notification unit 106 of the shopping supervision device 10 notifies the user terminal used by the user of the details of the action taken. Because the action taken for the user is requested by the supervisor, the user may not be aware of the details of the action. In particular, when a cancellation action is taken, the user may not be aware that the product they ordered has been canceled. Therefore, by the notification unit 106 notifying the user terminal used by the user of the details of the action taken, the user can understand the details of the action. Furthermore, if the user does not understand the details of the action taken, the user may, for example, inquire at a store. In this case, a store clerk must respond to the user's inquiry, which places a burden on the clerk. Therefore, by notifying the user terminal used by the user of the details of the action taken, the burden on the clerk can be reduced. Furthermore, the amount of communication generated by user inquiries can be reduced.

[0106] [First Modification of the Embodiment] Next, a modification of the present disclosure will be described. Below, the description of the modification will be omitted to the extent that it does not become unclear.

[0107] In addition to the purchase information, the acquisition unit 101 acquires from the store clerk terminal 92 a suspicious behavior notification indicating that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior. If the store is an e-commerce shop, the store clerk terminal 92 is a delivery person terminal. For example, if a delivery person senses that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior, the delivery person uses the delivery person terminal to send a suspicious behavior notification indicating that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior. Then, the acquisition unit 101 acquires the suspicious behavior notification indicating that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior from the delivery person terminal.

[0108] The determination unit 102 determines whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior based on the purchase information and the suspicious behavior notification. Specifically, when the acquisition unit 101 receives the suspicious behavior notification, the determination unit 102 may determine whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior based on the purchase information acquired by the acquisition unit 101.

[0109] 7, the determination unit 102 may determine that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior if the number of times the suspicious behavior notification has been received is equal to or greater than a predetermined number (YES in step S102). At this time, the determination unit 102 may determine that there is nothing suspicious about the user's behavior if the number of times the suspicious behavior notification has been received is equal to or greater than the predetermined number (NO in step S102).

[0110] If the determination unit 102 determines that there is nothing suspicious about the user's behavior (NO in step S102), the shopping supervision device 10 ends its operation. If the determination unit 102 determines that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior (YES in step S102), the shopping supervision device 10 performs the same operations as steps S103 to S105 in FIG. 7.

[0111] In this modified example, the acquisition unit 101 of the shopping supervision device 10 acquires a suspicious behavior notification from the store clerk terminal 92, indicating that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior. In the shopping supervision device 10, the transmission unit 103 transmits an alert when the acquisition unit 101 acquires the suspicious behavior notification. A store clerk who actually interacts with a user may sense that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior. Therefore, when the acquisition unit 101 acquires a suspicious behavior notification indicating that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior, the transmission unit 103 transmits an alert. With this configuration, the supervisor can understand that the store clerk senses that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior. The supervisor can then request that the user take appropriate action.

[0112] [Application Example] Next, an application example of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. This application example is an example in which the store to which the shopping supervision device 10 is applied is a brick-and-mortar store. Below, to the extent that the description of this embodiment is not unclear, explanations of content that overlap with the above description will be omitted.

[0113] First, referring to Fig. 8, a case where the store to which the shopping supervision device 10 is applied is explained. Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a case where the store to which the shopping supervision device is applied is a physical store. When the store is a physical store, the shopping supervision device 10 supervises the shopping performed by the user at the store. The store users and supervisors are as described above. Fig. 2 explains an example where the user is a parent and the supervisor is the user's child.

[0114] Referring to FIG. 8 , a parent, who is a user, purchases a product at a store. Then, the determination unit 102 determines whether there is anything suspicious about the parent's behavior based on information about the store-purchased product that the parent purchased at the store. If it is determined that there is something suspicious about the parent's behavior, the transmission unit 103 sends an alert to the child, who is the supervisor. The child can then request any necessary action regarding the parent's shopping. When supervising a user's shopping at a store, for example, the child can request that a store clerk at the physical store check on the parent the next time the parent visits the store. Then, the execution unit 105 executes the action requested by the child.

[0115] 8 shows an example of a situation in which the shopping supervision device 10 can be used. The user and supervisor are not limited to parent and child. They can be anyone who has a relationship with a store user and supervises the user's shopping. Furthermore, the content of the response requested by the supervisor and the timing of the response are not limited to these.

[0116] In this embodiment, the acquisition unit 101 acquires, as purchase information, information about store-purchased products that a user has purchased at a store. When a user purchases a product at a store, the information about the store-purchased product is stored in the database 90. The acquisition unit 101 can then acquire the information about the store-purchased product that is stored in the database 90.

[0117] In this embodiment, the determination unit 102 uses information about store-purchased products purchased by the user at the store as the purchase information. That is, the determination unit 102 determines whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior based on the purchase information.

[0118] The determination unit 102 then determines whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior, using a suspiciousness determination condition that indicates there is something suspicious about the user's behavior.

[0119] Here, the suspiciousness determination conditions in this embodiment may be the same as or different from those when the store is an e-commerce shop. For example, when the store is an e-commerce shop, users receive ordered products by delivery. Therefore, users may purchase more products than when the store is a physical store. On the other hand, when the store is a physical store, users may purchase fewer products than when the store is an e-commerce shop because they need to transport the products from the store to their home. Therefore, the predetermined number of purchases of each product included in the user's purchase information, which is the suspiciousness determination condition, may be different when the store is an e-commerce shop and when the store is a physical store.

[0120] As an example of the timing for the transmission unit 103 to transmit an alert, the transmission unit 103 may transmit the alert before the first contact of a store clerk with the user after the acquisition unit 101 acquires the purchase information. In this case, if the store is a physical store, the first time the store clerk interacts with the user after the acquisition unit 101 acquires the purchase information is, for example, the time when the user visits the store next. In other words, the user purchases a product at the physical store, and the acquisition unit 101 acquires information about the product purchased at the store. Then, the determination unit 102 determines whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior based on the information about the product purchased at the store. The transmission unit 103 can transmit the alert before the user visits the store next. For example, the transmission unit 103 may transmit the alert three days before the user's next visit. The timing of the user's next visit can be estimated, for example, from the purchase history stored in a database. The transmission unit 103 can estimate the date of the user's next visit based on the user's store visit date rules using the purchase history.

[0121] Here, we will explain how to handle a customer when the store is a physical store. When the store is a physical store, an example of how to handle a customer includes a store clerk checking the customer's condition.

[0122] If the store is a physical store, the determination unit 102 determines whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior based on information about the products purchased in the store. If the determination unit 102 determines that there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior, the reception unit 104 can accept a store clerk confirmation response in which a store clerk at the physical store checks on the user's condition the next time the user visits the store after purchasing the products purchased in the store. The store clerk confirmation response in which a store clerk at the physical store checks on the user's condition is referred to as a physical store store clerk confirmation response.

[0123] The configuration of the execution unit 105 in this embodiment is basically the same as that in the first embodiment. Here, a case where the store is a physical store and the reception unit 104 receives a request for store clerk confirmation will be described. That is, a case where the reception unit 104 receives a request for store clerk confirmation will be described.

[0124] The execution unit 105 executes transmission of an instruction to check the user's condition to the clerk terminal 92 of the clerk who will first serve the user after receiving the request. The clerk who will first serve the user after receiving the request is, for example, the clerk who will serve the user the next time the user visits the store. The execution unit 105 can execute transmission of an instruction to check the user's condition to the physical store clerk terminal used by the clerk.

[0125] The timing of execution by the execution unit 105 is as described above. In the present embodiment, the execution unit 105 may further execute, when it is detected that a user has visited the store, sending an instruction to the physical store clerk terminal to check the state of the user. The detection of a user's visit to the store may be performed, for example, by reading a point card. Furthermore, the detection of a user's visit to the store may be performed by face recognition technology. The method of detecting a user's visit to the store is not limited to these.

[0126] A method for identifying a store clerk to whom an instruction is to be sent will now be described. When a user's visit to a store is detected, for example, by reading a point card, an instruction may be sent to the store clerk terminal that read the point card. Furthermore, the execution unit 105 can identify the store clerk to whom an instruction is to be sent, for example, by referring to the clerk's work shift. The execution unit 105 can identify the store clerk who is working on the date when the user visits the store by referring to the work shift. Therefore, the transmission unit 103 may transmit an instruction to the identified store clerk to check on the user's condition.

[0127] Here, referring to FIG. 7 , the operation of the shopping supervision device 10 when the store is a physical store will be described in more detail. The acquisition unit 101 acquires information about the store-purchased items purchased by the user at the store (step S101). The determination unit 102 determines whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior based on the information about the store-purchased items (step S102). The transmission unit 103 sends an alert to the supervisor terminal before the user's next visit (step S103). The reception unit 104 accepts a request for a store clerk to check the user's condition (step S104). Then, the execution unit 105 transmits an instruction to check the user's condition to the clerk terminal 92 used by the clerk who will handle the user the next time the user visits the store (step S105). The shopping supervision device 10 then terminates its operation. When the shopping supervision device 10 includes the notification unit 106, the operation of the shopping supervision device 10 is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0128] In this embodiment, the transmission unit 103 of the shopping supervision device 10 transmits an alert before the first contact of a store clerk with the user after acquiring the purchasing information. If the user's behavior is suspicious, the supervisor requests an action. For example, if the acquisition unit 101 acquires information about products purchased in the store, the timing when the store clerk first responds to the user after acquiring the purchasing information is the timing when the user next visits the store. For example, if a suspicious behavior is determined based on the information about the products purchased in the store, it is difficult for the supervisor to respond appropriately even if an alert is sent long after the product is purchased in the store. Therefore, the transmission unit 103 transmits an alert before the first contact of a store clerk with the user after acquiring the purchasing information. This configuration enables the supervisor to request an appropriate action from the user. Furthermore, if an alert is transmitted after acquiring the purchasing information and after the user has already had contact with the store clerk, it is difficult for the supervisor to request an appropriate action based on the alert. In other words, an alert transmitted after acquiring the purchasing information and after the user has already had contact with the store clerk may be unnecessary. Therefore, by sending an alert before the first store clerk contacts the customer after acquiring the purchase information, it is possible to reduce unnecessary alerts, thereby reducing unnecessary communications.

[0129] In this embodiment, the shopping supervision device 10 includes an acquisition unit 101 that acquires information about store-purchased items purchased by a user at a store, and a determination unit 102 that determines whether the user's behavior is suspicious based on the information about the store-purchased items. The transmission unit 103 then sends an alert to a supervisor terminal before the user's next visit, and the reception unit 104 accepts a request for a store clerk to check the user's condition. Furthermore, the execution unit 105 executes an instruction to check the user's condition to the clerk terminal 92 used by the clerk who will be handling the user when the user next visits the store. If the contents of the items purchased by the user at the store are abnormal, it is desirable to take action as soon as possible after the purchase. This is because the user may forget what they purchased. Therefore, by having the transmission unit 103 send an alert before the user's next visit, the supervisor can consider the need for action and the content of the action to be requested. Furthermore, when a supervisor requests a store clerk to check the user's condition, the next time the customer visits the store, the store clerk terminal 92 used by the customer clerk can be used to send an instruction to check the customer's condition. This allows the customer to check with the store clerk about any items purchased in the store that are determined to be abnormal. As a result, the supervisor can monitor the customer's shopping. The supervisor can also take appropriate action as necessary.

[0130] [Modification 2 of the embodiment] Next, another modification of the present disclosure will be described. Below, the description of the present embodiment will be omitted to the extent that it does not make the description unclear. This modification will be described using an example in which the store is a physical store.

[0131] In addition to the purchase information, the acquisition unit 101 may acquire video images of the user captured by a camera (not shown) installed in the store. The camera installed in the store captures images of the user. The camera installed in the store may capture images of products or store staff in addition to the user. The camera is installed, for example, at the entrance / exit of the store, at the cash register, or on a product shelf. The location where the camera is installed is not limited to these. The camera may be installed in a location where it can capture images of the user.

[0132] The acquisition unit 101 can acquire a video of the user from a camera. At this time, the camera and the acquisition unit 101 are connected via a wired or wireless network. The camera may also store the captured video in a database. The acquisition unit 101 can then acquire the video stored in the database.

[0133] The determination unit 102 determines whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior based on the video image in addition to the purchase information. For example, the determination unit 102 determines whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior based on the purchase information. Then, when the user visits a store, the acquisition unit 101 acquires a video image of the user captured by a camera installed in the store. Then, the determination unit 102 determines whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior based on the video image.

[0134] The transmitting unit 103 transmits an alert when the determining unit 102 determines that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior based on the purchase information and the video image. In this case, the transmitting unit 103 may determine, as a possible response, that a store clerk check on the user's condition while the user is staying in the store.

[0135] The reception unit 104 receives a request for assistance with a user from the supervisor terminal. In this modification, the reception unit 104 can receive a request for assistance to have a store employee check on the status of a user whose behavior has been determined to be suspicious while the user is staying in the store.

[0136] When the reception unit 104 receives a request for a store clerk to check on the user's condition while the user is staying in the store, the execution unit 105 may execute transmission of an instruction to check on the user's condition to the store clerk terminal 92 of the store clerk who is on duty while the user is staying in the store. The store clerk to send the instruction can be identified by the method described above.

[0137] Other uses of the video acquired by the acquisition unit 101 will be described below. When the acquisition unit 101 acquires a video of a user, the reception unit 104 may receive a request for confirmation of the video. That is, when the determination unit 102 determines that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior based on the purchase information, the supervisor can request confirmation of the user's behavior using the video.

[0138] The video confirmation response is, for example, a response in which the determination unit 102 determines whether there is anything suspicious based on the video acquired by the acquisition unit 101. When the reception unit 104 receives a request for the video confirmation response, the execution unit 105 executes a response instructing the determination unit 102 to make a determination based on the video.

[0139] Furthermore, the video confirmation response is a response in which a store clerk confirms the video acquired by the acquisition unit 101. When the reception unit 104 receives a request for the video confirmation response, the execution unit 105 executes a response in which the video and a request to confirm the video are sent to the physical store clerk terminal. Then, the physical store clerk can confirm the video using the physical store clerk terminal.

[0140] Furthermore, the video confirmation response is a response in which the supervisor checks the video acquired by the acquisition unit 101. When the reception unit 104 receives a request for video confirmation response, the execution unit 105 executes a response in which the video is sent to the supervisor terminal 91. The supervisor can then check the video using the supervisor terminal 91.

[0141] In this modified shopping supervision device 10, the acquisition unit 101 acquires video images of a user captured by a camera installed in the store, and the determination unit 102 determines whether there is anything suspicious based on the video images. The determination unit 102 can determine the user's behavior based not only on the user's purchase information but also on the situation in the store. For example, even if the purchase information does not indicate that the user's behavior is suspicious, the determination unit 102 may be able to determine that the user's behavior is suspicious based on the situation in the store. This allows the supervisor to understand the user's situation and request appropriate action.

[0142] In this modification, the transmission unit 103 of the shopping supervision device 10 transmits an alert to the supervisor terminal 91, and the reception unit 104 accepts a request for a store clerk to check the user's condition. If the video image indicates anything suspicious, the store clerk may be able to confirm the user's condition in detail by actually checking the user's condition. Therefore, the supervisor can request an appropriate response from the user.

[0143] The first modification of the embodiment can also be applied when the store is a physical store. That is, when the store is a physical store, the acquisition unit 101 acquires a suspicious behavior notification from the physical store clerk terminal, indicating that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior. When a physical store clerk feels that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior, the physical store clerk uses the physical store clerk terminal to send a suspicious behavior notification indicating that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior. Then, the acquisition unit 101 acquires the suspicious behavior notification from the physical store clerk terminal, indicating that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior.

[0144] Furthermore, the first and second modifications of the embodiment can be applied in combination.

[0145] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to the embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various modifications that are understandable to those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present disclosure within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0146] Specifically, when a user uses an EC shop and a physical store, the operations performed when the store is an EC shop may be combined with the operations performed when the store is a physical store.

[0147] For example, if the determination unit 102 determines that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior based on the information about the pre-ordered products, the reception unit 104 may receive a request for confirmation by a store clerk at the physical store. In other words, if the contents of the products pre-ordered by the user are abnormal, the store clerk at the physical store may confirm the contents of the pre-ordered products with the user when the user visits the physical store.

[0148] Furthermore, if the determination unit 102 determines that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior based on the information about the store-purchased item, the reception unit 104 may receive a request for delivery person confirmation. A user who pre-orders an item may visit a physical store before the pre-ordered item is delivered. In this case, even if the contents of the pre-ordered item are normal, the contents of the store-purchased item may not be normal. In this case, the delivery person may confirm the contents of the store-purchased item when the pre-ordered item is delivered.

[0149] [Hardware Configuration Example] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration example of the shopping supervision device 20 according to the present disclosure. The shopping supervision device 20 is realized by a computer. The shopping supervision device 20 is an example of the shopping supervision device 10 realized by a computer.

[0150] The shopping supervision device 20 includes a processor 201, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 202, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 203, a storage device 204 such as a hard disk for storing programs, an input / output interface 205 for inputting and outputting data, and a communication interface 206 for network connection. Each component is connected via a bus 207.

[0151] The processor 201 runs an operating system to control the entire computer. Examples of the processor 201 include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The processor 201 loads programs stored in, for example, the ROM 202 or the storage device 204. The processor 201 then executes each process coded in the program. The processor 201 may execute processes or instructions in the illustrated flowchart based on the program.

[0152] The ROM 202 stores application programs, programs according to the embodiments, etc. The RAM 203 is used as a work area for the processor 201.

[0153] The storage device 204 may be, for example, a semiconductor memory such as a flash memory, a hard disk driver (HDD), etc. The storage device 204 stores, for example, an operating system (OS) program, application programs, programs according to each embodiment, etc.

[0154] The input / output interface 205 is connected to peripheral devices (not shown) via a wired network or a wireless network.

[0155] The communication interface 206 is connected to a communication network (not shown), such as a LAN (Local Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network), via a wireless or wired network. The communication network may be configured with multiple communication networks. This allows the computer to be connected to external devices via the communication network. The shopping supervision device 20 may have components other than those shown in FIG. 7 . For example, the shopping supervision device 20 may have a drive device or the like. For example, the processor 201 may be attached to a drive device or the like and read programs and data stored in a non-transitory tangible recording medium into the RAM 203.

[0156] Some or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but are not limited to, the following supplementary notes.

[0157] (Supplementary Note 1) A shopping supervision device comprising: an acquisition means for acquiring purchasing information of a store user; a determination means for determining whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior based on the purchasing information; a transmission means for sending an alert to a supervisor terminal used by a supervisor associated with the user if there is anything suspicious; a reception means for receiving a request from the supervisor terminal to take action against the user; and an execution means for carrying out the action having received the request.

[0158] (Supplementary Note 2) The shopping supervision device according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein the determining means determines that there is something suspicious when the contents of the product included in the purchase information are abnormal.

[0159] (Supplementary Note 3) The shopping supervision device according to Supplementary Note 1 or 2, wherein the transmission means transmits a request to confirm the contents of the product included in the purchase information.

[0160] (Supplementary Note 4) The shopping supervision device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3, wherein the transmission means transmits the alert before a store clerk first contacts the user after the purchase information is acquired.

[0161] (Supplementary Note 5) The shopping supervision device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 4, wherein the accepting means accepts from the supervisor terminal a notification that the action for the user is unnecessary.

[0162] (Supplementary Note 6) The shopping supervision device described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 5, wherein the reception means receives a request for a store clerk to check on the user's condition, and the execution means, after receiving the request, executes transmission of an instruction to check on the user's condition to the store clerk terminal of the store clerk who will first be handling the user's condition.

[0163] (Supplementary Note 7) The shopping supervision device according to Supplementary Note 6, wherein the acquisition means acquires information about pre-ordered items ordered by the user in advance, and the transmission means transmits the alert to the supervisor terminal before the pre-ordered items are delivered.

[0164] (Supplementary Note 8) The shopping supervision device according to Supplementary Note 7, wherein the receiving means receives a request for a store clerk confirmation response in which a delivery person for the pre-ordered item checks on the user, and the execution means executes transmission of an instruction to check on the user's condition to the store clerk terminal used by the delivery person.

[0165] (Supplementary Note 9) The shopping supervision device according to Supplementary Note 7 or 8, wherein the accepting unit accepts a cancellation request for canceling the pre-ordered item, and the executing unit executes a process for canceling the pre-ordered item.

[0166] (Supplementary Note 10) The shopping supervision device described in any one of Supplementary Notes 6 to 9, wherein the acquisition means acquires information about store-purchased products purchased by the user at the store; the transmission means sends an alert to the supervisor terminal by the time the user visits the store next time; the reception means receives a request for store clerk confirmation assistance, in which a store clerk at the store checks on the user's condition; and the execution means executes transmission of an instruction to check on the user's condition to the clerk terminal used by the clerk who will be assisting the user when the user visits the store next time.

[0167] (Supplementary Note 11) The shopping supervision device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 10, wherein the transmission means transmits the alert when the number of times that the determination means determines that there is a suspicious point is equal to or exceeds a predetermined number.

[0168] (Supplementary Note 12) The shopping supervision device according to Supplementary Note 11, wherein the determination means determines that there is something suspicious about the behavior of the user when the product included in the purchase information is not normal for the attributes of the user.

[0169] (Supplementary Note 13) The shopping supervision device according to Supplementary Note 11 or 12, wherein the determining means determines whether there is anything suspicious about the behavior of the user based on the quantity of merchandise included in the purchase information.

[0170] (Supplementary Note 14) The shopping supervision device described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 13, wherein the acquisition means acquires a video image of the user taken by a camera installed in the store, and the determination means determines whether there is anything suspicious based on the video image.

[0171] (Supplementary Note 15) The shopping supervision device according to Supplementary Note 14, wherein the transmitting means transmits an alert to the supervisor terminal if there is anything suspicious, and the receiving means receives the request for a store clerk to check on the user.

[0172] (Supplementary Note 16) The shopping supervision device described in any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 15, wherein the acquisition means acquires a suspicious behavior notification from a store clerk terminal, the suspicious behavior notification indicating that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior, and the transmission means transmits the alert when the acquisition means acquires the suspicious behavior notification.

[0173] (Supplementary Note 17) The shopping supervision device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 16, further comprising a notification means for notifying the supervisor terminal of completion of the execution of the response.

[0174] (Supplementary Note 18) The shopping supervision device according to Supplementary Note 17, wherein the notification means notifies a user terminal used by the user of the content of the action taken.

[0175] (Supplementary Note 19) A shopping supervision method in which a computer acquires purchasing information of a store user, determines whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior based on the purchasing information, and if there is anything suspicious, sends an alert to a supervisor terminal used by a supervisor associated with the user, accepts a request for action to be taken against the user from the supervisor terminal, and carries out the action in response to the accepted request.

[0176] (Supplementary Note 20) The shopping supervision method according to Supplementary Note 19, wherein the presence of the suspicious point is determined when the contents of the product included in the purchase information are abnormal.

[0177] (Supplementary Note 21) The shopping supervision method according to Supplementary Note 19 or 20, further comprising transmitting a request to confirm the details of the product included in the purchase information.

[0178] (Supplementary Note 22) The shopping supervision method according to any one of Supplementary Notes 19 to 21, wherein the alert is transmitted before a store clerk first contacts the user after the purchase information is acquired.

[0179] (Supplementary Note 23) The shopping supervision method according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 22, further comprising receiving from the supervisor terminal a notification that the action to the user is unnecessary.

[0180] (Appendix 24) A shopping supervision method as described in any one of Appendices 19 to 23, in which a store clerk accepts a request for a store clerk check-up to check on the user's condition, and after accepting the request, an instruction to check on the user's condition is sent to the store clerk terminal of the store clerk who will first be handling the user's condition.

[0181] (Supplementary Note 25) The shopping supervision method according to Supplementary Note 24, further comprising: acquiring information about a pre-ordered product that the user has ordered in advance; and transmitting the alert to the supervisor terminal before delivery of the pre-ordered product.

[0182] (Appendix 26) The shopping supervision method described in Appendix 25, wherein a delivery person for the pre-ordered product checks on the user, accepts a request for the store clerk to check on the user, and sends an instruction to the store clerk terminal used by the delivery person to check on the user.

[0183] (Supplementary Note 27) The shopping supervision method according to Supplementary Note 25 or 26, further comprising: accepting a cancellation request for canceling the pre-ordered product; and executing a cancellation process for the pre-ordered product.

[0184] (Appendix 28) A shopping supervision method as described in any one of Appendices 24 to 27, which includes obtaining information about store-purchased items purchased by the user at the store, sending an alert to the supervisor terminal before the user's next visit, accepting a request for a store clerk to check on the user's condition and assist the user, and sending an instruction to check on the user's condition to the clerk terminal used by the clerk assisting the user when the user next visits the store.

[0185] (Supplementary Note 29) The shopping supervision method according to any one of Supplementary Notes 19 to 28, wherein the alert is sent when the number of times that the suspicious point is determined to exist is equal to or exceeds a predetermined number.

[0186] (Supplementary Note 30) The shopping supervision method according to Supplementary Note 29, wherein if the product included in the purchase information is not normal for the attributes of the user, it is determined that there is something suspicious about the behavior of the user.

[0187] (Supplementary Note 31) The shopping supervision method according to Supplementary Note 29 or 30, further comprising determining whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior based on the quantity of merchandise included in the purchase information.

[0188] (Supplementary Note 32) The shopping supervision method according to any one of Supplementary Notes 19 to 31, further comprising: acquiring a video image of the user taken by a camera installed in the store; and determining whether there is anything suspicious based on the video image.

[0189] (Supplementary Note 33) The shopping supervision method according to Supplementary Note 32, wherein if there is anything suspicious, an alert is sent to the supervisor terminal, and a store clerk at the store accepts the request to take action by checking the user's condition.

[0190] (Appendix 34) A shopping supervision method according to any one of Appendices 19 to 33, comprising: obtaining a suspicious behavior notification from a store clerk terminal, the notification indicating that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior; and transmitting the alert when the obtaining means obtains the suspicious behavior notification.

[0191] (Supplementary Note 35) The shopping supervision method according to any one of Supplementary Notes 19 to 34, wherein the supervisor terminal is notified of completion of the execution of the response.

[0192] (Supplementary Note 36) The shopping supervision method according to Supplementary Note 35, wherein the content of the action taken is notified to a user terminal used by the user.

[0193] (Appendix 37) A recording medium storing a program for executing the following processes: acquiring purchasing information of a store user; determining whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior based on the purchasing information; if there is anything suspicious, sending an alert to a supervisor terminal used by a supervisor associated with the user; accepting a request for a response to the user from the supervisor terminal; and carrying out the response in response to the accepted request.

[0194] (Supplementary Note 38) The recording medium according to Supplementary Note 37, storing a program for executing a process of determining that there is something suspicious when the content of the product included in the purchasing information is abnormal.

[0195] (Supplementary Note 39) The recording medium according to Supplementary Note 37 or 38, storing a program for executing a process of transmitting a request to confirm the contents of the product included in the purchase information.

[0196] (Supplementary Note 40) A recording medium according to any one of Supplementary Notes 37 to 39, storing a program for executing a process for sending the alert before a store clerk first contacts the user after the purchase information is acquired.

[0197] (Supplementary Note 41) The recording medium according to any one of Supplementary Notes 37 to 40, storing a program for executing a process of accepting from the supervisor terminal that the action for the user is unnecessary.

[0198] (Appendix 42) A recording medium described in any one of Appendices 37 to 41 that stores a program that executes a process in which a store clerk accepts the request for a store clerk check on the status of the user, and sends an instruction to check on the status of the user to the store clerk terminal of the store clerk who will first handle the user after accepting the request.

[0199] (Supplementary Note 43) The recording medium according to Supplementary Note 42, storing a program for executing a process of acquiring information about pre-ordered products ordered by the user in advance, and transmitting the alert to the supervisor terminal before the delivery of the pre-ordered products. (Supplementary Note 44) The recording medium according to Supplementary Note 43, storing a program for executing a process of receiving a request from a delivery person for the pre-ordered products to check on the user's condition, and transmitting an instruction to the store clerk terminal used by the delivery person to check on the user's condition.

[0200] (Supplementary Note 45) The recording medium according to Supplementary Note 43 or 44, storing a program for executing a process of accepting a cancellation request for canceling the pre-ordered product and executing a process of canceling the pre-ordered product.

[0201] (Appendix 46) A recording medium described in any one of Appendices 42 to 45 that stores a program that executes the following processes: acquire information about store-purchased items purchased by the user at the store; send an alert to the supervisor terminal before the user's next visit; have a store clerk at the store check on the user's condition, accept the store clerk's request for confirmation; and when the user next visits the store, send an instruction to check on the user's condition to the store clerk terminal used by the store clerk who will be assisting the user.

[0202] (Supplementary Note 47) A recording medium according to any one of Supplementary Notes 37 to 46, storing a program for executing a process of sending the alert when the number of times the determination means determines that there is a suspicious point is equal to or greater than a predetermined number.

[0203] (Appendix 48) A recording medium described in Appendix 47 that stores a program that executes a process to determine that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior if the product included in the purchasing information is abnormal in relation to the user's attributes.

[0204] (Appendix 49) A recording medium according to appendix 47 or 48, which stores a program for executing a process in which the suspiciousness determination condition determines whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior based on the quantity of goods included in the purchasing information.

[0205] (Appendix 50) A recording medium according to any one of Appendices 37 to 49, storing a program for executing a process of acquiring a video image of the user taken by a camera installed in the store, and determining whether there is any suspicious point based on the video image.

[0206] (Appendix 51) A recording medium according to appendix 50, which stores a program that executes a process to send an alert to the supervisor terminal if any suspicious points are found, and to have a store clerk at the store check the condition of the user and accept the request for response.

[0207] (Appendix 52) A recording medium described in any one of Appendices 37 to 51 that stores a program that executes the process of obtaining a suspicious behavior notification from a store clerk terminal, indicating that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior, and sending the alert when the suspicious behavior notification is obtained.

[0208] (Supplementary Note 53) The recording medium according to any one of Supplementary Notes 37 to 52, storing a program for executing a process of notifying the supervisor terminal of completion of execution of the response.

[0209] (Supplementary Note 54) The recording medium according to Supplementary Note 53, storing a program for executing a process of notifying a user terminal used by the user of the content of the action taken.

[0210] (Appendix 55) A shopping supervisory program that executes the following processes: acquires purchasing information of a store user; determines whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior based on the purchasing information; if there is anything suspicious, sends an alert to a supervisor terminal used by a supervisor associated with the user; accepts a request for action to be taken against the user from the supervisor terminal; and carries out the action in response to the accepted request.

[0211] 10, 20 Shopping Supervision Device 101 Acquisition Unit 102 Determination Unit 103 Transmission Unit 104 Reception Unit 105 Execution Unit 106 Notification Unit 201 Processor 202 ROM 203 RAM 204 Storage Device 205 Input / Output Interface 206 Communication Interface 207 Bus 90 Database 91 Supervisor Terminal 92 Clerk Terminal

Claims

1. A shopping supervision device comprising: an acquisition means for acquiring purchasing information of a store user; a determination means for determining whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior based on the purchasing information; a transmission means for sending an alert to a supervisor terminal used by a supervisor associated with the user if there is anything suspicious; a reception means for receiving a request from the supervisor terminal to take action against the user; and an execution means for carrying out the action having received the request.

2. The shopping supervision device according to claim 1, wherein said determination means determines that there is something suspicious when the contents of the product included in said purchase information are abnormal.

3. The shopping supervision device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said transmission means transmits a request for confirmation of the contents of the merchandise included in said purchase information.

4. A shopping supervision device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said transmission means transmits said alert before a store clerk first comes into contact with said user after said purchase information is acquired.

5. A shopping supervision device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said reception means receives from said supervisor terminal a notification that said action with respect to said user is unnecessary.

6. A shopping supervision device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the reception means receives a request for a store clerk to check the condition of the user, and the execution means, after receiving the request, executes transmission of an instruction to check the condition of the user to the store clerk terminal of the store clerk who will first be handling the user.

7. The shopping supervision device according to claim 6, wherein said acquisition means acquires information regarding pre-ordered items ordered in advance by said user, and said transmission means transmits said alert to said supervisor terminal before the delivery of said pre-ordered items.

8. The shopping supervision device according to claim 7, wherein the reception means receives a request for a store clerk confirmation response in which a delivery person for the pre-ordered item checks on the user's condition, and the execution means executes transmission of an instruction to the store clerk terminal used by the delivery person to check on the user's condition.

9. The shopping supervision device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein said reception means receives a request for cancellation of said pre-ordered item, and said execution means executes a cancellation process for said pre-ordered item.

10. A shopping supervision device as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the acquisition means acquires information regarding store-purchased products purchased by the user at the store, the transmission means transmits the alert to the supervisor terminal by the time the user next visits the store, the reception means receives a request for a store clerk to check on the user's condition, and the execution means executes transmission of an instruction to check on the user's condition to the store clerk terminal used by the store clerk who will be handling the user when the user next visits the store.

11. A shopping supervision device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein said transmission means transmits said alert when said determination means determines that there is a suspicious point a predetermined number of times or more.

12. The shopping supervision device according to claim 11, wherein said determination means determines that there is something suspicious about the behavior of said user when the product contained in said purchase information is not normal with respect to the attributes of said user.

13. A shopping supervision device according to claim 11 or 12, wherein said determination means determines whether there is anything suspicious in the behavior of said user based on the quantity of merchandise included in said purchase information.

14. A shopping supervision device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the acquisition means acquires a video image of the user taken by a camera installed in the store, and the determination means determines whether there is anything suspicious based on the video image.

15. The shopping supervision device according to claim 14, wherein said transmission means transmits an alert to said supervisor terminal if there is anything suspicious, and said reception means receives said request for a store clerk to check on the user's condition.

16. A shopping supervision device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the acquisition means acquires a suspicious behavior notification from a store clerk terminal, indicating that there is something suspicious about the user's behavior, and the transmission means transmits the alert when the acquisition means acquires the suspicious behavior notification.

17. A shopping supervisory device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, further comprising a notification means for notifying said supervisor terminal of completion of execution of said action.

18. The shopping supervision device according to claim 17, wherein said notification means notifies a user terminal used by said user of the content of said action taken.

19. A shopping supervision method in which a computer acquires purchasing information of a store user, determines whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior based on the purchasing information, and if there is anything suspicious, sends an alert to a supervisor terminal used by a supervisor associated with the user, accepts a request for an action to be taken against the user from the supervisor terminal, and carries out the action in response to the accepted request.

20. A recording medium storing a program that executes the following processes: acquiring purchasing information of store users; determining whether there is anything suspicious about the user's behavior based on the purchasing information; if there is anything suspicious, sending an alert to a supervisor terminal used by a supervisor associated with the user; accepting a request for action to be taken regarding the user from the supervisor terminal; and carrying out the action in response to the accepted request.

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