Control method, autonomous mobile body, and program

Abstract

A control method according to the present disclosure comprises: acquiring pieces of position information of a plurality of autonomous mobile bodies that go around along a prescribed route to sell products, promote the sales, or provide a service; on the basis of the acquired pieces of position information, determining whether a first autonomous mobile body that sells discounted products and at least a prescribed number of second autonomous mobile bodies that sell products at regular prices are present within a prescribed range, from among the plurality of autonomous mobile bodies; and, if the first autonomous mobile body and at least the prescribed number of second autonomous mobile bodies are present within the prescribed range, causing the first autonomous mobile body to start discount sales.

Description

Control method, autonomous moving body, and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control method, an autonomous moving body, and a program.

[0002] Technologies have been developed to allow autonomous mobile objects, such as robots, to perform sales and other tasks. These mobile sales robots sometimes conduct sales at a discount to attract customers and increase inventory turnover. However, if customers only purchase items on sale, profits will decrease.

[0003] Patent No. 7218719

[0004] The present disclosure aims to provide a control method, an autonomous moving body, and a program that can promote sales of products other than products on sale.

[0005] The control method disclosed herein is a control method in which a computer controls multiple autonomously movable autonomous mobile bodies, which acquire location information of the multiple autonomous mobile bodies that travel a predetermined route to sell products, promote sales, or provide services, and determines, based on the acquired location information, whether a first autonomous mobile body among the multiple autonomous mobile bodies that sells products on sale and a predetermined number or more of second autonomous mobile bodies that sell products at regular prices are present within a predetermined range, and if the first autonomous mobile body and the predetermined number or more of second autonomous mobile bodies are present within the predetermined range, causes the first autonomous mobile body to begin selling products at the discount.

[0006] The control method, autonomous moving body, and program disclosed herein can promote sales of products other than products on sale.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a mobile sales robot system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a management device according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of robot placement information held by the management device according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of robot placement information held by the management device according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of robot placement information held by the management device according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of robot placement information held by the management device according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of robot placement information held by the management device according to an embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of robot management information held by the management device according to an embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of product information held by the management device according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a mobile sales robot according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a procedure for controlling the mobile sales robot performed by the management device according to an embodiment. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a state of the mobile sales robot according to a first modification of the embodiment. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a state of the mobile sales robot according to the first modification of the embodiment. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of set product information held by the management device according to Modification 1 of the embodiment. FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a setting screen for the positional relationship of the mobile sales robots, which can be set by an operator on the management device according to Modification 2 of the embodiment. FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a setting screen for the positional relationship of the mobile sales robots, which can be set by an operator on the management device according to Modification 2 of the embodiment. FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a setting screen for the positional relationship of the mobile sales robots, which can be set by an operator on the management device according to Modification 2 of the embodiment. FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a setting screen for the positional relationship of the mobile sales robots, which can be set by an operator on the management device according to Modification 2 of the embodiment. FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a setting screen for the positional relationship of the mobile sales robots, which can be set by an operator on the management device according to Modification 2 of the embodiment. FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the movement behavior of the mobile sales robot after the start of a sale according to Modification 5 of the embodiment.Fig. 21 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the movement of a mobile sales robot after the start of a sale according to the fifth modified embodiment. Fig. 22 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a mobile sales robot system according to the fifth modified embodiment. Fig. 23 is a schematic diagram showing how a notification according to the fifth modified embodiment is sent to a customer terminal. Fig. 24 is a schematic diagram showing how a mobile sales robot according to the fifth modified embodiment is called to a sale location.

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of a control method, an autonomous moving body, and a program according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0009] (Configuration Example of Mobile Vending System) Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a mobile vending robot system 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the mobile vending robot system 1 includes a plurality of mobile vending robots 10 and a management device 20.

[0010] Each mobile sales robot 10 is configured to be able to move autonomously in response to instructions from the management device 20. Each mobile sales robot 10 stores predetermined products in its own housing or the like and travels around a predetermined route R to sell the products.

[0011] Specifically, the mobile sales robot 10 can move along a predetermined route R or move in response to a call request from a customer U, and sell products by stopping in a designated stopping area on the route R. Alternatively, if the mobile sales robot 10 is stopped by a customer U while moving or if it comes across a place where people are gathered, it can make a sale on the spot.

[0012] The mobile sales robots 10 are an example of a plurality of autonomous moving bodies.

[0013] The management device 20 manages these mobile sales robots 10 while appropriately acquiring position information and the like of the mobile sales robots 10 from the mobile sales robots 10. The management device 20 may be configured to be operable by an operator 21 via an input / output unit and the like. By operating the management device 20, the operator 21 supports the management work of the mobile sales robots 10 by the management device 20 and monitors the management device 20 and the mobile sales robots 10.

[0014] For example, when multiple mobile sales robots 10 are gathered within a predetermined range, the management device 20 may determine whether or not a predetermined condition, which will be described later, is met and may cause some of these mobile sales robots 10 to sell at a discount. The mobile sales robots 10 may gather within a predetermined range by chance, or the management device 20 may gather multiple mobile sales robots 10 in one location in advance. By appropriately setting the above conditions, it is possible to attract customers or clear inventory through discount sales.

[0015] (Configuration Example of Management Device) Next, a detailed configuration of the management device 20 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the management device 20 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the management device 20 according to the embodiment includes a control unit 201, a storage unit 202, a communication unit 231, an input unit 232, and an output unit 233.

[0016] The communication unit 231 is a communication circuit or the like having a function of communicating with external devices. The communication unit 231 establishes communication with a plurality of mobile sales robots 10 under the management of the management device 20, and transmits and receives various information between the management device 20 and the mobile sales robots 10.

[0017] The input unit 232 is, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, or other input device. The input unit 232 may be a touch panel or the like that is integrated with a display device or the like (described later). The operator 21 can perform various operations on the management device 20 via the input unit 232.

[0018] The output unit 233 is, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal panel, a printing device such as a printer, etc. The operator 21 can obtain various information regarding the management device 20 and the mobile sales robot 10 from the information output from the output unit 233.

[0019] The control unit 201 is configured as a computer including a central processing unit (CPU), a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), etc. (not shown). The CPU loads a control program stored in the ROM, etc., into the RAM and executes it, thereby realizing various functions of the management device 20.

[0020] The control unit 201 includes functional units realized, for example, by a CPU that executes a control program, such as a robot information acquisition unit 211, a sale condition determination unit 212, a sale period determination unit 213, an instruction unit 214, an input control unit 215, and an output control unit 216.

[0021] The input control unit 215 controls the above-mentioned input unit 232 to accept operations by the operator 21 via the input unit 232. This allows the operator 21 to give various instructions or settings to the management device 20.

[0022] The output control unit 216 controls the output unit 233 to output various pieces of information. That is, if the output unit 233 is configured to include a display device, the output control unit 216 causes the display device to display various pieces of information in accordance with predetermined settings or in response to instructions from the operator 21. Furthermore, if the output unit 233 is configured to include a printing device, the output control unit 216 causes the printing device to print out various pieces of information in response to instructions from the operator 21, for example.

[0023] The robot information acquisition unit 211 acquires various information from the multiple mobile sales robots 10 under the management of the management device 20. The information acquired by the robot information acquisition unit 211 includes, for example, the current location information of the mobile sales robot 10, information such as the inventory number of products sold by the mobile sales robot 10, and information on the travel schedule of the mobile sales robot 10.

[0024] The bargain sale condition determination unit 212 determines whether or not to start a bargain sale for a specific mobile sales robot 10 based on predetermined bargain sale conditions. The conditions for determining whether to start a bargain sale include, for example, that a predetermined number or more of other mobile sales robots 10 exist within a predetermined range from the mobile sales robot 10 that is to make the bargain sale, and that there is space around these mobile sales robots 10 that allows the mobile sales robot 10 that is to make the bargain sale and the other mobile sales robots 10 to park in a positional relationship that satisfies the predetermined conditions.

[0025] Whether the mobile sales robot 10 selling at a discount and other mobile sales robots 10 are within the predetermined range is determined based on the location information of these mobile sales robots acquired from each mobile sales robot 10 by the robot information acquisition unit 211, for example. In this case, if the mobile sales robot 10 selling at a discount and other mobile sales robots 10 are within a predetermined distance in a straight line, they can be determined to be within the predetermined range. Alternatively, an area including a predetermined route R along which each mobile sales robot 10 patrols may be divided into multiple cells, and whether the mobile sales robot 10 selling at a discount and other mobile sales robots 10 are within the predetermined range may be determined based on the relative positions of the cells in which they are located. In this case, the predetermined range can be determined not only when the mobile sales robot 10 selling at a discount and other mobile sales robots 10 are within the same cell, but also when they are in adjacent cells.

[0026] As the mobile sales robot 10 to be sold at a discount, for example, a mobile sales robot 10 that sells products for which sales promotion is desired is selected in advance. Alternatively, a mobile sales robot 10 that has a large amount of inventory, or a mobile sales robot 10 for which it is desired to increase the inventory turnover rate because the expiration date or use-by date is approaching, etc. may be selected as the mobile sales robot 10 to be sold at a discount.

[0027] Furthermore, by placing a predetermined number of other mobile sales robots 10 in relation to the mobile sales robot 10 selling discounted items, it is possible to prevent customers from purchasing only the discounted items and effectively encourage them to stay longer and purchase other items. In this case, it is considered appropriate for the ratio of items sold at regular prices to the discounted items to be 60% to 70%. By setting such a product ratio, a sufficient number of products can be stocked for customers to browse other products besides the discounted items, and the number of products other than the discounted items can be set to the number necessary for the seller to make a profit.

[0028] Therefore, when each mobile sales robot 10 sells only one type of product, the predetermined number of other mobile sales robots 10 is determined so that the ratio between the number of mobile sales robots 10 selling at a discount and the number of other mobile sales robots 10 falls within the above-mentioned ratio range.

[0029] In addition, when each mobile sales robot 10 sells a plurality of types of merchandise, the predetermined number of other mobile sales robots 10 is determined so that the total number of merchandise on sale and the total number of other merchandise are within the above-mentioned ratio range.

[0030] When determining the predetermined number as described above, the predetermined number of other mobile sales robots 10 may be a numerical value with a range in order to adjust the number of other mobile sales robots 10 or the number of products so that the ratio falls within the above-mentioned range of 60% to 70%. In other words, the number of other mobile sales robots 10 can be set to a number equal to or greater than the predetermined number that results in a ratio of 60% and equal to or less than the predetermined number that results in a ratio of 70%.

[0031] However, even if the ratio of discounted items is less than 30%, the above-mentioned objective of getting customers to purchase items other than the discounted items is not significantly hindered. On the other hand, if the ratio of discounted items exceeds 40%, the likelihood that other items will not sell increases, making it difficult to make a profit. Therefore, the predetermined number of other mobile sales robots 10 may be determined without setting a lower limit on the ratio of discounted items to regular-priced items, provided that the ratio of discounted items does not exceed 40%. In other words, without setting an upper limit on the ratio of regular-priced items to discounted items, the condition may be that the ratio of products sold by other mobile sales robots 10 does not fall below 30%.

[0032] When determining the predetermined number in this manner, the predetermined number of other mobile sales robots 10 may be defined only by a lower limit. In other words, the number of other mobile sales robots 10 needs to be at least equal to or greater than the predetermined number that represents a ratio of 60%. In this case, the predetermined number of other mobile sales robots 10 can be said to be the minimum number of other mobile sales robots 10 required to start a sale.

[0033] The appropriate ratio of regular-priced items to discounted items may vary depending on the total number of mobile sales robots 10 present at the location, the total inventory held by these mobile sales robots 10, customer needs, etc. Therefore, the above ratio is merely an example. For example, the ratio of regular-priced items to discounted items can be adjusted appropriately depending on customer needs, such as by increasing the number of seasonal limited-edition items in a particular season or increasing local products in a particular region. As described above, demand can be stimulated by increasing the number of seasonal limited-edition items in a particular season, for example.

[0034] Here, if you have too much inventory of discounted products and regular-priced products, the sales period will be prolonged, which could result in reduced profits. On the other hand, if the quantity of discounted products and regular-priced products is too small, customers may miss the opportunity to purchase the products, and sales may not increase. As mentioned above, by setting the appropriate quantity of discounted products and regular-priced products, you can adjust the number of products to suit the demand for the products you are selling and the trends of your competitors.

[0035] The positional relationship that satisfies the predetermined condition in the second condition for discount sales is set, for example, in the robot placement information 222. The discount sales condition determination unit 212 determines, based on the robot placement information 222, whether the mobile sales robot 10 performing the discount sales and another mobile sales robot 10 can fit within the space around these mobile sales robots 10 when they are parked.

[0036] When both of these conditions are met, the bargain sale condition determination unit 212 determines that it is possible to cause a specified mobile sales robot 10 to start a bargain sale.

[0037] If a specified mobile sales robot 10 is made to carry out sales alone, the effect of attracting customers can be increased by the sales, but there is a possibility that these customers will end up purchasing only the products on sale at a reduced unit price due to the sales, which may result in a decrease in profits.

[0038] As described above, by placing other mobile sales robots 10 selling at regular prices around the mobile sales robot 10 selling at a discount, it is possible to prevent customers from purchasing only the discounted products. At this time, it is also important to have a wide selection of products other than the discounted products. As described above, by adjusting the number of other mobile sales robots 10 to an appropriate ratio to the mobile sales robot 10 selling at a discount, it is possible to prevent customers from only paying attention to the discounted products.

[0039] The above-mentioned sale conditions may be different for each mobile sales robot 10 that is to carry out the sale.

[0040] The sale period determination unit 213 determines the period during which a specific mobile sales robot 10 will conduct a sale, for example, based on the mutual schedules of the mobile sales robot 10 conducting the sale and the other mobile sales robots 10. In other words, the sale period determination unit 213 determines the sale period according to the mobile sales robot 10 conducting the sale and the other mobile sales robots 10, whichever mobile sales robot 10 can stop at the location where the sale will be conducted for the shorter period.

[0041] However, in addition to the other mobile sales robots 10 that were initially present near the mobile sales robot 10 conducting the sale, there may also be a new mobile sales robot 10 that arrives late to the sale. In this case, the sale period determination unit 213 may determine the sale period taking into account the schedule of the newly arriving mobile sales robot 10.

[0042] For example, if a mobile sales robot 10 conducting a sale can stay at the sale area for two hours while another mobile sales robot 10 can only stay at the sale area for one hour, and a new mobile sales robot 10 selling regular-priced items moves to the sale area one hour after the sale starts and can stay at the sale area for 30 minutes, the sale period determination unit 213 can determine the sale period to be the total time (1 hour and 30 minutes) of the time that the mobile sales robot 10 that was present near the first mobile sales robot 10 conducting the sale can stay near the sale area (1 hour) and the time that the new mobile sales robot 10 that moves thereafter can stay there (30 minutes).

[0043] Also, when the mobile sales robot 10 making a sale can stop for a shorter time at the sale site than the other mobile sales robots 10, and another mobile sales robot 10 to be sold at a discount is newly moved, the sale period decision part 213 can decide the sale period taking into consideration the schedule of the newly moving mobile sales robot 10.

[0044] In this case, the mobile sales robot 10 that started selling at a discount first can continue selling at a discount until it is time to move, and after the mobile sales robot 10 leaves the sale area, the newly arriving mobile sales robot 10 can be made to sell at a discount. Furthermore, if the stay times of the mobile sales robot 10 that started selling at a discount first and the newly arriving mobile sales robot 10 that are the sale target overlap at the sale area, one of them can be made to sell at a discount during the overlapping period. Whether the mobile sales robot 10 that started selling at a discount or the newly arriving mobile sales robot 10 is to sell at a discount can be determined based on various conditions, such as determining the one with the larger inventory, the one selling more popular products, or the one selling products that are expected to attract more customers as the sale target. Alternatively, the operator may select the mobile sales robot 10 that will sell at a discount.

[0045] The instruction unit 214 issues various instructions to the multiple mobile sales robots 10 under the management of the management device 20. For example, when the sale condition determination unit 212 determines that a sale can be started, the instruction unit 214 transmits instructions on the parking positions to the mobile sales robot 10 that will start the sale and the other mobile sales robots 10 so that they are positioned in accordance with the robot placement information 222 described below.

[0046] The storage unit 202 is configured by a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), etc. The storage unit 202 stores sale condition information 221, robot placement information 222, available parking area information 223, robot management information 224, and product information 225.

[0047] The conditions for determining whether or not to start the above-mentioned sale are set in the sale condition information 221. That is, the sale condition information 221 stores two conditions, for example, that a predetermined number or more of other mobile sales robots 10 exist within a predetermined range from the mobile sales robot 10 that is to carry out the sale, and that there exists a space around these mobile sales robots 10 in which the mobile sales robot 10 that is to carry out the sale and the other mobile sales robots 10 can be parked in a positional relationship that satisfies the predetermined conditions.

[0048] Furthermore, the discount sale condition information 221 may store, as a setting related to one of the above discount sale conditions, the ratio of the mobile sales robot 10 that will sell at a discount to the other mobile sales robots 10. The above discount sale condition determination unit 212 refers to the discount sale condition information 221 and determines whether the number of the other mobile sales robots 10 is equal to or greater than a predetermined number relative to the number of the mobile sales robots 10 that will sell at a discount.

[0049] The robot placement information 222 stores predetermined conditions regarding the positional relationship between the mobile sales robot 10 making the sale and the other mobile sales robots 10 when a sale is to be made. The sale condition determination unit 212 refers to the robot placement information 222 and determines whether there is sufficient space around the mobile sales robot 10 and the other mobile sales robots 10. Furthermore, when starting a sale, the instruction unit 214 refers to the robot placement information 222 and instructs the mobile sales robots 10 to park at positions such that the mobile sales robot 10 making the sale and the other mobile sales robots 10 are in a positional relationship that satisfies the predetermined conditions.

[0050] The stoppable area information 223 stores information about stoppable areas set on the route R along which each of the mobile sales robots 10 moves. On the route R of the mobile sales robot 10, locations are set as stoppable areas where the mobile sales robot 10 can stop for a predetermined time to sell products without interfering with other vehicles or passersby. The information about the stoppable area includes, for example, the position, shape, size, and stoppable time of the stoppable area on the route R.

[0051] The bargain sale condition determination unit 212 refers to the robot location information 222 and the available stopping area information 223 to determine whether there is sufficient space around the mobile sales robot 10 and the other mobile sales robots 10. The instruction unit 214 also refers to the robot location information 222 and the available stopping area information 223 to guide the mobile sales robot 10 to be sold at a bargain sale and the other mobile sales robots 10 to predetermined positions.

[0052] The robot management information 224 stores the current status of each mobile sales robot 10, including its location information. The current status of the mobile sales robot 10 is acquired and updated at a predetermined timing via the communication unit 231. The current status of the mobile sales robot 10 may be transmitted periodically from the mobile sales robot 10, or may be transmitted when the management device 20 requires the status information of the mobile sales robot 10. The management device 20 requires the status information, for example, when the above-mentioned bargain sale condition determination unit 212 determines whether or not a bargain sale can be started.

[0053] When the bargain sale condition determination unit 212 determines the bargain sale conditions, it refers to the robot management information 224 to acquire the location information of each mobile sales robot 10, and determines from this location information whether or not a predetermined number of other mobile sales robots 10 exist within a predetermined range of the mobile sales robot 10 that is to make the bargain sale.

[0054] The product information 225 stores information such as prices for all products sold by the multiple mobile sales robots 10 under the management of the management device 20.

[0055] 3 to 9 show detailed configurations of the robot placement information 222, robot management information 224, and product information 225 stored in the storage unit 202. FIG.

[0056] 3 to 7 are diagrams showing an example of the configuration of the robot placement information 222 held by the management device 20 according to the embodiment.

[0057] 3 to 7, the robot location information 222 stores location information PR as information on the positional relationship that satisfies predetermined conditions between the mobile sales robot 10D making a sale and another mobile sales robot 10L. Here, the mobile sales robot 10D is an example of a first autonomous moving body, and the mobile sales robot 10L is an example of a second autonomous moving body.

[0058] The placement information PR defines a formation including, for example, the mobile sales robot 10D making a sale and other mobile sales robots 10L. The formation includes, for example, the parking position of the mobile sales robot 10D, the parking positions of the other mobile sales robots 10L, the relative positions of these, and the distance between them. Such placement information PR can have multiple patterns depending on the type of merchandise to be sold, the number of mobile sales robots 10D, 10L, and other circumstances.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 3, for example, when there is only one mobile sales robot 10D making a sale, the robot location information 222 may store location information PR1 to PR3, for example.

[0060] The placement information PR1 shown in Figure 3(a) defines a positional relationship in which two mobile sales robots 10L are lined up in series with one mobile sales robot 10D selling items sandwiched between them. The placement information PR1 also defines a distance D1 between these mobile sales robots 10D and 10L. The distance D1 is the upper limit of the distance between these mobile sales robots 10D and 10L, and when the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L are parked based on the placement information PR1, they are positioned so that the distance between them is within the distance D1.

[0061] The location information PR2 shown in Figure 3(b) specifies a positional relationship in which two mobile sales robots 10L are aligned at right angles to one mobile sales robot 10D, which is selling at a discount. The location information PR2 also specifies a distance D2 between these mobile sales robots 10D and 10L. The distance D2 is also the upper limit of the distance between these mobile sales robots 10D and 10L when the location information PR2 is selected.

[0062] The location information PR3 shown in Figure 3(c) defines a positional relationship in which one mobile sales robot 10D, which is selling at a discount, is the starting point and two other mobile sales robots 10L are arranged in an equilateral triangle. The location information PR3 also defines a distance D3 between these mobile sales robots 10D and 10L. The distance D3 is also the upper limit of the distance between these mobile sales robots 10D and 10L when the location information PR3 is selected.

[0063] For example, by arranging the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L within a predetermined range in accordance with the above-mentioned placement information PR1 to PR3, customers are more likely to notice products other than the sale items. This is why one of the conditions for the sale determination by the sale condition determination unit 212 is that there is space available for the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L to be deployed in a placement in accordance with the predetermined placement information PR.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 4, for example, when there are a plurality of mobile sales robots 10D that make discount sales, the robot location information 222 may store location information PR4, PR5, etc.

[0065] The placement information PR4 shown in Figure 4(a) specifies a positional relationship in which two mobile sales robots 10D selling goods are sandwiched between two other mobile sales robots 10L, two on each side, for a total of four other mobile sales robots 10L, lined up in series. The placement information PR4 also specifies a distance D4 between these mobile sales robots 10D and 10L. Distance D4 is the upper limit of the distance between these mobile sales robots 10D and 10L, and when the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L are parked based on the placement information PR4, they are positioned so that the distance between them is within distance D4.

[0066] The location information PR5 shown in Figure 4(b) specifies a diamond-shaped arrangement of four other mobile sales robots 10L, one above, one below, one to the left, and one to the right, surrounding two mobile sales robots 10D selling at a discount. The location information PR5 also specifies a distance D5 between these mobile sales robots 10D and 10L. Distance D5 is also the upper limit of the distance between these mobile sales robots 10D and 10L when location information PR5 is selected.

[0067] 5, when there are multiple mobile sales robots 10D making sales at low prices, it is possible to group the individual mobile sales robots 10D into formations. In this case, as shown in the example of FIG. 5, the robot placement information 222 may store, for example, placement information PR6.

[0068] The placement information PR6 defines the positional relationship of two groups arranged in parallel, each forming an equilateral triangle as shown in FIG. 3(c). This results in each of these groups containing one mobile sales robot 10D. The placement information PR6 also defines the distance D6 between these groups, in addition to the distance D3 between the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L within each group. The distance D6 is the upper limit of the distance between these groups. When the groups are placed based on the placement information PR6, they are placed so that the distance between these groups is within the distance D6.

[0069] Such arrangement information PR6 is an example of first arrangement information.

[0070] In this way, when the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L are grouped into formations, the placement information PR stored in the robot placement information 222 can form groups each including the mobile sales robot 10D, the number of groups including the mobile sales robot 10D being equal to the number of the mobile sales robots 10D, and can further specify the placement and distance between these groups. In this case, as shown in the example of Fig. 5, multiple groups may be formed with the same placement, such as an equilateral triangle, or groups with different placements, such as an equilateral triangle and a series, may be formed.

[0071] By arranging multiple groups each including the mobile sales robot 10D close to each other, the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L can be grouped together in a larger group. This increases the opportunity for customers to see many regular-priced items from different groups, thereby further improving sales effectiveness.

[0072] Furthermore, when the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L are a relatively large group, by properly arranging these mobile sales robots 10D, 10L, it is possible to guide customers' attention to products other than those on sale.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 6, the robot placement information 222 may store placement information PR7, for example, as an example of a formation for guiding customers.

[0074] The placement information PR7 defines the placement of three U-shaped product groups M1-M3, each containing multiple types of products. Each product group M1-M3 includes three to four mobile sales robots 10. Of these mobile sales robots 10, for example, one mobile sales robot 10D is included in each product group M1-M3, and the remaining mobile sales robots 10L are placed. The placement information PR7 also defines a distance D7 between the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L within each product group M1-M3. Distance D7 is the upper limit of the distance between the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L within each product group M1-M3. When the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L are parked based on the placement information PR7, they are placed so that the distance between the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L is within distance D7 within each product group M1-M3.

[0075] Such arrangement information PR7 is an example of first arrangement information.

[0076] When collecting products in this manner, they can be grouped by similar products or related products.

[0077] Possible combinations of similar products include bread and bread ingredients, spices and seasonings, wine and cheese, etc. Possible combinations of related products include pasta and pasta sauce, hamburger and hamburger sauce, etc. By grouping products into similar or related products, customers can be encouraged to walk around the group of mobile sales robots 10D and 10L for a long time in order to find a product that interests them.

[0078] In this way, the placement of merchandise can be an important factor in encouraging customers to walk around the group of mobile sales robots 10D and 10L for a long time.

[0079] 7, as another example of a formation for guiding customers, for example, placement information PR8 may be stored in the robot placement information 222. In the example shown in Fig. 7, it is assumed that a plurality of mobile sales robots 10D and 10L are gathered in a rectangular venue with an entrance at the upper left of the page to conduct discount sales.

[0080] The placement information PR8 defines the positional relationship of the multiple mobile sales robots 10 that are arranged in a U-shape. The placement information PR8 also defines a distance D8 between these mobile sales robots 10. The distance D8 is the upper limit of the distance between these mobile sales robots 10, and when the mobile sales robots 10 are parked based on the placement information PR8, they are placed so that the distance between them is within the distance D8.

[0081] When the mobile sales robot 10 is arranged in such a U-shape in a rectangular venue with an entrance, it is possible to create a situation in which the venue constitutes a virtual commercial facility. In such a virtual commercial facility, there are several positions that are likely to catch the customer's eye, such as the upper left corner closest to the entrance, the lower right central position in the center of the venue, and the lower left or lower right corner at the edge of the venue.

[0082] The placement information PR8 specifies that the mobile sales robot 10D be placed in at least one of these positions. For example, by placing the mobile sales robot 10D near the entrance, it will attract the attention of customers near the entrance to the venue, making it easier to guide them into the venue. In addition, customers will be able to see the sale items before they begin to wander around the venue. For example, by placing the mobile sales robot 10D near the center of the venue, it will attract the attention of customers wandering around the venue, making it easier to guide customers to the center of the venue. For example, by placing the mobile sales robot 10D at the edge of the venue, it will also attract the attention of customers wandering around the venue, making it easier for customers to find the sale items and to notice the surrounding products.

[0083] In this way, by placing the sale items in a conspicuous position, it is possible to attract the attention of customers and make it easier for customers to find the sale items, thereby increasing the customer's desire to purchase.

[0084] However, the location that is most likely to catch customers' attention may vary depending on the layout of the venue itself, such as the location of the entrance to the venue, the shape and size of the venue, etc. Furthermore, differences in the layout of each venue may result in an excess number of mobile sales robots 10, or the placement of the mobile sales robots 10 itself may obstruct customer passage. For this reason, different placement information PR may be stored in the robot placement information 222 for different layouts of the venue. Furthermore, different placement information PR may be stored depending on the time from the start of the sale.

[0085] 3 to 7, the location information PR1 to PR8, etc., shown above may also specify the vehicle size of each of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L, the orientation of each robot when conducting a sale, etc. Also, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, etc., the robot location information 222 may store different location information PR for each number of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L.

[0086] In addition, if the robot placement information 222 includes multiple placement information PR, the above-mentioned sale condition determination unit 212 can select any placement information PR from the multiple placement information PR based on the state of the parking area around the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L, and make the above-mentioned sale determination.

[0087] Alternatively, when the robot location information 222 includes multiple location information PRs, these location information PRs may be prioritized in advance, and the sale condition determination unit 212 may select the location information PRs in descending order of priority to make the above-mentioned determination. In this case, if the sale condition determination unit 212 determines that the formation based on the location information PRs with the highest priority cannot park in the space around the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L, it makes a similar determination for the location information PRs with the next highest priority. This allows for more flexible selection of location information PRs depending on the space around the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L, making it easier to meet the sale conditions in various situations.

[0088] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the robot management information 224 held by the management device 20 according to the embodiment.

[0089] As shown in Figure 8, the robot management information 224 stores information such as the robot ID (Identification), the running status of the mobile sales robot 10, sales status, current location, battery status, offered products / services, related products, inventory information, schedule information, sale items, and robot dimensions.

[0090] The robot ID is a number or symbol that can uniquely identify each mobile sales robot 10 under the management of the management device 20.

[0091] The traveling state indicates whether the mobile sales robot 10 is currently moving or parked. The selling state indicates whether the mobile sales robot 10 is currently selling or not. However, if the selling state is selling, it may indicate that the mobile sales robot 10 is currently performing sales operations, or that the mobile sales robot 10 has sufficient inventory and remaining battery power, etc., and is in a state where it can sell. The battery state indicates the remaining battery power of the mobile sales robot 10.

[0092] As described above, the traveling state, sales state, current location, and battery state are acquired from each mobile sales robot 10 at predetermined timings and updated as appropriate.

[0093] The offered goods / services indicate goods sold or services provided by the mobile sales robot 10. Services provided by the mobile sales robot 10 include, for example, delivery, copying and printing of photos or documents, and rental of specified items. The related goods indicate goods that are highly related to the goods sold or services provided by the mobile sales robot 10. For example, if the goods sold by the mobile sales robot 10 are sweets, tea can be set as a related good.

[0094] The inventory information indicates the current number of products in stock at the mobile sales robot 10. This inventory information is also obtained from each mobile sales robot 10 at a predetermined timing and updated as appropriate.

[0095] The robot management information 224 may store information related to inventory information, such as the total number of products held by the mobile sales robot 10 and the number of products already sold. The robot management information 224 may also store information such as the expiration date and use-by date of the products carried by the mobile sales robot 10.

[0096] The schedule information indicates the route R along which the mobile sales robot 10 is scheduled to travel. The route R along which the mobile sales robot 10 travels is predetermined, for example, on a daily, weekly, or monthly cycle. Alternatively, the route R along which the mobile sales robot 10 travels may be changed as appropriate while the mobile sales robot 10 is traveling along the predetermined route R, depending on the status of the mobile sales robot 10, the status of other mobile sales robots 10, the movement of customers, etc.

[0097] The sale target indicates whether the mobile sales robot 10 is designated as a mobile sales robot 10D that will sell at a discount. As described above, the mobile sales robots 10 that will be designated as sale targets are determined in advance on a cycle such as daily, weekly, or monthly, based on products for which sales promotion is desired or products for which inventory turnover is desired to be increased. The mobile sales robots 10 designated as sale targets are set to sell at a discount within a predetermined period, such as the same day. In this way, by changing the mobile sales robots 10 that will be designated as sale targets at predetermined intervals, the sale target products can be changed periodically, giving customers a fresh impression.

[0098] However, among the multiple mobile sales robots 10, a specific mobile sales robot 10 may be fixedly designated as a mobile sales robot 10 exclusively for discount sales. Also, the mobile sales robot 10D designated as a discount sales robot may sell only a single product, i.e., only the discount sales product, or may sell multiple products including the discount sales product. In this case, products other than the discount sales product are sold at the regular price.

[0099] The above-mentioned bargain sale condition determination unit 212 makes a determination based on the above bargain sale conditions for the mobile sales robot 10 designated as the bargain sale object, and when the bargain sale condition is satisfied, the bargain sale is started.

[0100] The robot dimensions indicate the width, length, height, and other dimensions of the mobile sales robot 10. The dimensions of each mobile sales robot 10 may differ depending on the products being sold. For this reason, the robot dimensions may be referenced by the instruction unit 214 when, for example, stopping the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L in a predetermined formation to start a sale. However, each mobile sales robot 10 may have the same dimensions.

[0101] In addition, the robot management information 224 may store information related to other specifications of the mobile sales robot 10, such as the side on which merchandise is presented and the side on which a merchandise outlet is provided, in relation to the robot dimensions. The side on which merchandise is presented and the side on which a merchandise outlet is provided, etc., of the mobile sales robot 10 may also be referred to as the side from which the mobile sales robot 10 sells merchandise.

[0102] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the product information 225 held by the management device 20 according to the embodiment.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 9, the product information 225 stores information such as product ID, product price, sale price, category, new product, local specialty product, company brand, quality level, and related products.

[0104] The product ID is a number or symbol that can uniquely identify a product sold by each mobile sales robot 10 under the management of the management device 20.

[0105] The price indicates the regular price of the product. The sale price indicates the sale price when the product is on sale. The category indicates the category of the product. Product categories include food, beverages, alcohol, clothing, fashion accessories, cosmetics, daily necessities, etc.

[0106] New product, local specialty product, and private brand indicate whether the product sold by the mobile sales robot 10 falls into any of these categories. If the product is a new product, local specialty product, or private brand, a flag or the like is attached to the item to which the product falls.

[0107] The quality level is indicated as one of a number of levels, such as low, medium, or high, depending on the price range of the products sold by the mobile sales robot 10.

[0108] The related products, like the related product items included in the robot management information 224 described above, indicate products that are highly related to the products sold by the mobile sales robot 10.

[0109] In addition, if the multiple mobile sales robots 10 under the management of the management device 20 include a mobile sales robot 10 that provides a specified service, service information including various information regarding these services may be stored in the memory unit 202, similar to the product information 225.

[0110] (Configuration example of mobile sales robot) Next, a detailed configuration of the mobile sales robot 10 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the mobile sales robot 10 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 10, the mobile sales robot 10 according to the embodiment includes a control unit 101, a memory unit 102, a communication unit 131, a display unit 132, an acquisition unit 133, a sensor unit 134, an imaging unit 135, a drive unit 136, a storage unit 137, a take-out port 138, and a payment unit 139.

[0111] The communication unit 131 is a communication circuit or the like having a function of communicating with external devices. The communication unit 131 establishes communication with the management device 20 that manages the mobile sales robot 10, and exchanges various information between the management device 20 and the mobile sales robot 10.

[0112] The display unit 132 is a display device such as a liquid crystal panel.

[0113] The acquisition unit 133 is a GNSS receiver or the like that can receive position information from a global navigation satellite system (GNSS). The acquisition unit 133 acquires the current position of the mobile sales robot 10 based on the position information acquired from the GNSS.

[0114] However, instead of or in addition to the function of acquiring location information from GNSS, the acquisition unit 133 may use SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) technology to acquire the current location of the mobile sales robot 10. In this case, the acquisition unit 133 identifies the current location of the mobile sales robot 10 by estimating the current location of the mobile sales robot 10 and creating an environmental map in parallel, based on, for example, an image acquired from the imaging unit 135 described below.

[0115] In the SLAM technology, the acquisition unit 133 may determine the current location of the mobile sales robot 10 based on information acquired from a distance measuring sensor, such as the sensor unit 134 described below, instead of or in addition to the imaging unit 135.

[0116] In this way, SLAM technology, which performs self-location estimation and environmental map creation in parallel, makes it possible to obtain location information for the mobile sales robot 10 even in places where GNSS cannot be used, such as inside high-rise buildings, indoors, or inside tunnels.

[0117] Alternatively, instead of or in addition to the acquisition unit 133, the management device 20 may acquire location information of the mobile sales robot 10 from a surveillance camera or sensor installed in the city or indoors.

[0118] The sensor unit 134 is, for example, a distance measuring sensor that uses ultrasonic waves, infrared rays, etc. The sensor unit 134 transmits ultrasonic waves, infrared rays, etc., and detects the reflected waves obtained by reflection from surrounding objects.

[0119] The image capturing unit 135 is a camera or the like equipped with an image capturing element such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor, etc. The image capturing unit 135 generates a captured image of the surroundings of the mobile sales robot 10.

[0120] In this way, the sensor unit 134 and the imaging unit 135 can obtain surrounding information that indicates the situation around the mobile sales robot 10.

[0121] The drive unit 136 is composed of wheels, a motor for rotating the wheels, a brake for braking the wheels, and the like.

[0122] The storage unit 137 is provided, for example, inside the housing of the mobile sales robot 10 and is configured to be able to store the products sold by the mobile sales robot 10.

[0123] The retrieval opening 138 is provided on a predetermined surface of the housing of the mobile sales robot 10, and is configured to enable retrieval of products stored in the housing. The retrieval opening 138 is provided, for example, on the side surface of the mobile sales robot 10. However, the retrieval opening 138 may also be provided on other surfaces of the mobile sales robot 10, such as the front, top, back, or bottom.

[0124] The settlement unit 139 performs settlement processing such as the transfer of money for customers who have decided to purchase products.

[0125] The control unit 101 is configured as a computer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, etc. (not shown). The CPU loads a control program stored in the ROM, etc., into the RAM and executes it, thereby realizing various functions of the mobile sales robot 10.

[0126] The control unit 101 includes a movement control unit 111, a sales operation execution unit 112, a display control unit 113, and a transmission unit 114 as functional units realized by, for example, a CPU that executes a control program.

[0127] The movement control unit 111 controls the drive unit 136 according to, for example, an autonomous movement program 121 described later, to move the mobile sales robot 10 forward, backward, turn right or left, stop, etc., and causes the mobile sales robot 10 to travel a predetermined route R. At this time, the movement control unit 111 acquires information about the surroundings of the mobile sales robot 10 from the sensor unit 134 and the imaging unit 135 described above, and causes the mobile sales robot 10 to travel safely and autonomously.

[0128] The sales operation execution unit 112 causes the mobile sales robot 10 to execute sales operations. That is, when a customer decides to purchase a product, the sales operation execution unit 112 opens and closes the take-out opening 138 to take out the product, and controls the payment unit 139 to perform a payment operation.

[0129] The display control unit 113 controls the display unit 132 to display various information about the products sold by the mobile sales robot 10 and advertisements for the products.

[0130] The transmitting unit 114 transmits various types of information related to the mobile sales robot 10 to the management device 20. For example, the transmitting unit 114 transmits the location information of the mobile sales robot 10 acquired by the acquiring unit 133 to the management device 20 periodically or in response to a request from the management device 20. The transmitting unit 114 also transmits schedule information 123, robot information 124, product management information 125, and the like (described below) stored in the memory unit 102 to the management device 20 periodically or in response to a request from the management device 20.

[0131] The storage unit 102 is configured by a storage device such as an HDD, etc. The storage unit 102 stores an autonomous movement program 121, a mobile sales execution program 122, schedule information 123, robot information 124, and product management information 125.

[0132] The autonomous movement program 121 is a program for autonomously moving the mobile sales robot 10. The above-mentioned movement control unit 111 controls the mobile sales robot 10 in accordance with the autonomous movement program 121, thereby enabling the mobile sales robot 10 to travel autonomously.

[0133] The mobile sales execution program 122 is a program for causing the mobile sales robot 10 to sell goods on the go. The sales operation execution unit 112 controls the mobile sales robot 10 in accordance with the mobile sales execution program 122, thereby enabling the mobile sales robot 10 to carry out mobile sales.

[0134] The schedule information 123 stores the already determined travel route R for the mobile sales robot 10, the time when the robot passes through specified points on the route R, the time when the robot stops in specified stopping areas, and the like.

[0135] The robot information 124 stores various specifications of the mobile sales robot 10. The specifications of the mobile sales robot 10 include the dimensions of each part of the mobile sales robot 10, the surface on which the goods are sold, the battery size, the model, and other items that are primarily fixedly determined for the mobile sales robot 10.

[0136] The merchandise management information 125 may store some or all of the items of the merchandise information 225 shown in Fig. 9 for the merchandise sold by the mobile sales robot 10. In addition, the merchandise management information 125 stores information such as the total number of merchandise items held by the mobile sales robot 10, the number of merchandise items already sold, and the expiration dates and use-by dates of the merchandise items.

[0137] In this way, the merchandise management information 125 mainly stores information about merchandise that changes from time to time. The sales operation execution unit 112 of the mobile sales robot 10 updates the changing information stored in the merchandise management information 125, for example, when a merchandise is purchased.

[0138] (Example of Processing by Management Device) Next, an example of processing by the management device 20 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of control processing of the mobile sales robot 10 performed by the management device 20 according to the embodiment.

[0139] As shown in FIG. 11, the robot information acquisition unit 211 of the management device 20 causes a plurality of mobile sales robots 10 to transmit information on their current locations at a predetermined timing, and acquires the location information of each mobile sales robot 10 (step S101).

[0140] In this case, if the mobile sales robot 10 is configured to periodically transmit its location information to the management device 20, the management device 20 may constantly monitor the timing when the predetermined number of other mobile sales robots 10L described above are present within a predetermined range of the mobile sales robot 10D that is to perform the sale. Alternatively, the sale condition determination unit 212 of the management device 20 may cause the robot information acquisition unit 211 to acquire the location information of each mobile sales robot 10 at any timing for determining the sale conditions.

[0141] When the location information of each mobile sales robot 10 is acquired, the bargain sale condition determination unit 212 determines whether or not there are a predetermined number or more of other mobile sales robots 10L within a predetermined range of the mobile sales robot 10D that is to be sold at a bargain sale (step S102).

[0142] More specifically, the bargain condition determination unit 212 calculates a predetermined range from the mobile sales robot 10D based on the position information of the mobile sales robot 10D that is to be sold at a bargain price. The bargain condition determination unit 212 also counts the number of other mobile sales robots 10L that exist within the calculated predetermined range.

[0143] The bargain condition determination unit 212 also acquires the appropriate ratio of the number of mobile sales robots 10L to the number of mobile sales robots 10D or the number of products by referring to the bargain condition information 221 in the storage unit 202. The bargain condition determination unit 212 also determines whether the ratio of the number of mobile sales robots 10L to the number of mobile sales robots 10D is at least equal to or greater than the lower limit specified in the bargain condition information 221, that is, whether it is equal to or greater than a predetermined number.

[0144] At this time, the bargain sale condition determination unit 212 may add to the determination conditions that the number of mobile sales robots 10L relative to the mobile sales robots 10D is below the upper limit ratio specified in the bargain sale condition information 221, that is, below a predetermined number, as described above.

[0145] If there are a predetermined number or more of other mobile sales robots 10L within a predetermined range of the mobile sales robot 10D (step S102: Yes), the sale condition determination unit 212 determines whether there is space around these mobile sales robots 10D, 10L in which these mobile sales robots 10D, 10L can be deployed, based on the placement information PR stored in the robot placement information 222 (step S103).

[0146] More specifically, the bargain sale condition determination unit 212 refers to the parking area information 223 in the storage unit 202, and based on the position information of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L, identifies the parking area around the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L, and acquires information such as the shape and size of the parking area. In addition, the bargain sale condition determination unit 212 refers to the robot placement information 222 in the storage unit 202, and when multiple placement information PR is stored in the robot placement information 222, selects the placement information PR with the highest priority.

[0147] The bargain sale condition determination unit 212 also calculates the space required to deploy the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L based on the selected placement information PR. The bargain sale condition determination unit 212 also determines whether or not the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L can be deployed based on the selected placement information PR, based on the shape and size of the parking area identified based on the parking area information 223.

[0148] In addition, if the placement information PR of the robot placement information 222 does not include information on the vehicle size of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L, the sale condition determination unit 212 can obtain information on the dimensions of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L from the robot management information 224 in the memory unit 202 and calculate the required space while taking into account the dimensions of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L.

[0149] If the above determination indicates that there is insufficient space around the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L (step S103: No), the sale condition determination unit 212 determines (step S104) whether or not there is any undetermined placement information PR among the multiple placement information PR stored in the robot placement information 222. If there is any undetermined placement information PR (step S104: Yes), the sale condition determination unit 212 sequentially executes the determination process of step S103 for the undetermined placement information PR according to the priority order of the multiple placement information PR.

[0150] When the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L are deployed according to any of the placement information PR, if the determination result indicates that there is sufficient space around the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L (step S103: Yes), the bargain sale condition determination unit 212 determines that bargain sale by the mobile sales robot 10D is possible, since both the conditions related to the determinations of step S102 and step S103 are met.

[0151] If there are no more than a predetermined number of other mobile sales robots 10L within a predetermined range from the mobile sales robot 10D (step S102: No), or if it is determined that there is insufficient space for all of the placement information PR, etc. in the robot placement information 222 (steps S103 and S104: No), the sale condition determination unit 212 determines that the conditions for starting a sale are not met and that a sale cannot be conducted. In this case, the management device 20 waits until the sale condition determination unit 212 next makes a sale determination, and repeats the process from step S101 at the predetermined timing.

[0152] If all of the above sale conditions are met (steps S102 and S103: Yes), the robot information acquisition unit 211 acquires schedule information from the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L in response to a request from the sale period determination unit 213 (step S105). The sale period determination unit 213 determines the sale period based on the schedule information acquired from the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L (step S106).

[0153] More specifically, the sale period determination unit 213 refers to the acquired schedule information and obtains the time during which each of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L can be parked at the sale location. The sale period determination unit 213 determines the time during which both of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L can be parked as the sale period. That is, the sale period determination unit 213 determines the sale period based on the shorter of the parking times of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L. At this time, as described above, if new mobile sales robots 10D and 10L move to the sale location after the sale starts, the sale period may be determined taking into account the schedules of the new mobile sales robots 10D and 10L.

[0154] The instruction unit 214 of the management device 20 sends instructions on the parking positions to each of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L so that the robots are positioned in accordance with the placement information PR selected by the sale condition determination unit 212 from among the multiple placement information PR in the robot placement information 222 (step S107).

[0155] More specifically, the instruction unit 214 acquires placement information PR selected by the sale condition determination unit 212, which is placement information PR that is arranged by the sale condition determination unit 212 so that the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L are located within the parking area around the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L. The instruction unit 214 also calculates the parking positions of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L within the parking area so that the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L are positioned in accordance with the selected placement information PR. The instruction unit 214 also instructs the calculated parking positions to the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L.

[0156] 6, the instruction unit 214 acquires information on the products sold by the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L by referring to the robot management information 224 in the storage unit 202. The instruction unit 214 also refers to the related product section of the robot management information 224 to organize the products sold by the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L into product groups M1, M2, M3, etc., for each related product or each similar product. The instruction unit 214 then instructs the parking positions of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L so that the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L are assigned to each of the product groups M1, M2, M3.

[0157] When the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L receive the stop position instruction from the instruction unit 214, they move as necessary based on their respective current positions and stop at the stop position.

[0158] In this case, if there are multiple mobile sales robots 10D, 10L that need to be moved to the parking positions, it is preferable to first determine the movement order of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L and then move the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L to the parking positions sequentially in that movement order. This prevents multiple mobile sales robots 10D, 10L from moving simultaneously and interfering with each other's movements, and allows the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L to be moved to their parking positions more quickly.

[0159] The order in which these mobile sales robots 10D, 10L move can be determined, for example, in order of the shortest distance from the current position to the stopping position among the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L that need to move.

[0160] Furthermore, when moving these mobile sales robots 10D, 10L according to this movement order, all of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L may initially start moving regardless of the movement order. Then, the mobile sales robot 10 with the shortest distance from its current location to the stop position continues moving until it arrives at the stop position, while the other mobile sales robots 10 are moved a predetermined distance from their respective stop positions and then temporarily stopped there. After that, when the mobile sales robot 10 with the shortest distance from its current location stops at the stop position, the mobile sales robot 10 with the next shortest movement distance resumes moving in order. Each time that mobile sales robot 10 stops at the stop position, the next mobile sales robot 10 resumes moving.

[0161] The instruction unit 214 also transmits an instruction to start the sale to the mobile sales robot 10D (step S108). The timing for transmitting this instruction to start the sale to the mobile sales robot 10D may be after the mobile sales robot 10D has stopped at the stop position instructed in the processing of step S107. Alternatively, the timing for transmitting the instruction to start the sale may be after both the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L have stopped at their stop positions.

[0162] Alternatively, the timing of transmitting the sale start instruction may be the same as the timing of transmitting the instruction of the parking position in the processing of step S108. In this case, the mobile sales robot 10D may start the sale immediately after receiving the sale start instruction, move to the parking position while performing the sale, and after arriving at the parking position, stay there and continue the sale. Alternatively, the mobile sales robot 10D may start the sale after receiving the sale start instruction and after the mobile sales robot 10D, or both the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L, have stopped at the parking position.

[0163] 11, it is assumed that the other mobile sales robots 10L continue to sell the products they own. However, if there is a mobile sales robot 10L that has stopped selling for some reason among the predetermined number of other mobile sales robots 10L, when the instruction to start selling the products at the discount price is given to the mobile sales robot 10D in the processing of step S108, the instruction to start selling the products at the regular price may be given to the mobile sales robot 10L.

[0164] After the mobile sales robot 10D starts the sale, the instruction unit 214 monitors whether the sale period determined by the sale period determination unit 213 has elapsed (step S109). While the sale period is continuing (step S109: No), the instruction unit 214 waits as is, and when the sale period ends (step S109: Yes), the instruction unit 214 transmits an instruction to end the sale to the mobile sales robot 10D.

[0165] However, the instruction unit 214 may simultaneously transmit an instruction to end the sale after a predetermined time based on the sale period at the same time as transmitting the sale start instruction. In this case, the mobile sales robot 10D starts the sale in response to receiving the sale start instruction, and ends the sale after the predetermined time, which is the end time of the sale period, has elapsed.

[0166] This completes the control process of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L by the management device 20 of the embodiment.

[0167] (Summary) In order to attract customers, clear inventory, or increase inventory turnover, autonomously moving sales robots may be used to hold discount sales. However, if the sales are not held at the right time, there is a possibility that profits will not be realized.

[0168] For example, in a retail store like a supermarket, it is possible to stock a large number of products, some of which are on sale. This allows customers to see products other than the sale items, and it is expected that they will purchase these products at full price, thereby increasing profits. However, unlike retail stores like supermarkets, there is a limit to the number of products that a single mobile sales robot can carry. For this reason, even if a sale is successful in attracting customers, the customers will only purchase the sale items. As such, when a sale is implemented by a mobile sales robot, it is difficult to get customers to purchase other products, making it difficult to increase profits.

[0169] According to the control method of the embodiment, based on the location information obtained from multiple mobile sales robots 10, it is determined whether or not there are a predetermined number or more mobile sales robots 10L that sell products at regular prices within a predetermined range of a mobile sales robot 10D that sells products on sale at a discount.

[0170] In this way, by making the presence of a mobile sales robot 10L selling regular-priced items in the vicinity of the mobile sales robot 10D selling discounted items one of the conditions for starting a discount sale, it is possible to promote sales of items other than discounted items.

[0171] Furthermore, by adding to the above-mentioned conditions for starting a sale that there are a predetermined number or more of mobile sales robots 10L around the mobile sales robot 10D, the ratio of regular-priced items to items on sale can be set appropriately, which also makes it possible to promote sales of items other than items on sale.

[0172] According to the control method of the embodiment, based on the placement information PR that specifies a positional relationship that satisfies predetermined conditions, it is determined whether there is space around the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L in which the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L can be parked in such a positional relationship.

[0173] In this way, by setting another condition for starting a sale as being that the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L can be arranged in a positional relationship that satisfies predetermined conditions, these mobile sales robots 10D, 10L can be arranged sufficiently close to each other, making it easier for customers to pay attention to products other than those on sale.

[0174] According to the control method of the embodiment, when there are a predetermined number or more of mobile sales robots 10L within a predetermined range and there is space available to park the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L in the above-mentioned predetermined positional relationship, the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L are positioned in a positional relationship that satisfies the predetermined conditions, and the mobile sales robot 10D starts selling at a discount.

[0175] In this way, by placing the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L within a predetermined range of each other, customers move around the mobile sales robot 10D, and therefore notice products other than the sale products being sold by the mobile sales robot 10L. This increases the chances of customers purchasing products other than the sale products, making it possible to make a larger profit than, for example, when there is no mobile sales robot 10L around the mobile sales robot 10D.

[0176] According to the control method of the embodiment, each of the plurality of pieces of placement information PR defines the placement of each of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L and the distance between the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L.

[0177] By deploying the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L within a predetermined range in accordance with any one of the plurality of pieces of arrangement information PR thus defined, it is possible to draw the attention of customers to products other than the products on sale, and to prevent customers from purchasing only the products on sale.

[0178] According to the control method of the embodiment, when determining whether there is a space in the surrounding area where the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L can be parked, the control method sequentially determines whether there is any placement information PR among the multiple placement information PR that has a positional relationship that allows the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L to be parked in that space, according to the priority of the multiple placement information PR.

[0179] As a result, the formation for deploying the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L can be selected from a plurality of arrangement information PR depending on the size of the space around the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L at that time, and the bargain sale start condition is more likely to be met.

[0180] According to the control method of the embodiment, the placement information PR6 including the plurality of mobile sales robots 10D defines the positional relationship for grouping and placing the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L in units of the mobile sales robots 10D. This allows for the formation of a larger group of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L, thereby providing customers with an opportunity to see many products other than those on sale, further enhancing the effectiveness of the sale.

[0181] According to the control method of the embodiment, in the location information PR7 including a plurality of mobile sales robots 10D, the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L are grouped by the category of merchandise sold by the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L. This allows customers to be induced to walk around the group of mobile sales robots 10D, 10L for a long time in order to find merchandise that interests them. This increases the chances of customers making a purchase, resulting in greater profits.

[0182] According to the control method of the embodiment, when determining whether or not a predetermined number of mobile sales robots 10L or more exist within the predetermined range from the mobile sales robot 10D, the determination is made based on whether or not the number of mobile sales robots 10L existing within the predetermined range relative to the number of mobile sales robots 10D is equal to or greater than a predetermined ratio.

[0183] This makes it possible to appropriately set the ratio between discounted products and regular-priced products when the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L each sell only one type of product.

[0184] According to the control method of the embodiment, when determining whether or not there are a predetermined number or more of mobile sales robots 10L within the predetermined range from the mobile sales robot 10D, the determination is made based on whether or not the number of goods in stock of the mobile sales robots 10L within the predetermined range is equal to or greater than a predetermined ratio to the number of goods in stock of the mobile sales robot 10D.

[0185] This makes it possible to appropriately set the ratio between discounted products and regular-priced products when the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L sell multiple types of products.

[0186] According to the control method of the embodiment, the travel schedule of a predetermined route R is obtained from the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L, and the sale period is determined based on the travel schedule of the mobile sales robot 10D or 10L that has the shorter stopping time.

[0187] This allows the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L to remain within a predetermined range of each other during the sale period.

[0188] In the above embodiment, it is determined whether the mobile sales robot 10D making a sale and the other mobile sales robot 10L are within a predetermined range based on the position information obtained from them. However, for example, it may be determined that the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L are within a predetermined range when the other mobile sales robot 10 is within a detectable range from at least one of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L based on the information from the sensor unit 134, the information from the imaging unit 135, and other sensing information.

[0189] (Variation 1) In the above-described embodiment, one of the conditions for a sale is, for example, that a predetermined number or more of other mobile sales robots 10L are present within a predetermined range from the mobile sales robot 10 making the sale. However, the above-described condition for a sale can be changed in various ways.

[0190] For example, in the above embodiment, the ratio of the number of mobile sales robots 10L or the number of products handled to the mobile sales robot 10D selling at a discount is set in the discount sale condition information 221 stored in the storage unit 202 of the management device 20. However, such a ratio may be arbitrarily selected by, for example, the operator 21 (see FIG. 1) of the management device 20.

[0191] The operator 21 can set any ratio in the management device 20 by appropriately outputting the information necessary for selecting the ratio of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L from the output unit 233 of the management device 20 shown in Figure 2 above, and inputting the ratio selected based on that information into the input unit 232 of the management device 20.

[0192] As another example of changing the above-mentioned sale conditions, the management device 20 or the operator 21 may be able to decide whether or not to take into account the status of mobile sales robots 10L that are not subject to the sale, depending on the purpose of the sale.

[0193] That is, for example, if the purpose of the sale is to sell off fresh produce, it may be possible to carry out the sale without taking into consideration the mobile sales robots 10L that are not subject to the sale. In this case, the purpose is achieved as long as the fresh produce is sold off. On the other hand, if the purpose of the sale is sales promotion or attracting customers, it is preferable to carry out the sale while taking into consideration the mobile sales robots 10L that are not subject to the sale, as described above.

[0194] The purpose of the sale can also be set in advance, or the sale can be set to start automatically when a predetermined condition is met, such as a predetermined condition such as a clearance sale after 8:00 PM.

[0195] In the above embodiment, the location information of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L is acquired, and whether or not the above-mentioned bargain sale conditions are met is determined based on the current status of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L. However, such a determination may also be made based on the future locations of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L.

[0196] In this case, the bargain sale condition determination unit 212 of the management device 20 acquires schedule information for these mobile sales robots 10D, 10L from the robot management information 224 in the memory unit 202 of the management device 20. Furthermore, the bargain sale condition determination unit 212 can determine, based on the acquired schedule information, whether the future positions of these mobile sales robots 10D, 10L will satisfy the bargain sale conditions.

[0197] In this case, the bargain sale condition determination unit 212 may first set the location where the bargain sale is desired to be conducted, and then determine whether the bargain sale conditions will be met when the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L move to that location.

[0198] At this time, for example, the mobile sales robot 10D does not need to satisfy the above condition while it remains at the site. The bargain sale condition determination unit 212 can determine that the bargain sale condition is satisfied if there is a timing when the above condition is satisfied between the time when the mobile sales robot 10D enters the site and the time when it leaves.

[0199] In this case, the sale condition determination unit 212 may set multiple locations where the sale is desired to be performed. In this case, the sale may be performed at all of the multiple locations that satisfy the above-mentioned sale conditions, or may be performed at only a predetermined number of locations that satisfy the above-mentioned sale conditions. When narrowing down the locations where the sale will be performed from the locations that satisfy the above-mentioned sale conditions, for example, a location where a larger number of mobile sales robots 10 gather may be selected, a location that satisfies the sale conditions for a longer period of time may be selected, a location with statistically higher foot traffic may be selected, or a location where the sales of the mobile sales robot 10L are statistically higher based on past history may be selected.

[0200] Any or all of the above processes may be performed by the operator 21. That is, the operator 21 may determine whether the future positions of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L will satisfy the above-mentioned sale conditions based on, for example, schedule information of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L. The operator 21 may also specify one or more locations where the sale is desired to be held, and may narrow down the sale locations from the specified multiple locations.

[0201] In the above-described embodiment, it is determined whether the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L are within a predetermined range based on their current positions while they are patrolling the predetermined route R. However, at the timing when such a determination is made, either the mobile sales robot 10D or 10L may be stopped.

[0202] In this way, one of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L can be left in place while the other moves, and preparations for a discount sale can be made. However, if the subsequent determination of available parking space indicates that the robots cannot park at the location, both of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L may be moved to secure parking space, as in the above-described embodiment.

[0203] As an example of moving one of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L, for example, a mobile sales robot 10 that is not selling well may be selected and a mobile sales robot 10D that is on sale at a discount may be placed near that mobile sales robot 10, or conversely, a mobile sales robot 10 that is not selling well may be placed near a mobile sales robot 10D that is on sale at a discount, and sales may continue as a mobile sales robot 10L that is not on sale.

[0204] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the state of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L according to the first modification of the embodiment.

[0205] As shown in FIG. 12, when the mobile sales robot 10L is parked, if there is a mobile sales robot 10D that moves to the parking position of the mobile sales robot 10L within a predetermined time, it may be determined whether the number of these mobile sales robots 10D, 10L or the number of products will satisfy the above-mentioned sale conditions.

[0206] 12, when a plurality of mobile sales robots 10D move to the parking position of the mobile sales robot 10L, the robot placement information 222 stored in the storage unit 202 of the management device 20 can be referenced to select a format including a plurality of mobile sales robots 10D, such as placement information PR4, PR5, etc. shown in Fig. 4, and these mobile sales robots 10D can be deployed in a discount sales area. Alternatively, these mobile sales robots 10D can be grouped and deployed in a discount sales area, such as placement information PR6, PR7, etc. shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

[0207] However, if the number of mobile sales robots 10D or the number of products would be excessive if all the mobile sales robots 10D that move to the parking position of the mobile sales robot 10L were to participate in the sale, it is possible to narrow down the mobile sales robots 10D that are to participate in the sale from among these mobile sales robots 10D.

[0208] When narrowing down the mobile sales robots 10D to actually sell at a discount from among a plurality of mobile sales robots 10D, it is possible to preferentially select a mobile sales robot 10D that has a large inventory of products to be sold at a discount, for example, because sales are not good. The inventory number in this case may be the total inventory number, including the number stored in the warehouse and the number held by other mobile sales robots 10.

[0209] Alternatively, when narrowing down the mobile sales robots 10D, it is possible to prioritize the selection of mobile sales robots 10D that urgently need to increase the inventory turnover rate of discounted products. Alternatively, it is also possible to prioritize the selection of mobile sales robots 10D with shorter expiration dates or use-by dates for discounted products. If the discounted products are seasonal products, it is also possible to prioritize the selection of mobile sales robots 10D that sell products that are nearing or already past their season. In this case, the product information 225 stored in the storage unit 202 of the management device 20 may include an item indicating whether the product is seasonal and an item indicating the season of the seasonal product.

[0210] Alternatively, the mobile sales robots 10D that will actually sell at a discount may be narrowed down by combining some or all of the above conditions.

[0211] In addition, among the plurality of mobile sales robots 10D, a mobile sales robot 10D that has not been selected as a mobile sales robot 10D that will actually sell at a discount may be allowed to participate in the sale as a mobile sales robot 10L that sells regular-priced items.

[0212] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the state of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L according to the first modification of the embodiment.

[0213] As shown in FIG. 13, when the mobile sales robot 10D is parked, if there is a mobile sales robot 10L that moves to the parking position of the mobile sales robot 10D within a predetermined time, it may be determined whether the number of these mobile sales robots 10D, 10L or the number of products will satisfy the above-mentioned sale conditions.

[0214] Also, as shown in FIG. 13, when a mobile sales robot 10L moves to the parking position of a currently parked mobile sales robot 10D, if the number of the moving mobile sales robots 10L or the number of products is greater than the number of the parked mobile sales robots 10D or the number of products, the mobile sales robots 10L to be allowed to participate in the sale may be narrowed down from the moving mobile sales robots 10L.

[0215] In this case, it is preferable to select the mobile sales robot 10L so as to further enhance the sale effect. That is, the mobile sales robot 10L that sells products that can further increase customers' purchasing motivation is placed near the mobile sales robot 10D and participates in the sale. By selecting the mobile sales robot 10L that can further increase customers' purchasing motivation in this way, it is possible to prevent, for example, the mobile sales robot 10L that arrives at the location first from stopping near the mobile sales robot 10D, thereby further increasing profits.

[0216] In this case, for example, the mobile sales robot 10L that sells products in the same genre as the sale items can be preferentially selected. Furthermore, when selecting the mobile sales robot 10L that sells products in the same genre as the sale items, the mobile sales robot 10L that sells high-quality products or high-quality, expensive products can be preferentially selected. In other words, the mobile sales robot 10L that sells high-quality, high-priced products can be preferentially selected rather than the sale items. This makes it possible to provide customers with attractive options.

[0217] Also, depending on the situation, for example, the mobile sales robot 10L selling products in a different category from the products on sale may be given priority. This is because if only products in the same category are stocked, customers tend to only purchase products in that category. Also, by stocking products in different categories, customers can discover something new and thus attract their interest. Furthermore, by stocking products in different categories, customers can spend more time exploring the sale area, which allows them to look at other products.

[0218] Information about the product genre can be obtained by referring to the product genre item in the product information 225 stored in the storage unit 202 of the management device 20. Information about the quality and price of the product can be obtained by referring to the price or quality level item in the product information 225 stored in the storage unit 202 of the management device 20.

[0219] Furthermore, when narrowing down the mobile sales robots 10L, mobile sales robots 10L selling new products may be selected with priority. This can give customers a fresh impression and attract their interest. Mobile sales robots 10L selling local specialties may be selected with priority. This can highlight the local characteristics of the product, making it attractive to customers. Mobile sales robots 10L selling company brand products may be selected with priority. This can highlight the company's strengths or characteristics.

[0220] In this way, the effect of bargain sales can be enhanced by selecting new products, local products, company brand products, etc. to be enriched in accordance with customer needs. Information on these new products, local products, company brand products, etc. can be obtained by referring to the relevant items in the product information 225 stored in the storage unit 202 of the management device 20.

[0221] Furthermore, when narrowing down the mobile sales robots 10L, mobile sales robots 10L may be preferentially selected from among those having a predetermined number of mobile sales robots 10 or more in stock. The number of mobile sales robots 10 in stock may be the total number of mobile sales robots 10, including those stored in a warehouse and those held by other mobile sales robots 10. This is because, in order to enhance the effect of bargain sales, it is more effective to deploy mobile sales robots 10L with a large number of mobile sales robots 10L in stock, as described above, than to deploy mobile sales robots 10L with a small number of mobile sales robots 10L in stock.

[0222] In the above case, the mobile sales robot 10L that offers services other than the sale item can be preferentially selected. For example, if the sale item is food, the mobile sales robot 10L that offers cleaning or repair services can be preferentially selected. This improves customer convenience.

[0223] Furthermore, if the sale item can be sold as a set, the mobile sales robot 10L may preferentially select items that are sold as a set with the sale item. Examples of set items include discounted sweets and high-quality tea or coffee in the case of food, discounted facial cleanser and high-quality lotion or serum in the case of cosmetics, discounted microwave ovens or toasters and high-quality blenders or coffee makers in the case of home appliances, discounted sportswear and high-quality sneakers or running shoes in the case of sporting goods, discounted stationery or miscellaneous goods and high-quality notebooks or pens in the case of miscellaneous goods, etc.

[0224] When selling a set of discounted products and regular-priced products, it is preferable to combine products of different price ranges, genres, etc., as described above. This gives customers a sense of value and increases their motivation to purchase.

[0225] When determining the combination of products that can be sold as a set, information about products sold as a set may be stored in advance in the storage unit 202 of the management device 20. An example of information about products sold as a set is shown in FIG.

[0226] 14 is a diagram showing an example of the set sales product information 226 stored in the management device according to the first modified example of the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 14, the set sales product information 226 stores information such as the products sold as a set and the set sales price for each of products A, B, C, etc. sold by each mobile sales robot 10.

[0227] The set sale items are a list of items that can be sold as a set with a specified item. In the example of Fig. 14, for example, item A can be sold as a set with items B and C. The set sale price is the price for selling these items as a set. In the example of Fig. 14, the price for selling items A and B as a set is 1,000 yen.

[0228] The sale condition determination unit 212 of the management device 20 can refer to the set sale product information 226, for example, as shown in Fig. 14, and determine whether or not there is a mobile sales robot 10L that sells a product that can be sold as a set with the sale product being sold by the mobile sales robot 10D, among the multiple mobile sales robots 10L that are moving to the parking position of the mobile sales robot 10D. Furthermore, if there is a mobile sales robot 10L that sells a product that can be sold as a set among the multiple mobile sales robots 10L, that mobile sales robot 10L can be preferentially selected as the mobile sales robot 10L to participate in the sale.

[0229] Furthermore, placement information PR that defines the positional relationship between the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L when the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L are to sell products in a set may be stored in advance in the storage unit 202. With such placement information PR, it is possible to define the positional relationship between the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L so that, for example, the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L that sell products in a set are placed adjacent to each other.

[0230] Based on the location information PR, the bargain sale condition determination unit 212 can determine whether or not there is space available for the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L to park. Furthermore, based on the location information PR, the instruction unit 214 of the management device 20 can cause the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L to park, for example, at adjacent positions.

[0231] As described above, when a mobile sales robot 10L capable of enhancing the bargain sale effect is selected from among a plurality of mobile sales robots 10L, the mobile sales robots 10L that are not selected may be placed around the selected mobile sales robot 10L. This allows more mobile sales robots 10L to be placed around the mobile sales robot 10D in a multiplexed manner, thereby further enhancing the bargain sale effect.

[0232] The above-described method for selecting a mobile sales robot 10L may also be applied to a plurality of parked mobile sales robots 10L, as in the example of Fig. 12. That is, when there are too many parked mobile sales robots 10L compared to the number of mobile sales robots 10D moving to the parking position of the plurality of mobile sales robots 10L, a mobile sales robot 10L that can enhance the discount effect may be selected from among them. Furthermore, when the result of determining the available parking space based on the selected mobile sales robot 10L indicates that there is not enough space, a new mobile sales robot 10L may be selected.

[0233] When the sale condition determination unit 212 of the management device 20 determines that a sale item and a regular-priced item will be sold as a set, the sale condition determination unit 212 causes the display unit 132 of the mobile sales robot 10D, 10L that is selling the set to display information about the set items so that the user can evaluate the set items. At this time, the customer may be able to select and purchase the set items from the display screen 132. Alternatively, for example, the customer may be asked to provide information about their own terminal in advance, and information about the set items may be sent to and displayed on that terminal. In this case, the customer may also be able to select and purchase the set items from the terminal.

[0234] In addition, the bargain sale condition determination unit 212 changes the settings of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L so that payment processing for the set items can be performed by either of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L that are selling the set items during the set sale period.

[0235] As a result, a customer can receive a set of products separately mounted on the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L from both the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L by simply making payment with one of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L. After making payment with one of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L, when receiving products from the other mobile sales robot 10D, 10L, for example, an identification code related to the payment, such as a two-dimensional code, can be issued when making payment with one of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L, and the customer can present this code to the other mobile sales robot 10D, 10L to receive the products from the other mobile sales robot 10D, 10L.

[0236] According to the control method of variant 1, if there are more than a predetermined number of mobile sales robots 10L within a predetermined range from the mobile sales robot 10D, a predetermined number of mobile sales robots 10L are selected from the mobile sales robots 10L exceeding the predetermined number, and the selected mobile sales robots 10L are placed in a positional relationship that satisfies the predetermined conditions defined in the placement information PR.

[0237] This allows the ratio of the number of mobile sales robots 10D and 10L or the number of products to be maintained at the appropriate ratio as described above.

[0238] According to the control method of the first modification, when selecting a predetermined number of mobile sales robots 10L, the mobile sales robots 10L that sell products in a different category from the sale items, the mobile sales robots 10L that sell products in the same category as the sale items, or the mobile sales robots 10L that sell products in the same category but in a higher price range than the sale items are preferentially selected. This can further increase customers' purchasing motivation and further enhance the effect of the sale.

[0239] According to the control method of Modification 1, when selecting a predetermined number of mobile sales robots 10L, at least one of the mobile sales robots 10L selling new products, the mobile sales robots 10L selling local specialties, the mobile sales robots 10L selling company brand products, and the mobile sales robots 10L that are a combination of mobile sales robots 10D and 10L selling products that can be sold as a set with discounted products is selected with priority. This can further increase customer purchasing motivation and further enhance the effect of the discount sale.

[0240] According to the control method of Modification 1, the management device 20 stores in advance product information 225, which includes information on the category and price of products sold by the multiple mobile sales robots 10, and information on whether the products fall into at least one of the categories of new products, local specialties, and company-brand products. By referring to the product information 225, the sale condition determination unit 212 can select a mobile sales robot 10L that can further increase customers' purchasing motivation and further enhance the effect of the sale.

[0241] According to the control method of the first modification, the management device 20 stores in advance the set sales product information 226, which includes information on products that can be sold as a set among the products sold by the multiple mobile sales robots 10. As a result, the sale condition determination unit 212 can refer to the set sales product information 226 to pair the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L that sell products that can be sold as a set.

[0242] According to the control method of Modification 1, when a predetermined number of mobile sales robots 10L are selected, the mobile sales robots 10L that are not selected among the mobile sales robots 10L exceeding the predetermined number are arranged around the selected predetermined number of mobile sales robots 10L. This allows more mobile sales robots 10L to be arranged around the mobile sales robot 10D, further enhancing the effect of bargain sales.

[0243] According to the control method of variant example 1, when the number of mobile sales robots 10L present within a predetermined range from the plurality of mobile sales robots 10D is insufficient for the plurality of mobile sales robots 10D, some of the mobile sales robots 10D are selected from the plurality of mobile sales robots 10D to satisfy the number of mobile sales robots 10L for the some of the mobile sales robots 10D, and the selected some of the mobile sales robots 10D are placed in a positional relationship that satisfies the predetermined conditions defined in the placement information PR.

[0244] This allows the ratio of the number of mobile sales robots 10D and 10L or the number of products to be maintained at the appropriate ratio as described above.

[0245] According to the control method of variant example 1, when selecting a mobile sales robot 10D, at least one of the following is preferentially selected: a mobile sales robot 10D selling discounted products with a larger stock quantity than the others; a mobile sales robot 10D selling discounted products for which the inventory turnover rate is desired to be increased; a mobile sales robot 10D selling discounted products with at least one of a best-before date and a use-by date that is shorter than the others; and, among the mobile sales robots 10D selling seasonal products as discounted products, a mobile sales robot 10D selling products that are about to end their season or are already out of season.

[0246] This allows the mobile sales robot 10D to be appropriately selected from the plurality of mobile sales robots 10D for sale at a discount.

[0247] According to the control method of the first modification, when a mobile sales robot 10D is selected, the mobile sales robots 10D that were not selected among the multiple mobile sales robots 10D are placed as mobile sales robots 10L that sell merchandise at the regular price in a positional relationship that satisfies the predetermined conditions defined in the placement information PR. This allows a larger group of mobile sales robots 10D, 10L to be formed, further enhancing the effect of the discount sale.

[0248] In addition, the control method of the first modification provides the same effects as the control methods of the above-described embodiments.

[0249] (Variation 2) In the above-described embodiment, when determining the bargain sale conditions and when deploying the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L to predetermined positions, these processes are performed based on the placement information PR stored in the robot placement information 222 in the storage unit 202 of the management device 20. However, these processes can also be performed using other methods.

[0250] For example, instead of the bargain sale condition determination unit 212 in the above-described embodiment, the operator 21 of the management device 20 may determine whether there is a space in the vicinity where the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L can be parked in a positional relationship that satisfies a predetermined condition. Figures 15 to 19 show the display on the monitor screen of the management device 20 in this case. When the output unit 233 shown in Figure 2 includes a display device or the like, the monitor screen of the management device 20 is, for example, a part of the configuration of the display device.

[0251] 15 to 19 are schematic diagrams showing an example of a setting screen 233M for setting the positional relationship between the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L, which can be set by the operator 21 on the management device according to the second modification of the embodiment.

[0252] 15 , the operator 21 may be able to arbitrarily determine the formation of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L, the distance between the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L, etc. In this case, a message MS1 explaining the operation content and icons 10i of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L, etc. are displayed on the setting screen 233M. The operator 21 can determine the formation of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L, the distance between the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L, etc. by dragging these icons 10i to any position on the setting screen 233M in accordance with the message MS1.

[0253] In this case, only the distance between the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L may be specified in advance as the positional relationship that satisfies the predetermined condition. In this case, when the operator 21 places, for example, one of the icons 10i of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L at a predetermined position on the setting screen 233M, a frame AR indicating a parking area in accordance with the specified distance between the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L may be displayed on the setting screen 233M within a predetermined range from the icon 10i, as input support for the operator 21.

[0254] As described above, when the positional relationship that satisfies the specified conditions is specified only as the distance between the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L, such a specification may be stored in the robot placement information 222 instead of the placement conditions PR described above, or may be stored in the discount sale condition information 221 in the memory unit 202.

[0255] 16 , the operator 21 may be able to select desired placement information PR from multiple pieces of placement information PR previously stored in the robot placement information 222. In this case, a message MS2 explaining the operation content and multiple options for placement information PR are displayed on the setting screen 233M. The operator 21 can select the desired placement information PR by, for example, pressing one of these options on the setting screen 233M in accordance with the message MS2.

[0256] 17 , when selecting a desired location information PR from multiple locations PR, the operator 21 may be able to arbitrarily set the position of the formation defined in the location information PR within the stoppable area. In this case, the setting screen 233M displays a message MS3 explaining the operation, formats PRi indicating the formations defined in each location information PR, and a frame AR indicating the stoppable area. The operator 21 can determine the position of the formation based on the specified location information PR within the stoppable area by dragging one of the formats PRi to any position within the frame AR indicating the stoppable area in accordance with the message MS3.

[0257] In this case, the plurality of pieces of placement information PR may define only the formation of the mobile sales robots 10. In this case, the operator 21 may be able to arbitrarily determine where to place each of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L within the formation defined in the placement information PR.

[0258] 18, in the above case, the operator 21 may be able to arbitrarily set the positions of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L. In this case, the setting screen 233M displays a message MS4 explaining the operation, icons 10i of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L, and a frame AR indicating the parking area in which a predetermined format PRi is placed.

[0259] In the example shown in Fig. 18, it is assumed that a format PRi, which specifies that the mobile sales robots 10 be arranged in series, has already been arranged within a frame AR indicating a possible stopping area from among a plurality of pieces of arrangement information PR. The circles within the frame AR in Fig. 18 indicate the stopping positions of each mobile sales robot 10 in the selected formation.

[0260] The operator 21 can determine the stopping positions of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L by dragging these icons 10i to any circle position within the frame AR in accordance with the message MS4.

[0261] 19 , in a configuration in which the operator 21 can determine the stopping positions of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L, the management device 20 may provide input support to the operator 21. In this case, when the operator 21 drags, for example, the icon 10i of the mobile sales robot 10D to any circle position within the frame AR, the icon 10i of the other mobile sales robot 10L is automatically placed at the remaining circle positions.

[0262] This allows the operator 21 to complete the setting of the entire formation of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L simply by determining the stopping position of the mobile sales robot 10D.

[0263] Note that the management device 20 may be configured to automatically perform any or all of the above processes.

[0264] For example, if only the distance between the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L is specified as the positional relationship that satisfies the predetermined condition, as described above, the sale condition determination unit 212 refers to the stoppable area information 223 in the memory unit 202 to acquire information such as the shape and size of the stoppable area around the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L, and also refers to the robot management information 224 in the memory unit 202 to acquire information on the vehicle size of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L. Furthermore, the sale condition determination unit 212 determines whether or not it is possible to place the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L within the acquired stoppable area so that the distance between the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L is within a predetermined distance, as the positional relationship that satisfies the predetermined condition.

[0265] At this time, if the determination result is that these mobile sales robots 10D, 10L cannot be placed within the acquired parking area, the sale condition determination unit 212 can appropriately change the specified distance to search for a distance at which it is possible to place the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L.

[0266] Furthermore, when the above-mentioned placement information PR is used as information indicating a positional relationship that satisfies specified conditions, if the placement information PR specifies only the formation of the mobile sales robot 10, the sale condition determination unit 212 may be able to set where to place each of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L within the formation specified in the placement information PR.

[0267] Regardless of which of the above processes is performed, the instruction unit 214 of the management device 20 can instruct the stopping positions of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L so that the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L are positioned in accordance with the formation determined by the operator 21 or the sale condition determination unit 212.

[0268] According to the control method of the second modification, the same effects as those of the control method of the above-described embodiment can be achieved.

[0269] (Modification 3) In the above embodiment, the management device 20 performs the process of determining the start of the sale in accordance with the sale conditions. However, the operator 21 of the management device 20 may determine whether or not to start the sale.

[0270] In this case, when the management device 20 detects that the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L are in a situation that satisfies the above-mentioned bargain sale conditions, the management device 20 may notify the operator 21. Upon receiving the notification, the operator 21 can determine whether or not to conduct a bargain sale.

[0271] In this case, the management device 20 may issue a notification when at least one of a plurality of sale conditions is satisfied, such as when a predetermined number or more of other mobile sales robots 10L are present near the mobile sales robot 10D conducting the sale, or when parking space for these mobile sales robots 10D and 10L is available. The notification mode may be different depending on whether all of the sale conditions are satisfied or only one or several of the conditions are satisfied. Furthermore, the notification mode may be different depending on the number of conditions satisfied among the sale conditions. In this case, for example, the more conditions are satisfied, the more emphasized the notification mode may be.

[0272] The notification mode can be changed, for example, by changing the color or size of the display, the length of the notification, or the notification method, etc. Specific examples of changing the notification method include displaying only the notification or displaying the notification with sound.

[0273] After notifying the operator 21, the management device 20 may stop the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L at their current locations until a response is received from the operator 21 or for a predetermined time. This prevents the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L from moving while the operator 21 is considering whether to start the sale, thereby preventing the sale conditions from being not met.

[0274] In addition, the management device 20 may appropriately present the operator 21 with support information to help the operator 21 decide whether to start a sale.

[0275] Such support information may include, for example, information including inventory information of discounted products sold by the mobile sales robot 10D, information including inventory information of products sold by mobile sales robots 10L present in the vicinity of the mobile sales robot 10D, information on whether the mobile sales robot 10L is selling products that can be sold as a set with discounted products, information on product attributes such as whether the products sold by the mobile sales robot 10L are new products, local specialties, or company-brand products, the number of mobile sales robots 10L present in the vicinity of the mobile sales robot 10D, the number of mobile sales robots 10L that can be newly moved to the sale area when the sale begins, the time the sale can start or the period during which the sale can be held, etc.

[0276] By referencing information about the products on sale by the mobile sales robot 10D, the operator 21 can more appropriately determine whether to start a sale. Furthermore, by referencing information about the products sold by the mobile sales robots 10L around the mobile sales robot 10D, information about whether the mobile sales robot 10L is selling products that can be sold as a set, or information about the attributes of the products sold by the mobile sales robot 10L, the operator 21 can determine whether these products are likely to increase customers' purchasing motivation. Furthermore, by referencing the number of mobile sales robots 10L around the mobile sales robot 10D, the operator 21 can determine whether a sufficient number of mobile sales robots 10L can participate in the sale, thereby more appropriately determining whether to start a sale. Furthermore, by referencing the number of mobile sales robots 10L that can newly move to the sale area, the operator 21 can determine whether to start a sale after determining whether, for example, there will initially be a small number of mobile sales robots 10L and whether more mobile sales robots 10L can participate later. Furthermore, by referring to information such as the time when the sale can start or the period during which the sale can be made, the operator 21 can determine whether or not an appropriate sale period can be set, and then decide whether or not to start the sale.

[0277] Furthermore, even if the management device 20 determines not to conduct a sale because the above-mentioned sale conditions are not met, the operator 21 may be able to independently determine whether to start the sale based on, for example, the above-mentioned support information. In this case, the operator 21 may be able to decide to start the sale even if there are not a predetermined number or more of other mobile sales robots 10L near the mobile sales robot 10D that will conduct the sale, if there is insufficient parking space for these mobile sales robots 10D, 10L, or if neither of these two conditions is met.

[0278] The operator 21 may also decide to hold a sale without taking into consideration the status of the mobile sales robots 10L that are not subject to the sale. In this case, when it is decided to hold a sale, sale information such as the location of the sale and the start and end times of the sale can be configured to be transmitted to the mobile sales robots 10 other than the mobile sales robot 10D that is subject to the sale. Furthermore, among the mobile sales robots 10 that have acquired the sale information, the mobile sales robots 10 that are capable of participating in the sale can be configured to move to the vicinity of the mobile sales robot 10D that is subject to the sale and participate in the sale as the mobile sales robot 10L that is not subject to the sale.

[0279] In this way, the mobile sales robot 10D that is the sale target starts the sale at a predetermined time in a predetermined place, regardless of whether other mobile sales robots 10L are present in the vicinity. The other mobile sales robots 10 operate in accordance with the sale schedule based on the acquired sale information. With this configuration, a predetermined sale effect can also be obtained.

[0280] According to the control method of the third modification, the same effects as those of the control methods of the above-described embodiments can be achieved.

[0281] (Variation 4) In the above embodiment, the sale period determination unit 213 determines the sale period by estimating the possible stopping time of each of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L based on the schedule information of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L.

[0282] However, the sale period determination unit 213 may estimate the parking time of each of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L from the remaining battery power of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L instead of or in addition to the schedule information of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L. In this case, the sale period can be determined based on the mobile sales robot 10D, 10L that has the smaller remaining battery power and therefore the shorter parking time.

[0283] The remaining battery power of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L can be obtained from the robot management information 224 stored in the memory unit 202 of the management device 20.

[0284] Furthermore, when the stock of sale items runs out, the sale may end regardless of the sale period determined by the sale period determination unit 213. Furthermore, the sale may end when the stock of regular-priced items runs out.

[0285] Furthermore, the operator 21 may end the sale at his / her own discretion, independently of the sale period determined by the sale period determination unit 213. For example, the operator 21 may issue a movement instruction to one of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L participating in the sale for various reasons, and in such a case, the operator 21 may end the sale. Furthermore, if the sale period determined by the sale period determination unit 213 is too long, it may discourage customers from purchasing, and therefore the operator 21 may end the sale in such a case as well.

[0286] Alternatively, when it becomes necessary for any of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L to move from the sale area, at least some of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L may be moved together so that the breakdown and number of robots satisfy the sale conditions, thereby continuing the sale.

[0287] Furthermore, when the end time of the sale period determined by the sale period determination unit 213 approaches, the operator 21 may be able to instruct the extension of the sale period. Alternatively, when the end time of the sale period approaches, the management device 20 may inquire of the operator 21 whether or not to extend the sale period, and the operator 21 may consider extending the sale period in response. Furthermore, the management device 20 may inquire of the operator 21 whether or not to extend the sale period only when it is possible to extend the sale period.

[0288] Furthermore, if it becomes necessary to suddenly shorten the sale period, for example, when one of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L suddenly has another scheduled activity, the management device 20 may notify the operator 21 of this fact. Furthermore, upon receiving such a notification, the operator 21 may further change the schedule of one of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L that has another scheduled activity, thereby maintaining the sale period as scheduled. Alternatively, the management device 20 may suggest to the operator 21 that the schedule of one of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L that has another scheduled activity be changed and that the sale period be maintained as scheduled.

[0289] Furthermore, as mentioned above, if the sale period is too long, it may discourage customers from purchasing. Therefore, an appropriate sale period may be set in advance instead of having the sale period determination unit 213 determine the sale period. Alternatively, when the sale period determination unit 213 determines the sale period, an upper limit and a lower limit may be set in advance for the sale period.

[0290] In a configuration in which a sale period is set in advance, it may be set so that it is decided to hold a sale when the period during which all of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L participating in the sale are present at the sale site is longer than a predetermined period.

[0291] In other words, it can be set that a sale will be conducted if all of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L can remain at the sale area for 50% or more of the entire sale period.In this case, for example, if the predetermined sale period is one hour, but all of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L can remain at the sale area for 45 minutes, it will be decided that a sale will be conducted.

[0292] It is also possible to set it so that a sale is decided to be held when a predetermined number of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L that can remain at the sale site for a predetermined period of time or more within a predetermined sale period are present among the total number of mobile sales robots 10D, 10L participating in the sale.

[0293] In other words, in this case, the sale can be set to take place if 50% of the total number of mobile sales robots 10D, 10L can remain at the sale area for 50% or more of the entire sale period.

[0294] The period during which all or a predetermined number of the required number of mobile sales robots 10D, 10L can remain at the sale area may be a total period. For example, suppose the predetermined sale period is one hour, and the required number of mobile sales robots 10D, 10L are present at the sale area for 15 minutes from the start of the sale. Then, some of the mobile sales robots 10L leave the sale area and are absent. Thirty minutes after the start of the sale, other mobile sales robots 10L join the sale area, completing the required number of mobile sales robots 10D, 10L. After that, the required number of mobile sales robots 10D, 10L can remain at the sale area until the end of the sale period. In this case, the required number of mobile sales robots 10D, 10L can be maintained for a total period of 45 minutes, which is more than 50% of the one-hour sale period, and the condition for the start of the sale is met.

[0295] As described above, even if all the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L are not present at the sale site for the entire sale period, the effect of the sale can be obtained as long as the required number of mobile sales robots 10D, 10L is present for a predetermined period or more of the sale period.

[0296] Furthermore, in a configuration in which a sale period is set in advance, the sale period may be set to a period that is more attractive to customers, such as a weekend, a public holiday, or a period included in a holiday. In this way, by holding sales on weekends, public holidays, or other days, it is possible to increase customer purchasing motivation.

[0297] In addition, a cumulative sale period may be set in advance for the mobile sales robot 10D designated as a sale target. In this case, the mobile sales robot 10D can repeat the sale multiple times at different locations until the cumulative sale period is reached. In this case, an upper limit and a lower limit for each sale period may be set in advance.

[0298] According to the control method of Variation 4, after the sale of the discounted products has started, when the sale period for the discounted products ends, the sale of the discounted products ends. In this way, the sale period determination unit 213 determines the sale period and the sale is carried out according to that period, thereby making it possible to set a period that is attractive to customers.

[0299] According to the control method of Modification 4, the sale period is determined based on at least one of the following: the shorter of the allowable stopping times of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L that are based on the patrol schedule of the predetermined route R of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L; and the shorter of the allowable stopping times of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L that are based on information on the remaining battery capacity of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L. This makes it possible to determine the sale period more flexibly.

[0300] According to the control method of the fourth modification, the sale of the sale item is terminated when the sale item is out of stock, thereby making it possible to determine the sale period more appropriately.

[0301] In addition, the control method of the fourth modification provides the same effects as the control methods of the above-described embodiments.

[0302] (Variation 5) In the above embodiment, the process of determining the start of the sale in accordance with the sale conditions and the process of determining the sale period based on the schedule of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L have been mainly described. However, various configurations can be adopted for the process after the sale is decided. In this case, it is preferable to perform a process that can attract as many customers as possible.

[0303] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L are parked to perform the sale so as to assume a positional relationship based on the location information PR stored in the robot location information 222. However, after the sale begins, at least one of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L may be configured to perform sales operations while moving.

[0304] 20 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the movement of the mobile sales robot 10D after the sale starts according to the fifth modified example of the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 20, after the sale starts, the mobile sales robot 10D may sell the products on sale while moving near the mobile sales robot 10L that stops at one place and sells products.

[0305] At this time, it is preferable that the mobile sales robot 10D moves within a predetermined range from the parking position of the mobile sales robot 10L so as not to move too far from the mobile sales robot 10L. This makes it possible to prevent customers from being attracted only to the discounted products being sold by the mobile sales robot 10D.

[0306] 21 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the movement of the mobile sales robot 10L after the start of the discount sale according to the fifth modified example of the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 21 , after the discount sale starts, the mobile sales robot 10L may sell regular-priced items while moving near the mobile sales robot 10D that stops at one location and sells products.

[0307] At this time, it is preferable that the mobile sales robot 10L moves within a predetermined range from the parking position of the mobile sales robot 10D so as not to move too far from the mobile sales robot 10D. This prevents customers from missing out on regular-priced items sold by the mobile sales robot 10L.

[0308] Furthermore, both the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L may perform sales operations while moving, for example, by traveling in a convoy. In this case, it is preferable that the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L move within a predetermined distance from each other. Furthermore, at least one of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L may perform sales operations while both stopping and moving. Furthermore, placement information PR specifying these operations, including the movement operations shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, may be stored in the robot placement information 222.

[0309] However, in general, it is easier for customers to see the merchandise when the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L are stationary. Therefore, the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L may be configured to move when there are fewer than a predetermined number of customers around the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L, and to stop when there are more than the predetermined number of customers. This is because, in order to attract customers when there are few customers, it is more effective to present merchandise over a wide area while moving than to stay stationary.

[0310] In addition, as one configuration of the above-mentioned modified example 1, in the process of determining the start of the sale, for example, the mobile sales robot 10L that can sell the set of products on sale in advance is selected. However, even if the set sale was not initially intended, after the decision to start the sale, the decision to sell the set may be made as a process to attract more customers.

[0311] At this time, a condition for determining whether or not to sell a set may be set in the storage unit 202 of the management device 20. The condition for determining whether or not to sell a set may be, for example, that the number of products purchased by customers is less than a predetermined number even after a predetermined period has passed since the start of the sale, and that there is a combination of products of different price ranges or genres among the products sold by the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L at the sale site.

[0312] When a set sale decision is made under such conditions, a decision can be made to sell a set if, for example, the number of items sold within a specified period from the start of the sale is less than a specified number.

[0313] Furthermore, the management device 20 may propose a set sale to the operator 21 when the above conditions are met.

[0314] Furthermore, instead of setting the above conditions in the management device 20, the operator 21 may determine whether to implement a set sale after the sale starts. In this case, the management device 20 may inquire of the operator 21 whether to implement a set sale.

[0315] At this time, the management device 20 can present information about each of the products sold by the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L in the sale area to the operator 21. Based on the presented product information, the operator 21 may be able to set a new combination of predetermined products to be sold as a set.

[0316] The product information presented to the operator 21 may be, for example, the price range or genre of the products. This allows the operator 21 to determine whether a given combination of products is suitable for sale as a set, and the management device 20 can support the operator 21 in making this decision.

[0317] Furthermore, for example, after deciding to hold a sale, the sale may be carried out, or products on sale or products related to the products on sale may be advertised as a process to attract more customers.

[0318] In this case, as an advertisement by the mobile sales robot 10D itself that is the sale target, for example, the mobile sales robot 10D may be provided with electric lights that are lit or flashed in a different manner than during normal sales. The electric lights of the other mobile sales robots 10L participating in the sale may also be made different from those during normal sales. In this case, the electric lights of the mobile sales robot 10D that is the sale target and the other mobile sales robots 10L may be made different from each other.

[0319] This makes it easier for people around the mobile sales robots 10 to distinguish between the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L participating in the sale and the other mobile sales robots 10. It also makes it easier to distinguish which mobile sales robot 10 is the mobile sales robot 10D that is the subject of the sale.

[0320] Furthermore, instead of or in addition to the advertising methods described above, among the multiple mobile sales robots 10, there may be a mobile sales robot 10 that advertises products, or a mobile sales robot 10 that specializes in promoting the sale of products, such as a mobile sales robot 10 that advertises products, or a mobile sales robot 10 that provides services such as tasting or trying on products.

[0321] Fig. 22 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a mobile sales robot system 2 according to Modification 5 of the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 22, the mobile sales robot system 2 according to Modification 5 includes, among the multiple mobile sales robots 10, the mobile sales robot 10A that advertises products, and the mobile sales robot 10S that provides services such as product sampling, trying on, introduction, or explanation, in addition to the above-mentioned mobile sales robots 10D and 10L.

[0322] These mobile sales robots 10A and 10S may be dedicated to advertising products or providing services related to the products, or may be used for mobile sales of products depending on the situation.

[0323] The mobile sales robot 10A is an example of a third autonomous moving body, and the mobile sales robot 10S is an example of a fourth autonomous moving body.

[0324] When the start of the sale is determined, the management device 20 determines whether the mobile sales robot 10A is present within a predetermined range from the mobile sales robot 10D. If the mobile sales robot 10A is present, the management device 20 causes the mobile sales robot 10A to advertise the sale items sold by the mobile sales robot 10D or the items sold by the mobile sales robot 10L that are related to the sale items. Examples of items related to the sale items include items in the same genre as the sale items, items specified as related items to the sale items in the product information 225 shown in FIG. 9, or items that are bundled with the sale items when selling them as a set.

[0325] When the mobile sales robot 10A advertises any of these products, the management device 20 transmits advertising information to the mobile sales robot 10A, including, for example, information about the product to be advertised and location information about the mobile sales robot 10D. The information about the product to be advertised may include, for example, the sale price, discount amount, set price, location where the product is sold, and information about purchasing methods such as payment method and how to receive the product. The location information about the mobile sales robot 10D may be location information indicating the current location obtained from the mobile sales robot 10D. However, it is preferable that the location information about the mobile sales robot 10D be relative location information about the mobile sales robot 10D with respect to the mobile sales robot 10A.

[0326] Such advertising information may be stored in advance in the storage unit 202 for each product, for example, or may be generated each time by the management device 20 based on the product information 225 relating to the sale product or related products.

[0327] When the mobile sales robot 10A receives the advertising information from the management device 20, it moves to the vicinity of the parking position of the mobile sales robot 10D based on the position information of the mobile sales robot 10D and starts advertising. At this time, if the position information of the mobile sales robot 10D is information on the relative position of the mobile sales robot 10A, it is easy to control the movement of the mobile sales robot 10A. The mobile sales robot 10A advertises a predetermined product by displaying the product advertising content on the display unit 132 equipped with the mobile sales robot 10A, or by broadcasting the product advertising content to the surrounding area by audio or the like if the mobile sales robot 10A is equipped with a speaker or the like.

[0328] Alternatively, upon receiving the advertising information from the management device 20, the mobile sales robot 10A may start advertising while moving toward the vicinity of the parking position of the mobile sales robot 10D. In this case, the content of the advertising may be different while the mobile sales robot 10D is moving toward the vicinity of the parking position and after the mobile sales robot 10D has arrived near the parking position. For example, while the mobile sales robot 10D is moving toward the vicinity of the parking position, the mobile sales robot 10A may advertise only a sale, and after the mobile sales robot 10D has arrived near the parking position, the mobile sales robot 10A may advertise related products to be sold together with the sale product.

[0329] Furthermore, after starting advertising around the parking position of the mobile sales robot 10D, if there are fewer than a predetermined number of customers in the vicinity, the mobile sales robot 10A may advertise while moving around the vicinity of the mobile sales robot 10D.

[0330] In addition, the mobile sales robot 10A may end the advertisement when the stock of the sale item or the set item runs out.

[0331] Furthermore, when the start of the sale is determined, the management device 20 determines whether the mobile sales robot 10S is present within a predetermined range from the mobile sales robot 10D. If the mobile sales robot 10S is present, the management device 20 causes the mobile sales robot 10S to provide services such as tasting, trying on, introduction, or explanation of the sale items sold by the mobile sales robot 10D or the items sold by the mobile sales robot 10L that are related to the sale items.

[0332] When the mobile sales robot 10S is to perform services such as tasting, trying on, introducing, or explaining any of these products, the management device 20 transmits at least the location information of the mobile sales robot 10D to the mobile sales robot 10S. The location information of the mobile sales robot 10D may be location information indicating the current location acquired from the mobile sales robot 10D. However, it is preferable that the location information be information about the relative location of the mobile sales robot 10D with respect to the mobile sales robot 10S.

[0333] When the mobile sales robot 10S is to provide a service such as introducing or explaining any of these products, the management device 20 also transmits communication information including, for example, information about the product to be introduced or explained to the mobile sales robot 10S. The information about the product to be introduced or explained may include, for example, an introduction to a new product, product features, cooking methods, or instructions on how to use the product.

[0334] Such transmission information may be stored in advance in the storage unit 202 for each product, for example, or may be generated each time by the management device 20 based on the product information 225 relating to the sale product or related products.

[0335] When the mobile sales robot 10S receives the position information of the mobile sales robot 10D from the management device 20, the mobile sales robot 10S moves to the vicinity of the parking position of the mobile sales robot 10D and starts providing the predetermined service. At this time, if the position information of the mobile sales robot 10D is information on the relative position with respect to the mobile sales robot 10S, it is easy to control the movement of the mobile sales robot 10S.

[0336] Furthermore, when the mobile sales robot 10S receives the above-mentioned transmission information in addition to the location information of the mobile sales robot 10D from the management device 20, it moves to the vicinity of the parking position of the mobile sales robot 10D and starts introducing or explaining the predetermined product. The mobile sales robot 10S introduces or explains the predetermined product by displaying the content introducing or explaining the product on the display unit 132 equipped to the mobile sales robot 10S, or by broadcasting the content introducing or explaining the product to the surrounding area by voice, etc., if the mobile sales robot 10S is equipped with a speaker, etc.

[0337] Alternatively, upon receiving the transmission information from the management device 20, the mobile sales robot 10S may start introducing or explaining the products while moving to the vicinity of the parking position of the mobile sales robot 10D. Furthermore, after starting the introduction or explanation of the products near the parking position of the mobile sales robot 10D, if there are fewer than a predetermined number of customers nearby, the mobile sales robot 10S may continue to introduce or explain the products while moving around the vicinity of the mobile sales robot 10D. Furthermore, the mobile sales robot 10S may end the introduction or explanation of the products when the stock of the discounted products or the stock of the set products runs out.

[0338] Any or all of the above-mentioned product advertisements, introductions, and explanations may be performed by the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L participating in the sale.

[0339] For example, the mobile sales robot 10D may be made to advertise the sale items it is selling. Furthermore, in addition to advertising the sale items it is selling, the mobile sales robot 10D may also be made to advertise items that are closely related to the sale items it is selling, or items that are sold as a set, among the items sold by the other mobile sales robots 10L. When the mobile sales robot 10D is made to advertise, it may only advertise while it is moving to a parking position in the sale area. Alternatively, as in the case of the mobile sales robot A described above, the content of the advertisement may be changed, such as advertising only the sale items while it is moving to a parking position in the sale area and advertising any of the above items after it has stopped.

[0340] In addition, the mobile sales robot 10L can be made to advertise the discounted products of the mobile sales robot 10D instead of the products it sells itself, or to advertise the products it sells by emphasizing their relevance to the discounted products.

[0341] As described above, by providing services such as product tasting, trying on, introduction, or explanation, it is possible to convey the appeal or features of the product to customers, making it easier for customers to become interested in the product and creating an opportunity for them to purchase it, thereby further increasing customers' desire to purchase.

[0342] Furthermore, for example, after deciding to hold a sale, the sale may be notified to the terminals of registered customers as a process to further attract customers. This is shown in FIG.

[0343] 23 is a schematic diagram showing how a notification according to the fifth modification of the embodiment is sent to the customer terminal 30. As shown in FIG. 23, after it is decided to hold a sale, a notification of the sale is sent by the management device 20 to the terminal 30 of the customer who has registered as a user.

[0344] The customer terminal 30 may be, for example, a notebook, laptop, or desktop personal computer (PC) owned by the customer, or a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, mobile phone, or tablet terminal. The management device 20 holds terminal information such as email addresses related to the customer terminals 30 that are registered as users, and after deciding to hold a sale, can refer to the terminal information and send a notification about the sale to each customer terminal 30.

[0345] Such a notification may include, for example, information about the start of a sale, the fact that a sale is currently being conducted, a set sale, the location and time of the sale, the items on sale, items other than the items on sale, items included in the set sale, etc. Furthermore, if the items on sale have sold out, a further notification to that effect may be sent.

[0346] The above-mentioned notice about the sale can be sent to the customer terminal 30 at a predetermined timing after the sale is decided. That is, the notice may be sent immediately after the sale is decided, without waiting until the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L stop at the parking positions. Also, the notice may be sent after the sale starts, that is, while the sale is being carried out.

[0347] For example, after deciding to hold a sale, a new mobile sales robot 10 may be moved to the sale area in addition to the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L participating in the sale as a process to attract more customers.

[0348] 24 is a schematic diagram showing how the mobile sales robot 10 according to the fifth modification of the embodiment is called to a sale area. As shown in FIG. 24, after the sale has started, the management device 20 can move a new mobile sales robot 10 to the sale area.

[0349] More specifically, the management device 20 determines whether or not there is a mobile sales robot 10 that exists within a predetermined range from the sale area and that is capable of moving to the sale area, among the multiple mobile sales robots 10 patrolling the predetermined route R. Whether or not a predetermined mobile sales robot 10 exists within a predetermined range from the sale area can be determined, for example, by acquiring location information from each mobile sales robot 10. Whether or not a predetermined mobile sales robot 10 is capable of moving to the sale area can be determined, for example, by referencing the robot management information 224 stored in the storage unit 202 and acquiring schedule information for each mobile sales robot 10.

[0350] If there are any mobile sales robots 10 that fit the above criteria, the management device 20 transmits the stopping position in the sale area to the mobile sales robots 10, and causes them to move to the sale area. The stopping position in the sale area may be near a mobile sales robot 10L that is already participating in the sale area. Alternatively, the stopping position in the sale area may be set to be near a group of mobile sales robots 10D, 10L that sell products of the same genre. This is because it is easier for customers to see products of the same genre when they are sold together.

[0351] The mobile sales robot 10 that has moved to the new discount sales area can participate in the discount sales area as a new mobile sales robot 10L, selling regular-priced items, for example. By gathering more mobile sales robots 10L in the discount sales area, customers can see a variety of products. This further increases the opportunities for customers to purchase products, making it possible to increase profits.

[0352] At this time, if there is a space in the sale area where the mobile sales robots 10 can be parked, the management device 20 may call these mobile sales robots 10. Whether or not there is a space in the sale area where these mobile sales robots 10 can be parked is determined by the parking area information 223 stored in the memory unit 202 and the sale condition determination unit 212, and can be determined by referring to the formation of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L already participating in the sale area.

[0353] In addition, if there is a shortage of space for parking, or if there are restrictions on the ratio of mobile sales robots 10D and 10L to be involved in the sale, the management device 20 may select a new mobile sales robot 10 to be moved to the sale area from among the mobile mobile sales robots 10, for example, using a method such as that described in the above-mentioned variant example 1.

[0354] Alternatively, if the ratio of the mobile sales robots 10L to the mobile sales robots 10D participating in the sale becomes too high, a nearby mobile sales robot 10D participating in the sale may be further moved to the sale location in addition to the newly moved mobile sales robot 10. In this case, too, the mobile sales robots 10D to be newly moved can be narrowed down as needed, for example, by the method described in the above-mentioned first modification.

[0355] In addition, the management device 20 may adjust or completely change the formation of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L in the discount sale area as the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L move to the discount sale area.

[0356] Furthermore, for example, after the sale has started, as a process for attracting more customers, the mobile sales robot 10D or 10L participating in the sale may be replaced with another mobile sales robot 10. The other mobile sales robot 10 may be one that happens to move to the sale area while making its rounds according to a predetermined schedule, or may be a mobile sales robot 10 that has been newly attracted to the sale area, as in the example of Fig. 24 described above.

[0357] Whether or not to switch the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L can be determined according to predetermined conditions.

[0358] For example, if a new mobile sales robot 10 moves into the sale area and sells products that are more closely related to the discounted products of the mobile sales robot 10D than to the products of any of the mobile sales robots 10L currently participating in the sale area, the mobile sales robots 10L can be replaced, thereby further increasing sales by the mobile sales robots 10L.

[0359] As another example, if sales of at least one of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L participating in a sale are poor, it may be possible to consider replacing it with a new mobile sales robot 10 that moves into the sale area. In this case, if sales of the mobile sales robot 10D are good but sales of the mobile sales robot 10L are poor, the effect of replacing the mobile sales robot 10D can be expected to be even greater.

[0360] The operator may make such a decision to replace the device 10 voluntarily or in response to an inquiry from the management device 20 .

[0361] According to the control method of the fifth modification, the plurality of pieces of location information PR include location information PR that specifies the positional relationship in which at least one of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L moves within the parking space to sell discounted products or regular-priced products, thereby further attracting customer attention.

[0362] According to the control method of the fifth modification, the plurality of mobile sales robots 10 includes the mobile sales robot 10A that advertises the products sold by the plurality of mobile sales robots 10, and at a predetermined timing after it is decided that the mobile sales robot 10D will be making a sale at a discount, the mobile sales robot 10A is made to advertise the products on sale at a discount. This makes it possible to further attract the attention of customers.

[0363] According to the control method of the fifth modification, after it is decided that the mobile sales robot 10D will be making a sale at a discount, the mobile sales robot 10A will advertise the merchandise being sold by the mobile sales robot 10L at a predetermined timing. This will further attract customer interest in merchandise other than the sale merchandise.

[0364] According to the control method of the fifth modification, when the mobile sales robot 10A is made to advertise at least one of the products on sale and the products sold by the mobile sales robot 10L, the mobile sales robot 10A is made to acquire information on the products to be advertised and at least the location information of the mobile sales robot 10D. This makes it possible to move the mobile sales robot 10A to a location where the mobile sales robot 10D will be selling the products at a discount, and to make the mobile sales robot 10A appropriately advertise the specified products.

[0365] According to the control method of Modification 5, the plurality of mobile sales robots 10 include a mobile sales robot 10S that provides at least one of the services of tasting, trying on, introducing, and explaining the merchandise sold by the plurality of mobile sales robots 10, and at a predetermined timing after it is decided that the mobile sales robot 10D will be making a sale at a discount, the mobile sales robot 10S is made to provide the predetermined service regarding the merchandise sold by the mobile sales robot 10L. This makes it possible to convey to customers the appeal of merchandise other than the discounted merchandise.

[0366] According to the control method of the fifth modification, when the mobile sales robot 10S is made to introduce or explain the merchandise sold by the mobile sales robot 10L, the mobile sales robot 10S is made to acquire information on the merchandise to be introduced or explained, as well as at least the location information of the mobile sales robot 10D. This makes it possible to move the mobile sales robot 10S to a location where the mobile sales robot 10D will be selling at a discount, and have the mobile sales robot 10S appropriately introduce or explain the specified merchandise.

[0367] According to the control method of Modification 5, at a predetermined timing after it is decided that the mobile sales robot 10D will conduct a discount sale, if there is a mobile sales robot 10 among the multiple mobile sales robots 10 that is within a predetermined range from the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L and that can be moved to the discount sale location by the mobile sales robot 10D, the mobile mobile sales robot 10 is moved around the mobile sales robot 10L. This allows the mobile sales robots 10 to form a larger group, further enhancing the effect of the discount sale.

[0368] In addition, the control method of the fifth modification provides the same effects as the control methods of the above-described embodiments.

[0369] (Variation 6) In the above-described embodiment, the management device 20 appropriately determines whether to start a sale in accordance with the sale conditions. As a result, the location and time of the sale are determined on a case-by-case basis depending on the situation at the time. However, the method for determining the location and time of the sale is not limited to the above.

[0370] For example, the location and time period for the sale may be set in advance in the storage unit 202 of the management device 20 or the like.

[0371] In this case, the management device 20 can select, as the location for the sale, a large parking area where a large number of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L can be gathered. Furthermore, the management device 20 can set, as the time period for the sale, a time when a large number of customers can be expected to gather, such as weekends, public holidays, and holidays. Furthermore, the management device 20 can adjust the schedules of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L in advance so that the required number of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L can be gathered at the predetermined sale location and time period.

[0372] Alternatively, the management device 20 may determine a location and a time period in which a large number of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L can be assembled based on the schedules of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L.

[0373] After determining the location and time period for the sale, the management device 20 can further perform the following processes before the sale begins. That is, the management device 20 can set the relative positions of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L. The management device 20 can also narrow down the number of mobile sales robots 10D, 10L and select the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L that will actually participate in the sale. The management device 20 can also generate movement instructions for the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L to their parking positions. As the sale time approaches, the management device 20 can transmit the previously generated movement instructions to the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L so that the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L arrive at their parking positions before the sale begins.

[0374] Also, for example, the operator 21 may determine in advance the location and time period for the sale.

[0375] As described above, the operator 21 can determine the location and time period for the sale based on various conditions when the management device 20 makes these decisions. That is, the operator 21 determines the location and time period for the sale based on conditions such as whether the date and time is one when customers can be expected to gather, whether the area is large enough for parking, whether it is possible to secure the schedules of many mobile sales robots 10D and 10L, etc.

[0376] After determining the location and time period for the sale, the operator 21 can have the management device 20 perform the following operations, as described above: setting the relative positions of the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L, selecting the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L that will actually participate in the sale, and generating instructions for moving the mobile sales robots 10D, 10L to their parking positions.

[0377] Furthermore, for example, when the management device 20 decides whether to conduct a sale, it may be possible to start the sale not based on the above-mentioned sale conditions, or by relaxing the above-mentioned sale conditions and depending on the situation at the time. Such cases may include, for example, when a large number of mobile sales robots 10 are gathered in one place to conduct sales but are not effective in attracting customers, or when sales after a predetermined time has passed since the mobile sales robots 10 started sales are below a predetermined threshold. Furthermore, the management device 20 may be configured to automatically start the sale at a predetermined time, regardless of various situations.

[0378] In such a case, the management device 20 can refer to inventory information of the mobile sales robots 10 that may be the target, such as the mobile sales robots 10 gathered in one place, and determine which of the multiple mobile sales robots 10 will be the mobile sales robot 10D to be sold at a discount. The method for selecting such a mobile sales robot 10D to be sold at a discount can be based on, for example, any of the methods for selecting the mobile sales robots 10D described in the first modification example above.

[0379] Alternatively, a mobile sales robot 10 carrying popular products may be selected as the mobile sales robot 10D to be sold at a discount. Alternatively, the attribute tendencies of people around the mobile sales robot 10 may be determined, and a mobile sales robot 10 carrying products targeted at people with the determined attributes may be selected as the mobile sales robot 10D to be sold at a discount. In other words, if there are many young women around, a mobile sales robot 10 carrying products targeted at young women, such as cosmetics or sweets, may be selected. As described above, by selecting a mobile sales robot 10D to be sold at a discount, the effect of attracting customers through the sale can be increased.

[0380] In addition, in the above-described modified example 1, the mobile sales robot 10L carrying a product that can be sold as a set with the product carried by the mobile sales robot 10D is selected. However, a similar method can be applied to the above-described modified example 6. That is, when the mobile sales robots 10 carrying products that can be sold as a set are located in a positional relationship that allows the set to be sold, among the arrangement of the mobile sales robots 10 at that time, these mobile sales robots 10 may be selected as the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L, respectively. In this way, a discount sale based on the set can be started without changing the arrangement of the mobile sales robots 10 at that time.

[0381] In the above embodiment, the mobile sales robot 10D to be sold at a discount is designated in advance and set in the robot management information 224, etc. However, as described above, when it is decided to start a sale at a discount depending on the situation, the mobile sales robot 10D to be sold at a discount may be designated as appropriate from among the multiple mobile sales robots 10.

[0382] In addition, the mobile sales robot 10D to be sold at a discount may be determined appropriately depending on the status of the mobile sales robot 10, the status of other mobile sales robots 10, the movements of customers, etc. while the mobile sales robot 10 is patrolling a specified route R, and may be selected at the time when the sale condition determination unit 212 makes a sale determination in accordance with the above-mentioned sale conditions.

[0383] Furthermore, the management device 20 moves the mobile sales robot 10D designated as a sale target to a parking position suitable for carrying out the sale. Such a parking position may be determined based on, for example, the robot location information 222 described above.

[0384] If the mobile sales robot 10D was originally parked at the park position determined as described above, the movement instruction as described above is not necessary.

[0385] Furthermore, if another mobile sales robot 10 exists in the location to which the mobile sales robot 10D is to be moved, the mobile sales robot 10 can be moved to any other location. The location to which the mobile sales robot 10 is to be moved may be the location where the mobile sales robot 10D was originally parked. In this case, the mobile sales robot 10D and the other mobile sales robot 10 exchange their parking locations.

[0386] Furthermore, the management device 20 selects a mobile sales robot 10L to participate in the sale as a mobile sales robot 10L selling regular-priced items from among the mobile sales robots 10 present at the location that have not been designated as items for sale at a discount. The method for selecting such a mobile sales robot 10L can be based on, for example, any of the methods for selecting the mobile sales robot 10L described in the first modification example above.

[0387] When selecting the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L, it is preferable that the ratio of the number of mobile sales robots 10D to be sold at a discount to the number of other mobile sales robots L or the number of products be within the range of the appropriate ratio described above.

[0388] The management device 20 also moves the selected mobile sales robot 10L to a parking position suitable for allowing customers to view merchandise, such as a position adjacent to the mobile sales robot 10D or a position within a predetermined range from the mobile sales robot 10D. Such a parking position may be determined based on the robot location information 222 described above, for example.

[0389] If the mobile sales robot 10L was originally parked at the park position determined as described above, the movement instruction as described above is not necessary.

[0390] Furthermore, if another mobile sales robot 10 exists in the location to which the mobile sales robot 10L is moved, the mobile sales robot 10 can be moved to any other location. The location to which the mobile sales robot 10 is moved may be the location where the mobile sales robot 10L was originally parked. In this case, the mobile sales robot 10L and the other mobile sales robot 10 exchange their parking locations.

[0391] After performing the above process, the management device 20 can cause the mobile sales robot 10D designated as the sale target to start the sale.

[0392] The operator 21 may be able to decide to start a sale depending on the situation at the time. In this case, as in the case described above, the operator 21 can instruct a sale when, for example, a situation arises in which a large number of mobile sales robots 10 have gathered in one place to sell goods but have not been effective in attracting customers.

[0393] Alternatively, any or all of the above processes performed by the management device 20 may be performed by the operator 21. That is, the operator 21 can select a mobile sales robot 10D to be designated as a sale target based on the inventory status of the mobile sales robots 10 gathered in one location, and move it to a parking position suitable for the sale. The operator 21 can also refer to product information of the other mobile sales robots 10, select a mobile sales robot 10L that sells regular-priced items, and move it to a parking position where customers can easily view the products. Thereafter, the operator 21 can cause the mobile sales robot 10D to start the sale.

[0394] According to the control method of the sixth modification, the same effects as those of the control methods of the above-described embodiments can be achieved.

[0395] (Other Modifications) In the above-described embodiment and modifications 1 to 6, various measures have been described to draw customers' attention not only to discounted products but also to other regular-priced products. In order to draw customers' attention to products sold by the mobile sales robot 10L, various measures can be considered in addition to the above-described measures such as selling sets, offering product samples, trying them on, introducing or explaining products, and grouping products with similar or related products.

[0396] For example, another measure to encourage customers to view the products sold by the mobile sales robot 10L is to offer special benefits. In this case, for example, when a customer purchases a sale item, the customer may receive special benefits such as coupons or points related to the product sold by the mobile sales robot 10L. Furthermore, for example, when a customer purchases a product sold by the mobile sales robot 10L, the customer may receive special benefits related to the sale item or products sold by another mobile sales robot 10L. Furthermore, for example, the customer may receive special benefits related to the sale item or products sold by the mobile sales robot 10L depending on the amount of time the customer stays at at least one of the mobile sales robots 10D and 10L.

[0397] In the above-described embodiment and variations 1 to 6, the prices of the sale items are set in advance in the product information 225, etc. However, the management device 20 or the operator 21 may set or change the sale price as appropriate depending on the situation at the time. This pricing strategy of setting appropriate prices as appropriate depending on the situation at the time is also called dynamic pricing.

[0398] As a price adjustment based on such dynamic pricing, for example, the price may be determined according to the inventory amount of the sale item, in which case a lower price can be set if the inventory amount is large.

[0399] In addition, if the sale item has a best-before date or expiration date, the price of the sale item may be determined according to the time remaining until the expiration date. In this case, if the time remaining until the expiration date is short, a lower price can be set.

[0400] The price of the sale item may also be determined depending on the remaining time of the sale period. In this case, if there is little time left in the sale period, a lower price can be set.

[0401] The price of the discounted product may be determined according to the number of other mobile sales robots 10 present around the mobile sales robot 10D being the discounted product. In this case, the more mobile sales robots 10 present around the discounted product, the lower the price can be set. This allows more customers to be attracted and more customers to see the products of the other mobile sales robots 10.

[0402] Furthermore, as one configuration of the above-mentioned variant example 5, in the process of calling in other mobile sales robots 10 after the sale has started, the more mobile sales robots 10 that move in later, the lower the price can be set.

[0403] The prices of the products on sale may also be determined depending on the types of mobile sales robots 10 around the mobile sales robot 10D. In this case, if the mobile sales robot 10 is one of the mobile sales robots 10A and 10S that provide a specific service related to the products, as described in the fifth modification, a lower price can be set. This is because if these mobile sales robots 10A and 10S are around the mobile sales robot 10D, they can attract more customers.

[0404] The price of the sale item may also be determined according to the number of customers around the mobile sales robot 10D. In this case, if the number of customers is small, a lower price can be set. This is because a limited number of customers can prevent the sale item from quickly running out of stock and keep it available for a long time. The number of customers in the sale area can be analyzed, for example, from images of the sale area captured by the imaging units 136 of at least one or more mobile sales robots 10 present in the sale area.

[0405] Furthermore, for example, if the number of customers around the mobile sales robot 10D for sale can be predicted for each sales location, the price of the discounted product may be determined according to the sales location. In this case, a lower price can be set in a location with fewer customers. The number of surrounding customers can be predicted, for example, when data on past foot traffic at the sales location exists. Such past foot traffic data can be obtained from location information obtained from the terminals 30 of registered customers, or data obtained from surveillance cameras or sensors installed in the city or indoors.

[0406] Furthermore, when multiple mobile sales robots 10D are located close to each other, these mobile sales robots 10D may be made to alternately sell products at a discount. That is, one mobile sales robot 10D may be made to sell products at the regular price for a predetermined period of time, while the other mobile sales robot 10D may be made to sell products at a discount during that period. After that, one mobile sales robot 10D may be made to sell products at a discount for a predetermined period of time, while the other mobile sales robot 10D may be made to sell products at the regular price during that period. This alternating price switching between products can be repeated a predetermined number of times. This allows the sale period to be extended, thereby attracting more customers.

[0407] In the above-described embodiment and modified examples 1 to 6, the management device 20 mainly performs the processes related to the sale. However, in the above-described embodiment and modified examples 1 to 6, at least a part of the processes performed by the management device 20 may be performed by the mobile sales robot 10. In this case, the mobile sales robot 10 may have some or all of the functions and information of the management device 20 related to the sale.

[0408] That is, the mobile sales robot 10 may have, as the functions of the management device 20 related to sales, at least one of the functions of the sales condition determination unit 212 and the sales period determination unit 213. Furthermore, the mobile sales robot 10 may have, as the information of the management device 20 related to sales, at least one of the sales condition information 221, robot placement information 222, available parking area information 223, robot management information 224, and product information 225.

[0409] In other words, the management device 20 configured as a computer may realize the configurations of the above-mentioned embodiments and variants 1 to 6, and the mobile sales robot 10 configured as a computer may realize the configurations of the above-mentioned embodiments and variants 1 to 6. These management device 20 and mobile sales robot 10 may each take on some of the functions and some of the information described above, and by these management device 20 and mobile sales robot 10 working together, the configurations of the above-mentioned embodiments and variants 1 to 6 may be realized.

[0410] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment and modified examples 1 to 6, at least a part of the processing that is to be performed by the management device 20 may be performed by the operator 21 of the management device 20 by operating the management device 20. In this case, when the operator 21 performs these processings, including the processing that the operator 21 can perform in the above-described embodiment and modified examples 1 to 6, the input control unit 215 of the management device 20 accepts various instructions and settings input by the operator 21, and the output control unit 216 outputs various information to the operator 21 in accordance with the instructions of the operator 21.

[0411] [Additional Notes] Preferred aspects of the present invention will be additionally noted below.

[0412] (Supplementary Note 1) According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method in which a computer controls a plurality of autonomous mobile bodies that can move autonomously, the control method comprising: acquiring location information of the plurality of autonomous mobile bodies that travel a predetermined route to sell or promote products or provide services; determining, based on the acquired location information, whether a first autonomous mobile body among the plurality of autonomous mobile bodies that sells products that are on sale and a predetermined number or more of second autonomous mobile bodies that sell products at regular prices are present within a predetermined range; if the first autonomous mobile body and the predetermined number or more of second autonomous mobile bodies are present within the predetermined range, determining whether a space in which the first and second autonomous mobile bodies can be parked is present around the first and second autonomous mobile bodies; and if the space is present, placing the first and second autonomous mobile bodies in the space and causing the first autonomous mobile body to begin the sale at the discount.

[0413] (Supplementary Note 2) In the control method of Supplementary Note 1 above, when determining whether or not the space exists in which the first and second autonomous mobile bodies can be parked, the method determines whether or not the space exists in which the first and second autonomous mobile bodies can be parked in a layout based on layout information that specifies at least one of a positional relationship that satisfies predetermined conditions for the first and second autonomous mobile bodies and a distance between the first and second autonomous mobile bodies; and when placing the first and second autonomous mobile bodies in the space to start a discount sale for the first autonomous mobile body, the first and second autonomous mobile bodies are placed based on the layout information.

[0414] (Supplementary Note 3) In the control method of Supplementary Note 2 above, the placement information includes a plurality of pieces of placement information that define different positional relationships between the first and second autonomous moving bodies, and each of the plurality of pieces of placement information defines the placement of each of the first and second autonomous moving bodies and the distance between the first and second autonomous moving bodies.

[0415] (Supplementary Note 4) In the control method of Supplementary Note 3, the plurality of pieces of placement information are prioritized, and when determining whether or not there is a space in which the first and second autonomous moving bodies can be parked, it is determined sequentially in accordance with the priority whether or not there is any placement information among the plurality of pieces of placement information that has a positional relationship that allows the first and second autonomous moving bodies to be parked in the space.

[0416] (Supplementary Note 5) In the control method of Supplementary Note 3 above, the plurality of pieces of placement information include first placement information including a plurality of the first autonomous moving bodies, and the first placement information specifies the positional relationship for grouping and placing the first and second autonomous moving bodies for the number of the first autonomous moving bodies.

[0417] (Supplementary Note 6) In the control method of Supplementary Note 5, in the first placement information, the first and second autonomous moving bodies are grouped by genre of merchandise sold by the first and second autonomous moving bodies.

[0418] (Appendix 7) In the control method of Appendix 3 above, the plurality of placement information includes placement information that specifies the positional relationship in which at least one of the first and second autonomous mobile bodies moves within a predetermined range to sell the discounted products or the products at regular price.

[0419] (Supplementary Note 8) In the control method of Supplementary Note 1 above, when the first autonomous moving body and more than the predetermined number of second autonomous moving bodies are present within the predetermined range, instead of arranging all of the second autonomous moving bodies that exceed the predetermined number around the first autonomous moving body, the predetermined number of second autonomous moving bodies are selected from the second autonomous moving bodies that exceed the predetermined number, and the selected second autonomous moving bodies are arranged in the space.

[0420] (Appendix 9) In the control method of Appendix 8 above, when selecting the predetermined number of second autonomous mobile bodies, second autonomous mobile bodies that sell products in a genre different from the sale items, second autonomous mobile bodies that sell products in the same genre as the sale items, or second autonomous mobile bodies that sell products in the same genre as the sale items but in a higher price range than the sale items are preferentially selected.

[0421] (Appendix 10) In the control method of Appendix 8 above, when selecting the predetermined number of second autonomous mobile bodies, at least one of second autonomous mobile bodies selling new products, second autonomous mobile bodies selling local specialties, second autonomous mobile bodies selling company-brand products, and second autonomous mobile bodies that are a combination of first and second autonomous mobile bodies selling products that can be sold as a set with the discounted products is preferentially selected.

[0422] (Appendix 11) In the control method of Appendix 9 or Appendix 10, the computer is made to store in advance product information including information on the genre and price of the products sold by the plurality of autonomous mobile bodies, and information on whether the products fall into at least one of the following categories: new products, local specialties, and company-brand products.

[0423] (Supplementary Note 12) In the control method of Supplementary Note 10, the computer is configured to store in advance set sales product information including information on products that can be sold as a set, among the products sold by the plurality of autonomous moving bodies.

[0424] (Appendix 13) In the control method of Appendix 1 above, the plurality of autonomous mobile bodies include a third autonomous mobile body that advertises products sold by the plurality of autonomous mobile bodies, and the third autonomous mobile body advertises the products on sale at a predetermined timing after it is decided that the first autonomous mobile body will be made to sell the products at a discount.

[0425] (Appendix 14) In the control method of Appendix 1 above, the plurality of autonomous mobile bodies include a third autonomous mobile body that advertises products sold by the plurality of autonomous mobile bodies, and at a predetermined timing after it is decided that the first autonomous mobile body will conduct a discount sale, the third autonomous mobile body is made to advertise the products sold by the second autonomous mobile body.

[0426] (Appendix 15) In the control method of Appendix 13 or Appendix 14 above, when the plurality of autonomous mobile bodies cause the third autonomous mobile body to advertise at least one of the products on sale and the products sold by the second autonomous mobile body, the third autonomous mobile body acquires information about the products to be advertised and location information of at least the first autonomous mobile body.

[0427] (Appendix 16) In the control method of Appendix 1 above, the plurality of autonomous mobile bodies include a fourth autonomous mobile body that provides at least one of the services of tasting, trying on, introducing, and explaining merchandise sold by the plurality of autonomous mobile bodies, and at a predetermined timing after it is decided that the first autonomous mobile body will conduct a discount sale, the fourth autonomous mobile body is caused to provide the service related to the merchandise sold by the second autonomous mobile body.

[0428] (Appendix 17) In the control method of Appendix 16 above, when the plurality of autonomous mobile bodies cause the fourth autonomous mobile body to introduce or explain a product sold by the second autonomous mobile body, the fourth autonomous mobile body acquires information about the product to be introduced or explained, as well as location information of at least the first autonomous mobile body.

[0429] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as within the scope of the invention described in the claims and their equivalents.

[0430] 1, 2 Mobile sales robot system 10, 10A, 10D, 10L, 10S Mobile sales robot 20 Management device 21 Operator 30 Terminal 101 Control unit 102 Memory unit 121 Autonomous movement program 122 Mobile sales execution program 123 Schedule information 124 Robot information 125 Product management information 201 Control unit 202 Memory unit 211 Robot information acquisition unit 212 Sale condition determination unit 213 Sale period determination unit 214 Instruction unit 221 Sale condition information 222 Robot placement information 223 Possible stopping area information 224 Robot management information 225 Product information 226 Set sale product information PR1 to PR8 Placement information

Claims

1. A control method in which a computer controls a plurality of autonomous mobile bodies that can move autonomously, comprising the steps of: acquiring location information of the plurality of autonomous mobile bodies that travel a predetermined route to sell or promote products or provide services; determining, based on the acquired location information, whether or not a first autonomous mobile body among the plurality of autonomous mobile bodies that sells products on sale and a predetermined number or more of second autonomous mobile bodies that sell products at regular prices are present within a predetermined range; and, if the first autonomous mobile body and the predetermined number or more of second autonomous mobile bodies are present within the predetermined range, causing the first autonomous mobile body to begin selling the products at the discount.

2. The control method of claim 1, further comprising: when the first autonomous mobile body and the specified number or more of second autonomous mobile bodies are present within the specified range, determining whether or not a space in which the first and second autonomous mobile bodies can be parked exists around the first and second autonomous mobile bodies; and when the first autonomous mobile body and the specified number or more of second autonomous mobile bodies are present within the specified range and when the space exists, placing the first and second autonomous mobile bodies in the space and causing the first autonomous mobile body to begin selling at a discount.

3. The control method of claim 2, further comprising: when determining whether or not the space exists in which the first and second autonomous mobile bodies can be parked, determining whether or not the space exists in which the first and second autonomous mobile bodies can be parked in an arrangement based on arrangement information that specifies at least one of a positional relationship that satisfies a predetermined condition for the first and second autonomous mobile bodies and a distance between the first and second autonomous mobile bodies; and when arranging the first and second autonomous mobile bodies in the space to start a discount sale of the first autonomous mobile body, arranging the first and second autonomous mobile bodies based on the arrangement information.

4. The control method according to claim 1, wherein when determining whether the first autonomous moving body and a predetermined number or more of second autonomous moving bodies are present within the predetermined range, the determination is made based on whether the number of the second autonomous moving bodies present within the predetermined range relative to the number of the first autonomous moving bodies is equal to or greater than a predetermined ratio.

5. The control method of claim 1, wherein when determining whether the first autonomous moving body and a predetermined number or more of second autonomous moving bodies are present within the predetermined range, the determination is made based on whether the product inventory number of the second autonomous moving bodies present within the predetermined range is equal to or greater than a predetermined ratio to the product inventory number of the first autonomous moving body.

6. The control method described in claim 1, wherein, when the first autonomous mobile body and more than the predetermined number of second autonomous mobile bodies are present within the predetermined range, the predetermined number of second autonomous mobile bodies are selected from the second autonomous mobile bodies exceeding the predetermined number, and the first autonomous mobile bodies are caused to begin selling them at a discount.

7. The control method of claim 6, wherein when selecting the predetermined number of second autonomous mobile bodies, second autonomous mobile bodies that sell products of a different genre from the sale target products, second autonomous mobile bodies that sell products of the same genre as the sale target products, or second autonomous mobile bodies that sell products of the same genre as the sale target products but in a higher price range than the sale target products are preferentially selected.

8. The control method described in claim 6, wherein when selecting the predetermined number of second autonomous mobile bodies, at least one of a second autonomous mobile body selling new products, a second autonomous mobile body selling local specialties, a second autonomous mobile body selling company brand products, and a second autonomous mobile body which is a combination of a first and a second autonomous mobile body selling products which can be sold as a set with the discounted product is selected with priority.

9. A control method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein, when selecting the predetermined number of second autonomous moving bodies, the second autonomous moving bodies that are not selected among the second autonomous moving bodies that exceed the predetermined number are arranged around the selected predetermined number of second autonomous moving bodies.

10. The control method described in claim 1, wherein, when the number of the second autonomous mobile bodies present within the specified range is insufficient for a plurality of the first autonomous mobile bodies, some of the first autonomous mobile bodies are selected from the plurality of first autonomous mobile bodies to satisfy the number of the second autonomous mobile bodies for the some of the first autonomous mobile bodies, and then the first autonomous mobile bodies are caused to start selling at a discount.

11. The control method described in claim 10, wherein when selecting the first autonomous mobile body, at least one of the following is preferentially selected: a first autonomous mobile body selling the sale item having a larger stock than the others, a first autonomous mobile body selling the sale item for which the inventory turnover rate is desired to be increased, a first autonomous mobile body selling the sale item having at least one of a best-before date and a best-before date that is shorter than the others, and, among first autonomous mobile bodies selling seasonal items as the sale item, a first autonomous mobile body selling items that are about to end their season or are already out of season.

12. A control method as described in claim 10 or claim 11, wherein when the first autonomous mobile body is selected, the first autonomous mobile body not selected from the plurality of first autonomous mobile bodies is made to start selling the product at a discount as a second autonomous mobile body that sells the product at the regular price, and the first autonomous mobile body selected from the plurality of first autonomous mobile bodies is made to start selling the product at a discount.

13. The control method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: terminating the sale of the discounted products when a discount period during which the discounted products are sold ends after the sale of the discounted products has begun.

14. The control method according to claim 13, further comprising obtaining a travel schedule for the specified route from the first and second autonomous moving bodies, and determining the sale period based on the travel schedule of the first or second autonomous moving body that has the shorter stopping period.

15. The control method described in claim 13, wherein the sale period is determined based on at least one of the following: a possible stopping time based on a patrol schedule of the specified route of the first and second autonomous mobile bodies, the possible stopping time being the shorter of the possible stopping times of the first and second autonomous mobile bodies; and a possible stopping time based on information on remaining battery capacity of the first and second autonomous mobile bodies, the possible stopping time being the shorter of the possible stopping times of the first and second autonomous mobile bodies.

16. The control method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of ending sales of the discounted products when the stock of the discounted products runs out.

17. The control method described in claim 1, further comprising having the computer retain in advance terminal information of registered users of merchandise sold by the plurality of autonomous mobile bodies, and at a predetermined timing after it is decided that the first autonomous mobile body will conduct a discount sale, transmitting sales information of the merchandise being sold at a discount to the terminal of the registered user based on the terminal information.

18. The control method described in claim 1, wherein, at a predetermined timing after it is decided that the first autonomous mobile body will conduct a sale at a discount, if there is an autonomous mobile body among the plurality of autonomous mobile bodies that is within a predetermined range from the first and second autonomous mobile bodies and is capable of moving to the sale location of the first autonomous mobile body, the movable autonomous mobile body is moved around the second autonomous mobile body.

19. A control method in which a computer controls a plurality of autonomous mobile bodies that can move autonomously, comprising the steps of: acquiring schedule information for the plurality of autonomous mobile bodies that travel a predetermined route to sell products, promote sales, or provide services; determining, based on the acquired schedule information, whether or not a first autonomous mobile body among the plurality of autonomous mobile bodies that sells products subject to discount sales and a predetermined number or more of second autonomous mobile bodies that sell products at regular prices will be present within a predetermined range at a predetermined time; and if the first autonomous mobile body and the predetermined number or more of second autonomous mobile bodies are present within the predetermined range at the predetermined time, deciding to cause the first autonomous mobile body to begin a discount sale.

20. A plurality of autonomous mobile bodies capable of moving autonomously, the plurality of autonomous mobile bodies patrolling a predetermined route to sell products, promote sales, or provide services, wherein, when a first autonomous mobile body selling products on sale and a predetermined number or more of second autonomous mobile bodies selling products at regular price are present within a predetermined range, the first autonomous mobile body begins a sale.

21. A program that causes a computer to control multiple autonomous mobile bodies that can move autonomously, the program causing the computer to execute the following: acquire location information of the multiple autonomous mobile bodies that travel along a predetermined route to sell or promote products or provide services; determine, based on the acquired location information, whether or not a first autonomous mobile body among the multiple autonomous mobile bodies that sells products on sale and a predetermined number or more of second autonomous mobile bodies that sell products at regular prices are present within a predetermined range; and if the first autonomous mobile body and the predetermined number or more of second autonomous mobile bodies are present within the predetermined range, cause the first autonomous mobile body to begin selling products at the discount.

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