Product Management Device for Unmanned Store Pickup Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

In unmanned stores, there is no visual checking to detect which product has been picked up by a customer, and existing settlement technologies fail to provide reference information for identifying unreads products during erroneous operations, leading to inconvenient re-scanning of all products.

Innovation Solution

A product management device with a reception state storage unit, movement path detection unit, and list output unit that uses tag devices to store identification information and detect the customer's movement path, outputting a list of products with significant reception state changes near the path, allowing for accurate identification of picked-up products and presenting reference information for unreads.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If tag devices are attached to all products and reception states are monitored, then picked-up products can be detected, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetection of picked-up productsVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The tag devices serve multiple functions: they are used for both product identification during settlement and for detecting product pickup by monitoring reception state changes. This multi-functionality allows the system to detect picked-up products without adding separate detection devices, thus resolving the contradiction between detection capability and system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Measurement precision

If all products are scanned during settlement, then complete purchase data is obtained, but time consumption increases when products are missed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompleteness of product dataVSAvoidsettlement time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of picked-up products by monitoring reception state changes before the settlement process begins. This preliminary action identifies which products the customer has already picked up, allowing the settlement system to focus only on those products rather than requiring the customer to scan all products, thus reducing settlement time while maintaining data completeness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides feedback to the customer by displaying information about which products have been detected as picked-up and which have not been scanned. This feedback mechanism guides the customer through the settlement process, allowing them to quickly identify and scan only the products that need to be processed, thereby reducing overall settlement time while ensuring complete data collection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Loss of information

If reference information for unreads is provided, then identification of missed products is improved, but information processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveidentification of unreadsVSAvoidinformation processing

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and presents only the essential information needed to identify unscanned products - specifically, the list of products that have been detected as picked-up but not yet scanned. By taking out only this critical information rather than processing all product data, the system effectively identifies missed products without excessive information processing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables accurate detection of picked-up products in unmanned stores and provides easy identification of unreads during settlement, enhancing customer convenience and providing marketing insights on consumer trends.

Implementation Method 1

a reception state storage unit configured to, on the basis of changes in reception states of signals transmitted from tag devices attached to products, store identification information of products in which changes have occurred

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSignal transmission and reception state change detection:

Implementation Method 2

a movement path detection unit configured to detect a movement path of a purchaser in a store in which the products are placed

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMovement path detection:

Data Source

PatentUS11276107B2Product management device, control method for product management device, and program

Publication Date: 2022.03.15 NEC CORP

AI summary

A product management device includes: a reception state storage unit configured to, on the basis of changes in reception states of signals transmitted from tag devices attached to products, store identification information of products in which changes have occurred; a movement path detection unit configured to detect a movement path of a purchaser in a store in which the products are placed; and a list output unit configured to output a list of products placed at locations close to the movement path among the products for which changes in the reception states are equal to or greater than a threshold value.