Store Exit Management System for Product Quantity Discrepancy Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In stores where products are registered and paid for using a portable terminal, there may be discrepancies between the quantity of products registered and paid for and the quantity of products taken out by customers, leading to issues such as unpaid products being taken out or paid products being left behind.
Innovation Solution
A store exit management system that includes a code acquisition means to obtain a payment completion code from a portable terminal, a paid-for product information acquisition means to acquire the quantity of paid-for products, an estimation means to estimate the quantity of products taken out from images of the customer's goods, an abnormality detection means to detect discrepancies between the paid-for quantity and the estimated taken-out quantity, and an abnormality output means to notify of any detected abnormalities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If products are registered and paid for via portable terminal operation, then customer convenience and payment efficiency are improved, but discrepancies between paid-for quantity and taken-out quantity occur leading to loss of information
Solution Approach 1:
The system captures images of products at exit, automatically estimates their quantities, and compares them with paid-for product quantities. This feedback loop provides real-time verification and alerts for discrepancies, ensuring information accuracy while maintaining the convenience of portable terminal payment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual product counting and verification with automatic image recognition and quantity estimation systems. Cameras and processing units substitute for human inspection, providing automated verification of product quantities without adding operational complexity for customers.
2Measurement precision
If manual product verification is performed at store exit, then product quantity accuracy is improved, but processing time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by capturing images of products at the exit point and automatically estimating quantities before any manual verification is needed. This pre-processing enables rapid comparison with paid-for quantities, eliminating time-consuming manual counting while maintaining accuracy.
3Extent of automation
If image-based product quantity estimation is implemented, then automated verification capability is improved, but system complexity and image processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary quantity estimation process that bridges image capture and verification. Instead of directly comparing raw images with product lists, the system estimates quantities from images as an intermediate step, simplifying the overall system architecture while enabling automated verification.
Data Source
AI summary
A store exit management system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes: at least one memory configured to store instructions; and at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to: acquire a payment completion code from a portable terminal operated by a customer when a product was registered and paid for through the portable terminal; acquire a quantity of a payment completion product associated with the payment completion code; estimate, from an image obtained by imaging goods of the customer leaving a store, a quantity of a product to be taken out by the customer; detect an abnormality based on the acquired quantity of the payment completion product and the estimated quantity of the product to be taken out; and output information indicating that the abnormality is detected.