KR20210060265A - Shopping system and shopping method using virtual shelf - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a shopping system and shopping method using a virtual shelf. The shopping system using a virtual shelf according to the present invention comprises: an entrance through which a user enters; a user authentication unit for authenticating the user entering through the entrance; a signage device formed by combining a plurality of display panels and displaying a virtual shelf including virtual products; a product storage unit for arranging a physical product corresponding to the virtual product; a product processing unit for processing the packaging of the physical product selected and purchased by the user through the signage device; a product receiving unit for receiving the purchased product packaged in the product processing unit by the user; and a control unit for controlling the generation of the virtual shelf and the arrangement of the virtual products displayed on the virtual shelf and processing payment for the product selected and purchased by the user through the signage device. Thereby, by combining the advantages of a virtual store and an offline store, it is possible to give an experience of viewing and purchasing a real product and provides a shopping environment convenient for the shopping flow of a shop's visitor.

Description

Shopping system and shopping method using virtual shelf {SHOPPING SYSTEM AND SHOPPING METHOD USING VIRTUAL SHELF}

The present invention relates to a shopping system and a shopping method using a virtual shelf, and more specifically, to a shopping system and a shopping method using a virtual shelf provided offline.

Recently, a virtual store has appeared and is attracting attention. The virtual store is a system that allows you to view images of products installed on screen doors or bus stops at subway stations, and purchase the products on the spot. If you take a QR code near the image with your smartphone, it will automatically go to the related mobile page. Buyers don't have to visit the store directly because they can pay and even enter shipping address information. Internet online shopping malls have been moved to smartphone applications. Recently, starting with large discount marts, online shopping malls, outdoor brands, and bookstores are entering virtual stores, and the area is gradually expanding.

However, since most of these virtual stores are accessed with a web browser through online or are set as a concept to replace existing shops, there is a problem that a sense of reality is deteriorated because they cannot provide an actual shopping experience.

[Prior technical literature]

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2013-0062854 (published on June 13, 2013)

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a shopping system and a shopping method using a virtual shelf that gives an experience of viewing and purchasing a real product through a virtual shelf in an offline store. In addition, a problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a shopping system and a shopping method using a virtual shelf that provides a convenient shopping environment in consideration of the shopping movement of shop visitors.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a shopping system and a shopping method using a virtual shelf that provides a customized virtual cart by classifying users who experience shopping. In addition, a problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a shopping system and a shopping method using a virtual shelf that can easily check the status of product purchases without dragging a cart.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a shopping system and a shopping method using a virtual shelf capable of generating and providing a virtual shelf customized to a user in response to a user's positional movement. The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a shopping system and a shopping method using a virtual shelf capable of selling various products even in a limited space.

In order to solve the above-described problems, a shopping system using a virtual shelf according to an embodiment of the present invention is a combination of an entrance to a user, a user authentication unit that authenticates a user entering through the entrance, and a plurality of display panels. A signage device that displays a virtual shelf including a virtual product, a product storage unit in which a physical product corresponding to the virtual product is provided, and packaging of the physical product selected by the user through the signage device An article processing unit for processing, an article receiving unit for the user to receive the purchased product packaged in the article processing unit, and controlling the creation of the virtual shelf and the placement of the virtual product displayed on the virtual shelf, and between the And a control unit that processes payment for the product selected for purchase by the user through the nigi device.

In order to solve the above-described problems, a shopping system using a virtual shelf according to an embodiment of the present invention is formed by combining a plurality of display panels displaying images, and displays a virtual shelf including a virtual product as an image. In the product library based on a signage device for performing a signage, a product library in which images and product information of products are stored, an arrangement of the virtual shelves and a product arrangement planning unit for planning the arrangement of the virtual goods, and an arrangement plan of the product arrangement planning unit A virtual shelf generation unit that extracts corresponding product information and generates the virtual shelf on which the virtual product is displayed on the signage device, a location tracking unit that tracks the user's location, and the signage corresponding to the user's location And a virtual cart generator configured to generate a virtual cart containing a product selected for purchase by the user at a location of the device, and to move the virtual cart to a corresponding location in response to the user's location movement.

In order to solve the above-described problems, a shopping system and method using a virtual shelf according to an embodiment of the present invention, constructs an image of a product to be sold and product information as a database, and arranges a virtual product to be included in the virtual shelf. According to the planning and arrangement plan, the corresponding product information is extracted from the database, and a virtual shelf including the virtual product is generated as an image and displayed on a signage device, recognizing a user entering a store, and responding to the user. Create a virtual cart, detect the location of the user and display the virtual cart at a location of the corresponding signage device, and move and display the virtual cart to a corresponding location in response to the user's location movement, An image in which the virtual product selected by the user to purchase from the virtual shelf is added to the virtual cart is displayed.

A shopping system and method using a virtual shelf according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a purchase confirmation unit for checking the purchase details of products selected by the user and correcting the purchase details, and for interfacing the user's input or selection. A user interface unit; And a purchase calculation unit that calculates the number of products selected for purchase by the user, a total purchase amount, and a total weight.

A shopping system and method using a virtual shelf according to an embodiment of the present invention displays at least two of the number of products selected for purchase by the user, a total purchase amount, and a gross weight on a virtual tag formed in a partial area of the virtual cart. .

In the shopping system and method using a virtual shelf according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the locations of a plurality of users are within a predetermined distance from each other, the remaining virtual carts excluding at least a portion of the virtual tags corresponding to the plurality of users The positions of the virtual carts are adjusted so that portions are displayed to allow overlapping with each other, and the portions that do not allow overlapping with each other are set differently in the virtual tag according to the number of the virtual carts within a predetermined area.

In the shopping system and method using a virtual shelf according to an embodiment of the present invention, the virtual cart is separately generated for each user, and a customized virtual cart is provided according to the user's gender or age group.

A shopping system and method using a virtual shelf according to an embodiment of the present invention plan a product arrangement of a user-customized virtual shelf based on at least one of the user's purchase history, gender, and age, and the user-customized virtual shelf The user-customized virtual shelf is created in the signage module corresponding to the user's location based on the product arrangement of.

In the shopping system and method using a virtual shelf according to an embodiment of the present invention, the user interface unit includes a touch screen provided on the signage device, and the signage device is provided between the entrance and the exit of the store, and the The virtual product displayed on the virtual shelf of the corresponding signage module is switched according to the user's flicking operation on the touch screen.

The virtual products are displayed in the same signage module for each category or in the same area of the same signage module, and the virtual shelf is switched to display other virtual products of the same category in response to a flicking operation of the user's touch screen. , Switch to display virtual products of different categories.

As described above, a shopping system and a shopping method using a virtual shelf according to the present invention can provide an experience of viewing and purchasing a real product by combining the advantages of a virtual store and an offline store. In addition, a shopping system and a shopping method using a virtual shelf according to the present invention provide a shopping environment in which the shopping movement of visitors of a store is convenient.

The shopping system and the shopping method using a virtual shelf according to the present invention provide a customized virtual cart by classifying a user who experiences shopping, and the virtual cart is moved and displayed according to the user's movement without the need for heavy dragging. It is convenient to check the status of product purchases through a virtual cart.

The shopping system and shopping method using a virtual shelf according to the present invention can quickly and conveniently purchase a desired product by creating and providing a virtual shelf customized to a user in response to a user's location movement. The shopping system and shopping method using a virtual shelf according to the present invention can sell various products even in a limited space by switching the virtual shelf according to the user's flicking operation.

1 schematically shows an example of a store implementing a shopping system using a virtual shelf according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a control block diagram of a shopping system using a virtual shelf according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 illustrates an example in which a user recognition module according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided at an entrance.
4 shows an example of a signage device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 shows an example of an article receiving unit provided at an exit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 shows an example of a purchase confirmation unit provided at an exit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a detailed block diagram of a control unit of a shopping system using a virtual shelf according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 illustrates an example of a virtual shelf displayed on a signage device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 illustrates an example of a virtual cart displayed on a signage device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 illustrates an example of a virtual cart generated by a virtual cart generator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 illustrates an example of a plurality of virtual carts generated by a virtual cart generator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a control block diagram of a shopping system using a virtual shelf according to an embodiment of the present invention.
13 to 15 are control flow diagrams of a shopping method using a virtual shelf according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Advantages and features of the present invention, and a method of achieving them will become apparent with reference to the embodiments described below in detail together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but may be implemented in a variety of different forms. It is provided to completely inform the scope of the invention to those who have, and the invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. The same reference numerals refer to the same elements throughout the specification.

A shopping system using a virtual shelf according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11. 1 schematically illustrates an example of a store implementing a shopping system using a virtual shelf according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of a shopping system using the virtual shelf of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, a store implementing a shopping system using a virtual shelf according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an entrance 1 to which a user enters, a signage device 30 displaying a virtual shelf including a virtual product. , And an exit 2 from which the user exits after shopping is provided. In FIG. 1, only one side inside the store is shown, and a signage device 30 may be provided on the other side, and after a user enters through the entrance 1, shopping while turning the signage devices 30 provided on the left and right. There may be a kind of rotary shopping flow that goes out through the exit (2). Behind the signage device 30, a product storage unit 40 in which a physical product corresponding to a virtual product is provided, and a product processing unit that processes the packaging of the physical product selected by the user through the signage device 30 ( 41) can be provided.

2, a shopping system using a virtual shelf according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a user authentication unit 11, a signage device 30, an article storage unit 40, an article processing unit 41, and an article receipt. It includes a unit 21 and a control unit 70.

The user authentication unit 11 is for authenticating a user visiting a store, and the user authentication unit 11 is a biometric information recognition module 11a for recognizing the user's biometric information, and user identification information given to the user. Including at least one of the identification information recognition module for recognition, the biometric information recognition module (11a) or the identification information recognition module is provided at the entrance (1) or is provided toward the entrance (1) to the user entering the entrance (1). It can be installed for easy recognition.

The user can sign up as a member of the store through the membership registration process and register his/her user's biometric information. At this time, the user may register a face, hand, iris, voice, etc. as user biometric information. On the other hand, identification information for user recognition, such as a member number, QR code, NFC tag, barcode, etc., may be given to the user who has completed membership registration in a form that can be stored in a smartphone. The user authentication unit 11 may store biometric information or identification information of a previously registered user and perform user authentication by recognizing the biometric information of a visiting user or reading the identification information and comparing it with stored user information.

3 illustrates an example in which a user recognition module according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided at the entrance 1. When the user passes the entrance 1 and moves the face toward the face recognition module through the face recognition module provided at the entrance 1, the user authentication unit recognizes the user's face and performs user authentication. The entrance 1 may be provided with a module for recognizing a user identification tag, and in this case, the user can perform user authentication by bringing his or her identification tag close to the recognition module.

The signage device 30 is for displaying a virtual shelf including a virtual product as an image, and includes a plurality of signage modules. A plurality of signage modules can be modularized in a form that can be assembled with each other between signage modules, and can be assembled by selecting an appropriate number corresponding to the width, length, and height according to the size and design of the store. The upper, lower, left and right frames of the signage module may have a fastening structure that can be easily assembled between modules. Here, the fastening structure may be composed of a fixing bracket that is seated on the upper, lower, left, and right frames, and a fastening member that is fastened to the fixing bracket. In addition, depending on the design of the store, a plurality of signage modules may be installed at regular intervals, respectively.

4 shows an example of the signage device 30 according to the present embodiment, and includes three signage modules 30a, 30b, and 30c. The signage modules 30a, 30b, and 30c may be formed in a rectangular shape by arranging a plurality of display panels in a horizontal or vertical direction. The display panels used in the signage modules (30a, 30b, 30c) include a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, a light emitting diode (LED) panel, and an organic light emitting diode (OLED) panel. It can be implemented as such.

The plurality of display panels constituting the signage modules 30a, 30b, and 30c are sequentially connected to each other in a daisy chain form, for example, to form virtual shelves 100a, 100b, and 100c. The plurality of display panels are configured to display the virtual shelves 100a, 100b, and 100c by processing an image signal received from an external device, for example, an image related to the virtual shelves 100a, 100b, and 100c. The signage module (30a, 30b, 30c) or the display panel may include an input port for connection to each other, an output port, and an input port that can be connected to an external device, and includes a processor and a memory for image processing. It is composed. When four display panels constitute one signage module (30a, 30b, 30c), each display module enlarges and processes an image signal corresponding to each set area (1/4). In addition, the signage modules 30a, 30b, and 30c may include a communication module (not shown) for communication with a remote control device (not shown) that provides a user's command.

The display panel includes a display module, a display driver (not shown) that drives the display module, a backlight unit (not shown) that irradiates light to the display module, and a backlight driver (not shown) that drives the backlight unit (not shown). can do. The backlight unit (not shown) may be a Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp (CCFL), a Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamp, or the like.

The article storage unit 40 is a place where physical products corresponding to the virtual products displayed on the signage device 30 are stored, and may mean a kind of warehouse. The article processing unit 41 handles packaging by fetching a physical product corresponding to the virtual product selected by the user through the signage device 30 from the article storage unit 40. The article processing unit 41 can be implemented as an automated mechanical mechanism built by a robotic arm system and an automatic transfer system rather than a human, and the article processing unit 41 stores a physical product corresponding to the virtual product selected by the user. It can be implemented including a robot arm system taken out from 40, an automatic transfer system that moves the product to a packaging position or an article receiving position, and a packaging system that automatically puts the product in the packaging paper.

The article receiving unit 21 is for enabling the user to receive the purchased product packaged by the article processing unit 41 and may be provided near the exit 2 or the exit 2.

5 shows an example of the article receiving unit 21 provided at the exit 2, and has a convenient structure in which the user can receive the article while passing through the exit 2.

In addition, the shopping system using the virtual shelf according to the present embodiment may further include a purchase confirmation unit 22. The purchase confirmation unit 22 is for confirming purchase details of products selected by the user to purchase through the signage device 30, and the purchase confirmation unit 22 may include a display module displaying purchase details. Through the purchase confirmation unit 22, the user can check whether the products he/she purchased are correct before making a payment, and if there is a product that he/she wants to cancel a purchase among the purchase details, he/she may select the corresponding products and modify the purchase details.

6 shows an example of the purchase confirmation unit 22 provided at the exit 2, in which the user can check the purchase details through the display module before passing through the exit 2 and confirm by pressing the confirmation button. It has a convenient structure. When the confirmation button is pressed through the purchase confirmation unit 22, the purchase is confirmed, and packaging and payment of the purchased product may be made. In some cases, the first packaging of the purchased product may be performed before purchase confirmation, and final packaging may be performed by removing the canceled product after purchase confirmation.

Referring to FIG. 2, the shopping system using a virtual shelf according to the present embodiment may further include a location tracking unit 50 and a user interface unit 60. The location tracking unit 50 is for tracking the location of a user who has entered the store, and may include a camera or a human body detection sensor for recognizing a person. The location tracking unit 50 may be installed at a plurality of points from the entrance 1 to the upper and lower ends of the signage device 30 and the exit 2, and based on the user's recognition results at the plurality of points, the location of the user is determined. I can grasp it. The location tracking unit 50 may be implemented not simply to determine the location of a person, but to identify an individual user to determine the location of the corresponding user. For example, when there are a large number of users who have entered a store, it can be implemented so that it is possible to determine which user is in which location. Such individual user location identification can be implemented by various methods such as tracking a series of movements from entrance to shopping and exiting a store, or tracking through facial identification using a camera.

The user interface unit 60 serves to interface a user's input or selection, and may include a touch screen provided in the signage modules 30a, 30b, and 30c. The user may select a purchase by touching or clicking a desired product on the virtual shelves 100a, 100b, and 100c displayed on the signage modules 30a, 30b, and 30c. It goes without saying that the user interface unit 60 is not limited to the touch screen, and various input means may be applied.

The controller 70 is for overall control of the shopping system using a virtual shelf, and includes a program code for signal processing and control, a memory (not shown) for storing the same, and a processor (not shown) for executing the same. It can be implemented, for example, can be implemented by a computer or the like. The controller 70 controls the creation of the virtual shelves 100a, 100b, and 100c and the arrangement of virtual products displayed on the virtual shelves 100a, 100b, 100c, and the product selected by the user through the signage device 30 Process the payment of expenses. The control unit 70 may include a wired/wireless communication interface for communication with the user authentication unit 11, the signage device 30, the article storage unit 40, the article processing unit 41, and the article receiving unit 21. have.

A more detailed description of the control unit 70 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. 7 is a detailed block diagram of a control unit 70 of a shopping system using a virtual shelf according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, the control unit 70 of the shopping system using a virtual shelf according to the present embodiment includes a product library 71, a product arrangement planning unit 72, a virtual shelf generation unit 73, and a virtual cart generation unit ( 74), a purchase calculation unit 75, a payment processing unit 76, and a member information DB 77.

The product library 71 stores images and product information of virtual products arranged for sale through a virtual shelf, and may be constructed as a DB. Product information may include product name, category, price, weight, sales volume, and promotion status.

The product placement planning unit 72 is for planning the arrangement of the virtual shelves 100a, 100b, and 100c and the placement of virtual products, and through a software program that plans the placement of virtual products by user input, or through purchase analysis. It can also be implemented by an automatic planogram (Plan-O-Gram). The product placement planning unit 72 plans the placement of virtual products based on product purchase details, advertisement promotions, and product categories, or customized virtual shelves 100a, 100b, based on user purchase details, gender, age group, etc. It is also possible to plan the placement of products in 100c).

The virtual shelf generation unit 73 extracts corresponding product information, for example, product image and price information, from the product library 71 based on the arrangement plan of the product arrangement planning unit 72, and extracts the virtual shelves 100a and 100b. , 100c) as an image, and can be implemented by a graphic generation program and a processor.

Accordingly, the virtual shelves 100a, 100b, and 100c may be created so that virtual goods are displayed in the same signage module for the same category or in the same area of the same signage module, or customized according to the category or irrespective of the category. It could be. The virtual shelf generation unit 73 may change the virtual shelves 100a, 100b, and 100c of a corresponding signage module according to a flicking operation on the user's touch screen.

FIG. 8 shows an example of the virtual shelves 100a, 100b, and 100c displayed on the signage device 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 8, the virtual shelves 100a, 100b, and 100c ) May be generated in separate signage modules 30a, 30b, 30c for each product category such as beverages, candy, and books. At this time, when the user inputs a touch operation such as flicking through the touch screen, the virtual shelf generation unit 73 switches the virtual shelves 100a, 100b, 100c to display other virtual products of the same category, or You can switch to display virtual products.

Referring to FIG. 8, when there are many types of products for one category, since there is a limit to displaying all of them in one signage module 30a, 30b, 30c, products that sell well for one signage module You can plan the first virtual shelf based on, and then plan the virtual shelves 100a, 100b, 100c in the order of a second virtual shelf, a third virtual shelf, etc., and then according to the user's flicking input. It can be implemented so that the first virtual shelf is converted to the second virtual shelf, the third virtual shelf, and finally the first virtual shelf.

In addition, in the case of a user-customized virtual shelf, when the user recognizes that the user is located in front of the middle signage module 30b, the number of purchases of the corresponding user from among candy items A first virtual shelf that focuses on products having a high or high preference in a corresponding gender or age group may be created and displayed, and the virtual shelf 100b in the same category may be switched in response to the user's flicking operation. In this case, since the virtual shelf 100b customized for each category is created and displayed on the signage module 30b according to the user's movement, each signage module 30a without selecting a product while switching the screen through a flicking operation , 30b, 30c), you can choose your favorite product on the first screen, which is convenient.

As another example, in response to the user's flicking operation, the virtual shelf 100b may be created and converted into a product of another category that the user prefers. In this case, it is convenient that the user can purchase all products of various categories desired by the user from one signage module 30b.

The virtual cart generation unit 74 creates a virtual cart 110 capable of storing the product selected by the user at the location of the signage device 30 corresponding to the location of the user identified for the location tracking unit 50, and This is for moving the virtual cart 110 to a corresponding position in response to the user's position movement, and can be implemented by a graphic generating program and a processor.

The virtual cart 110 may be displayed on the display module 12 provided at the entrance 1 in addition to the signage device 30. Referring to FIG. 3, when a user passing through the entrance 1 is recognized, a virtual cart 110 corresponding to the user is created in the display module 12 provided on the side of the entrance 1, and the corresponding position according to the user's movement. Can be moved to.

In this case, the virtual cart generation unit 74 may separately generate the virtual cart 110 for each user, and may create a customized virtual cart 110 according to the user's gender or age group. For example, a cart may be customized according to whether the user is a woman, a man, a boy, or a girl. In some cases, when a user who has joined as a member visits with a non-member, such as a child, a separate virtual cart 110 is created for the accompanying non-member so that they can shop together. In this case, two virtual carts 110 are assigned to one member user, and purchases through the two virtual carts 110 can be paid at once. A non-member accompanying the member may recognize a face or a height in a user recognition module provided at the entrance 1 to determine an age group, a gender, and the like, and create a corresponding virtual cart 110.

9 shows an example of the virtual cart 110 displayed on the signage device 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and it can be seen that the virtual carts 110a and 110b are respectively displayed in front of the user. The virtual cart generating unit 74 is implemented so that the virtual carts 110a and 110b follow and move according to the movement of the user.

The virtual shelf generation unit 73 allows the virtual product selected by the user to be purchased to be put in the virtual cart 110. For example, when the user touches an area of the touch screen and selects to purchase a virtual product, the virtual shelf generation unit 73 processes an animation effect that the virtual product selected for purchase falls into the virtual cart 110.

The purchase calculation unit 75 is for calculating the number of products selected by the user to purchase through the user interface unit 60, the total purchase amount, and the total weight, and can be implemented by purchase calculation software.

The payment processing unit 76 is for processing the payment for the product selected by the user, and is linked with the financial settlement server in response to payment methods such as credit card, debit card, non-bankbook transaction, and mobile phone registered by the user as a payment method. Payment is made through The user may register a payment method in advance at the time of membership registration, and payment processing of the payment processing unit may be performed through the previously registered payment method according to a click of the confirmation button of the purchase confirmation unit 22.

The member information DB 77 stores information of a user who has joined as a member, and a member name, age, gender, address (delivery address), user identification information, payment method, and the like may be registered. The user authentication unit performs user authentication through the member information DB 77, and the product placement planning unit 72 and the virtual cart generation unit 74 correspond to the identified users, respectively, and user-customized virtual shelves 100a, 100b, 100c) and a virtual cart 110 may be created.

The virtual cart generation unit 74 creates the virtual cart 110 so that at least two of the number of products selected for purchase by the user, the total purchase amount, and the total weight are displayed on the virtual tag 111 formed in a partial area of the virtual cart 110 can do. In addition, when the total weight of the product selected by the user to purchase is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the virtual cart generating unit 74 may generate a message inviting delivery to a partial area of the virtual cart 110 to be displayed.

10 shows an example of the virtual cart 110 generated by the virtual cart generating unit 74 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 10A, the virtual cart 110 includes an area in which a virtual product is placed and an area in which a virtual tag indicating purchase information contained in the virtual cart 110 is displayed. In (a) of FIG. 10, the dotted line is the virtual tag 111, and the virtual tag 111 is enlarged below it. The virtual tag 111 may be displayed in the upper middle of the virtual cart 110 and includes an area A in which the number of products is displayed, an area B in which the total weight is displayed, and an area C in which the total purchase amount is displayed. Through this, the user can check the number, total weight, total purchase amount, etc. of the products selected for purchase in real time and refer to the purchase. Referring to (b) of FIG. 10, the virtual tag 111 further includes an area D in which a message recommending delivery is displayed. For example, when the total weight of the product selected for purchase is 5 kg or more, a message desired to be delivered may be displayed on the virtual tag 111, and the user may select whether to deliver the purchased product from the purchase confirmation unit 22.

When the locations of the plurality of users are within a certain distance from each other, the virtual cart generation unit 74 ensures that at least some of the virtual tags 111 corresponding to the plurality of users are always displayed, and the rest of the virtual cart 110 The position of the virtual cart 110 is adjusted so that the portions are displayed to allow overlapping with each other. Here, some of the virtual tags 111 that are always displayed without allowing overlapping with each other in the virtual tags 111 may be set differently according to the number of virtual carts 110 within a predetermined area.

11 illustrates an example of a plurality of virtual carts 110 generated by the virtual cart generating unit 74 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 11 (a) is a case in which two virtual carts 110a and 110b exist within a certain distance (e.g., a distance twice the side length of the cart) corresponding to the user's position in front of one signage module 30c. As a result, virtual carts are inevitably overlapped and displayed. In this case, since only two virtual carts 110a and 110b exist in one signage module 30c, even if the distance between actual users is very close, the portion E where the virtual tag 111 is displayed is completely Overlapping is not allowed to be displayed, and only the remaining parts can be overlaid.

Referring to (b) of FIG. 11, a certain area corresponding to the user's position in front of two consecutive signage modules 30b and 30c (for example, a distance twice the side length of the cart, or one signage module) In the case where there are three virtual carts 110a to 110f, respectively, and six virtual carts 110a to 110f in total, the virtual carts are overlapped and displayed. In this case, the area (F) in which the number of products is displayed in the virtual tag 111 may not be overlapped so that it is completely displayed, and only the rest of the virtual carts 110a to 110f may be displayed by allowing overlapping.

A shopping system and a shopping method using a virtual shelf according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 to 15. 12 is a control block diagram of a shopping system using a virtual shelf according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 13 to 15 are control flow diagrams of a shopping method using a virtual shelf according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The shopping system using the virtual shelf according to the present embodiment is for controlling the generation of the virtual shelves 100a, 100b, and 100c and the virtual cart 110. Referring to FIG. 12, a virtual shelf using a virtual shelf according to the present embodiment is used. The shopping system includes a signage device 30, a location tracking unit 50, a user interface unit 60, and a control unit 70, and the control unit 70 includes a product library 71, a product placement planning unit 72 ), a virtual shelf generation unit 73, a virtual cart generation unit 74, a purchase calculation unit 75, and a member information DB 77. Since the description of the configuration of FIG. 12 is the same as that of the above-described embodiment, a detailed description thereof will be replaced with a corresponding description part of the above-described embodiment, and refer to FIGS. 13 to 15 only for parts that do not overlap. It will be described later.

Referring to FIG. 13, first, images of products to be sold in a store and product information are constructed as a database and stored in the product library 71 (S10). Here, as for the product information, various information such as product name, price, weight, sales volume, preferred age range, promotion, etc. may be built and updated.

The product placement planning unit 72 plans the placement of virtual products included in the virtual shelves 100a, 100b, and 100c (S11). The arrangement of virtual products may be planned according to various criteria such as product category, price, sales volume, promotion, and personal customization.

The virtual shelf generation unit 73 generates the virtual shelves 100a, 100b, and 100c according to the arrangement plan of the product arrangement planning unit 72 and transmits the generated virtual shelves 100a, 100b, and 100c to the signage device 30. The signage device 30 displays the virtual shelves 100a, 100b, and 100c input from the virtual shelf generation unit 73 as an image (S12).

When a user entering through the entrance 1 through the user authentication unit is recognized and authenticated (S13), the virtual cart generating unit 74 creates a virtual cart 110 corresponding to the user (S14). And, the virtual cart generation unit 74 is based on the position detection result of the user of the location tracking unit 50, so that the virtual cart 110 is displayed at the position of the corresponding signage module (30a, 30b, 30c). An image signal for the virtual cart 110 is output to the nigi device 30 (S15).

When the movement of the user is detected through the location tracking unit 50, the virtual cart generating unit 74 moves and displays the virtual cart 110 to the position of the corresponding signage module 30a, 30b, 30c. An image signal for the virtual cart 110 is output to the device 30 (S16).

When the user selects a purchase of a virtual product through the user interface unit 60 (S17), the virtual cart generation unit 74 displays the product to be put in the virtual cart 110 (S18).

14 is a flowchart illustrating a method of displaying a virtual cart 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 14, the purchase calculation unit 75 calculates the number of virtual products, the total number of products, the total weight, and the total purchase amount in the virtual cart 110 by selecting a purchase by the user (S20).

In addition, the virtual cart generation unit 74 displays the number of products selected for purchase by the user, the total purchase amount, and the total weight calculated by the purchase calculation unit 75 on the virtual tag 111 (S21).

If a plurality of users exist within a certain distance based on the location tracking result of the location tracking unit 50, the remaining areas except for a partial area of the virtual tag 111 are overlapped and displayed (S23). Through this, a part of the virtual tag 111 on which the product purchase information is displayed is necessarily displayed, so that even if the virtual cart 110 overlaps, the user can check the necessary purchase information.

15 is a flowchart illustrating a method of generating a user-customized virtual shelf according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 15, when a user entering through the entrance 1 is recognized through the user authentication unit and authentication is completed (S30), the virtual cart generation unit 74 generates a virtual cart corresponding to the user, while the product The arrangement planning unit 72 plans product arrangement of the customized virtual shelves 100a, 100b, and 100c corresponding to the identified user (S31).

The virtual shelf generation unit 73 and the virtual cart generation unit 74 each create a user-customized virtual shelf 100a, 100b, 100c and a virtual cart 110 based on the user's position detection result of the position tracking unit 50. And outputs an image signal to the signage device 30 so that the virtual shelves 100a, 100b, 100c and the virtual cart 110 are displayed at the positions of the corresponding signage modules 30a, 30b, 30c (S32) ).

If the movement of the user is detected through the location tracking unit 50, the virtual shelf generation unit 73 and the virtual cart generation unit 74 are respectively located at the positions of the corresponding signage modules 30a, 30b, and 30c. The image signals related to the virtual shelves 100a, 100b, 100c and the virtual cart 110 are transmitted to the signage device 30 so that the customized virtual shelves 100a, 100b, 100c are displayed and the virtual cart 110 is moved and displayed. Output (S33).

When the user inputs a flicking operation through the user interface unit 60 (S34), the virtual shelf generation unit 73 displays the virtual shelves 100a, 100b, and 100c on the corresponding signage modules 30a, 30b, and 30c. The video signal is output so that the conversion is performed (S35). If the user selects a purchase of a virtual product (S36), the virtual cart generating unit 74 displays the corresponding product to be put in the virtual cart 110 (S37).

Meanwhile, when there is no user in the store, the controller 70 may adjust the brightness of the signage device 30 to darken or turn off the power of the display module in order to save power consumption. In some cases, the power of the signage modules 30a, 30b, 30c where the user is located is turned on or brightened, and the power of the signage modules 30a, 30b, 30c not located in the user is turned off or darkened. You may.

Meanwhile, the shopping method using a virtual shelf of the present invention can be implemented as a code that can be read by a processor on a recording medium that can be read by a processor provided in a shopping system using a virtual shelf. The processor-readable recording medium includes all types of recording devices that store data that can be read by the processor. Examples of recording media that can be read by the processor include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage device, etc., and also include those implemented in the form of carrier waves such as transmission through the Internet. . In addition, the recording medium readable by the processor may be distributed over a computer system connected through a network, so that code readable by the processor may be stored and executed in a distributed manner.

Meanwhile, in the above, preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, but the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and the technical field to which the present invention belongs without departing from the gist of the present invention claimed in the claims. In addition, various modifications are possible by those of ordinary skill in the art, and these modifications should not be individually understood from the technical spirit or prospect of the present invention.

1: inlet 2: outlet
11: user authentication unit 11a: biometric information recognition module
12: display module 21: goods receiving unit
22: purchase confirmation unit 30: signage device
30a, 30b, 30c: signage module 40: article storage unit
41: article handling unit 50: location tracking unit
60: user interface unit 70: control unit
71: product library 72: product placement planning unit
73: virtual shelf generation unit 74: virtual cart generation unit
75: purchase calculation unit 76: payment processing unit
77: member information DB 100a, 100b, 100c: virtual shelf
110, 110a, 110b, 110c: virtual cart 111: virtual tag

Claims (19)

In a shopping system using a virtual shelf,
An entrance to which the user enters;
A user authentication unit for authenticating a user entering through the entrance;
A signage device formed by combining a plurality of display panels and displaying a virtual shelf including a virtual product;
An article storage unit in which a physical product corresponding to the virtual product is provided;
An article processing unit processing the packaging of the physical product selected by the user through the signage device;
An article receiving unit for the user to receive the purchased product packaged by the article processing unit; And
A virtual shelf comprising a control unit for controlling the generation of the virtual shelf and the arrangement of the virtual products displayed on the virtual shelf, and processing payment for the product selected by the user through the signage device. Used shopping system.
The method of claim 1,
Further comprising a location tracking unit for tracking the location of the user;
The control unit generates a virtual cart capable of storing the product selected for purchase by the user at a location of the signage device corresponding to the location of the user, and the signage corresponding to the virtual cart in response to the user's location movement. A shopping system using a virtual shelf, comprising: a virtual cart generator for moving to a location of the device.
The method of claim 1,
Further comprising a purchase confirmation unit capable of checking the purchase details of the products selected by the user and correcting the purchase details;
The shopping system using a virtual shelf, characterized in that the article receiving unit and the purchase confirmation unit are provided at an exit of a store.
The method of claim 3,
The control unit,
A product library in which the image and product information of the virtual product are stored;
A product arrangement planning unit that plans the arrangement of the virtual shelves and the arrangement of the virtual products; And
And a virtual shelf generation unit that extracts corresponding product information from the product library based on the arrangement plan of the product arrangement planning unit and generates the virtual shelf on which the virtual product is displayed on the signage device. Shopping system using.
The method of claim 4,
Wherein the user authentication unit includes at least one of a biometric information recognition module for recognizing the user's biometric information and an identification information recognition module for recognizing user identification information given to the user;
The biometric information recognition module or the identification information recognition module is provided at the entrance or facing the entrance, wherein the shopping system using a virtual shelf.
In a shopping system using a virtual shelf,
A signage device that is formed by combining a plurality of display panels displaying images and displays a virtual shelf including a virtual product as an image;
A product library in which product images and product information are stored;
A product arrangement planning unit that plans the arrangement of the virtual shelves and the arrangement of the virtual products;
A virtual shelf generation unit that extracts corresponding product information from the product library based on the product arrangement plan unit arrangement plan and generates the virtual shelf on which the virtual product is displayed on the signage device;
A location tracking unit for tracking a user's location; And
A virtual cart generation unit that creates a virtual cart containing the product selected for purchase by the user at a location of the signage device corresponding to the location of the user, and moves the virtual cart to a corresponding location in response to the user's location movement. A shopping system using a virtual shelf, comprising: a.
The method according to claim 2 or 6,
A user interface unit for interfacing a user's input or selection; And
Further comprising a purchase calculation unit for calculating the number of products selected for purchase by the user, a total purchase amount, and a total weight;
The virtual cart generation unit displays at least two of the number of products selected for purchase by the user, a total purchase amount, and a total weight on a virtual tag formed in a partial area of the virtual cart.
The method of claim 7,
When the locations of the plurality of users are within a certain distance from each other, the virtual cart generation unit of the virtual cart allows portions of the virtual cart other than at least some of the virtual tags corresponding to the plurality of users to overlap each other to be displayed. Shopping system using a virtual shelf, characterized in that to adjust the position.
The method of claim 8,
The virtual cart generation unit is a shopping system using a virtual shelf, wherein the portions of the virtual tags that do not allow overlapping with each other are set differently according to the number of the virtual carts within a predetermined area.
The method according to claim 2 or 6,
The virtual cart generation unit separately generates the virtual cart for each user, and provides a customized virtual cart according to the user's gender or age group.
The method according to claim 4 or 6,
The product placement planning unit plans the placement of products on a user-customized virtual shelf based on at least one of the user's purchase history, gender, and age;
The virtual shelf generation unit generates the user-customized virtual shelf in a signage module corresponding to the user's location based on the product placement of the user-customized virtual shelf of the product placement planning unit. .
The method according to claim 4 or 6,
The user interface unit includes a touch screen provided in the signage device;
The signage device includes a plurality of signage modules provided between the entrance and the exit of the store;
The virtual shelf generation unit converts virtual goods displayed on the virtual shelf of a corresponding signage module according to a flicking operation of the user on the touch screen.
The method of claim 12,
The virtual goods are displayed in the same signage module for the same category or in the same area of the same signage module,
The virtual shelf generation unit converts the virtual shelf to display other virtual products of the same category or to display virtual products of a different category in response to a flicking operation of the user's touch screen. Shopping system using.
The method of claim 7,
The user interface unit includes a touch screen provided in the signage device;
The virtual shelf generation unit is a shopping system using a virtual shelf, characterized in that when the user touches the touch screen and selects a purchase of a virtual product, the virtual product selected for purchase processes an animation effect that falls into the virtual cart. .
Building an image of a product to be sold and product information into a database;
Planning an arrangement of virtual goods to be included in the virtual shelf;
Extracting corresponding product information from the database according to an arrangement plan, generating a virtual shelf including a virtual product as an image and displaying it on a signage device;
Recognizing a user entering the store;
Creating a virtual cart corresponding to the user;
Detecting the location of the user and displaying the virtual cart at a location of the corresponding signage device, and moving and displaying the virtual cart to a corresponding location in response to the user's location movement;
And displaying an image of putting the virtual product selected by the user to purchase from the virtual shelf in the virtual cart.
The method of claim 15,
Calculating the number, total weight, and total purchase amount of products in the cart; And
And displaying at least two of the number of products selected for purchase by the user, a total purchase amount, and a total weight on a virtual tag formed in a partial area of the virtual cart.
The method of claim 16,
When the locations of the plurality of users are within a certain distance from each other, the plurality of virtual carts corresponding to the plurality of users overlap each other so that the remaining areas except at least some of the areas in which the virtual tags are displayed are displayed. Shopping method using a virtual shelf, characterized in that it further comprises the step of adjusting the display position of the cart.
The method of claim 15,
And switching the virtual goods displayed on the virtual shelves of a corresponding signage module according to a flicking operation of the user on the signage device.
The method of claim 15,
Planning a product arrangement on a user-customized virtual shelf based on at least one of a purchase history, a gender, and an age of the user based on the recognition result of the user entering the store; And
And generating and displaying the user-customized virtual shelf on a signage module corresponding to the location of the user according to the product arrangement plan.

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