WO2018174006A1

WO2018174006A1 - Payment processing device, method, and recording medium

Info

Publication number: WO2018174006A1
Application number: PCT/JP2018/010802
Authority: WO
Inventors: 彩加後藤; 瑞人関根; 有香菅野; 正人北田; 誉典江原
Original assignee: 日本電気株式会社
Priority date: 2017-03-23
Filing date: 2018-03-19
Publication date: 2018-09-27
Also published as: JPWO2018174006A1; JP7465476B2

Abstract

The present invention provides a payment processing device, method, and recording medium with which it is possible to suppress the purchase of an unintended commodity by a customer. A payment processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention is provided with a determination unit for determining an area in a store where a customer is located, and a notification unit for issuing a notification to the customer at the time the customer moves from the first area to a second area when the quantity of commodities acquired in the first area by the customer satisfies a condition.

Description

Settlement processing apparatus, method, and recording medium

The present invention relates to an apparatus, a method, and a recording medium for performing settlement of a product acquired by a customer.

Conventionally, after taking a product to be purchased from a shelf, the customer moves to a POS (Point Of Sales) terminal (also referred to as a register), and a store clerk reads the product into the POS terminal and makes a settlement. In addition, there is a case where a customer wants a POS terminal to read a product that the customer wants to purchase. In any case, it is common that the step of acquiring the product from the shelf and the step of causing the POS terminal to read the product are independent.

When a customer purchases a plurality of products, it takes a long time for the store clerk to read all the products into the POS terminal. For this reason, payment at a POS terminal often becomes a bottleneck at a store. Having a sufficient number of shop assistants and POS terminals to reduce customer waiting time requires a lot of space to place shop assistants and POS terminals, and also to hire shop assistants and introduce POS terminals. Big cost.

As a technique for improving the settlement of merchandise, Patent Document 1 specifies a customer by a registration card that transmits an individual frequency, and when the customer pulls out the merchandise from the shelf, sales data of the merchandise is stored in the registration card. The technology to be registered in is described. By having the customer's registration card read into the POS terminal, the store clerk can settle all the products acquired by the customer without having to read each product into the POS terminal.

JP-A-8-190672

In general, the appearance of products of the same series (for example, shampoos and rinses of the same series) are similar to each other. For this reason, when a customer acquires from the shelf a product that is different from a product that the customer wants to purchase from the same series of products (for example, when a shampoo is acquired in order to purchase a rinse), it is difficult to notice an error in the product. Conventionally, even when a customer acquires an unintended product, there is a possibility that an unintended product may be noticed in the step of causing the POS terminal to read the product one by one.

However, the technique described in Patent Document 1 eliminates the step of causing the POS terminal to read the product, and thus causes a new problem that it is less noticeable than the conventional product. When a customer purchases a product that is not intended, the store clerk incurs the cost of accepting a return from the customer.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and provides a settlement processing apparatus, method, and recording medium that can suppress purchase of an unintended product by a customer.

The first aspect of the present invention is a payment processing apparatus, comprising: a determination unit that determines an area where a customer is located in a store; and when the customer moves from the first area to the second area, the customer A notification unit that notifies the customer when the amount of the product acquired in the first region satisfies the condition.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a payment processing method comprising: determining a region where a customer is located in a store; and when the customer moves from the first region to the second region, A step of notifying the customer when the amount of the product acquired in the first region satisfies a condition.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording medium on which a payment processing program is recorded, the step of determining an area where a customer is located in a store on a computer, and the customer from the first area to the second area And a step of notifying the customer when the amount of the product acquired in the first area by the customer satisfies a condition when moving to the customer.

According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress purchase of a product that is not intended by the customer.

It is a mimetic diagram of a settlement processing system concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a block diagram of the settlement processing device concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the settlement processing method according to the first embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the settlement processing method according to the first embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the settlement processing method according to the first embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the table which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the table which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the table which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the notification screen displayed on the portable terminal which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the notification screen displayed on the portable terminal which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the example apparatus structure of the payment processing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the flowchart of the payment processing method which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the table which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the table which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the table which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the notification screen displayed on the portable terminal which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the notification screen displayed on the portable terminal which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the flowchart of the payment processing method which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram of the payment processing apparatus which concerns on each embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiments. In the drawings described below, components having the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated description thereof may be omitted.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a payment processing system 1 according to the present embodiment. The payment processing system 1 includes a payment processing device 100 that performs payment processing, a camera 10 that acquires an image of at least one of a customer and a product, a reader 20 that reads customer identification information, and a portable terminal 30 possessed by the customer. ,including. The payment processing apparatus 100, the camera 10, the reader 20, and the portable terminal 30 are connected by at least one of a wired connection and a wireless connection via an arbitrary network 40 such as a local area network or the Internet. The payment processing system 1 may include other servers, terminals, and other devices.

The camera 10 is an imaging device that is provided at a plurality of locations in the store and images at least one of a customer and a product. The camera 10 includes an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor. The camera 10 transmits the captured content to the settlement processing apparatus 100 as image data. The camera 10 may be directly connected to the payment processing apparatus 100 or may be connected via the network 40.

The reader 20 is a reading device that is provided at a gate installed at an entrance of a store and reads identification information for identifying a customer from a card or the like possessed by the customer. The reader 20 may include, for example, an image sensor such as a CCD sensor or a CMOS sensor that reads identification information represented by a code such as a one-dimensional code or a two-dimensional code written on a card held by the customer. A magnetic sensor that reads identification information indicated by the included magnetism may be included, or a short-range wireless communication device that reads identification information by short-range wireless communication such as NFC (Near Field Communication) from an antenna included in a card held by a customer May be included. Further, the reader 20 may read the identification information by reading a code displayed on the mobile terminal 30 held by the customer instead of the card, or by receiving short-range wireless communication from the mobile terminal 30. The reader 20 transmits the read identification information to the payment processing apparatus 100 as data. The reader 20 may be directly connected to the payment processing apparatus 100 or may be connected via the network 40.

The portable terminal 30 is a portable terminal that displays information received from the payment processing apparatus 100. The portable terminal 30 includes a display device that displays information. The display device of the portable terminal 30 is, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electroluminescence, OLED) display. The portable terminal 30 is configured to be able to communicate with the payment processing apparatus 100 via the network 40 by wired communication or wireless communication.

The settlement processing apparatus 100 identifies the customer and the product included in the image acquired by the camera 10, detects that the customer has taken the product he / she wants to purchase from the shelf, and settles the product for the customer. Moreover, the payment processing apparatus 100 performs a predetermined notification by transmitting information to the customer's mobile terminal 30. The payment processing apparatus 100 is connected to the network 40 by wired communication or wireless communication, and is configured by a single computer or a cloud that is a collection of computer resources.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the payment processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 2, arrows indicate main data flows, and there may be data flows other than those shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, each block represents a functional unit configuration, not a hardware (device) unit configuration. Therefore, the blocks shown in FIG. 2 may be implemented in a single device, or may be separately implemented in a plurality of devices. Data exchange between the blocks may be performed via any means such as a data bus, a network, a portable storage medium, or the like.

The settlement processing apparatus 100 includes an identification information reading unit 110 and a customer determination unit 120 for customer determination processing. Further, the payment processing apparatus 100 includes a product acquisition detection unit 130, a product acquirer determination unit 140, and a payment unit 150 for payment processing. Further, the settlement processing apparatus 100 includes an area determination unit 160, a product quantity determination unit 170, a notification message generation unit 180, and a notification unit 190 for notification processing. Moreover, the payment processing apparatus 100 includes a customer storage unit 200, a purchase history storage unit 210, and a notification definition storage unit 220 as storage units. Hereinafter, detailed functions of each unit will be described in order with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a settlement processing method (particularly customer determination processing) according to the present embodiment. Functions of the identification information reading unit 110 and the customer determination unit 120 will be described with reference to FIG. A gate 21 is installed at the entrance of the store, and a reader 20 is provided on the gate 21. In addition, the camera 10 is provided in the vicinity of the gate 21 at a position where the region including the customer's face passing through the gate 21 can be imaged. When the customer passes through the gate 21 and enters the store, the customer provides his / her identification information by holding the card 22 (or the portable terminal 30) over the reader 20 and reading it.

In the customer storage unit 200, customer information including customer payment information (credit card number, bank account number, etc.) and mobile terminal 30 information (phone number, email address, etc.) is associated with customer identification information. Registered in advance. The identification information is, for example, a unique customer ID for identifying the customer. Registration of customer information in the customer storage unit 200 is performed by an arbitrary method. Registration of customer information in the customer storage unit 200 may be performed by the customer himself / herself, or may be performed by a store clerk according to a registration form entered by the customer.

The identification information reading unit 110 receives the customer identification information read from the customer card 22 or the portable terminal 30 by the reader 20 at the gate 21 and inputs it to the payment processing apparatus 100.

The customer determination unit 120 determines whether or not the customer who provided the identification information is registered in the customer storage unit 200. Specifically, the customer determination unit 120 determines whether customer information associated with the identification information (for example, customer ID) input by the identification information reading unit 110 is registered in the customer storage unit 200.

Next, when the customer identification information is registered in the customer storage unit 200, the customer determination unit 120 determines that the customer is a specific customer A, and obtains customer information of the customer A from the customer storage unit 200. get. In the payment processing described later, when the product that the customer A wants to purchase is acquired from the shelf, the payment processing apparatus 100 uses the customer information (payment information) of the customer A to make a payment for the product. Thereby, the payment processing apparatus 100 can make a payment for the product that the customer A wants to purchase without passing it through the conventional POS terminal.

Further, the customer determination unit 120 acquires the image data of the customer A from the camera 10, acquires the feature information A1 of the customer A from the image data, and records it in the customer storage unit 200. At this time, the customer determination unit 120 associates the feature information A1 of the customer A with the customer information of the customer A in the customer storage unit 200. As the feature information A1 of the customer A, any feature information A1 capable of recognizing the customer A can be used in the settlement processing described later. For example, the feature information A1 of the customer A may be image data itself of an area including the face of the customer A, or may be a feature amount calculated from image data of an area including the customer's face. In FIG. 3, the characteristic information A1 of the customer A is schematically shown as a dashed frame. When the feature information A1 of the customer A is already recorded in the customer storage unit 200, the feature information A1 recorded in the customer storage unit 200 may be used as it is without newly acquiring the feature information A1. In other words, the feature information A1 acquired in the past may be used as the feature information A1 of the customer A, or the feature information A1 acquired when entering the store may be used. Since the feature information A1 acquired when entering the store represents the latest hairstyle and clothes of the customer A, the customer A can be determined with high accuracy based on the image data in the store, which is more preferable.

In addition, when the customer who provided the identification information is not registered in the customer storage unit 200, the customer determination unit 120 outputs a message prompting registration from a display or a speaker (not shown). The subsequent processing is based on the premise that the customer who provided the identification information is the customer A registered in the customer storage unit 200.

In the present embodiment, the customer determination unit 120 determines the customer A based on the identification information read by the reader 20, but based on the image data of the customer passing through the gate 21 from the camera 10 without using the reader 20. Customer A may be determined. Specifically, the customer determination unit 120 acquires the feature information of the customer passing through the gate 21 from the image data, and compares the acquired feature information with the feature information A1 recorded in the customer storage unit 200, thereby obtaining the gate information. It is determined which customer A the customer passing through 21 is. In this case, the feature information A1 of the customer A needs to be recorded in advance in the customer storage unit 200.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a settlement processing method (particularly settlement processing) according to the present embodiment. Functions of the product acquisition detection unit 130, the product acquirer determination unit 140, and the settlement unit 150 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 shows a state where the customer A has acquired the product C.

A shelf B is installed in the store, and one or more products C are arranged on the shelf B. Further, in the vicinity of the shelf B, the camera 10 is provided at a position where the region including the face of the customer A and the product C can be imaged. In the store, an arrangement and the number of cameras 10 capable of capturing images of the customer A and the product C existing in any place are provided.

First, the product acquisition detection unit 130 acquires image data of an area including the product C from the camera 10 and acquires feature information C1 of the product C from the image data. Then, the product acquisition detection unit 130 detects that the product C is taken out from the shelf B using the feature information C1 of the product C. The detection that the product C is taken out from the shelf B is detected, for example, from the position where the feature information C1 of the product C is outside (or touches) the region corresponding to the shelf B between a plurality of continuous image data in time series. This is done by detecting the movement). The region corresponding to the shelf B in the image data may be recorded in advance as coordinates in the image data, or may be determined by recognizing the shelf B from the image data.

Next, the product acquisition detection unit 130 acquires image data of the area including the face of the customer A (that is, the product acquirer) who has taken out the product C from the camera 10. The customer A who has taken out the product C is, for example, the customer A closest to the taken out product C. Further, the product acquisition detection unit 130 may acquire image data of an area including the hand of the customer A from the camera 10 and specify the customer A who has taken out the product C based on the position and movement of the hand. The product acquisition detection unit 130 acquires the feature information A1 of the customer A from the image data. The product acquisition detection unit 130 associates the feature information A1 of the customer A who is a product acquirer with the feature information C1 of the extracted product C. In FIG. 4, the feature information A1 of the customer A and the feature information C1 of the product C are schematically shown as a dashed frame.

The product acquirer determination unit 140 compares the feature information A1 of the customer A who has acquired the product C with the feature information A1 recorded in the customer storage unit 200, so that the customer A who acquired the product C can determine which customer A It is determined whether it is. In order to determine the customer A based on the feature information A1, a known image recognition technique can be used. Then, the product acquirer determining unit 140 acquires the customer information (settlement information) of the determined customer A from the customer storage unit 200.

The settlement unit 150 extracts the settlement information from the customer information of the customer A acquired by the product acquirer determination unit 140, and settles the product C according to the settlement information (for example, charging to a registered credit card or bank account). . At the time of settlement, the settlement unit 150 acquires product information including the price, the product name, and the like of the product C based on the feature information C1 of the product C from the payment processing apparatus 100 or an external server. In order to acquire the product information from the feature information C1 of the product C, a known image recognition technique can be used.

Settlement may be performed each time one product C is acquired. In this case, when the product C is returned to the shelf B after the settlement of a certain product C, the settlement unit 150 cancels the settlement. Alternatively, settlement may be performed for one or more products C at a predetermined timing (for example, when the customer A goes out of the store or when the customer A enters a predetermined area in the store). In this case, when the customer acquires the product C, the settlement unit 150 temporarily records the product C as a virtual purchase list in the settlement processing apparatus 100, and before the product C is settled. When the product C is returned to the shelf B, the product C is removed from the purchase list. Then, the settlement unit 150 performs settlement of the product C included in the purchase list at a predetermined timing.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a settlement processing method (particularly notification processing) according to the present embodiment. FIG. 5 shows a state where the inside of the store is viewed from above. Functions of the area determination unit 160, the product quantity determination unit 170, the notification message generation unit 180, and the notification unit 190 will be described with reference to FIG. The notification process is performed after the customer A who has acquired the product C is determined by the product acquirer determination unit 140.

In FIG. 5, areas D1 to D4 are indicated by broken lines. Areas D1 to D4 are virtual areas formed by dividing the store into a plurality of parts, and are set in the payment processing apparatus 100 in advance. An area is set for each type of product such as miscellaneous goods, food, meat, and fresh fish, for example, and products belonging to the type are arranged in each area. In addition, the area may be set by dividing an area in which products are arranged and an area in which payment is performed. In this case, the settlement unit 150 described above performs settlement for the customer A at the timing when the customer A enters the area where the settlement is performed. The area may be set by dividing an area inside the store and an area outside the store. The number and shape of the areas are arbitrarily determined for each store.

The area determination unit 160 determines in which area D1 to D4 the customer A who has acquired the product C exists using the in-store image data acquired from the camera 10 (broken line in FIG. 5). Specifically, the feature information A1 of the customer A is acquired from the image data acquired from the plurality of cameras 10, and the camera 10 that acquired the feature information A1 is located in the store (that is, in any of the areas D1 to D4). It is possible to determine which area D1 to D4 the customer A is based on. Not limited to this, any technique that can determine the position of the customer A can be used. For example, the position of the customer may be determined using a wireless communication signal or a GPS (Global Positioning System) signal emitted from the mobile terminal 30 of the customer A.

When the area determination unit 160 changes from one area (first area) to another area (second area) using the image data acquired in time series from the plurality of cameras 10. The customer A detects that the customer A has moved between the areas, and outputs the time when the customer A entered the area before moving and the time when the customer A left the area before moving. In the example of FIG. 5, customer A has moved from area D1 to area D2. When the area determination unit 160 detects movement of the customer A between the areas, the product quantity determination unit 170, the notification message generation unit 180, and the notification unit 190 are recorded in the purchase history storage unit 210 and the notification definition storage unit 220. Based on the received information, a notification process is executed for the customer A.

FIG. 6A is a schematic diagram of a purchase history table E used in the present embodiment. The purchase history table E is recorded in the purchase history storage unit 210 and includes a customer name E1, a product name E2, an acquisition time E3, and a product amount E4 associated with each other. The customer name E <b> 1 is a name for identifying the customer A and corresponds to one of the customers A recorded in the customer storage unit 200. The product name E2 is a name for identifying the product C. The acquisition time E3 is the time (date and time) when the customer A acquires the product C. The product amount E4 is the amount that the customer A has acquired the product C at a time. The settlement unit 150 adds purchase data relating to the product C to the purchase history table E when the product C is settled.

In the configuration in which the settlement unit 150 adds the product C acquired by the customer A to the virtual purchase list and then performs settlement later, the product C is added to the purchase list when the product C is added to the purchase list. Such purchase data is added to the purchase history table E.

In FIG. 6A, the customer name E1 and the product name E2 are represented by character strings for visibility, but an ID (customer ID and product ID) for identifying them may be used instead of them.

FIG. 6B is a schematic diagram of the notification condition table F used in the present embodiment. The notification condition table F is recorded in the notification definition storage unit 220 and includes a product name F1, a notification reference amount F2, a group F3, and an area F4 associated with each other. The product name F1 is the same as the product name E2 in the purchase history table. The notification reference amount F2 indicates an amount serving as a reference for performing notification when a product greater than or equal to the value (or greater than the value) is purchased. That is, the notification reference amount F2 is used as a condition that the amount of the product C should satisfy in order to notify the customer. The unit of the notification reference amount F2 is an arbitrary unit representing the number, weight, capacity, and the like, and is selected based on the characteristics of the product C. In the example of FIG. 6B, notification is performed when two or more products “smooth (shampoo)” are purchased.

The group F3 indicates the classification of the product C for determining the notification message, and a different notification message is generated for each value of the group F3. The products C can be grouped by setting the group F3 of the products C that are easily mistaken for the same series or similar appearances to the same value. The notification message generation unit 180 described later generates a notification message indicating another product of the grouped product when the amount of one product among the grouped products satisfies a predetermined condition, thereby A can be notified of the product C that is easily mistaken.

Area F4 indicates an area (for example, any one of areas D1 to D4 in FIG. 5) in which products are arranged in the store. The notification condition data in the notification condition table F is set in advance.

In FIG. 6B, the product name F1, the group F3, and the area F4 are represented by character strings for visibility, but IDs (product ID, group ID, and area ID) for identifying them are used instead. May be.

FIG. 6C is a schematic diagram of a notification message table G used in the present embodiment. The notification message table G is recorded in the notification definition storage unit 220 and includes a group G1 and a message G2 associated with each other. The group G1 is common with the group F3 in the notification condition table F. The message G2 indicates the content that is the basis for generating the notification message. Message G2 includes a variable described in a predetermined format. Further, the message G2 may not include a variable. In the example of FIG. 6C, “{PRODUCT1}”, “{PRODUCT2}”, and “{DATE}” are variables. The format of the variable is not limited to the character string between the parentheses as shown here, and any format that can be converted to a predetermined value when generating the notification message may be used. The variable in the message G2 is converted by the notification message generation unit 180 according to a predetermined rule. The notification message data of the notification message table G is set in advance.

6A to 6C, each table is represented as a character string table for visibility. However, the data in each table may be recorded in an arbitrary format, for example, character string data, numerical data, and binary data. Either is acceptable. Each table in FIGS. 6A to 6C may be recorded as a database, or may be recorded as a list listing data.

When the movement of the customer A between the areas is detected by the area determination unit 160, the product amount determination unit 170, for each product C acquired by the customer A in the area before the movement, from the purchase history table E Purchase data associated with the product C (that is, product name E2) is extracted, and notification condition data associated with the product C (that is, product name F1) is extracted from the notification condition table F. Here, the purchase data acquired from the purchase history table E includes the acquisition time E3 included from the time when the customer A output from the area determination unit 160 enters the area before moving to the time when the customer A leaves the area before moving. It is purchase data to have. At this time, the purchase data acquired from the purchase history table E may be narrowed down to only purchase data in which the notification condition data area F4 associated with the product C corresponds to the area before the customer A moves. The product quantity determination unit 170 adds the product quantities E4 of the same product C included in the purchase data.

The product amount determination unit 170 determines that the product C is to be notified when the product amount E4 of the product C in the purchase data is equal to or larger than the notification reference amount F2 in the notification condition data (or larger than the notification reference amount F2). judge. In the example of FIGS. 6A and 6B, the total product quantity E4 (two pieces) of the product “smooth (shampoo)” is equal to or greater than the notification reference amount F2 (two pieces). It is determined as a notification target.

The notification message generation unit 180 acquires from the notification condition data the group F3 of the product C determined as the notification target by the product amount determination unit 170, and the notification associated with the group F3 (that is, the group G1) from the notification message table G. Extract message data. Then, the notification message generation unit 180 generates a notification message by converting a variable in the message G2 of the notification message data according to a predetermined rule.

In the example of FIG. 6C, for example, the notification message generating unit 180 converts the variable “{PRODUCT1}” into the product name F1 of the acquired product C, and the variable “{PRODUCT2}” is the same group F3 as the acquired product C. Is converted into the product name F1 of the other product belonging to. As a result, the message G2 in the second line of the notification message table G is converted into, for example, “I am going to purchase two smooth (shampoo). Message. When there are a plurality of other products belonging to the same group F3 as the product C to be purchased, a plurality of other products may be listed, or one other product may be selected according to a predetermined priority or randomly. It may be selected.

Also, the notification message generation unit 180 converts, for example, the variable “{DATE}” into the expiration date (or expiration date) of the purchased product C. The expiry date may be acquired by image recognition from a label attached to the purchased product C, or may be acquired from the payment processing apparatus 100 or an external server based on the feature information C1 of the purchased product C. . As a result, the message G2 in the third line of the notification message table G is converted into, for example, “The expiration date is 2017/3/11. Is there too much?” And becomes an actual notification message.

The notification message generation method by the notification message generation unit 180 shown here is an example, and a notification message for each group G1 may be generated by an arbitrary method.

The notification unit 190 acquires the customer information of the moved customer A (information on the mobile terminal 30) from the customer storage unit 200. Then, the notification unit 190 extracts the information of the mobile terminal 30 from the acquired customer information of the customer A, and transmits data indicating the notification message generated by the notification message generation unit 180 to the mobile terminal 30.

7A and 7B are schematic diagrams of a notification screen displayed on the mobile terminal 30 according to the present embodiment. The notification screen in FIG. 7A includes a notification message 31 generated from the message G2 in the second row in FIG. 6C. In this way, the settlement processing apparatus 100 can prompt the customer A who has acquired a plurality of products C that are easily mistaken because of their similar appearances, for example, to confirm again.

7B includes the notification message 32 generated from the message G2 in the third line in FIG. 6C. In this way, the settlement processing apparatus 100 can prompt the customer A who has acquired many products C with a short expiration date (best before date), for example, to confirm again.

When the customer who notices an error with reference to the notification screens as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B returns the product C to the shelf B, the settlement unit 150 cancels the settlement of the product C. Purchase can be suppressed.

FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an exemplary device configuration of the payment processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. The payment processing apparatus 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a memory 102, a storage device 103, and an interface 104. The payment processing apparatus 100 may be an independent apparatus or may be configured integrally with another apparatus.

The interface 104 is a communication unit that transmits and receives data, and is configured to be able to execute at least one communication method of wired communication and wireless communication. The interface 104 includes a processor, an electric circuit, an antenna, a connection terminal, and the like necessary for the communication method. The interface 104 performs communication using the communication method in accordance with a signal from the CPU 101. The interface 104 communicates with, for example, the camera 10, the reader 20, and the portable terminal 30.

The storage device 103 stores a program executed by the settlement processing device 100, data of a processing result by the program, and the like. The storage device 103 includes a read-only ROM (Read Only Memory), a readable / writable hard disk drive, a flash memory, or the like. The storage device 103 may include a computer-readable portable storage medium such as a CD-ROM.

The memory 102 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory) that temporarily stores data being processed by the CPU 101, a program read from the storage device 103, and data.

The CPU 101 temporarily records temporary data used for processing in the memory 102, reads a program recorded in the storage device 103, and performs various calculations, control, discrimination, etc. on the temporary data according to the program It is a processor which performs the processing operation of. Further, the CPU 101 records the processing result data in the storage device 103 and transmits the processing result data to the outside via the interface 104.

In the present embodiment, the CPU 101 executes the program recorded in the storage device 103 to thereby execute the identification information reading unit 110, the customer determination unit 120, the product acquisition detection unit 130, the product acquisition determination unit 140, and the settlement unit in FIG. 150, functions as an area determination unit 160, a product quantity determination unit 170, a notification message generation unit 180, and a notification unit 190. Further, the memory 102 or the storage device 103 functions as the customer storage unit 200, the purchase history storage unit 210, and the notification definition storage unit 220 in FIG.

The settlement processing apparatus 100 is not limited to the specific configuration shown in FIG. The payment processing apparatus 100 is not limited to one apparatus, and may be configured by connecting two or more physically separated apparatuses by wire or wireless. Each unit included in the payment processing apparatus 100 may be realized by an electric circuit configuration. Here, the electric circuit configuration is a term that conceptually includes a single device, a plurality of devices, a chipset, or a cloud.

Further, at least a part of the payment processing apparatus 100 may be provided in the SaaS (Software as a Service) format. That is, at least a part of the functions for realizing the payment processing apparatus 100 may be executed by software executed via a network.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a flowchart of the settlement processing method according to the present embodiment. The flowchart in FIG. 9 is started, for example, when the customer holds the card 22 (or the portable terminal 30) indicating the identification information over the reader 20.

First, the identification information reading unit 110 receives customer identification information read from the customer card 22 or the portable terminal 30 by the reader 20 at the gate 21 and inputs it to the payment processing apparatus 100 (step S101).

The customer determination unit 120 determines which customer A recorded in the customer storage unit 200 is the customer who provided the identification information input in step S101 (step S102). Further, the customer determination unit 120 acquires the image data of the customer A who provided the identification information in step S101 from the camera 10, acquires the feature information A1 of the customer A from the image data, and records it in the customer storage unit 200. (Step S103). At this time, the customer determination unit 120 associates the feature information A1 of the customer A with the customer information of the customer A in the customer storage unit 200. When the feature information A1 of the customer A is already recorded in the customer storage unit 200, step S103 may be omitted. The subsequent processing is repeated until the customer A leaves the store after entering the store.

The product acquisition detection unit 130 acquires image data of an area including the product C from the camera 10 and detects that the product C is acquired from the shelf B (step S104). If it is not detected that the product C has been acquired (NO in step S105), the process proceeds to step S108.

When it is detected that the product C has been acquired (YES in step S105), the product acquisition detection unit 130 includes the feature information A1 of the customer A that has extracted the product C, and the feature information C1 of the product C that has been extracted. Are output in association with each other. The product acquirer determination unit 140 compares the feature information A1 of the customer A who acquired the product C with the feature information A1 recorded in the customer storage unit 200, so that the customer A who acquired the product C It is determined whether or not the customer A (step S106). Then, the product acquirer determining unit 140 acquires the customer information (settlement information) of the determined customer A from the customer storage unit 200.

The settlement unit 150 extracts the settlement information from the customer information of the customer A who acquired the product C, and settles the product C according to the settlement information (for example, charging to a registered credit card or bank account) (step S107). At this time, the settlement unit 150 adds the purchase data relating to the product C to the purchase history table E of the purchase history storage unit 210.

In the configuration in which the product C is added to the virtual purchase list and then settled together later, the settlement unit 150 adds the product C to the purchase list instead of executing the settlement in step S107. At this time, the settlement unit 150 adds the purchase data related to the product C to the purchase history table E of the purchase history storage unit 210.

Next, the area determination unit 160 determines in which area in the store the customer A who has acquired the product C exists using the in-store image data acquired from the camera 10 (step S108). . In step S108 executed after the second repetition, the area determination unit 160 changes from the area (first area) where the customer A is located to another area (second area) from the previous determination. Then, it is detected that the customer A has moved between the areas.

When it is not detected that customer A has moved between areas (NO in step S109), steps S104 to S108 are repeated.

When it is detected that the customer A has moved between the areas (YES in step S109), the product quantity determination unit 170 acquires a purchase history table for each product C acquired by the customer A in the area before the movement. The purchase data associated with the product C is extracted from E, and the notification condition data associated with the product C is extracted from the notification condition table F. Then, the product amount determination unit 170 is a notification target of the product C when the product amount E4 of the product C of the purchase data is equal to or larger than the notification reference amount F2 of the notification condition data (or larger than the notification reference amount F2). (Step S110).

The notification message generation unit 180 acquires the group F3 of the product C determined as the notification target in step S110 from the notification condition data, and extracts the notification message data associated with the group F3 from the notification message table G. Then, the notification message generation unit 180 generates a notification message by converting a variable in the message G2 of the notification message data according to a predetermined rule (step S111).

The notification unit 190 acquires the customer information of the moved customer A (information on the mobile terminal 30) from the customer storage unit 200. And the notification part 190 takes out the information of the portable terminal 30 from the customer information of the acquired customer A, and transmits the data which show the notification message produced | generated by step S111 to this portable terminal 30 (step S112). The portable terminal 30 displays the received notification message on the display device. When there are a plurality of notification target products C determined in step S110, a notification message is generated and transmitted for each product C.

If customer A does not leave the store (NO in step S113), steps S104 to S112 are repeated. When the customer A leaves the store (YES in step S113), the process ends. In a configuration in which the product C is added to the virtual purchase list and then settled together later, the settlement unit 150 settles the products included in the purchase list at this timing.

The CPU 101 of the settlement processing apparatus 100 becomes the main body of each step (process) included in the settlement processing method shown in FIG. That is, the CPU 101 reads out the payment processing program for executing the payment processing method shown in FIG. 9 from the memory 102 or the storage device 103, and executes the program to control each part of the payment processing device 100, thereby controlling the processing shown in FIG. The settlement processing method shown is executed.

The payment processing apparatus 100 according to the present invention identifies customers and products based on image information acquired by the camera 10, but other well-known techniques for identifying customers and products can be used. For example, the customer and the product may be identified by information or a combination of information acquired from at least one of a camera, an infrared sensor, a pressure sensor, a weight sensor, and a sound sensor provided in a store.

At a store where payment is made without passing the product through the POS terminal (so-called cashless store), payment is completed simply by acquiring the product. Therefore, there is no opportunity for the customer to confirm the product again after acquiring the product. In such a registerless store, when a customer acquires an incorrect product, the customer is difficult to notice the incorrect product. When the payment processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment moves between areas that divide the store, the amount of products acquired in the area before the movement is a predetermined condition (specifically, a predetermined value or more). If it satisfies a certain condition or greater than a predetermined value), a notification for reconfirmation is transmitted to the mobile terminal of the customer. Thereby, the payment processing apparatus 100 can suppress purchasing a product that the customer does not intend.

The settlement processing apparatus 100 groups easily mistaken products, and when the amount of one product in one group satisfies a predetermined condition, performs a notification indicating other products belonging to the same group. This makes it possible for the customer to recognize the possibility of acquiring a product that is easily mistaken. The settlement processing apparatus 100 gives a notification indicating the expiration date when the amount of a product with a short expiration date (expiration date) satisfies a predetermined condition. Thereby, a customer can be made to recognize that there is much quantity with respect to an expiration date. As described above, since the payment processing apparatus 100 makes a suitable notification for the acquired merchandise, the convenience for the customer can be improved.

(Second Embodiment)
In the first embodiment, notification is made based on the amount of the same product that the customer acquires at one time. In contrast, in the present embodiment, notification is performed based on the amount of the same product acquired in the past predetermined period. Thereby, when the customer purchases the product recently purchased again, the customer can be prompted to reconfirm. Other configurations in the present embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment.

FIG. 10A is a schematic diagram of a purchase history table E used in the present embodiment. The definition of each item included in the purchase history table E according to the present embodiment is the same as the purchase history table E in FIG. 6A.

FIG. 10B is a schematic diagram of a notification condition table F used in the present embodiment. The notification condition table F according to the present embodiment includes a notification reference time F5 in addition to the items of the notification condition table F of FIG. 6B. The notification reference time F5 indicates a time for defining a past period in which the amount of the same product is added in order to notify the customer. The unit of the notification reference time F5 is an arbitrary unit representing time such as day, hour, minute, second. The definition of other items is the same as the notification condition table F in FIG. 6B. In the example of FIG. 10B, when two or more products “smooth (shampoo)” are purchased within the past seven days, a notification is made.

FIG. 10C is a schematic diagram of a notification message table G used in the present embodiment. The definition of each item included in the notification message table G according to the present embodiment is the same as that of the notification message table G in FIG. 6C.

10A to 10C, each table is represented by a character string table for visibility. However, the data in each table may be recorded in an arbitrary format, for example, any of character string data, numerical data, and binary data. But you can. Each table in FIGS. 10A to 10C may be recorded as a database, or may be recorded as a list listing data.

The functions of the identification information reading unit 110, the customer determination unit 120, the product acquisition detection unit 130, the product acquirer determination unit 140, the settlement unit 150, and the area determination unit 160 in the present embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment.

When the movement of the customer A between the areas is detected by the area determination unit 160, the product amount determination unit 170, for each product C acquired by the customer A in the area before the movement, from the purchase history table E Purchase data associated with the product C (that is, product name E2) is extracted, and notification condition data associated with the product C (that is, product name F1) is extracted from the notification condition table F. Here, the purchase data acquired from the purchase history table E includes the acquisition time E3 included from the time when the customer A output from the area determination unit 160 enters the area before moving to the time when the customer A leaves the area before moving. It is purchase data to have. At this time, the purchase data acquired from the purchase history table E may be narrowed down to only purchase data in which the notification condition data area F4 associated with the product C corresponds to the area before the customer A moves.

Further, the product quantity determination unit 170 extracts, for each product C included in the purchase data, past purchase data associated with the product C (that is, product name E2) from the purchase history table E. Here, the past purchase data extracted from the purchase history table E is before the time when the customer A enters the area before the movement, and the notification criteria of the notification condition data is traced back from the acquisition time E3 of the current purchase data. This is past purchase data having an acquisition time E3 within the time F5 (or less than the notification reference time F5). The product quantity determination unit 170 adds the product quantity E4 of the same product C included in the purchase data and the past purchase data.

The product amount determination unit 170 determines that the total value of the product amount E4 of the product C added up with the purchase data and the past purchase data is equal to or larger than the notification reference amount F2 (or larger than the notification reference amount F2) of the notification condition data. The product C is determined as a notification target. In the example of FIGS. 10A to 10C, the product amount E4 (two items) of the product “Sarasara (shampoo)” added up within the notification reference time F5 (7 days) retroactively from the current acquisition time E3 (2017/3/10) ) Is equal to or greater than the notification reference amount F2 (two), the product “smooth (shampoo)” is determined as a notification target.

In the present embodiment, both the product quantity E4 and the acquisition time E3 are used as determination criteria for notification, but only the acquisition time E3 may be used as a determination criterion. In this case, the merchandise quantity determination unit 170 is prior to the time when the customer A enters the area before the movement, and is within the reference time F5 of the notification condition data retroactively from the acquisition time E3 of the current purchase data. If there is at least one past purchase data of the product C having the acquisition time E3 (or less than the notification reference time F5), it is determined that the product C is a notification target.

11A and 11B are schematic diagrams of a notification screen displayed on the mobile terminal 30 according to the present embodiment. The notification screen in FIG. 11A includes a notification message 33 generated from the message G2 in the second row in FIG. 10C. In this way, the payment processing apparatus 100 can prompt the customer A who has recently acquired the product C that is easily mistaken because of the similar appearance, for example, to confirm again.

The notification screen in FIG. 11B includes a notification message 34 generated from the message G2 in the third line in FIG. 10C. In this way, the settlement processing apparatus 100 can prompt the customer A who has forgotten that he has recently purchased and acquired the same product C again, for example, to reconfirm.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a flowchart of the settlement processing method according to the present embodiment. The flowchart of FIG. 12 is started, for example, when the customer holds the card 22 (or the portable terminal 30) indicating the identification information over the reader 20.

Steps S101 to S109 are the same as those in FIG. When it is detected that the customer A has moved between the areas (YES in step S109), the product quantity determination unit 170 acquires a purchase history table for each product C acquired by the customer A in the area before the movement. The purchase data associated with the product C is extracted from E, and the notification condition data associated with the product C is extracted from the notification condition table F. Further, the product quantity determination unit 170 extracts the past purchase data associated with the product C from the purchase history table E for each product C included in the purchase data. Here, the past purchase data extracted from the purchase history table E is before the time when the customer A enters the area before the movement, and the notification criteria of the notification condition data is traced back from the acquisition time E3 of the current purchase data. This is past purchase data having an acquisition time E3 within the time F5 (or less than the notification reference time F5).

The product quantity determination unit 170 then determines that the total value of the product quantity E4 of the product C added up with the purchase data and the past purchase data is greater than or equal to the notification reference quantity F2 (or larger than the notification reference quantity F2) of the notification condition data. Then, it is determined that the product C is a notification target (step S210). Steps S111 to S113 are the same as those in FIG.

The CPU 101 of the settlement processing apparatus 100 becomes the main body of each step (process) included in the settlement processing method shown in FIG. That is, the CPU 101 reads out the payment processing program for executing the payment processing method shown in FIG. 12 from the memory 102 or the storage device 103, and executes the program to control each part of the payment processing device 100, so that the processing shown in FIG. The settlement processing method shown is executed.

When the payment processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment moves between areas that divide the store, the number of purchases within a predetermined time (or less than a predetermined time) retroactive from the time when the product is acquired this time. When the value is greater than or equal to the predetermined value or greater than the predetermined value, a notification prompting reconfirmation is transmitted to the customer's mobile terminal. Thereby, the payment processing apparatus 100 can suppress purchasing a product not intended by the customer, such as when the customer purchases a product recently purchased again.

(Other embodiments)
FIG. 13 is a schematic configuration diagram of the payment processing apparatus 100 according to each of the above-described embodiments. FIG. 13 illustrates a configuration example for the payment processing apparatus 100 to function as an apparatus that suppresses purchase of a product that is not intended by the customer. The payment processing apparatus 100 includes an area determination unit 160 (determination unit) that determines an area where the customer is located in the store, and the customer moves the first area from the first area to the second area. A notification unit 190 that notifies the customer when the amount of the product acquired in the area satisfies the condition.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

A program for operating the configuration of the embodiment to realize the functions of the above-described embodiment (more specifically, a payment processing program that causes a computer to execute the processes illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 12) is recorded on a recording medium, A processing method of reading a program recorded on the recording medium as a code and executing it on a computer is also included in the category of each embodiment. That is, a computer-readable recording medium is also included in the scope of each embodiment. In addition to the recording medium on which the above program is recorded, the program itself is included in each embodiment.

As the recording medium, for example, a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, and a ROM can be used. Further, the embodiment is not limited to the processing executed by a single program recorded in the recording medium, and the embodiments that execute processing by operating on the OS in cooperation with other software and the function of the expansion board are also described in each embodiment. Included in the category.

Some or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as in the following supplementary notes, but are not limited thereto.

(Appendix 1)
A determination unit for determining an area where the customer is located in the store;
When the customer moves from the first area to the second area, a notification unit that notifies the customer when the amount of products acquired by the customer in the first area satisfies a condition When,
A payment processing apparatus.

(Appendix 2)
The payment processing apparatus according to appendix 1, wherein the condition is that the amount of the product is greater than or equal to a reference amount or greater than a reference amount.

(Appendix 3)
The settlement processing apparatus according to

appendix

1 or 2, wherein the notification indicates another product belonging to the same group as the product acquired by the customer.

(Appendix 4)
The notification unit performs the notification when a total value of the amount of the product acquired by the customer and the amount of the product purchased by the customer within a past period satisfies the condition. The settlement processing apparatus according to any one of appendices 1 to 3.

(Appendix 5)
The settlement processing apparatus according to appendix 4, wherein the past period is within a reference time or less than a reference time retroactively from a time when the product is acquired.

(Appendix 6)
The settlement processing device according to any one of appendices 1 to 5, wherein the first area and the second area are different areas set by dividing the inside of the store.

(Appendix 7)
The settlement processing apparatus according to any one of appendices 1 to 6, wherein the notification unit performs the notification to a mobile terminal of the customer.

(Appendix 8)
A payment unit that performs payment of the product at at least one of the time when the customer acquires the product, the customer leaves the predetermined area, and the customer enters the predetermined area; The settlement processing apparatus according to any one of appendices 1 to 7, characterized in that:

(Appendix 9)
Determining an area where the customer is located in the store;
A step of notifying the customer when the customer moves from the first area to the second area, if the amount of goods acquired by the customer in the first area satisfies a condition; ,
Payment processing method.

(Appendix 10)
On the computer,
Determining an area where the customer is located in the store;
A step of notifying the customer when the customer moves from the first area to the second area, if the amount of goods acquired by the customer in the first area satisfies a condition; ,
A recording medium on which a payment processing program is executed.

The present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various changes that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present invention within the scope of the present invention.

This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-057110 filed on Mar. 23, 2017, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 30 Mobile terminal 100 Payment processing apparatus 150 Payment part 160 Area determination part 190 Notification part 220 Notification definition memory | storage part

Claims

A determination unit for determining an area where the customer is located in the store;
When the customer moves from the first area to the second area, a notification unit that notifies the customer when the amount of products acquired by the customer in the first area satisfies a condition When,
A payment processing apparatus.
2. The settlement processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the condition is that the amount of the product is greater than or equal to a reference amount or greater than a reference amount.
3. The settlement processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notification indicates another product belonging to the same group as the product acquired by the customer.
The notification unit performs the notification when a total value of the amount of the product acquired by the customer and the amount of the product purchased by the customer within a past period satisfies the condition. The settlement processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The payment processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the past period is within a reference time or less than a reference time retroactively from a time when the product is acquired.
The payment processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first area and the second area are different areas set by dividing the inside of the store.
The settlement processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the notification unit performs the notification to a mobile terminal of the customer.
A payment unit that performs payment of the product at at least one of the time when the customer acquires the product, the customer leaves the predetermined area, and the customer enters the predetermined area; The settlement processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that:
Determining an area where the customer is located in the store;
A step of notifying the customer when the customer moves from the first area to the second area, if the amount of goods acquired by the customer in the first area satisfies a condition; ,
Payment processing method.
On the computer,
Determining an area where the customer is located in the store;
A step of notifying the customer when the customer moves from the first area to the second area, if the amount of goods acquired by the customer in the first area satisfies a condition; ,
A recording medium on which a payment processing program is executed.