JP2004021412A - Automatic accounting system and method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic accounting system for a store in a package accounting system which can be applied flexibly to price change of sales articles and to service patterns for drinks and dishes using any table ware and even to service patterns for sales articles without using the table ware. <P>SOLUTION: A writable IC tag 2 is attached to a tray 1, at every time when a customer receives sales articles from service tables 12, 22, 23, price information of the sales articles is written in the IC tag 2, and by reading out the price information written in the IC tag 2 at an accounting corner 40, accounting of a total amount of the sales articles on the tray 1 is performed. Sales prices of each sales article 4a-4e can be easily changed by a POS (point of sales) terminal 41. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic payment system for a store and a payment method using a lump-sum payment method, in which a customer places a desired product on a tray of each customer and carries the product to a checkout location, and pays out the total amount of the products on each tray at the checkout location.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, in a lump-sum payment method store represented by a cafeteria-style cafeteria, the payment clerk operates the register while checking the items on each tray that customers sequentially bring to the checkout location at a glance, and calculates the value using the register. Since the settlement process was performed based on the total amount of the payment, the efficiency of the settlement process was greatly affected by the ability of the person in charge of the settlement. In order to increase the efficiency of the settlement process, it is necessary to allocate personnel who are skilled in the settlement work to the accountant, so it is difficult to secure personnel, and there is a problem that the labor cost of the accountant increases the operating cost. .
[0003]
Therefore, in the system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H8-44794, a resonance tag in which a resonance frequency is set for each unit price of a dish is attached to the bottom of each tableware in order to automate a settlement operation in a cafeteria-style dining room. By disposing a tag reader under the tray place of the checkout device and receiving the echo wave from the resonance tag attached to the tableware on the tray with the tag reader, the checkout device automatically determines the tableware, The total price is calculated according to the unit price of the dish set in advance for each tableware.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the system of the above-mentioned publication, since each tableware is equipped with a resonance tag in which a resonance frequency is set for each unit price of the dish, an extremely large number of resonance tags as many as the tableware used in the dining room are required. In addition, the unit price is fixed in advance for each tableware, and since the unit price setting is changed for each tableware, there is a problem that the price cannot be changed according to the situation, and there is a shortage of tableware for cooking at a specific price. When a situation arises, there has been a problem that tableware for another dish having a different unit price cannot be substituted. Also, products that are provided in small sachets such as laver and sprinkles have to be put on tableware and sold one by one, and there is also a problem that arbitrary dishes such as paper plates and paper cups can not be used there were.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and can flexibly cope with a change in the price of a product, and can provide a drink or dish using any tableware or a product providing form without using tableware. It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic payment system and a payment method which are excellent in the degree of freedom and can cope with the above.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the automatic settlement system according to the present invention selects a product, puts it on its own tray, transports it to a checkout place, and adjusts the total amount of the goods on each tray at the checkout place. In the automatic payment system of the batch payment system, a data rewritable recording means is mounted on the tray, and the price information of the product is written into the recording means each time the user receives the product from the product display stand. Then, by reading the price information recorded in the recording means at the settlement place, the total amount of the goods on the tray is settled. In the present invention, the term “tray” is used in a broad sense including a basket.
[0007]
In the automatic payment system according to the present invention configured as described above, the act of the user receiving the product from the product display stand is triggered, and the price information of the product is recorded on the tray held by the user. Written in the means. Then, by reading out the price information recorded in the recording means mounted on the tray at the settlement place, the total amount of the goods on the tray is settled.
[0008]
In this way, when the user receives the product from the product display stand, the price information of the product is written in the recording means, so that it is possible to flexibly cope with a change in the price of the product. In addition, since the recording means for recording the price information of the product received by the user is attached to the tray on which the product is placed, the provision form of drinks and dishes using any tableware and the provision form of the product without tableware are provided. Can also respond. In addition, since the recording means for recording the price information of the product received by the user until the settlement is attached to the tray, the number of recording means to be used can be greatly reduced and the cost can be reduced.
[0009]
Further, the automatic settlement system according to the present invention is provided with a tray sensor at a commodity receiving place corresponding to each commodity, and when the tray is set at a predetermined position of the commodity receiving place, price information corresponding to the commodity receiving place is provided. Is written in the recording means. According to this system configuration, the act of the user setting the tray at a predetermined position of the product receiving location is triggered, and the price information corresponding to the product receiving location is written into the recording means. Sales corners that deal with
[0010]
Further, the automatic settlement system according to the present invention includes an operation unit for a sales floor clerk corresponding to each product, and when the operation unit is operated, writes price information of the product corresponding to the operation unit to the recording unit. . According to the system configuration, the salesperson in charge confirms the products received by the user, and records the price information of the products received by the user by operating the operation unit for the salesperson in charge of each product. Since the information can be written in the means, a small number of sales corners handling a plurality of types of products having different prices can be handled.
[0011]
In addition, the automatic payment system according to the present invention includes a commodity sensor whose output signal changes when each commodity or a container containing each commodity is removed from the commodity display stand, and a placement position of each commodity on the commodity display stand. And when the output signal of the commodity sensor changes, price information corresponding to the commodity sensor is written to the recording means. According to this system configuration, the act of the user receiving the product or the container containing the product from the product display stand is triggered, and the price information corresponding to the product sensor that has detected the trigger is written to the recording means. In addition, it is possible to make unmanned sales corners that handle products of the same price and sales corners that handle a plurality of types of products having different prices.
[0012]
Further, the automatic payment system according to the present invention, when the commodity is a weighed commodity, providing a weight sensor at the commodity receiving location of the commodity, the weight sensor from the time the tray is placed at the commodity receiving location The price information is written to the recording means in accordance with the increase in the weight measurement value due to. According to this system configuration, the price information corresponding to the amount of the over-sold merchandise placed on the tray by the user is written into the recording means, so that the sales corner handling the over-selled merchandise can be unmanned.
[0013]
Further, in the automatic settlement system according to the present invention, the recording means is an IC tag.
[0014]
Further, in the settlement method according to the present invention, when a customer selects a product and places it on a tray, transports it to a checkout place, and performs a payment, the recording means that can be written on the tray is attached, and the customer moves from the product display stand to Writing the price information of the product into the recording means each time the product is received; reading the price information recorded in the recording means at the checkout location; and Paying out the total amount.
[0015]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of an automatic settlement system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0016]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a cafeteria-style canteen using an automatic payment system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a first to third sales corners 10, 20, and 30 corresponding to the goods receiving location in the claims, a checkout corner 40, and a seat space 50 are provided in the canteen 100. Have been. The customer corresponding to the user of the claims enters the cafeteria 100 corresponding to the store of the claims from the entrance / exit 101, and holds one tray 1 for each one, and the first to third sales corners 10, 10. Head for 20,30. On the lower surface of each tray 1, an IC tag 2 corresponding to the recording means in the claims is mounted. Then, the desired products (tableware with dishes) 4a, 4b, 4c,... Are placed on the tray 1 and transported to the settlement corner 40 corresponding to the settlement place. After finishing, the user moves to the seat space 50 and eats. When the meal is completed, each of the trays 1 is returned to the lower dining entrance 102 and exits through the entrance 101.
[0017]
The first sales corner 10 is a sales corner that handles a plurality of types (three types in the present embodiment) of products 4a, 4b, and 4c having different prices. In this sales corner, customers can select and receive their favorite food from a plurality of dishes, such as rice, miso soup, fresh incense, fish dishes, meat dishes, and tempura. Further, the second sales corner 20 is a sales corner that handles the product 4d having the same price. At this sales corner, customers can receive their favorite items from noodles of the same price, such as soba, udon, and ramen. In addition, the third sales corner 30 is a sales corner that handles the weighed sale product 4e. In this sales corner, the customer can receive, for example, curry, salad, or the like in a desired amount.
[0018]
The first to third sales corners 10, 20, 30 are provided with tray mounting tables 11, 21, 31, and serving tables 12, 22, 32, respectively, which correspond to a product display table of the present invention. Each of the tray mounting tables 11, 21, 31 has a plurality of tray guides 3 (2 in FIG. 1) for mounting the tray 1 at a predetermined position (tray set position) on the table when a customer receives a product. Locations).
[0019]
As shown in FIG. 2, tag antennas 13, 23, 33 and control devices 14, 24, 34 are provided below the tray setting positions of the tray mounting tables 11, 21, 31, respectively. The tag antennas 13, 23, 33 are antennas for wirelessly communicating with the IC tag 2 mounted on the tray 1 placed at the tray setting position on the tray mounting tables 11, 21, 31. The control devices 14, 24, 34 communicate with the IC tag 2 of each tray 1 via the tag antennas 13, 23, 33, and transmit the price information of the products 4a, 4b, 4c,. Write in. The control devices 14, 24, 34 are connected to the POS terminal 41 of the settlement corner 40 via the LAN 103 (see FIG. 3).
[0020]
The control device 14 of the first sales corner 10 is connected to a menu switch 15 having three buttons 15A to 15C corresponding to the operation unit in the claims. The menu switch 15 is a switch operated by a salesperson in charge of the first sales corner 10, and three buttons 15A to 15C correspond to three types of products 4a, 4b, and 4c sold in the first sales corner 10, respectively. Yes, it is. When the tray 1 is placed at the tray setting position of the tray placing table 11, the sales person in charge selectively presses the buttons 15A to 15C of the menu switch 15, and the corresponding product 4a, 4b or 4c Can be written into the IC tag 2 of the tray 1. Naturally, not only the menu button corresponding to the product, but also an image of a TV camera or the like may be processed to identify the product and write it on the IC tag.
[0021]
The control device 24 of the second sales corner 20 is connected to an optical sensor 25 corresponding to the commodity sensor in the claims. The optical sensor 25 is embedded at the placement position of each product 4d on the serving table 22 so as to face the lower surface of the product 4d, and outputs an ON signal when the product 4d is present on the sensor, and outputs the ON signal. When the signal does not exist, an off signal is output. When the output signal from the optical sensor 25 changes from the ON signal to the OFF signal, the control device 24 writes the price information of the product 4d to the IC tag 2 of the tray 1 placed at the tray setting position of the tray placing table 11. .
[0022]
An electronic balance 35 corresponding to the weight sensor in the claims is connected to the control device 34 of the third sales corner 30. The electronic balance 35 is provided below the tray setting position of the tray mounting table 31. A portion 31a of the tray mounting table 31 on which the tray 1 is mounted is separated from other portions so that a change in load of the tray 1 can be transmitted to the electronic balance 35. The control device 34 stores, as an initial value, the weight measured by the electronic balance 35 at the time when the tray 1 is placed on the tray mounting table 31, and price information of the product 4e according to the weight increase from the initial value. Is written to the IC tag 2.
[0023]
As shown in FIG. 1, a POS terminal 41, a reading table 42, a payment screen display device 43, and a card reading device 44 are provided in the payment corner 40. The POS terminal 41 has a function as a control server that performs overall control of the automatic settlement system according to the present embodiment, so that the prices of the various products 4a, 4b, 4c,. ing.
[0024]
Here, the confirmation that the product has been moved to the tray is performed by assembling the optical sensors 42a and 42b on the table 44 for placing the product at each sales corner and taking the plate 46a as shown in FIG. May be detected by receiving light for a predetermined time or more, the signal may be sent to the control unit 41, and the signal may be written from the tag antenna 13 to the IC tag 2 in the tray 1. At this time, if the infrared sensor 45 for detecting a person is also linked, malfunction can be prevented. Alternatively, the image of the camera 43 may be processed to confirm the movement of the plates 42a and 42b to the tray 1 and to control the writing to the IC card 2.
[0025]
The reading table 42 is a device for reading price information recorded on the IC tag 2 of the tray 1 carried by the customer. On the upper surface of the reading table 42, a tray guide 45 for mounting the tray 1 at a predetermined position on the table is provided. A tag antenna 46 is provided inside the reading table 42. The tag antenna 46 is an antenna for wirelessly communicating with the IC tag 2 on the tray 1 placed on the reading table 42.
[0026]
The POS terminal 41 communicates with the IC tag 2 via the tag antenna 46, and reads the price information of all products recorded on the IC tag 2. Then, based on the read price information, the total price of the products on the tray 1 is calculated, the result is displayed on the settlement screen display device 43, and the information of the prepaid card presented by the customer is read by the card reading device 44. , Perform the settlement process.
[0027]
Next, the operation of the automatic payment system of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.
At the first sales corner 10, the salesperson checks the product 4 a, 4 b, or 4 c received by the customer from the serving table 12, and selectively presses the buttons 15 A to 15 C of the menu switch 15 corresponding to the product. Thus, the price information of the product 4a, 4b or 4c received by the customer can be written in the IC tag 2, so that one salesperson can perform the sales operation.
[0028]
Further, at the second sales corner 20, when the customer receives the product 4d from the serving table 22, the price information is automatically written into the IC tag 2, so that the sales operation of the product 4d can be performed unattended. Further, in the third sales corner 30, the price information according to the amount of the product 4e put on the tray 1 by the customer is automatically written into the IC tag 2, so that it is possible to carry out the mass sale and sale of the product 4e unattended. it can.
[0029]
As described above, according to the automatic payment system of the present embodiment, the sales prices of the individual products 4a to 4d sold at the first and second sales corners 10 and 20 and the sales at the third sales corner 30 are provided. Since the selling price per unit weight of the product 4e can be easily changed on the POS terminal 41, the price setting can be flexibly changed according to the sales status of the product. Further, since the IC tag 2 is mounted on the tray 1 on which a product is placed, it is possible to cope with a mode of providing drinks and dishes using arbitrary tableware and a mode of providing a product not using tableware.
[0030]
In addition, since the IC tag 2 for recording the price information of the products 4a to 4d received by the customer until the settlement is attached to the tray 1, the number of tags to be used is greatly reduced as compared with the conventional system. And reduce costs.
[0031]
In the present embodiment, at the second sales corner 20 handling the same priced product 4d, the optical sensor 25 detects that the customer has received the product 4d from the serving table 22. , A tray sensor may be provided so that when the tray 1 is set at a predetermined position, it is assumed that the customer has received the product 4d from the serving table 22.
[0032]
In the second sales corner 20, a different sales price is made to correspond to each optical sensor 25, and when the output signal of the optical sensor 25 changes, the price information corresponding to the optical sensor 25 is sent to the IC tag 2. If it is configured to write, a plurality of types of products with different prices can be sold unattended.
[0033]
Also, an example in which the present invention is applied to a cafeteria-style canteen has been described.
[0034]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the automatic payment system according to the present invention, it is possible to flexibly respond to a change in the price of a product, and also to a form of providing drinks and dishes using any tableware, and a method of providing a product without using tableware. It is possible to provide an automatic settlement system with a high degree of freedom that can be handled. Further, the number of recording means to be used can be greatly reduced, and the cost can be reduced.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a cafeteria type dining room using an automatic payment system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing a configuration of a main part of the automatic payment system of one embodiment shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of the automatic settlement system according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing a main configuration of the automatic settlement system according to the embodiment shown in FIG. Cross-sectional view schematically shown [Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Tray 2 IC tag 3 Tray guide 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e Commodity 11, 21, 31 Tray mounting table 12, 22, 32 Serving table 10 1st sales corner 20 2nd sales corner 30 3rd sales Corner 40 Adjustment corners 13, 23, 33 Tag antennas 14, 24, 34 Controllers 15A to 15C Button 25 Optical sensor 35 Electronic balance 41 POS terminal 42 Reading table 43 Adjustment screen display device 45 Tray guide 46 Tag antenna 100 Cafeteria

Claims (7)

A user selects a product, puts it on their own tray, transports it to a checkout place, and in the automatic checkout system of a batch checkout method in which the total amount of goods on each tray is settled at the checkout place,
Data recording means capable of writing data is mounted on the tray,
Each time the user receives the product from the product display stand, the price information of the product is written in the recording means, and the price information recorded in the recording means is read out at the checkout place, whereby the tray An automatic payment system characterized by processing the total amount of the above products. Provide a tray sensor at the product receiving location corresponding to each product,
2. The automatic settlement system according to claim 1, wherein when the tray is set at a predetermined position of the commodity receiving location, price information of the commodity corresponding to the commodity receiving location is written in the recording means. Equipped with an operation unit for sales floor personnel corresponding to each product,
2. The automatic settlement system according to claim 1, wherein when the operation unit is operated, price information of a product corresponding to the operation unit is written in the recording unit. A product sensor whose output signal changes when each product or a container containing each product is removed from the product display stand, is disposed at a mounting position of each product on the product display stand,
2. The automatic settlement system according to claim 1, wherein when an output signal of the commodity sensor changes, price information of a commodity corresponding to the commodity sensor is written in the recording unit. When the product is a weighed product, a weight sensor is provided at a product receiving location of the product,
4. The price information is written to the recording means in accordance with an increase in a weight measured by the weight sensor from the time when the tray is placed at the goods receiving location. Or the automatic settlement system according to 4. 6. The automatic settlement system according to claim 1, wherein said recording means is an IC tag. When a customer selects a product, places it on a tray, transports it to the checkout location, and performs a checkout,
Attaching a recording means writable to the tray, and writing the price information of the product to the recording means each time a customer receives a product from a product display stand,
Reading the price information recorded in the recording means at the settlement place;
A step of performing a payment process on the total amount of the goods on the tray based on the price information.

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