JP2008123537A - Remote sales system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a remote sales system which allows a remote user to communicate and adjust the interest with actually present persons. <P>SOLUTION: The system includes: an imaging means for imaging one or more goods displayed for sale at a facility for selling merchandises; an image providing means for providing the remote customer with information about images imaged by the imaging means to show as objects for sale in real time or in substantially real time through a communication network (including communication through satellite); and a notifying means arranged on the surface or in the vicinity of each merchandise placed in or in front of the store for notifying the customers in the facility for selling merchandises of (a) a purchase desired price presented by the customer for the merchandise, (b) an expected term to replenish stock when the merchandise is out of stock, or (c) detailed merchandise data such as price, performance, use, material or size of the merchandise. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a remote sales system that can sell products to users who live remotely via a communication network.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a technique for receiving a scene at a remote location in real time using a communication network such as the Internet is known. In addition, a live video of a concert is played on a homepage on the Internet, and a user who accesses the homepage uses a browser (browsing software) to capture the live video in his / her terminal (such as a personal computer) in real time. ing.

  Such a conventional technique, that is, a technique for transmitting a view in real time or viewing a live image in real time, has not been able to leave its own trace on the “site” simply by the user receiving it. That is, conventionally, a user who viewed the live video in real time sends a message such as an impression of the live video to the address of the homepage by e-mail, or an “electronic bulletin board” ( Each user writes his / her own message to a service that allows free writing from remote users who have accessed.

  However, transmission of e-mail and writing to an “electronic bulletin board” that have been allowed by users in the past are completed in a “virtual space” such as an Internet homepage. That is, they do not generate any “physical” facts in the “real space” outside the “virtual space”. However, the present inventor believes that a remote user will not be sufficiently satisfied if the transmission of his / her message is completed only in the “virtual space”. In order to give real satisfaction to remote users, it may be necessary to give remote users "power" that generates some "physical facts / changes" in "real space" This is the basic idea of the inventor. In addition, in the conventional technology, there is an idea that a remote user who accesses a “real place” via a communication network and a person who visits the “real place” coordinate or exchange interests. None of these ideas are important.

  Based on such an idea, the present invention enables a remote user to generate some physical change in the “real world” and to exchange and adjust interests with people in the real world. An object is to provide a remote sales system. Further, the present invention is based on such an idea, and adjusts the interests of each other as well as the customers who are actually visiting the remote user, while the arts, antiques (antiques), old clothes, etc. The purpose is to provide a remote sales system that allows participants to participate in "auctions held at stores in the world (such as auction houses)" from the same standpoint as customers who actually visit the store.

The present invention for solving the above problems is as follows.
1. Imaging means for imaging one or a plurality of commodities displayed for sale at a merchandise sales facility, and information on the video captured by the imaging means as a sales object, including a communication network (including communication by artificial satellite) Video providing means for providing to a remote customer in real time or near real time, and notification means arranged in or near the surface of the product in the store or in the store, (a) the product Purchase price data presented by the customer regarding (b) the planned period until inventory replenishment when the product is out of stock, or (c) product details such as price, performance, application, material or dimensions of the product A remote sales system using a computer network, comprising: a notification means for notifying a customer in the product sales facility of data.
2. Image capturing means for capturing products displayed in a facility for sale of products, information on the video captured by the image capturing means as a sales target, in real time or almost in real time via a communication network Video providing means for providing to a customer, desired purchase price providing means for providing data indicating a desired purchase price of the product from the remote customer to the sales facility side via a communication network; and Desired purchase price display means provided on the surface of the product or in the vicinity thereof, including desired purchase price display means for displaying the desired purchase price provided by a customer who wishes to purchase the product. And a remote sales system.
3. In the remote sales system of 2 above, when a desired purchase price is presented from each of a plurality of customers, each desired purchase price is displayed in descending order of the amount or only the highest amount among them is displayed. A remote sales system comprising: display control means for controlling the desired purchase price display means so as to display according to a predetermined rule.
4). Imaging means for imaging one or a plurality of commodities displayed for sale at a merchandise sales facility, and information on the video captured by the imaging means as an indication of a sales target in real time or almost via a communication network Video providing means for providing to a remote customer in real time, and product detail data recording means arranged on or near the surface of the product displayed in the product sales facility, the price, performance, use of the product, A remote sales system comprising product detail data recording means for recording product detail data such as dimensions or materials.
5. Imaging means for imaging one or a plurality of commodities displayed for sale at a merchandise sales facility, and information on the video captured by the imaging means as an indication of a sales target in real time or almost via a communication network Image providing means for providing to remote customers in real time, product detail data recording means for recording product detail data such as price, performance, application, dimensions, or material of the product, and the product sales facility Product detail data display means arranged on or near the surface of the product displayed on the product, the product detail data display means for displaying the product detail data recorded in the product detail data recording means Remote sales system featuring.
6). 6. The remote sales system according to any one of 1 to 5, further comprising a voice message for recording a voice message such as an impression, an inquiry, a request, or a purchase application (order) regarding the product from the remote customer. Recording means and voice output means arranged on or near the surface of the product so that the voice message from the remote customer can be heard by a customer or a store clerk in the sales facility. A remote sales system comprising voice output means for outputting by voice.

As described above, according to the present invention, the display means always displays the latest purchase price regardless of whether the purchase price is received from a remote user or a customer who actually visits the store. Can be displayed in real time or near real time. Therefore, the remote user and the customer who actually visited the store can participate in the auction from the same standpoint. Furthermore, both the remote user and the customer who actually visited the store know equally the maximum price of the desired purchase price from a large number of customers, including remote users and customers who actually visited the store, in real time or near real time. This will allow the interests of remote users and the customers who actually visit the store to be properly coordinated (that is, which one is advantageous and which is not disadvantageous). Therefore, since the conventional auction house and store can also participate in the auction for people living in remote areas that cannot actually visit the store, the auction market can be expanded.
In addition, according to the present invention, “detailed product data” such as the price, performance, material, or dimensions of the product, “information about auction” such as the minimum planned sales price of the seller of the auction target product, the current inventory number of the product Displaying information related to product sales, such as the planned inventory replenishment period (eg, “1 month after arrival”, “planned 20 days after inventory replenishment”) when a product is currently “out of stock” Since the customer (visitor and remote customer) is notified by the notification means located on the surface of the product or in the vicinity thereof, both the customer and the remote customer can easily know the information.
Further, according to the present invention, a voice message from a remote customer is recorded on the recording means located on or near the display product, and further output by the voice output means located on or near the display product. Therefore, the store clerk and the customer in the store can hear a voice message from a remote customer at a location near the product.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention is a mode as described in Example 1 below.

  Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a remote sales system according to this embodiment. This example is for example to enable an auction house (a famous company such as Sotheby's or Christie's) to deal with arts and antiques (antiques), to bring remote people into customers. System. In addition, in this embodiment, small and medium art dealers, antique dealers, used clothing dealers, or individuals who want to sell second-hand goods that have not been auctioned in the past have many people who come to the store and many remote people as customers. , A remote selling system for enabling an auction to be performed.

  In FIG. 1, 1 is a table for displaying products in a store for auction (auction sales), and 2, 3 and 4 are products for auction displayed on the table 1. 2 is a ceramic product (artwork), 3 is old clothes of high-quality clothes, and 4 is a ceramic antique.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 21 denotes a camera for imaging each of the products 2, 3, and 4. The video data of the products 2, 3, and 4 captured by the camera 21 is sent to the store-side server (data management and network management computer) 22 in real time. The store-side server 22 uploads the video data to the store's homepage on the Internet 23 in real time or almost in real time. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 20 denotes a microphone (sound collector) installed in the vicinity of the camera 21. The microphone 20 collects sound around the products 2, 3, 4 and sends the sound data to the store-side server 22. The store-side server 22 uploads the audio data to the homepage of the store on the Internet 23 in real time or almost real time.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 24 denotes a computer communication terminal (such as a personal computer) held by a remote user (remote customer) connected to the Internet 23. The communication terminal 24 includes an output device 25 such as a display and a speaker, and an input device such as a keyboard and a mouse (pointing device). A remote user accesses a homepage established by the store-side server 22 via the Internet 23, and uses a known browser (browsing software) from the video and the microphone 20 from the camera 21. Can be output in real time. In addition, the remote user automatically makes a contract with the store side without using the “push” type Internet method to access the homepage every time, for example, automatically during the auction opening period and the preparation period. The video and audio data can be distributed to the own communication terminal 24.

  In FIG. 1, reference numerals 12, 13, and 14 denote notification panels that are attached to the surface of each of the products 2, 3, and 4, respectively, or are arranged in the vicinity thereof. In the present embodiment, these notification panels 12, 13, and 14 are arranged in the vicinity of the products 2, 3, and 4. Accordingly, the notification panels 12, 13, and 14 are imaged on the same screen together with the products 2, 3, and 4 when the camera 21 images the products 2, 3, and 4, respectively. It is arranged at the position.

  The configuration of the notification panels 12, 13, and 14 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing the notification panel 14. In FIG. 2A, 31 is a housing (frame body), 32 is an infrared receiver exposed at the top of the housing 21, and 36 is a liquid crystal display (LCD). Next, FIG. 2B is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of the notification panel 14. In FIG. 2B, 32 is an infrared receiving unit, 33 is a CPU (central control unit) to which a signal from the infrared receiving unit 32 is input, 34 is connected to the CPU 33, and records price data and the like. A RAM (Random Access Memory), 35 is connected to the CPU 33, a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which a program is recorded, 36 is a purchase desired price presented by a customer participating in the auction output from the CPU 33, etc. A liquid crystal display (LCD) that outputs data.

  As will be described in detail later, as shown in FIG. 2 (a), the LCD 36 has identification data for any of the products 2, 3, and 4 to which the notification panels 12, 13, and 14 correspond, and The highest price of all the suggested purchase prices offered by each customer (including customers who visited the store and remote users) for the product, the date and time when the price was presented, and the store Data including a receipt number certifying that the customer has been surely accepted is displayed. In the present invention, the notice panels 12, 13, and 14 are provided with the desired purchase prices provided by each customer (including customers who visited the store and remote users) for the product. The date and time and the receipt number that proves that the store has surely accepted the price from the customer may be displayed in order of date or in descending order of the amount.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. As described above, the remote user accesses the store-side homepage on the Internet 23 and uses the browser (browsing software) to display the video from the camera 51 in real time on his computer terminal 54. It can be displayed on the display device 54a connected to the terminal. The method of accessing this home page and viewing it with a browser is called “pull type” (pull type) Internet. In this embodiment, the video may be provided to a remote customer by another method, that is, a method called “push type” (push type) Internet. That is, during the auction period and its preparation period, the images of the products 2, 3, 4 and the notification panels 12, 13, 14 obtained by the camera 21 are distributed from the store side to the remote user side. In this way, the customer and the store make a contract in advance, and the video may be sent in real time from the store side to the remote customer side during the auction opening period and its preparation period. According to this “push-type” Internet method, remote customers can save time and effort to access the store's homepage.

Next, the following two routes (A) and (B) exist for the customer to present the desired purchase price to the store side.
(A) A route in which a customer who actually visits a store presents a desired purchase price of a certain product verbally or in writing to the store side (store clerk) on the spot during the auction period.

  In this case, the store clerk presented with the price issues a numbered ticket describing the receipt number issued by the store side to the customer. Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the clerk 40 uses the infrared transmitter 41 to “identify the product”, “name, address, and identification number of the customer”, “the reception number”, “Reception date and time (year / month / day and time)” and “the desired purchase price” are converted into infrared signals and transmitted to the receiving unit 32 of the notification panels 12, 13, and 14. Then, based on the infrared signal received by the receiving unit 32, the CPU 33 determines that the notification panel 12, 13, 14 receives the “customer name, address, and identification number”, “reception number”, “reception”. The “date and time” and “the desired purchase price” are recorded in the RAM 34. Further, the CPU 33 updates and displays the received “reception number”, “reception date / time” and “the desired purchase price” on the LCD 36.

  Since the maximum price of the desired purchase price presented up to that point is displayed on the LCD 36, the customer cannot present it unless the price is higher than that price (even if presented). Because it is meaningless). Nevertheless, if a price lower than the currently displayed price is erroneously transmitted from the transmitter 41, the CPU compares the transmitted price with the currently displayed price. If the transmitted price is smaller than the currently displayed price, the update display on the LCD 36 is rejected, and an “error” is displayed to notify the store clerk 40.

In the first embodiment, the auction is held within a predetermined period, and within the period, the purchase desired price is presented to the store by the customer, and the customer who presented the highest price is auctioned off. It has become. The predetermined period may be a predetermined day, several hours, or several tens of minutes, or may be a predetermined number of days or months. Each customer can receive the products 2, 3, and 4 stored in the auction hall (store) or other place during the auction period or during the preparation period before the auction is held. It is possible to evaluate its value by actually watching it on the spot or watching it with an image captured by a camera described later.
(B) A route in which a remote customer who accesses a homepage on the store side presents the desired purchase price to the store side via the communication network during the auction period.

  In this case, the remote customer can evaluate the value of each of the products 2, 3, 4 based on the video from the camera 21. Alternatively, the remote customer actually visits a store (auction site) or a product storage location in the vicinity thereof during the preparation period before the auction period, and actually sees the products 2, 3, and 4. And evaluate its value. In this case, after returning home, the customer decides the desired purchase price while taking into account his / her own budget, etc., and transmits it to the store side via the communication network. Present to the side.

  According to the route (B), if the auction period lasts for several days, the customer visits the site to see the actual products 2, 3, and 4 and then returns to their home and then holds the materials they have. You can determine your preferred purchase price slowly and calmly. In addition, according to the route (B), even customers who cannot go to the auction hall during the auction period will go to the place where the products 2, 3, and 4 are in the auction preparation period and actually see them. After the value is evaluated and the auction is held, a desired purchase price can be presented via the communication network.

  Further, in the case of the route (B), the remote customer receives the video from the camera 21 in real time, so that not only the video of each product 2, 3, 4 but also the customer (actually) It is also possible to know in real time or almost real time the maximum price of the desired purchase price presented from both the customer who visited the store and the remote customer) and the reception date and time. Accordingly, the remote customer can see the desired maximum purchase price displayed on the products 2, 3 and 4 and the LCD 36 on the display (the output device 25) of the communication terminal 24 at home, and the above-mentioned maximum price. You can decide calmly and calmly whether to offer a high price.

  Then, when the remote customer decides to present a desired purchase price higher than the displayed maximum price, the remote customer performs the following operation. First, the communication terminal 24 is operated to call a screen for presenting a desired purchase price on the store-side home page. Next, in accordance with this screen, your name, your address, your identification number (remote customers will get your own identification number by contracting with the store in advance), product identification data of the desired product (this product The identification data can be known by looking at the display screen of the LCD 36 displayed on the screen.

  That is, since the video including the products 2, 3, 4 and the LCD 36 of the notification panels 12, 13, 14 is displayed on the display of the communication terminal 22 of the remote user, the remote user can display its display screen. , The product identification data corresponding to the product can be known), and the desired purchase price of the product is transmitted to the store-side server 22. Then, the store-side server 22 operates the infrared transmitter 28 disposed in the vicinity of the camera 21 so that the remote user's name, address, identification number, reception number, reception date and time, desired purchase price. Or the like is transmitted by an infrared signal (in this case, it can be said that the remote user remotely operates the infrared transmitter 28 via a communication network). This infrared signal is received by the receiving unit 32 of the notification panel 12, 13, 14. Then, the CPU 33 checks whether or not the newly received desired purchase price is higher than the price displayed so far, and then the recorded contents of the RAM 34 and the displayed contents of the LCD 36 are newly transmitted. Update with updated data. The data transmitted from the remote user is also recorded on the hard disk device 22a of the store side server 22 for backup.

  Since the display content of the LCD 36 is updated within a very short time, the remote user can update the display of the LCD 36 to the desired purchase price that he / she previously transmitted in the display screen of his / her terminal 24. By visually confirming that this has been done, it is possible to confirm in real time or almost in real time that the store side has officially accepted the presentation of the desired purchase price. In addition, the store-side server 22 transmits a receipt with a unique receipt number to the remote user, and the remote user receives the receipt to confirm that the above-mentioned presentation is official. Can be confirmed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the latest purchases are always displayed on the notification panels 12, 13 and 14 even when the desired purchase price is received by any of the routes (A) and (B). The desired price will be displayed in real time. Therefore, the remote user and the customer who actually visited the store can participate in the auction from the same standpoint. Moreover, both the remote user and the customer who actually visited the store can always know the maximum purchase price from a large number of customers including remote users and customers who actually visited the store, in real time. Therefore, the interest between the remote user and the customer who actually visited the store will be properly adjusted (that is, one will not be advantageous and one will not be disadvantageous).

  In the present embodiment, the camera 21 may be fixed to a wall or the like in a store, but may be one that the remote user can remotely control via a communication network. That is, a remote user may remotely control the shooting magnification and shooting angle. The camera 21 is attached to a moving body (for example, a moving body that moves along a rail arranged along a ceiling or a wall), and the position of the camera can be freely controlled by remotely controlling the moving body. It may be one that can be moved to. In addition, a camera may be provided on a mobile robot that can freely move on the floor in the store, and the position of the camera may be moved by the remote user remotely controlling the mobile robot. The technique for moving the camera via the communication network is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-228339 (“Video Transmission Type Remote Viewing Device”) and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-51525 (“Video Composition Type Remote”). For example, it is disclosed in detail in “Earth appreciation device”).

  In the above-described embodiment, the LCD 36 displays only the highest price so far, but other displays are possible in the present invention. That is, by changing the program for controlling the CPU 33, for example, all of the prices presented so far (or only the most recent ones) are arranged and displayed in descending order of price. Is also possible. It is also possible to display all of the prices presented so far (or only a plurality of prices from the highest price) in the order of reception date and time.

  Further, in this embodiment, a moving image is assumed as the video from the camera 21, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a still image or a few minutes captured by the camera 21 at intervals of several seconds. Still images taken at intervals may be transmitted to a remote customer. When it is not necessary to frequently update the desired purchase price, there is almost no practical problem even with such still images every few seconds or minutes.

  Further, in this embodiment, the desired purchase price from a remote customer is displayed on the LCD of the notification panels 12, 13, and 14. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is not limited to this. It is possible to display “various information relating to product sales” of the displayed products. “Product sales information” in this case is, for example, “product detailed data” such as the price, performance, material, or dimensions of the product corresponding to each notice panel, the minimum planned sales price of the seller of the auction target product, etc. “Information on auction”, current stock quantity of the product, planned stock replenishment period of the product when the product is currently “out of stock” (for example, “1 month after arrival”, “scheduled after 20 days of stock replenishment”) Etc.). In the present invention, these “information on product sales” are recorded in the recording device incorporated in the notification panels 12, 13, and 14, and when there is a request from a remote customer or at any time, the “product sales” is recorded. “Sales information” may be displayed. In other words, the customer in the store can see the “information related to product sales” by looking at the notification panel in the vicinity of each product, and the remote customer can view the notification panel from the camera 21. By viewing through, the information can be viewed.

  In the present invention, the information panel 12, 13, 14 is also provided with a wireless transmitter so that a remote customer can record the “information regarding the sale of goods” recorded on the notification panel via a communication network. ”Is sent to the store-side server 22 by wireless communication to the remote customer, and then sent from the store-side server 22 to the user-side terminal 24 via the communication network. You may do it. That is, when there is a request from a remote customer for a certain product, the store-side server 22 wirelessly (infrared rays) an instruction to provide “information regarding product sales” corresponding to this request to the corresponding notification panel. ) Then, the corresponding notice panel transmits the corresponding information in the information related to the sale of the product recorded by itself to the store side server 22 wirelessly. The store-side server 22 transmits this transmitted information to a remote customer via a communication network.

  In the present invention, the notification panel includes a voice message recording device that records a voice message such as an impression, an inquiry, a request, or a purchase application (order) about a corresponding product from a remote customer, A speaker (voice output means) may be provided for outputting the voice message from the remote customer by voice so that the customer or store clerk in the sales facility can listen. In this case, the remote user transmits a voice message about the product to the store-side server 22 via the communication network while watching the video from the camera 21. The store-side server 22 transmits the sent voice message to the corresponding notification panel wirelessly as voice data. The corresponding announcement panel records this audio data. Then, when a store clerk or a customer visiting the vicinity of each product performs a predetermined operation, the recorded audio data is output from the speaker. As a result, a store clerk or a customer in the store can arbitrarily listen to a voice message from a remote customer at a location near the product.

It is a perspective view showing the whole composition of one embodiment of the present invention. (A) is a figure which shows the external appearance of the notification panel used for this embodiment, (b) is a block diagram which shows the internal structure.

Explanation of symbols

2,3,4 Products 12,13,14 Notification Panel 21 Camera 36 LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)
22 Store side server 24 User side communication terminal

Claims (5)

Imaging means for imaging one or a plurality of products displayed for sale at a product sales facility;
Video providing means for providing video information captured by the imaging means to a remote customer in real time or almost real time via a communication network as an indication of a sales target; and
Notification means arranged in or near the surface of the product in the store or in the store, (a) desired purchase price data presented by the customer regarding the product, (b) inventory when the product is out of stock (C) Notification means for notifying customers in the product sales facility of product detail data such as the price, performance, application, material or dimensions of the product,
A remote sales system using a computer network, characterized by including: Imaging means for imaging products displayed in a facility for selling products;
Video providing means for providing information of the video captured by the imaging means to a remote customer in real time or almost real time via a communication network as an indication of a sales target;
Purchase desired price providing means for providing data indicating the desired purchase price of the product from the remote customer to the sales facility side via a communication network; and
A desired purchase price display means provided on or near the surface of the product, the desired purchase price display means for displaying a desired purchase price provided by a customer who wishes to purchase the product,
A remote sales system characterized by including: The remote sales system of claim 2, further comprising:
When a desired purchase price is presented by each of a plurality of customers, the desired purchase price is displayed in accordance with a predetermined rule such as displaying in order of the highest amount or displaying only the highest amount among them. Display control means for controlling the desired purchase price display means,
A remote sales system characterized by including: Imaging means for imaging one or a plurality of products displayed for sale at a product sales facility;
Video providing means for providing video information captured by the imaging means to a remote customer in real time or almost real time via a communication network as an indication of a sales target; and
Product detail data recording means for recording product detail data such as price, performance, application, dimensions, or material of the product, and
Product detail data display means arranged on or near the surface of the product displayed in the product sales facility, the product detail data display means for displaying the product detail data recorded in the product detail data recording means ,
A remote sales system characterized by including: The remote sales system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising:
Voice message recording means for recording voice messages such as impressions, inquiries, requests or purchase applications (orders) about the product from the remote customer; and
Voice output means arranged on or near the product for outputting the voice message from the remote customer in a voice so that the customer or store clerk in the sales facility can listen to the voice message. Audio output means,
A remote sales system characterized by including:

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