JP2010020493A - Adjustment management device, adjustment device, adjustment management method and adjustment management program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To dissolve trouble relating to delivery of a coin in time of adjustment. <P>SOLUTION: An adjustment management device 120 receives input of pocket information related to a pocket, and a customer puts the commodity into a shopping cart 150, so that the adjustment management device receives input of purchase commodity information related to a purchase commodity. The adjustment management device acquires price information, corresponding to the inputted purchase commodity information from a commodity master file, calculates the balance based on the acquired price information and the inputted pocket information, acquires coin number information corresponding to calculated balance information from a balance database, and displays, on a display 122, information related to a money amount, wherein the number of coins related to the acquired coin number information becomes a prescribed number or below. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a settlement management apparatus, a settlement apparatus, a settlement management method, and a settlement management program that support cash settlement in a retail store or the like.

  For example, when cash is paid in cash at a retail store or the like, a change that is the difference between the amount paid and the price is generated. Depending on the amount of change, the number of coins may increase, and the wallet may swell or change may not fit. In order to avoid such a situation, there are many customers who devise to reduce the number of coins received as change by devising the amount of money to be paid.

  For example, if you pay 1000 yen for a 562 yen purchase, you will receive 438 yen change, but if you pay 1112 yen for the same amount, you will get 550 yen change, reducing the number of coins you receive from 11 to 2 Therefore, when shopping for 562 yen, which is enough to pay 1000 yen, an additional 112 yen is added to the 1000 yen to pay, so that the number of coins is reduced. Most of the devices for reducing the number of coins are calculated in the mind of the customer who makes the payment.

  Conventionally, for example, the total amount of unpaid change in the change that occurs when purchasing goods is recorded as the total unpaid change on the change-only card or change / point / shared card. When there is a request to allocate the entire amount or a part of the purchase price, the required amount is subtracted from the accumulated unpaid amount recorded on the change-only card or change / point / shared card at the same time as the required amount is paid. There was a technique to do this (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below).

  In addition, there are conventional payment methods that do not generate change such as cash payments, such as electronic money payments and card payments using credit cards or debit cards, etc., but replenishment of electronic money is troublesome. At present, there are not a few customers who do not use these payment methods for reasons such as being overwhelmed and there is a risk of leakage of personal information, and paying in cash.

JP 2002-207945 A

  However, a device for reducing the number of coins can only be prepared after the products to be purchased have been scanned and the payment amount has been finalized, and it is difficult to prepare and prepare in advance. Since the customer performs calculation in the head for the confirmed payment amount and checks the purse when there is a corresponding change, the change is used for payment, so it may take time to receive the change. is there. For this reason, when such a device is used at the time of congestion, there is a problem that a long line is formed and the waiting time of the customer is increased.

  The present invention provides a settlement management apparatus, a settlement apparatus, a settlement management method, and a settlement management program that can eliminate the troubles related to the delivery of coins at the time of settlement in order to solve the above-described problems caused by the prior art. Objective.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the checkout management apparatus according to the present invention includes a possession information input unit that accepts input of possession money information related to the possession money, and a purchase that accepts input of purchased product information related to the purchased product. Obtain price information of the purchased product corresponding to the purchased product information input by the purchased product information input unit from the product information input unit and the purchased product database storing the purchased product and the price information of the purchased product in association with each other A balance information calculation means for calculating balance information based on the money information input by the money information input means, the price information acquired by the price information acquisition means, and the balance And the balance information calculation means from the balance database that stores the number of coins related to the number of coins of the balance in association with each other. Thus, information on the coin number information acquiring means for acquiring the coin number information corresponding to the calculated balance information, and information on the amount of coins related to the coin number information acquired by the coin number information acquiring means is equal to or less than a predetermined number is displayed. And a display control means for displaying on the screen.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide information for optimizing the amount of change according to the customer's money without causing the customer to perform complicated calculations or looking for change at the time of payment, and included in the change It is possible to support the customer's shopping so that the number of coins to be stored is less than a predetermined number.

  Further, in the above-described invention, the payment management apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that the extraction means for extracting a product that matches the amount of coins equal to or less than a predetermined number from the purchase product database, and the display control means, The information on the product extracted by the extraction means is displayed together with the information on the amount of money or instead of the information on the amount of money. According to the present invention, by presenting a specific product, it eliminates the trouble of delivering coins at the time of settlement without giving the customer the trouble of searching for a product suitable for change optimization. can do.

  Further, in the above invention, the payment management device according to the present invention comprises a possession money insertion slot for inserting a possession money, and a storage box member for storing the possession money inserted from the possession money insertion slot, The possession money information input means inputs the amount of money inserted into the possession money insertion slot as possession information relating to the possession money. According to the present invention, it is possible to provide information for optimizing the amount of change according to the amount of cash that the customer actually has at the time of shopping.

  In the above invention, the payment management apparatus according to the present invention is detachably attached to a shopping cart. According to the present invention, it is possible to always provide information for optimizing change according to the movement of a customer who selects a product, without making it difficult to carry the checkout management device.

  Further, the settlement apparatus according to the present invention is calculated by the attaching / detaching mechanism section for attaching / detaching the above-described settlement management apparatus, the recovery mechanism for recovering the money stored in the storage box member, and the balance information calculation means. And a withdrawal mechanism for withdrawing the balance of the balance information. According to the present invention, at the time of payment, the optimized change can be paid out only by attaching the payment management apparatus to the payment apparatus.

  In addition, the settlement management method according to the present invention includes a settlement management input comprising a possession information input unit that accepts input of possession information relating to a possession and a purchase product information input unit that accepts input of purchase product information related to the purchase product. A payment management method executed by the apparatus, wherein the purchased product corresponds to the purchased product information input by the purchased product information input means from the purchased product database that stores the purchased product and the price information of the purchased product in association with each other. The balance information for calculating the balance information based on the price information acquisition step for acquiring the price information, the money information input by the money information input means, and the price information acquired by the price information acquisition step From the balance database that stores the calculation step and the balance and the coin number information on the number of coins of the balance, A coin number information acquisition step for acquiring coin number information corresponding to the balance information calculated by the gold information calculation step, and an amount of coins related to the coin number information acquired by the coin number information acquisition step equal to or less than a predetermined number And a display control step for displaying information on the display screen.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide information for optimizing the amount of change according to the customer's money without causing the customer to perform complicated calculations or to search for change at the time of payment. It is possible to support the customer's shopping so that the number of coins to be stored is less than a predetermined number.

  In addition, the settlement management program according to the present invention includes a settlement management input comprising a possession information input unit that accepts input of possession information relating to a possession and a purchase product information input unit that accepts input of purchase product information related to the purchase product. A payment management program to be executed by the apparatus, the purchase product corresponding to the purchase product information input by the purchase product information input means from the purchase product database storing the purchase product and the price information of the purchase product in association with each other The balance information for calculating the balance information based on the price information acquisition step for acquiring the price information, the money information input by the money information input means, and the price information acquired by the price information acquisition step A balance data database that stores the calculation process and the balance and the coin number information regarding the number of coins of the balance in association with each other are stored. Coin number information acquisition step for acquiring coin number information corresponding to the balance information calculated by the balance information calculation step, and the number of coins related to the coin number information acquired by the coin number information acquisition step is a predetermined number. And a display control step for displaying information on the following amount on the display screen.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide information for optimizing the amount of change according to the customer's money without causing the customer to perform complicated calculations or to search for change at the time of payment. It is possible to support the customer's shopping so that the number of coins to be stored is less than a predetermined number.

  According to the payment management apparatus, the payment apparatus, the payment management method, and the payment management program according to the present invention, there is an effect that it is possible to eliminate the troublesomeness related to the delivery of coins at the time of payment.

  Exemplary embodiments of a settlement management apparatus, a settlement apparatus, a settlement management method, and a settlement management program according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  First, a shopping system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a shopping system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the shopping system according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a system server 110, a payment management apparatus 120, and a payment apparatus 130.

  The system server 110 is configured by a computer device such as a personal computer, and includes a storage device that stores a product master file, a sales file, a recommended product file, a balance database, and the like. The product master file stores product identification information for identifying a product and product information such as a product name, a department code, a sales price, and discount information in association with each other (see FIG. 9). For example, a JAN code can be used as the product identification information. The sales file stores the sales history of products such as sales details and sales amount. The recommended product file records information about recommended products, such as daily services and time services, whose selling prices change within a specific time and become cheaper. The balance database will be described later (see FIG. 10).

  The payment management apparatus 120 includes a main body 121 that is detachably attached to the shopping cart 150 and the like, and a display 122. The payment management apparatus 120 calculates the balance information based on the customer's money information and purchased product information. Further, the settlement management apparatus 120 displays information on the optimization of the balance on the display 122. The customer's money is a cash amount inserted by the customer into the settlement management apparatus 120, and the money information may be information that can identify the cash amount. The purchased product may be a product placed in the shopping cart 150, that is, a product scheduled for purchase. Alternatively, the purchased product may be a product recommended for purchase in order to optimize the balance in addition to the product actually put in the shopping cart 150. The purchased product information may be product identification information or product information of the purchased product.

  The balance is optimized by setting the number of coins included in the balance to be changed to a predetermined number or less. The predetermined number can be arbitrarily designated by the store or the customer. Further, the balance may be optimized by, for example, rounding a predetermined number of digits in the balance so that the minimum unit of coins included in the balance is 100 yen. Specifically, for example, the balance is optimized by setting the change amount so that the minimum unit is 100 yen without including small coins such as 1 yen, 5 yen, 10 yen, and 50 yen. The balance optimization will be described later.

  The shopping system of this embodiment is preferably applied in a store where a radio tag (RFID) 160 is attached to all products. As the wireless tag 160, a wireless tag 160 having a size of several centimeters and having various shapes such as a label type, a card type, a coin type, and a stick type can be used. The wireless tag 160 may be an active type or a passive type, but it is preferable to use a passive type that is activated by radio waves received from the outside. The wireless tag 160 preferably has a UHF band as a communication frequency band because a long communication distance can be secured. The wireless tag 160 will be described later.

  The settlement apparatus 130 performs a settlement process based on the money information and purchase product information stored in the settlement management apparatus 120, and pays out the balance calculated by the settlement process as change. When the payment management apparatus 120 stores cash, the payment apparatus 130 collects the cash during the payment process. Further, the checkout apparatus 130 includes a receipt printer that issues a receipt that records the product name, price, purchase quantity, etc. of the purchased product, and issues a receipt when executing the checkout process. Further, the settlement apparatus 130 includes a journal printer or an electronic journal mechanism that records information related to the settlement process related to the receipt issuance, and records a journal every time the settlement process is performed. Since the receipt printer, the journal printer, and the electronic journal mechanism are well-known techniques, description thereof is omitted.

  The settlement apparatus 130 includes an attachment / detachment mechanism unit that attaches / detaches the settlement management apparatus 120 at a predetermined position. Although not shown, the attachment / detachment mechanism unit includes an instruction member that supports the lower surface of the payment management apparatus 120. Further, the settlement apparatus 130 includes a recovery mechanism that opens the cash outlet provided in the settlement management apparatus 120 in a state where the lower surface of the settlement management apparatus 120 is supported by the instruction member and collects the money stored in the settlement management apparatus 120. Yes. The collection mechanism includes a cash collection port that opens toward the settlement management device 120, a conveyance mechanism that conveys cash from the cash collection port to the money holding unit, and a money holding unit that holds the conveyed cash. . Further, the settlement apparatus 130 is provided with a withdrawal mechanism for withdrawing the balance relating to the balance information calculated by the settlement process based on the information acquired from the settlement management apparatus 120. The withdrawal mechanism can be realized by, for example, a denomination discrimination sensor or a transport mechanism that transports cash.

  The settlement apparatus 130 can be realized independently (see FIG. 6). Further, the settlement apparatus 130 can be realized as an apparatus integrated with the POS cash register 131 (see FIG. 7). The POS cash register 131 integrated with the checkout device 130 changes in conjunction with the POS cash register 131 having a function of collecting cash or money amount information stored in the checkout management device 120 and merchandise information to be purchased. It may be realized by a machine. The change machine accepts deposits of coins, and pays out a predetermined amount of change based on the total amount of coins accepted for deposit and banknotes deposited in the drawer of the POS register 131.

(Configuration of the main body 121 of the payment management apparatus 120)
Next, the configuration of the main body 121 of the payment management apparatus 120 will be described. FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B, and FIG. 2C are explanatory diagrams illustrating the configuration of the main body 121 of the payment management apparatus 120. 2A shows a state in which the main body 121 of the payment management apparatus 120 is viewed from the front, FIG. 2B shows a state in which the main body 121 of the payment management apparatus 120 is viewed from the side, and FIG. The state which looked at the main-body part 121 from the back is shown. 2A, 2B and 2C, the main body 121 of the checkout management apparatus 120 includes a power button 210, a cancel button 211, a checkout button 212, a bill input port 213, a coin input port 214, an error notification. Display 215 and cash return port 216.

  Each time the power button 210 is operated, the power source of the settlement management apparatus 120 is switched ON / OFF. For example, the power button 210 is operated to be turned on when the settlement management apparatus 120 is used. The bill insertion slot 213 and the coin change slot 214 accept the insertion of bills and coins, respectively. In this embodiment, the money insertion slot can be realized by the banknote slot 213 and the coin slot 214.

  The settlement management device 120 uses the denomination sensor provided inside the settlement management device 120 to omit the denominations of cash inserted from the bill insertion slot 213 and the coin insertion slot 214 and the quantity of each denomination. To detect. Since the denomination determination sensor and the denomination determination method using the denomination determination sensor are known techniques, the description thereof is omitted. The deposit amount detected using the denomination discrimination sensor is displayed on the display 122 as possession information. Cash inserted from the bill insertion slot 213 and the coin change slot 214 is stored by a storage box member (not shown) provided inside the main body 121 of the payment management apparatus 120.

  The settlement button 212 is operated at an arbitrary timing when the customer desires settlement. When the settlement button 212 is operated, the settlement management device 120 performs a sales registration process based on the possession information and the purchased product information at the time when the settlement button 212 is operated. The sales registration process may be performed when the main body 121 of the settlement management apparatus 120 is set in the settlement apparatus 130 without providing the settlement button 212. The error notification display 215 displays information notifying that an error has occurred, such as an error message “An error has occurred. Please call a store clerk” when any error occurs in the checkout management device 120. To do. The error notification display 215 may notify that an error has occurred by blinking the error notification display 215 instead of the error message.

  Reference numeral 217 in FIG. 2A indicates a reading slit for guiding the position of the magnetic card to be read by the card reader included in the checkout management apparatus 120. The reading slit 217 guides the position of the magnetic card so that the magnetic card to be read passes through the reading unit of the card reader. The cancel button 211 is operated when canceling the operation on the settlement management apparatus 120. When the cancel button 211 is operated, the payment management apparatus 120 returns the cash deposited from the cash return port 216. The return of the deposited cash is not limited to the cash return slot 216, and banknotes may be returned from the banknote slot 213.

  Reference numeral 221 in FIG. 2B indicates a connection terminal (connector) that connects the main body 121 of the checkout management apparatus 120 and the display 122. The connection terminal 221 may be fixed to the display 122 side and connected to the main body 121 of the checkout management apparatus 120 when used. A handle 222 is provided on the side surface of the main body 121 of the payment management apparatus 120. The handle 222 is provided on both sides of the main body 121 of the payment management apparatus 120. As a result, the main body 121 of the payment management apparatus 120 can be easily held, so that the burden on the customer when the main body 121 of the payment management apparatus 120 is moved from the shopping cart 150 to the payment apparatus 130 can be reduced.

  A reference numeral 231 in FIG. 2-3 indicates a joint portion that is provided on the back surface of the main body 121 of the payment management apparatus 120 and attaches the main body 121 of the payment management apparatus 120 to the shopping cart 150. In this embodiment, for example, the main body 121 of the payment management apparatus 120 can be attached to the shopping cart 150 by hooking the joint portion 231 to the handle portion of the shopping cart 150.

  By attaching the main body 121 of the payment management apparatus 120 to the shopping cart 150, it is possible to reduce the burden on the customer related to the movement of the payment management apparatus 120. Although not shown, a cash outlet is provided on the bottom surface of the main body 121 of the payment management apparatus 120. The cash discharge port is connected to a cash collection port included in the POS cash register integrated type or single payment device 130 and pays out the cash deposited to the payment device 130.

(Usage example of the settlement management device 120)
Next, a usage example of the payment management apparatus 120 will be described. FIG. 3A, FIG. 3B, and FIG. 3C are explanatory diagrams illustrating usage examples of the payment management apparatus 120. FIG. 3A shows a state where a product is selected in the sales floor. 3-2 shows a state at the time of settlement in the manned POS register 131, and FIG. 3-3 shows a state at the time of settlement in the unmanned settlement apparatus 130.

  In FIG. 3A, when selecting a product in the sales floor, the checkout management device 120 is attached to the shopping cart 150 to which the display 122 is attached. Specifically, the joint portion 231 is hooked on the shopping cart 150 to attach the main body 121 of the checkout management device 120 to the shopping cart 150 and the display 122 and the checkout management device 120 are connected via the connection terminal 221. . Next, the power button 210 is operated to turn on the power and deposit the money. Thereafter, the product to be purchased (purchased product) is put into the shopping cart 150 in the same manner as in normal shopping.

  3-2 and FIG. 3C, at the time of payment, the main body 121 of the payment management apparatus 120 is removed from the shopping cart 150, and the payment management is performed at a predetermined installation location provided in the POS cash register integrated type or single payment apparatus 130. The apparatus 120 is set, and the checkout button 212 is operated in this state. The settlement button 212 may be operated before setting the settlement management apparatus 120 at a predetermined installation location. The settlement management device 120 starts the sales registration process when the settlement button 212 is operated. Next, a predetermined operation is performed in the POS register integrated type or single settlement apparatus 130, and information on sales registration processing performed in the settlement management apparatus 120 is collected on the POS register 131 or the settlement apparatus 130 side.

  When all the information of the sales registration process is collected in the POS register 131 or the settlement apparatus 130, the information on the settlement management apparatus 120 side related to the sales registration process is deleted. If customer information has been entered, the customer information is also deleted. Thereafter, in the case of the settlement at the manned POS register 131, that is, the settlement using the POS register-integrated settlement apparatus 130, change is given from the cashier. Further, in the case of the settlement in the unattended settlement apparatus 130, that is, the settlement using the single settlement apparatus 130, the change is paid out from the change return port 331, and the settlement is finished.

(Hardware configuration of computer device)
Next, the hardware configuration of the computer apparatus will be described. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the computer apparatus. The computer apparatus illustrated in FIG. 4 implements the system server 110.

  In FIG. 4, a computer apparatus includes a CPU 401, a ROM 402, a RAM 403, an HDD (hard disk drive) 404, an HD (hard disk) 405, an FDD (flexible disk drive) 406, and an example of a removable recording medium. FD (flexible disk) 407, display 408, K / B (keyboard) 409, mouse 410, scanner 411, wired communication I / F (interface) 412, and wireless communication I / F 413 Yes. Each component is connected by a bus 414.

  Here, the CPU 401 controls the entire computer apparatus. The ROM 402 stores programs such as a boot program. The RAM 403 is used as a work area for the CPU 401. The HDD 404 controls reading / writing of data with respect to the HD 405 according to the control of the CPU 401. The HD 405 stores data written under the control of the HDD 404, and stores, for example, a product master file and a sales file. The HD 405 stores the product master file and the sales file in a state where they can be updated or added.

  The FDD 406 controls reading / writing of data with respect to the FD 407 according to the control of the CPU 401. The FD 407 stores data written under the control of the FDD 406. In addition to the FD 407, the removable recording medium may be a CD-ROM (CD-RW), MO, DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), or the like. The display 408 displays a window (browser) relating to data such as a document, an image, and function information as well as a cursor, an icon, a tool box, and can be realized by a CRT, a TFT liquid crystal display, a plasma display, or the like.

  The K / B 409 includes keys for inputting characters, numerical values, various instructions, etc., and performs data input. The mouse 410 performs cursor movement, range selection, window movement, size change, and the like. A trackball, a joystick, or the like may be used instead of or in addition to the mouse 410 as long as it has a similar function as a pointing device. The scanner 411 optically reads an image. The wired communication I / F 412 communicates with the POS register 131, transmits information on the product master file to the POS register 131 at the time of activation, and acquires sales information from the POS register 131. Further, the wired communication I / F 412 may be connected to a network through a communication line such as a telephone line, and may be able to communicate with a payment terminal device of a credit card company via the network. The wireless communication I / F 413 performs wireless communication with the settlement management apparatus 120, accepts a request for transmission of product information from the settlement management apparatus 120, and sends a request for the commodity requested to the settlement management apparatus 120. Send product information and product information related to specials.

(Hardware configuration of checkout management device 120)
Next, the hardware configuration of the payment management apparatus 120 will be described. FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the payment management apparatus 120. In FIG. 5, the payment management apparatus 120 includes a CPU 501, a ROM 502, a RAM 503, a display 122, a touch panel 504, a wireless communication I / F 505, a connection terminal 221, a tag reader 506, and a connection unit 507. I have. Each component is connected by a bus 510.

  The CPU 501 controls the entire payment management apparatus 120 and executes various programs stored in the ROM 502 while using the RAM 503 as a work area. The tag reader 506 reads information including product identification information stored in the wireless tag 160 attached to the product, and outputs the read information to the CPU 501.

  The wireless tag 160 includes a memory 520, a logic circuit 521, an RF circuit 522, and an antenna 523. The memory 520 stores information related to products such as product identification information (JAN code). The RF circuit 522 is a circuit for performing wireless communication via the antenna 523, and the logic circuit 521 connects the memory 520 and the RF circuit 522. As the wireless tag 160, it is preferable to use a passive type that does not have a battery, for example, and generates electricity with radio waves received from a wireless tag 160 reader provided in the checkout management apparatus 120. In addition, since the wireless tag 160 can ensure a long communication distance, it is preferable to use the UHF band as a communication frequency band, and thereby, the product identification information of a plurality of products placed in the shopping cart 150 can be read collectively. .

  The wireless communication I / F 505 communicates with the system server 110 based on the information read by the tag reader 506, and from the wireless tag 160 attached to the product (purchased product) put in the shopping cart 150, the tag reader Product information (product name, sales price, etc.) associated with the product identification information read in 506 is acquired.

  The display 122 displays the product name, sales price, etc. of the purchased product based on the information read by the tag reader 506 or the information acquired via the wireless communication I / F 505. Specifically, the display 122 can be realized by, for example, a TFT liquid crystal display. The touch panel 504 is stacked on the display and outputs a coordinate signal corresponding to the operated position. The CPU 501 switches display contents based on, for example, display contents on the display 122 and coordinate positions operated on the touch panel 504 (see FIGS. 11 to 15).

  The connection unit 507 is connected to a POS register integrated type or a connection unit (see 604 in FIG. 6) provided in the single payment apparatus 130 when the payment management apparatus 120 is set in the payment apparatus 130, and the POS cash register integrated type. Alternatively, communication with the single settlement apparatus 130 is enabled. When the payment management apparatus 120 is set in the POS cash register integrated type or single payment apparatus 130, the CPU 501 outputs purchased product information to the POS cash register integrated type or single payment apparatus 130 via the connection unit 507.

(Hardware configuration of single settlement apparatus 130)
Next, the hardware configuration of the single settlement apparatus 130 will be described. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a single settlement apparatus 130. In FIG. 6, a single settlement apparatus 130 includes a CPU 601, a ROM 602, a RAM 603, a connection unit 604, a motor 605, a denomination determination sensor 606, a communication I / F 607, and a printer 608. . Each component is connected by a bus 610.

  The CPU 601 controls the entire payment apparatus 130 and executes various programs stored in the ROM 602 while using the RAM 603 as a work area. The connection unit 604 is connected to a connection unit 507 included in the payment management apparatus 120 when the payment management apparatus 120 is set in the payment apparatus 130, and enables communication with the payment apparatus 130. When the payment management apparatus 120 is set in the payment apparatus 130, the CPU 601 acquires purchased product information from the payment management apparatus 120 via the connection unit 604.

  The motor 605 is driven when the settlement management device 120 is set in the settlement device 130 and the cash outlet provided in the settlement management device 120 is connected to the cash collection port, and collects the cash stored in the settlement management device 120. Transport to a predetermined cash storage. The denomination determination sensor 606 is provided between the cash collection port and the cash storage unit, and determines the denomination of the cash conveyed from the cash collection port to the cash storage unit. Thereby, the amount of cash collected by the payment apparatus 130 can be detected.

  When the settlement management apparatus 120 is set in the settlement apparatus 130, the CPU 601 registers sales based on the purchased merchandise information acquired through the connection unit 604 and the cash amount collected from the cash collection port and detected by the denomination determination sensor 606. Perform processing. The communication I / F 607 communicates with the system server 110 and transmits the result of sales registration processing to the system server 110. Thereby, in the system server 110, the result of the sales registration process performed in the settlement apparatus 130 is registered in the sales file. The printer 608 issues a receipt on which the result of the sales registration process is printed. The printer 608 for issuing a receipt can be easily realized by using a known technique, and thus description thereof is omitted.

(Hardware configuration of POS cash register integrated settlement device 130)
Next, the hardware configuration of the POS cash register integrated settlement apparatus 130 will be described. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the POS cash register integrated settlement apparatus 130. In FIG. 7, a POS cash register integrated payment apparatus 130 includes a CPU 701, a ROM 702, a RAM 703, an HDD 704, an HD 705, a K / B 706, a control key 707, a communication I / F 708, a display 709, and a touch panel. 710, a barcode scanner 711, a printer 712, a speaker 713, a drawer 714, a card reader 715, and a connection unit 716. Each component is connected by a bus 720.

  The CPU 701 controls the entire POS register 131 and executes various programs stored in the ROM 702 while using the RAM 703 as a work area. In the RAM 703, information on the product master file acquired from the system server 110 when the POS register 131 is activated is expanded. Thus, the sales transaction can be performed without referring to the product master file for each sales transaction. The HD 705 stores data written under the control of the HDD 704, for example, sales information (for its own device) for each POS register 131, electronic journal data, and the like. In addition to the HD 705, a recording control device that controls reading / writing of data with respect to a removable recording medium may be provided. Specifically, for example, a recording control apparatus using a detachable recording medium such as FD, CD-ROM (CD-RW), MO, DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) can be used.

  The display 709 displays purchased product names, selling prices, and the like, and can be realized by, for example, a TFT liquid crystal display. The touch panel 710 is stacked on the display 709 and outputs a coordinate signal corresponding to the operated position. For example, when the touch panel 710 is operated when a product name or the like is displayed on the display 709, the operated product is input as a product to be purchased based on the display content on the display 709 and the operated coordinate position. Can do. The barcode scanner 711 optically reads a barcode attached to a product. The barcode scanner 711 includes a light source that emits laser light, a polygon mirror that scans the emitted laser light, a light receiving element that receives reflected light from a barcode, and the like.

  K / B 706 includes a numeric keypad that is operated when manually inputting a JAN code attached to a product, a sales amount, etc., a drawer release key for instructing opening of a drawer 714, a subtotal key for calculating a subtotal amount, a customer There are various operation keys such as a deposit / cash key operated when depositing into the cash drawer 714 by hand. The control key 707 can be operated by a key (not shown) when it is inserted, and sets various operation modes such as a transaction mode set at the time of transaction and a settlement mode set at the time of daily sales aggregation. To do.

  The communication I / F 708 communicates with the system server 110, reads a product master file from the system server 110, and transmits sales transaction information (sales information) to the system server 110. The communication I / F 708 communicates with the system server 110 at the time of credit card settlement, and performs authentication with the credit card company via the system server 110. The printer 712 issues a receipt based on the latest transaction information when the deposit / cash key is operated.

  The speaker 713 outputs a sound of “beep” when a product is scanned and a notification sound when an abnormality such as an error occurs. The drawer 714 stores money used for sales transactions and is usually locked. The drawer 714 unlocks in conjunction with the POS register 131 when the deposit / cash total key is operated in the POS register 131. The card reader 715 reads data recorded on the credit card in the settlement using the credit card. The credit card may be a type with an IC chip or a type with a magnetic tape.

(Functional configuration of the settlement management device 120)
Next, a functional configuration of the payment management apparatus 120 will be described. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the settlement management apparatus 120. In FIG. 8, the payment management apparatus 120 includes a storage unit 801, a possession information input unit 802, a purchased product information input unit 803, a price information acquisition unit 804, a balance information calculation unit 805, and a coin quantity information acquisition unit. 806, an additional amount calculation unit 807, an extraction unit 808, a display control unit 809, and a display unit 810.

  The storage unit 801 stores a purchase product database that stores product identification information and price information of products identified by each product identification information in association with each other. Specifically, the purchased product database can be realized by, for example, a product master file. In addition, the storage unit 801 stores a balance database (see FIG. 10) that stores the balance and information on the number of coins related to the number of coins of the balance. The balance is 500 yen coin, 100 yen coin, 50 yen coin, 10 yen coin, 5 yen coin and 1 yen to 999 yen constituted by a combination of 1 yen coin.

  FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a product master file. In FIG. 9, the product master file 900 stores product identification information for identifying products and sales price information in association with each other. The product identification information is information unique to each product. For example, in addition to using a JAN code, an arbitrary serial number designated by the store may be used. The sales price information may be a unit price of a product, or may be a price when a group purchase is made or a set purchase is made by combining specific products.

  FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a balance database. In FIG. 10, the balance database 1000 includes a 500 yen coin, a 100 yen coin, a 50 yen coin, a 10 yen coin, a 5 yen coin, and a 1 yen coin for each amount from 1 to 999 yen. Information showing the type and number of coins constituting the money amount is shown. The number of remaining coins in the balance database 1000 is one type of combination for the same amount. That is, the remaining amount of 200 yen is only a combination of two 100-yen coins, and does not include a combination of four 50-yen coins, two 50-yen coins and one 100-yen coin, 10-yen coins and 20 coins. In this embodiment, specifically, the storage unit 801 can be realized by an HDD, for example.

  The possession money information input unit 802 accepts input of possession money information related to the possession money. For example, when the cash deposited into the settlement management apparatus 120 by the customer is assumed to be the possession money, the possession information input unit 802 receives information that can specify the total amount of cash deposited into the settlement management apparatus 120 as the possession information. . The total amount of cash deposited in the settlement management device 120 is calculated using the output signal from the denomination sensor that changes according to the type of bills and coins inserted from the bill insertion slot 213 and the coin insertion slot 214. The CPU 501 executes the program stored in the RAM 503 while using the RAM 503 as a work area, and determines the type and quantity of bills and coins based on the output signal from the denomination discrimination sensor 606. In this case, specifically, the function as the possession information input unit 802 can be realized by the CPU 501, ROM 502, RAM 503, and denomination discrimination sensor 606.

  Further, for example, cash deposited by a customer into a dedicated deposit machine (see reference numeral 1702 in FIG. 17) may be used as possession. The dedicated deposit machine has a deposit insertion slot that accepts cash insertion, a sensor that changes according to the type of bills and coins inserted from the deposit insertion slot, and the total amount of cash deposited in the dedicated deposit machine. And an output unit that outputs information on money as possession information.

  The output unit outputs possession information by issuing a recording medium such as a magnetic card in which information relating to the total amount of cash deposited in the dedicated deposit machine is recorded as possession information. In this case, the possession information may be received by reading the possession information recorded on a recording medium such as a magnetic card, and the possession information input unit 802 is realized by a card reader that reads information stored in the magnetic card. be able to. Since the card reader can be easily realized by using a known technique, the description thereof is omitted.

  The purchased product information input unit 803 receives input of purchased product information related to the purchased product. Specifically, the purchased product information can be input by reading information stored in the wireless tag 160 attached to the product, for example. In this case, the purchased product information input unit 803 can be realized by a non-contact type tag reader 506 that communicates with the wireless tag 160 and reads information stored in the wireless tag 160.

  The price information acquisition unit 804 acquires price information of the purchased product corresponding to the purchased product information input by the purchased product information input unit 803 from the purchased product database (product master file 900). Specifically, for example, a program stored in the ROM 502 is executed by the CPU 501 while using the RAM 503 as a work area, product identification information is specified based on information read from the wireless tag 160 by the tag reader 506, and the specified product identification information is specified. The price information associated with is acquired from the product master file 900. In this embodiment, specifically, the function as the price information acquisition unit 804 can be realized by the CPU 501, the ROM 502, and the RAM 503, for example.

  The balance information calculation unit 805 calculates balance information based on the money information input by the money information input unit 802 and the price information acquired by the price information acquisition unit 804. Specifically, the CPU 501 executes a program stored in the ROM 502 while using the RAM 503 as a work area, and calculates the balance by subtracting the total amount of the acquired price information from the possession amount specified by the possession amount information. Then, information that can identify the calculated balance is generated. In this embodiment, the function as the balance information calculation unit 805 can be realized by the CPU 501, the ROM 502, and the RAM 503.

  As described above, the purchased product is not limited to the product placed in the shopping cart 150, and may be a product recommended for purchase. As a result, not only the total amount of the products already in the shopping cart 150 but also the shopping cart 150 may be purchased. In addition to the current total amount, including what is not included, it is possible to determine what can be bought to achieve the desired result.

  The coin number information acquisition unit 806 acquires from the balance database 1000 coin number information corresponding to the balance information calculated by the balance information calculation unit 805. Specifically, a combination pattern of coins to be calculated balance is extracted from the balance database 1000, and the number of coins forming this combination is counted. For example, if the balance is 892 yen, the combination pattern of coins consists of one 500-yen coin, three 100-yen coins, one 50-yen coin, four 10-yen coins, and two 1-yen coins. The stored program is executed by the CPU 501 while using the RAM 503 as a work area, and information capable of specifying the number of coins = 1 + 3 + 1 + 4 + 2 = 11 is generated as the number of coins information.

  The additional amount calculation unit 807 calculates an amount (hereinafter “optimum remaining amount”) in which the number of coins is a predetermined number or less. Then, in order to obtain the calculated optimal remaining amount, an amount for purchase in addition to the current purchase amount (hereinafter referred to as “additional amount”) is calculated. The predetermined number can be a number that is less than the current number of coins. The predetermined number can be a predetermined number. For example, when the predetermined number is 0 (zero), an additional amount is calculated such that the amount to be paid out with coins, that is, the optimal remaining amount is 0 (zero) yen among the remaining amount. Specifically, for example, when the current balance is 999 yen, the additional amount is calculated as 999 yen.

  Further, for example, when the predetermined number is one, an optimal remaining amount is calculated such that the amount to be paid out with coins out of the remaining amount becomes one coin. Specifically, for example, when the current remaining amount is 999 yen and 500 yen that is one 500 yen coin is calculated as the optimal remaining amount, the additional amount is calculated as 499 yen. As a result, the balance to be paid back to the customer as change can be made into one 500 yen coin. Specifically, for example, when 100 yen, which is one 100 yen coin, is calculated as the optimal remaining amount, the additional amount is calculated as 899 yen. As a result, the balance to be paid back to the customer as change can be made into one 100-yen coin. When the predetermined number is two, the optimal remaining amount and the additional amount can be calculated in the same manner even when the number is three.

  The optimum remaining amount is basically calculated on the premise that “the number of coins to be paid back is reduced”. This can be expected to make the wallet thinner. According to this premise, the priority order for calculating the optimal remaining amount and the additional amount depends only on the number of coins, and is 0> 1> 2 ... and the maximum number is 15 (999 yen) ) For example, if the balance is 892 yen (11 coins) and the predetermined number is set to 5, the optimum balance is 450 yen (4 100 yen coins + 1 50 yen coin = 5 coins) Therefore, the additional amount is calculated as 442 yen. In this embodiment, the optimal remaining amount and the additional amount can be calculated by executing the program stored in the ROM 502 by the CPU 501 while using the RAM 503 as a work area. Therefore, in this embodiment, the function as the additional amount calculation unit 808 can be realized by the CPU 501, the ROM 502, and the RAM 503.

  Further, the additional amount calculation unit 807 may calculate the optimal remaining amount and the additional amount so that the minimum unit of coins constituting the remaining amount becomes a predetermined coin. The minimum unit of coins constituting the balance may be determined in advance as an initial set value, or may be set to an arbitrary unit by a customer operation. Specifically, for example, when the calculated balance is 892 yen and the minimum unit of coins included in the change is set to 100 yen, 92 yen, 192 yen,..., 892 yen, etc. In addition, the optimal remaining amount and the additional amount are calculated so that the minimum unit of the remaining amount is 100 yen. More specifically, for example, when the calculated balance is 892 yen and the minimum unit of coins included in the change is set to 50 yen, 42 yen, 92 yen, 142 yen, 192 yen,. Calculate the optimal remaining amount and additional amount such that the minimum unit of the remaining amount is 50 yen, such as 892 yen.

  The extraction unit 808 extracts a product that matches the amount calculated by the additional amount calculation unit 807 from the purchase product database. That is, the extraction unit 808 extracts, from the purchased product database, a product that matches the amount of coins that is equal to or less than the predetermined number. The number of products to be extracted is not limited to one and may be plural. Specifically, for example, in the above example, when the additional amount is 442 yen, a product of 198 yen and a product of 244 yen may be extracted so that the total is 442 yen. Further, it may be a product to which a discount is applied when a predetermined condition is satisfied, such as bulk buying. Specifically, for example, in the above example, if the additional amount is 442 yen, the price is set to be 442 yen with about 1 discount when purchasing three 164 yen items. If there is, it may be extracted by specifying the number of products as a bulk purchase product.

  The priority order when extracting the products may be arbitrary depending on the setting on the store side. Specifically, if there is a product that you want to sell preferentially for the reason of the store, for example, you have stock, you can flexibly set the priority so that the stock product is extracted preferentially Good.

  When there are a plurality of products that meet the conditions at the time of product extraction, customer information may be used to acquire predetermined information, and a priority order for extracting products may be determined based on the acquired information. The customer information can be information that can identify an individual customer. Specifically, for example, various card numbers such as a credit card or a card that also serves as a ticket when using a transportation system, a membership number of a point system operated by a store, a customer's telephone number, or a customer's biometric authentication (fingerprint / voiceprint / Information such as veins and irises may be used. The information acquired using the customer information is, for example, the purchase history of the customer. It is also possible to acquire personal attribute information such as age, gender, hobby, and occupation. However, personal attribute information can be acquired only in specific cases such as when a member is registered in the point card system. Further, customer information may be used to acquire information that can identify or estimate the health status of the customer. In this case, specifically, necessary information may be acquired from a medical institution in cooperation with the medical institution.

  Moreover, you may determine the priority at the time of extracting goods, without specifying a user. For example, products can be extracted according to customer behavior patterns in the store. Specifically, if the customer has a behavior pattern that sequentially passes through all the passages in the store, the products displayed in the passages closest to the customer among the next passages may be extracted in order. Alternatively, a customer who gives priority to an event place (demonstration, tasting, etc.) can preferentially display products displayed near the event place. In this case, in the initial state, products displayed at a sales floor near the current location may be extracted. Moreover, you may determine the priority at the time of extracting goods based on a customer's purchasing condition. Specifically, for example, when pasta (dried noodles) is bought, a pasta sauce may be extracted. In addition, the products to be extracted using the customer information may be prioritized for each extracted product. The extraction of products using customer information can be broadly classified into the following methods (1) to (8).

  (1) Business rule method: In this method, a rule for associating related products for each product and extracting them in advance is determined, and the corresponding product is extracted according to the determined rules. According to this method, for example, when there is no curry in the shopping cart 150 of a customer who has put potato carrots, carrots, onions and meat in the shopping cart 150, “carreru” is extracted or shampoo is added to the shopping cart. In the case of a customer in 150, it is possible to extract a product such as extracting a conditioner.

  (2) Commodity-based filtering method: This method is a method for analyzing the purchaser's preferences based on the products currently in the shopping cart 150 and extracting the products. Specifically, for example, if the product currently in the shopping cart 150 tends to be biased toward meat such as beef, pork, chicken, etc., it is analyzed that it is a customer who likes “meat” and similar products (Meat) can be extracted.

  (3) Collaborative filtering method: Based on statistics of purchase histories of a plurality of past customers, a method of extracting a product B that is highly likely to be purchased by a customer who has purchased a product A. Specifically, for example, when a customer who has purchased yogurt has a high tendency to purchase honey together, honey or yogurt can be extracted if the customer's shopping cart 150 contains yogurt or honey.

  (4) Data mining method: A method for extracting products according to an analysis using statistics. Specifically, for example, in the case of following the analysis result that “a person who purchases a paper diaper tends to purchase beer” as a statistical result with a high degree of popularity, when a customer puts a paper diaper in the shopping cart 150 Can extract beer.

  (5) Selection method by customer attributes: “40s, men, family of five”, “20s, women, students, hobbies: making sweets”, etc. To extract products. This selection method is limited to the case where the customer's attributes are determined in advance, for example, when the customer registers as a member in a point card system.

  (6) Distance calculation method: Based on the distance from the customer's current location to the display position of the product in the store, the product is extracted such that the closer the distance, the higher the priority.

  (7) Manual work method: A method for extracting products in accordance with priorities appropriately set according to indefinite conditions such as convenience on the store side. Specifically, for example, in a store having a situation such as “I want to sell immediately because I have inventory,” products that I want to sell immediately are preferentially extracted. Specifically, according to this method, for example, according to external factors such as seasons and trends, priority is given to products that are likely to be purchased with a high degree of customer interest at that time. be able to.

  (8) Social filtering method: A method in which the customer attribute selection method of (5) above is applied to an SNS (Social Networking Service) community. Based on the idea that people who belong to the same community will also have similar preferences, based on the purchase history of another customer who belongs to the same community as the specific community that the customer registered in advance, It is possible to extract products that can be recommended by people who belong to the same community. Customers who can use this method need to register information in advance as in (5).

  In this embodiment, by executing the program stored in the ROM 502 by the CPU 501 while using the RAM 503 as a work area, a product that matches the amount calculated by the additional amount calculation unit 807 can be extracted. Therefore, in this embodiment, the function as the extraction unit 808 can be realized by the CPU 501, the ROM 502, and the RAM 503.

  The display control unit 809 controls the display unit 810 to display information regarding the amount of money that the coin number related to the coin number information acquired by the coin number information acquisition unit 806 is equal to or less than a predetermined number on the display screen of the display unit 810. To do. For example, if the balance is 892 yen (11 coins) and the predetermined number is set to 5, specifically, the CPU 501 executes a program stored in the ROM 502 by using the RAM 503 as a work area, By controlling the display unit 810, the display screen of the display unit 810 will change to “450 yen for a total purchase of 442 yen products” or “¥ 900 for a change of 92 yen purchase. Message is displayed. In this embodiment, specifically, the function as the display control unit 809 can be realized by the CPU 501, the ROM 502, and the RAM 503, for example. In this embodiment, specifically, the function as the display unit 810 can be realized by the display 122, for example.

(Display screen example of the settlement management device 120)
Next, an example of a display screen of the payment management apparatus 120 will be described. FIGS. 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 are explanatory diagrams illustrating display screen examples of the checkout management apparatus 120. The display screen examples shown in FIGS. 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 are appropriately displayed on the display 122 included in the payment management apparatus 120 by the function of the display control unit 809.

  On the display 122 provided in the checkout management apparatus 120, a plurality of display screens divided for each tab can be appropriately switched and displayed by a customer operation. Specifically, the display 122 includes, for example, a “customer information” screen (see FIG. 11), a “today's recommendation” screen (see FIG. 12), a “cart reference” screen (see FIG. 13), “in-store” Six types of display screens can be selectively displayed: a “map” screen (see FIG. 14), a “settlement” screen (see FIG. 15), and a “memo” screen.

  The “customer information” screen 1100 displays a name, points, the number of visits to the store, and other information. The name is customer identification information designated by the customer, and can be the name or nickname of the customer. The point indicates the current number of points held by the customer identified by the name. The number of points may be, for example, the number of points related to product purchases within a predetermined period, or may be the number of points related to all products purchased so far. The number of visits to the store can be represented in a pseudo manner by, for example, the number of payments made by the customer identified by the above name. As other information, for example, customer preference (high frequency of vegetable purchases, likes new products, etc.) can be displayed.

  The “today's recommendation” screen 1200 displays information related to special sales items on the customer's visit date (hereinafter referred to as “today”). The information relating to the special sale item includes the name and sale price of the sale item. In addition, the “today's recommendation” screen 1200 displays a product that is proposed for purchase in order to optimize the balance, and the balance when the product is purchased. Products for which purchase is proposed in order to optimize the balance (hereinafter referred to as “purchase recommended products”) can be extracted according to the above-described methods (1) to (8).

  The “cart reference” screen 1300 displays information related to the customer's past purchase history. The “cart reference” screen 1300 is provided with a date input field so that a past purchase history can be specified and referred to. The customer can refer to the purchase history of the desired date by operating the touch panel 504 and inputting the date in the date input field. If there is no purchase history of the corresponding customer on the input date, a message such as “No use on the specified date” may be displayed. The “cart reference” screen 1300 may be displayed when customer information is input, and the “cart reference” screen 1300 may not be displayed when customer information is not input.

  The “in-store map” screen 1400 displays information indicating the current position of the customer in the sales floor and the display position of the specific product, for example, when the customer wants to search for the specific product. The “cart reference” screen 1300 is provided with a product input field for inputting information related to a product desired by the customer. The customer can grasp the display position of the desired product by operating the touch panel 504 and inputting the desired product name or genre in the product input field. The “in-store map” screen 1400 may display a three-dimensional image of a route passing from the current position to the display position in addition to the route to the display position of the product desired by the customer. This makes it possible to easily find a target product even in a store that a customer uses for the first time.

  The “settlement” screen 1500 is displayed when declaring that settlement is to be performed based on the input money information and the product identification information of the product currently in the shopping cart 150. On the “Checkout” screen 1500, an operation key for declaring that payment is to be made based on the input possession information and the product identification information of the product currently in the shopping cart 150, and the balance after the balance is optimized And an operation key for declaring that the operation is to be performed. In addition, the “settlement” screen 1500 displays information on products recommended for purchase in order to optimize the balance.

  When the customer does not know the display location of the product recommended for purchase in order to optimize the balance, the customer can add the desired product without hesitation by displaying the “in-store map” screen 1400. Can be optimized. Although not shown, the “memo” screen temporarily displays arbitrary information input by the customer, such as the name of a product scheduled for purchase. The customer inputs, for example, a product name conceived during shopping by operating the touch panel 504. Information input during the display of the “memo” screen is deleted by setting the settlement management apparatus 120 at a predetermined position of the settlement apparatus 130.

  On the display 122, the money held, the current total purchase amount, and the balance (fishing) are displayed even when the display screen is switched to any of the above six types. As a result, the customer can immediately grasp the possession amount, the current total purchase amount, and the balance when switching to any display screen. The money held, the current total purchase amount, and the balance can be hidden by operating the “Hide” key displayed at the lower right of the display screen.

(Processing procedure of the settlement management device 120, part 1)
Next, the processing procedure of the payment management apparatus 120 will be described. FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the payment management apparatus 120. In the flowchart shown in FIG. 16, first, it waits until there is input of possession information (step S1601: No). If there is input of possession information (step S1601: Yes), it is determined whether or not purchase product information is input (step S1602). If there is an input of purchased product information (step S1602: Yes), the balance is calculated based on the possession information and the purchased product information (step S1603).

  In step S1603, based on the product identification information stored in the wireless tag 160 attached to the product, purchase product information is acquired by communicating with the system server 110, and the acquired purchase product information is used. The remaining balance can be calculated. In step S1603, if the wireless tag 160 includes the product name or sales price of the purchased product, communication with the system server 110 is not performed, and the balance is obtained using only the information acquired from the wireless tag 160. May be calculated.

  Then, based on the balance calculated in step S1603, the number of coins included in the balance is specified (step S1604), and the number information specifying the number of coins designated as the optimal balance is acquired (step S1604). S1605). In step S1604, the number of each coin is specified for each type of coin included in the balance. Then, the additional amount is calculated based on the number of coins specified in step S1604 and the number information acquired in step S1605 (step S1606).

  Next, a product (corresponding product) having an amount corresponding to the additional amount calculated in step S1606 is selected (step S1607), and the selected corresponding product information is displayed (step S1608). In step S1608, for example, on the “Recommend Today” screen 1200 or the “Checkout” screen 1500, the product name and sales price of the corresponding product are displayed. Further, in step S1608, depending on the display screen being displayed on the display 122, the corresponding product information may not be displayed, and may be displayed only while the display screen capable of displaying the corresponding product information is displayed.

  Then, it is determined whether or not there is a settlement instruction (step S1609). In step S1609, whether or not a predetermined key on the “checkout” screen 1500 has been operated, whether or not a “checkout” key provided on the main body 121 of the checkout management apparatus 120 has been operated, or the checkout management apparatus 120 It is determined whether there is a payment instruction by determining whether the payment instruction information is input from the POS register connected to the main body 121. Then, when a predetermined key on the “Settlement” screen 1500 is operated, when a “Settlement” key provided on the main body 121 of the settlement management apparatus 120 is operated, or settlement instruction information is input from the POS register. When it is determined that any of the cases has occurred, it is determined that there is a settlement instruction.

  In step S1609, if there is no settlement instruction (step S1609: No), the process returns to step S1602, and it is determined whether or not the next purchased product information has been input due to the next product being put in the shopping cart 150. On the other hand, if there is a settlement instruction (step S1609: Yes), it is determined whether or not it is set at a predetermined position (step S1610). In step S1610, the main unit 121 of the settlement management apparatus 120 is set at a predetermined position of the settlement apparatus 130 or the POS register, so that the connection unit provided in the settlement apparatus 130 or the POS register and the settlement management apparatus 120 are connected. It is determined whether or not it is set at a predetermined position by determining whether or not it is connected to the unit.

  In step S1610, it waits until the settlement management device 120 is set at a predetermined position (step S1610: No), and when the settlement management device 120 is set at a predetermined position (step S1610: Yes), the connection is established. The deposit information and the purchased merchandise information are output to the settlement apparatus 130 or the POS cash register connected via the department (step S1611), and the series of processing ends. Although not shown, the settlement apparatus 130 or the POS register that has acquired the possession money information and the purchased product information output from the settlement management apparatus 120 in step S1611 performs the settlement process using the acquired information. The checkout process includes, for example, a process for registering purchased merchandise information in a sales file, a change payout process, and the like.

  In step S1602, when there is no purchase merchandise information input (step S1602: No), it is determined whether or not the cancel button 211 provided on the main body 121 of the checkout management apparatus 120 has been operated (step S1612). When the cancel button 211 is not operated (step S1612: No), the process proceeds to step S1609, and it is determined whether or not there is a settlement instruction. If there is an operation on the cancel button 211 (step S1612: Yes), a series of processing ends. Although illustration is omitted, when the cancel button 211 is operated, the deposited cash is paid out or the card on which the money is recorded is discharged.

  Next, the arrangement in the sales floor in the store to which the shopping system of this embodiment is applied will be described. FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram showing the arrangement in the sales floor in a store to which the shopping system of this embodiment is applied. 17, in the shopping system of this embodiment, a collection place for the shopping cart 150 is provided in the vicinity of the entrance 1701 to the sales floor.

  A dedicated depositing machine 1702 is disposed in the vicinity of the collection place of the shopping cart 150. The dedicated depositing machine 1702 is preferably installed in the vicinity of the collection place of the shopping cart 150, from the collection place of the shopping cart 150 to the display shelf of the product, or in the vicinity of the entrance 1701 to the sales floor. . As a result, the customer who entered the store deposits directly into the shopping cart 150 without going through a complicated route, or proceeds with the depositing operation with a dedicated depositing machine and then pushes the shopping cart 150 toward the product display shelf. In a store where a shopping system is introduced, it is possible to lightly suppress the burden on the customer from entering the store until actually starting to select a product.

  In the shopping system, input of customer information may be requested at the time of payment to the payment management apparatus 120 or input of possession money information. The customer information is input by, for example, inserting a dedicated card in which the customer information is recorded into the checkout management apparatus 120 or inputting a password to the checkout management apparatus 120. The customer information may be recorded on the dedicated card in accordance with the depositing operation in the dedicated deposit machine. As a result, the customer can input the possession money information and the customer information only by causing the payment management apparatus 120 to read the dedicated card once. It is not necessary to input customer information, and even if it is performed, the input is not mandatory.

  Moreover, it is good also as an operation form in which a customer always carries a dedicated card. This eliminates the need for the customer to input customer information for each purchase, and the customer can use the shopping system of this embodiment simply by inputting the money on the day of the store visit. As a result, in the chain stores where the shopping system of this embodiment is introduced, the target product can be found without hesitation at any store, and the proposal of the optimum balance can be received.

  In the shopping system of this embodiment, one dedicated card may be read by a plurality of shopping carts. For example, when the same card is read by two shopping carts, the sum of all the purchased products put in the two shopping carts may be handled as a purchased product. Alternatively, when one dedicated card is read by a plurality of shopping carts, an error may be generated.

  As shown in FIG. 17, by providing a dedicated depositing machine 1702, the initial capital investment can be suppressed lower than the case where a mechanism for accepting insertion of cash is provided in each shopping cart 150. it can. Further, by specifying the customer in the dedicated deposit machine 1702, the settlement management apparatus 120 may read the dedicated card with the customer identified, and the settlement management apparatus 120 has a function for identifying the customer. It does not have to be.

  As a result, it is possible to reduce the processing load on the settlement management apparatus 120. Furthermore, by providing a dedicated depositing machine 1702, cash is not directly deposited into the settlement management apparatus 120, so that the movement is easier than when cash is deposited directly into the settlement management apparatus 120. Moreover, since no cash is contained, troubles such as theft can be prevented.

  In the shopping system, the POS cash register integrated type or single payment device 130 may be arranged at the same position as the POS cash register 131. Accordingly, the customer may use the POS cash register integrated type or a single settlement apparatus 130 according to the congestion status of the POS cash register 131. Further, the POS cash register integrated type or single settlement apparatus 130 may be selectively used as appropriate in accordance with the congestion status of the POS cash register integrated type or single settlement apparatus 130. By arranging in this way, a plurality of types of settlement can be selected immediately before settlement.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, the account management device 120 accepts input of possession money information relating to the possession money, and the customer inputs the purchase merchandise information related to the purchase merchandise by putting the merchandise in the shopping cart 150. The price information of the purchased product corresponding to the received and entered purchased product information is acquired from the product master file 900, and the balance information is calculated based on the acquired price information and the input money information. Since the information on the number of coins corresponding to the balance information is acquired from the balance database 1000 and information on the amount of coins related to the acquired number of coins information is equal to or less than a predetermined number is displayed on the display 122, The customer's money without having to make complicated calculations or find coins May provide information for optimizing the response was exact change amount. And thereby, a customer's shopping can be supported so that the coin contained in change may be below a predetermined number.

  Thereby, the troublesomeness regarding the delivery of coins at the time of settlement can be eliminated. In addition, this makes it possible for the store providing the product to shorten the customer service time at the time of payment, thereby eliminating the queue of customers waiting for payment without increasing personnel such as checkers.

  In addition, according to this embodiment, since a product that matches the amount of coins whose coin number is equal to or less than a predetermined number is extracted from the product master file 900, information about the extracted product is displayed. On the other hand, the troublesomeness related to the delivery of coins at the time of settlement can be eliminated without giving the troublesomeness of searching for a product suitable for change optimization. This also frees the customer from the hassle of examining additional products to purchase and optimizing the change, and confirming the amount of the reviewed products. By simply determining whether it is necessary, the optimized change can be received at the time of settlement.

  Further, according to this embodiment, the settlement management device 120 stores the money inserted through the money insertion slot such as the bill insertion slot 213 and the coin change slot 214 into which the money is inserted and the money inserted through the money insertion slot. Information for optimizing the amount of change according to the actual possession because it is provided with a storage box member and the amount inserted into the deposit insertion port is input as possession information related to the possession Can be provided. Thereby, the troublesomeness related to the delivery of coins at the time of settlement can be eliminated without giving a sense of resistance to customers who use the settlement with cash.

  Further, according to this embodiment, since the payment management apparatus 120 is detachably attached to the shopping cart 150, the customer who selects the product without feeling the burden of carrying the payment management apparatus 120. The information for optimizing the change can be always provided in accordance with the movement of the money, and at the time of payment, the burden of the transfer of coins at the time of payment is reduced simply by moving the payment management apparatus 120 to the payment apparatus 130, Optimized change can be received at checkout.

  Further, according to this embodiment, the settlement apparatus 130 includes a joint unit 231 for attaching / detaching the settlement management apparatus 120, a collection mechanism for collecting the money stored in the settlement management apparatus 120, and the settlement management apparatus 120. Since it has a withdrawal mechanism for withdrawing the balance for the calculated balance information, it is possible to receive an optimized change simply by attaching the settlement management device 120 to the settlement device 130 at the time of settlement. Can do. As a result, payment can be performed without scanning the product again at the time of payment, so the burden on the customer and the store at the time of payment can be reduced, and payment can be performed quickly.

  As described above, according to the settlement management apparatus, the settlement apparatus, the settlement management method, and the settlement management program according to this embodiment, it is possible to eliminate troublesomeness related to the delivery of coins during settlement.

  The payment management method described in this embodiment can be realized by executing a program prepared in advance on a computer such as a personal computer or a workstation. This program is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a hard disk, a flexible disk, a CD-ROM, an MO, and a DVD, and is executed by being read from the recording medium by the computer. The program may be a transmission medium that can be distributed via a network such as the Internet.

  As described above, the settlement management device, the settlement device, the settlement management method, and the settlement management program according to the present invention are useful for settlement using cash in retail stores such as supermarkets, and in particular, many products that generate fractions. It is suitable for supporting payment using cash in stores.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the shopping system of embodiment concerning this invention. It is explanatory drawing (the 1) which shows the structure of the main-body part of a payment management apparatus. It is explanatory drawing (the 2) which shows the structure of the main-body part of a payment management apparatus. It is explanatory drawing (the 3) which shows the structure of the main-body part of a payment management apparatus. It is explanatory drawing (the 1) which shows the usage example of a payment management apparatus. It is explanatory drawing (the 2) which shows the usage example of a payment management apparatus. It is explanatory drawing (the 3) which shows the usage example of a payment management apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of a computer apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of a payment management apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of a single adjustment apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the POS cash register integrated settlement apparatus hardware configuration. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of a payment management apparatus. It is explanatory drawing which shows a goods master file. It is explanatory drawing which shows a balance database. It is explanatory drawing (the 1) which shows the example of a display screen of a payment management apparatus. It is explanatory drawing (the 2) which shows the example of a display screen of a payment management apparatus. It is explanatory drawing (the 3) which shows the example of a display screen of a payment management apparatus. It is explanatory drawing (the 4) which shows the example of a display screen of a payment management apparatus. It is explanatory drawing (the 5) which shows the example of a display screen of a payment management apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of a payment management apparatus. It is explanatory drawing which shows the arrangement | positioning in a sales floor in the store to which the shopping system of this embodiment is applied.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 120 Settlement management apparatus 130 Settlement apparatus 801 Storage part 802 Owned money information input part 803 Purchased product information input part 804 Price information acquisition part 805 Balance information calculation part 806 Coin number information acquisition part 810 Display control part 807 Additional amount calculation part 809 Extraction part 811 Display section

Claims (7)

Possession information input means for accepting input of possession information related to possession;
Purchased product information input means for receiving input of purchased product information related to the purchased product,
Price information acquisition means for acquiring price information of a purchased product corresponding to the purchased product information input by the purchased product information input means from a purchased product database that stores the purchased product and price information of the purchased product in association with each other. ,
A balance information calculation means for calculating balance information based on the money information input by the money information input means and the price information acquired by the price information acquisition means;
A coin number information acquisition means for acquiring coin number information corresponding to the balance information calculated by the balance information calculation means from a balance database that stores the balance and coin number information relating to the number of coins of the balance;
Display control means for displaying on the display screen information relating to the amount of coins required for the coin quantity information acquired by the coin quantity information acquisition means to be a predetermined number or less;
A checkout management apparatus characterized by comprising: Extraction means for extracting a product that matches the amount of coins equal to or less than a predetermined number from the purchased product database;
2. The payment management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit displays information about the product extracted by the extraction unit together with the information about the amount of money or instead of the information about the amount of money. A money insertion slot for inserting a money,
A storage box member for storing the money inserted from the money insertion slot;
With
The payment management apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the possession money information input means inputs an amount of money inserted into the possession money insertion slot as possession money information relating to possession money.   The payment management apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the payment management apparatus is detachably attached to the shopping cart. An attachment / detachment mechanism for attaching / detaching the payment management apparatus according to claim 4;
A recovery mechanism for recovering the money stored in the storage box member;
A withdrawal mechanism for withdrawing the balance of the balance information calculated by the balance information calculation means;
A settlement apparatus characterized by comprising: A settlement management method executed by a settlement management apparatus comprising: possession information input means for accepting input of possession money information related to possession money; and purchase product information input means for accepting input of purchase product information related to a purchase product,
A price information acquisition step of acquiring price information of the purchased product corresponding to the purchased product information input by the purchased product information input means, from a purchased product database that stores the purchased product and the price information of the purchased product in association with each other; ,
A balance information calculation step of calculating balance information based on the money information input by the money information input means and the price information acquired by the price information acquisition step;
A coin number information acquisition step of acquiring coin number information corresponding to the balance information calculated by the balance information calculation step from a balance database that stores the balance and coin number information relating to the number of coins of the balance;
A display control step of displaying on the display screen information relating to the amount of coins required for the coin number information acquired by the coin number information acquiring step to be a predetermined number or less;
Checkout management method characterized by including A payment management program to be executed by a payment management apparatus comprising possession information input means for accepting input of possession money information relating to possession money and purchased product information input means for accepting input of purchased product information relating to purchased goods,
A price information acquisition step of acquiring price information of the purchased product corresponding to the purchased product information input by the purchased product information input means, from a purchased product database that stores the purchased product and the price information of the purchased product in association with each other; ,
A balance information calculation step of calculating balance information based on the money information input by the money information input means and the price information acquired by the price information acquisition step;
A coin number information acquisition step of acquiring coin number information corresponding to the balance information calculated by the balance information calculation step from a balance database that stores the balance and coin number information relating to the number of coins of the balance;
A display control step of displaying on the display screen information relating to the amount of coins required for the coin number information acquired by the coin number information acquiring step to be a predetermined number or less;
A settlement management program characterized by causing

Images