JP2010280468A - Article managing device, article conveying device, and system and method for processing article - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve accuracy of managing articles in a predetermined region (such as a basket of a cart). <P>SOLUTION: The article managing device manages articles in a predetermined region. The article managing device includes an imaging means for imaging articles within the region and articles outside the region and acquiring image data, an article image information holding means for holding article image information related to an image of each article, and an article managing means for managing the articles within the region using at least the image data acquired by the imaging means and the information held by the article image information holding means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an article management apparatus, an article transport apparatus, an article processing system, and a method, and can be used, for example, for a product checkout process in a store or the like.

  Conventionally, when self-checking at a store or the like, the amount of money is settled after checking the products one by one in a place where there is a self-checkable cash register. Since the purchaser is not accustomed to working by himself, there is a problem that the processing time for one person becomes long, and conversely the efficiency at the cash register deteriorates.

  In order to solve such a problem, there is a cart described in Patent Document 1 and a cart in a system described in Patent Document 2.

  In the carts described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, when a customer puts a product into the basket basket, the barcode reader mounted on the cart reads the barcode, and further, The fluctuation is detected by an electronic balance.

JP 2002-298216 A JP H07-73380 A

  However, in the carts described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the products in the cart cage are managed only by the information from the barcode read according to the customer's operation and the weight of the products. There is a problem that it is difficult to manage products having different individual weights, extremely light products such as paper, and different types of foods even with the same weight.

  Therefore, an article management apparatus, an article transport apparatus, an article processing system, and a method that can improve the accuracy of managing articles in a predetermined area (for example, in a basket in a cart) are desired.

  An article management apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention provides: (1) an article management apparatus that manages articles in a predetermined area; (2) photographs an article that enters and exits the area; (3) article image information holding means for holding article image information relating to an image for each article, (4) photographed image data acquired by at least the imaging means, and article image information holding means And article management means for managing articles in the area by using the information held in the area.

  An article transporting apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is an article transporting apparatus including: (1) an article storage unit that stores articles; and an article management device that manages articles in the article storage unit. The article management apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention is applied.

  The article processing system according to the third aspect of the present invention includes: (1) an article carrying device having an article containing portion for containing an article, and an article management device for managing an article in the article containing portion; An article processing system comprising an article processing apparatus having an article processing means for performing a predetermined process relating to the stored article when a list of articles is given. (2) The article management according to the first aspect of the present invention as the article management apparatus. The apparatus is applied.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an article handling method comprising: (1) an article carrying device having an article containing portion for containing an article; and an article management device for managing an article in the article containing portion; An article processing method in an article processing system including an article processing apparatus having an article processing means for performing a predetermined process related to the stored article when a list of articles is given, (2) photographing means, article image information holding means, (3) The photographing means photographs the article entering the area and the article exiting from the area to obtain photographed image data. (4) The article image information holding means is an article. (5) The article management means is based on at least photographic image data acquired by the photographic means and information held by the article image information holding means. There are, characterized by managing the articles of the region.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the precision which manages the articles | goods in a predetermined area | region (for example, the inside of a basket in a cart) can be improved.

It is the block diagram which showed the functional structure of the article | item management apparatus 40 mounted in the cart (article conveyance apparatus) which concerns on embodiment. It is explanatory drawing shown about the example of the goods settlement processing system (article processing system) which concerns on embodiment. It is explanatory drawing shown about the example of the content of the management goods list which concerns on embodiment. It is explanatory drawing shown about the example of the output content in the output part (display) which concerns on embodiment. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation when a product is added to a bag in the article management device according to the embodiment. It is explanatory drawing shown about a mode that goods are added to a bag in the article | item management apparatus which concerns on embodiment. In the article management device according to the embodiment, it is a flowchart explaining the operation when a product is taken out from the bag. In the article management device according to the embodiment, it is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the product is taken out from the bag. It is the flowchart explaining the operation | movement which concerns on the adjustment process performed between the adjustment gates in the article | item management apparatus which concerns on embodiment.

(A) Main Embodiment Hereinafter, an embodiment of an article management apparatus, an article transport apparatus, an article processing system, and a method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the article carrying device is a cart, and the article processing system and method are a merchandise settlement processing system and method.

(A-1) Configuration of Embodiment FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the commodity checkout processing system 1 of this embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the product checkout processing system 1 includes at least a cart 10 and a checkout gate 50. The cart 10 will be described as a cart (shopping cart) used by a customer to carry products to be purchased in a retail store such as a supermarket or a mass retailer.

  The settlement gate 50 is a device for the customer to settle the merchandise that has entered the cart 10.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of an article management apparatus 40 mounted on the cart 10 of this embodiment.

  As illustrated in FIG. 2, the cart 10 includes a basket 20 and a carriage 30, and further includes an article management device 40 illustrated in FIG. 1.

  The bag 20 and the cart 30 may be a bag or a cart in a shopping cart used in a retail store such as an existing supermarket or mass retailer.

  In FIG. 1, the bag 20 shows a state in which four products 100 (100-1 to 100-4) are already included, but the number of products 100 that can be stored in the bag 20 is not limited. is there.

  The article management device 40 performs management related to the products put into the bag 20, and includes a control unit 41, a communication unit 42, a camera 43, a weighing sensor 44, an image analysis unit 45, a product information DB 46, and an output unit 47. Have.

  The communication unit 42 has a function of communicating with an external device (for example, the adjustment gate 50) according to the control of the control unit 41. For communication between the communication unit 42 and the external device, wireless communication, near field communication using Bluetooth (registered trademark), IrDA (Infrared Data Association), or the like may be used, but the communication method is not limited. .

  The merchandise information DB 46 includes related information (hereinafter referred to as “identification information”, weight, price, name, etc.) for each merchandise 100 that may be managed (for example, merchandise 100 sold in a store that uses the cart 10). It is a registered database (referred to as “product related information”). In FIG. 1, the commodity information DB 46 is shown as being configured to be mounted inside the article management apparatus 40, but may be arranged as a database server outside the article management apparatus 40 and connected by communication. . In addition, it is assumed that information related to the appearance image of the product 100 (hereinafter referred to as “product image information”) is also registered in the product information DB 46 as product related information. Details of the product image information will be described later.

  The weighing sensor 44 measures the weight of the bag 20 (including the contained product 100) and notifies the control unit 41 of the measurement result. The weighing sensor 44 may measure the weight of the basket 20 at regular or irregular intervals and notify the measurement result to the control unit 41, or the weight of the basket 20 has changed more than a predetermined amount. Only in such a case, the weight of the bag 20 may be notified, and the notification timing is not limited. Note that the measurement result notified by the measurement sensor 44 to the control unit 41 may be a weight including the weight of the bag 20 or a weight obtained by subtracting the weight of the bag 20 in advance as described above. . Further, as the weighing sensor 44, an existing weighing sensor can be applied.

  In FIG. 2, the camera 43 is arranged so as to photograph the entrance portion of the bag 20 so that the product 100 entering and exiting the bag 20 can be photographed, and the photographed image is analyzed at regular or irregular intervals. Part 45 is given. An existing camera such as a CCD camera may be applied to the camera 43 itself. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the camera 43 is shown as one, but a plurality of cameras 43 may be arranged.

  The image analysis unit 45 provides an image obtained by bringing a medium on which identification information related to at least the product 100 such as a barcode (hereinafter referred to as “product identification information”) is displayed in the image provided from the camera 43. When it is received, the product identification information is read and notified to the control unit 41. Examples of the medium on which the product identification information is displayed include a medium such as a barcode or character information pasted on the product 100. In this embodiment, the medium on which the product identification information is displayed is a barcode. It is assumed that

  As a method of reading information on a medium such as a barcode attached to the product 100 in the image analysis unit 45, the same method as the image analysis in an existing barcode reader or OCR (Optical Character Reader) can be applied. .

  Further, when an image obtained by photographing the product 100 put in the bag 20 or the product 100 to be taken out is given from the camera 43, the image analysis unit 45 identifies the product 100 based on the shape and color. The control unit 41 is notified of the processing result.

  The image analysis unit 45 identifies the product 100 captured by the camera 43 by matching the image of the product 100 captured by the camera 43 with the product image information stored in the management product list 41a or the product information DB 46.

  The product image information registered in the managed product list 41a or the product information DB 46 includes, for example, images obtained by photographing the product 100 from various angles, and information obtained by processing the images (for example, feature quantities such as color and size). Is mentioned.

  Further, in the product information DB 46, for example, product image information may be stored so as to be classified and searched based on characteristics such as color and size of the product 100. Then, feature quantities such as color and size are extracted from the image of the product 100 photographed by the camera 43, product image information having features close to the features of the photographed image is extracted as a candidate, You may make it identify the goods 100 by matching a picked-up image. As described above, in the product information DB 46, the product image information is classified in advance based on the characteristics, whereby the search speed can be improved.

  In addition to the above example, an existing method or apparatus (for example, an article identification system described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-287753) is applied as an image analysis unit that identifies the product 100 in the image analysis unit 45. The specific means is not limited.

  In the article management apparatus 40, the reading of the barcode (identification information) of the product 100 and the photographing of the appearance of the product 100 in the bag 20 are combined with one camera 43. A separate camera or scanner may be used for shooting in the bag 20.

  The control unit 41 has a function of controlling the operation of each unit of the article management apparatus 40. The control unit 41 also has a function of managing the product 100 in the basket 20 based on information given from the image analysis unit 45 and the weighing sensor 44, and includes a management product storage unit 41a. .

  The managed product list 41a stores a list of products 100 to be managed by the article management apparatus 40, and the control unit 41 manages the products 100 in the bag 20 using the managed product list 41a. In the managed product list 41a, for example, the above-described list of identification information related to the product 100 is registered. Further, in the managed product list 41a, for the product 100 to be managed, related information (hereinafter referred to as “product related information”) such as the weight, price, and name of the product 100 may be registered together with the identification information. .

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the contents of the managed product list 41a.

  In the managed product list 41a, for example, product identification information, weight, price, product image information, and the like are stored as shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, “X”, “Y”, “Z” and the like are shown as the contents of the product image information for the sake of simplicity, but in practice, the product image information itself is registered, The link information to the corresponding product image information may be registered, and the mode of registering the product image information in the managed product list 41a is not limited.

  The control unit 41 manages the contents of the managed product list 41a. In this embodiment, the control unit 41 uses the barcode reading result (identification information of the product 100) given from the image analysis unit 45 as the key for the product related information related to the product 100 to be managed. It is assumed that the information stored in the DB 46 is retrieved and held. Note that the product related information related to the product 100 to be managed may be searched using the product image information as a key. That is, the image analysis unit 45 extracts feature quantities such as color and size from the image of the product 100 captured by the camera 43, and searches the product information DB 46 for product image information having features close to the features of the captured image. You may do it.

  The control unit 41 updates the contents of the managed product list 41a according to the notification contents from the image analysis unit 45 and the weighing sensor 44. Details of the method for managing the product 100 in the basket 20 in the control unit 41 will be described in the description of the operation described later.

  The output unit 47 has a function of outputting information related to the management status in the article management apparatus 40, and mainly provides information on the product 100 currently (and managed) in the bag 20 to the customer. Output. The output in the output unit 47 may be configured to be displayed on a display device such as a display, stored in a storage device such as a disk device, or printed on a printing device such as a printer. However, in this embodiment, the output unit 47 is described as including the display 47a and displaying information related to the current management status of the article management apparatus 40.

  FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of output contents in the output unit 47 (display 47a).

  As shown in FIG. 4, information (price, detailed information, etc.) of the product 100 put in the bag 20 may be displayed on the display 47 a. In addition, the display 47a may display a list of products 100 put in the bag 20, the total price, etc., or may be separately provided with an input means such as a touch panel so that the customer wants to see by menu operation. Information may be displayed.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the settlement process for the product 100 in the basket 20 of the cart 10 on which the article management device 40 is mounted is performed by a settlement gate 50.

  The check-out gate 50 performs check-out processing related to the product 100 contained in the basket 20 of the cart 10 (for example, the one that has the function of a so-called self-checkout device), and communicates with the article management device 40. A communication unit 51 is provided.

  In an existing self-checkout device, for example, a customer reads information recorded on a barcode or IC tag attached to a product into the self-checkout and causes the self-checkout device to recognize a purchased product. Then, information on the list of products 100 to be managed is received from the article management device 40, and the product 100 that the customer intends to purchase is recognized. As the settlement gate 50, for example, a “settlement apparatus” described in Patent Document 2 can be applied. The settlement gate 50 may perform settlement processing using transaction processing with a host device (not shown).

  In the article management device 40, a list of products contained in the bag 20 is held by the managed product list 41a. Therefore, the information held in the managed product list 41a is sent to the settlement gate 50 ( By performing transmission to the communication unit 51), processing related to settlement is performed with the settlement gate 50. Then, the customer pays the payment gate 50, and the payment is performed.

(A-2) Operation of Embodiment Next, the operation of the product checkout processing system 1 of this embodiment having the above-described configuration (product checkout processing method (article processing method) of the embodiment) will be described.

(A-2-1) Product Adding Operation Here, the operation of adding the product 100 to the bag 20 in the article management device 40 will be described first.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the article management apparatus 40 when the product 100 is added to the bag 20.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the product 100 is added to the bag 20.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 6, two products 100-1 and 100-2 are included in the bag 20, and the two products 100-1 and 100-2 are also managed products 100 in the managed product list 41 a. An operation of adding the product 100-3 in the registered state will be described as an example.

  First, it is assumed that the barcode attached to the product 100-3 is directed to the camera 43 by the customer, and the identification information is read from the barcode by the image analysis unit 45 (S101).

  When the barcode analysis information is read by the image analysis unit 45, the control unit 41 holds the product related information of the product 100-3 from the product information DB 46 using the identification information as a key (S102).

  Then, when the product 100-3 is put into the bag 20 by the customer, an image of the added product 100 (product 100-3) is taken by the camera 43, and further, the weight detected by the weighing sensor 44 is changed. Based on this, the weight of the added product 100 (product 100-3) is detected (S103).

  Next, in the control unit 41, the product 100 whose addition is detected in the above-described step S103 is the product 100 that matches the product 100 (that is, the product 100-3) that has read the barcode identification information in the above-described step S102. It is determined based on the comparison with the product related information of the product 100-3 (S104). When it is determined that the product 100 matches, the operation starts from step S105 described later, and is determined not to match. In the case of failure, the operation starts from step S106 described later.

  Here, since the product 100 put in the bag 20 is the product 100-3, in the above-described step S104, since the control unit 41 determines that the product 100 matches, the correct product 100 is added to the bag 20. As a result, the information on the product 100-3 is additionally registered in the managed product list 41a (S105), and the operation for adding the product ends.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S105 described above that the product 100 put in the bag 20 is not the product 100-3 (for example, the product 100 different from the product 100 from which the customer has read the barcode is illegally entered. In the case where the data is not matched, the output unit 47 outputs a warning to the customer (for example, an audio output of an error message or an output to a display) (S106).

  In the above-described step S104, when it is determined that the product 100 put in the bag 20 is not the product 100-3, for example, the output unit 47 until the added product 100 determined not to match is removed. It may be possible to continue to issue a warning to the customer and detect the removal of the product, and then operate from the above-described step S103. In addition, after the customer has removed all the products 100 in the bag 20, The products 100 may be added one by one by the above procedure (operations in steps S101 to S105 described above).

(A-2-2) Product Extraction Operation Next, an operation for extracting the product 100 from the bag 20 in the article management device 40 will be described.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the article management apparatus 40 when the merchandise 100 is taken out from the merchandise 100 to the bag 20.

  FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the product 100 is taken out from the basket 20.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 8, two products 100-1 and 100-2 are contained in the bag 20, and the two products 100-1 and 100-2 are also managed products 100 in the managed product list 41 a. An operation when the product 100-2 is taken out in the registered state will be described as an example.

  When the product 100-2 is taken out from the bag 20 by the customer, an image of the taken out product 100 (product 100-2) is taken by the camera 43, and further, due to the change in weight detected by the weighing sensor 44, The weight of the taken product 100 (product 100-2) is detected (S201).

  Next, it is assumed that the barcode attached to the retrieved product 100 (product 100-2) is directed to the camera 43 by the customer, and the identification information is read from the barcode by the image analysis unit 45 ( S202).

  Next, in the control unit 41, the product 100 that has been detected to be taken out in the above-described step S201 is the product 100 to be managed in the managed product list 41a, and the barcode identification information is provided in the above-described step S202. Whether or not the product 100 that matches the read product 100 (that is, the product 100-2) is the correct product 100 is determined based on the comparison with the product-related information of the product 100-2 (S203). When it is determined that the correct product 100 is taken out, the operation starts from step S204 described later. When it is determined that the correct product 100 is not taken out, the operation starts from step S205 described later.

  Here, since the product 100 extracted from the bag 20 is the product 100-2, in the above-described step S203, the control unit 41 determines that the correct product 100 has been extracted, so the product 100 is managed from the managed product list 41a. The information 100-2 is deleted (S204), and the operation for taking out the product is completed.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S203 described above that the barcode of the product 100 different from the product 100 taken out from the basket 20 has been read (for example, reading the barcode of the product 100 different from the product 100 taken out by the customer) If it is determined that the correct product 100 has not been taken out, the output unit 47 outputs a warning to the customer (for example, an audio output of an error message or output to a display) (S205). .

  If it is determined in step S204 that the product 100 is not correctly taken out, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, the process may return to the process in step S202.

(A-2-3) Settlement Processing Operation Next, in the cart 10 in which the article management device 40 is mounted, the operation related to the settlement processing of the product 100 in the basket 20 performed between the settlement gate 50 and the cart 10. explain.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an operation related to a settlement process performed between the article management apparatus 40 and the settlement gate 50.

  Although the adjustment process is started between the article management device 40 and the adjustment gate 50 and the process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 9 is started, there is no limitation. And when the article management device 40 enters a predetermined area (for example, an area before the gate opening / closing device). When the communication between the article management device 40 and the settlement gate 50 employs a method capable of communicating only within a narrow range, such as IrDA or Bluetooth, the article management device 40 communicates with the settlement gate 50. Even if the settlement process is started when the possible range is entered, confusion with other devices can be reduced.

  When the settlement process is started between the article management device 40 and the settlement gate 50, the article management device 40 aggregates information held in the managed product list 41a and transmits data to be sent to the settlement gate 50. By creating (S301) and transmitting the created data to the settlement gate 50 (S302), the product 100 contained in the bag 20 is grasped on the settlement gate 50 side.

  When the customer completes the accounting process such as charging the settlement gate 50 (S303), the settlement process is completed, and the merchandise in the bag 20 becomes a merchandise purchased by the customer.

(A-3) Effects of the embodiment In the article management device 40, the image analysis unit 45 is used to manage the product 100 in the basket 20 using an image obtained by photographing the appearance of the product 100. It is possible to manage products having individual differences in the weight, extremely light products such as paper, and different types of foods with the same weight, and the accuracy of managing the product 100 in the bag 20 can be improved. .

  Further, the output unit 47 outputs information on the product 100 in the bag 20 or warns when there is a product illegally put in the bag 20 (for example, see step S106 in FIG. 5 described above). It is possible to convey the price and product information to the purchaser, and to prevent the act of erroneously putting the product in the basket or intentionally cheating.

  Further, by transmitting the information on the product 100 in the bag 20 managed by the article management device 40 (information on the managed product list 41a) to the checkout gate 50, the customer does not take the product out of the basket again at the checkout. Payment can be completed in a short time, and the time for payment can be shortened.

  Furthermore, in the article management apparatus 40, since the weighing sensor 44 is mounted in addition to the image analysis unit 45, the change in the weight of the product 100 in the basket 20 is also monitored. Even when the product 100 is overlapped and only one product can be seen from the camera 43, or when the customer tries to put the product 100 into the bag 20 while hiding it from the camera 43, Since the contents can be monitored, the accuracy of managing the product 100 in the bag 20 in the article management device 40 can be improved.

  In addition, as shown in step S101 in FIG. 5 described above, when the product is put in and out of the bag 20 to the customer, an operation for causing the article management device 40 to read the barcode of the product 100 is performed. 45, since the product 100 in the bag 20 can be managed only by matching the product image information corresponding to the product 100 from which the barcode has been read and the image taken by the camera 43, the product information DB 46 It is not necessary to search from all the product image information registered in the item No., and the processing amount in the image analysis unit 45 can be reduced.

(B) Other Embodiments The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and may include modified embodiments as exemplified below.

(B-1) In the above embodiment, the cart 10 is not provided with a self-propelled device (driving device such as an electric motor), but by providing the self-propelled device, the burden on the customer can be reduced.

(B-2) In the above-described embodiment, the customer pays in by adjusting the payment to the check-out gate 50. For example, a card reader is mounted on the cart 10 as in ETC (Electronic Toll Collection system). Then, by inserting a card that can be processed for payment by communication, the price may be automatically paid only when the cart passes the settlement gate 50 at the time of payment.

(B-3) In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the article management system of the present invention is applied to a merchandise settlement processing system has been described. However, the article to be processed in the article processing system of the present invention, and the present invention The article to be managed in the article management apparatus is not limited to a product in a store or the like, but may be another article such as a book for rent in a library. When the article to be managed / processed is, for example, a book for rent in a library, in the article processing system of the present invention, the process related to the book (article) is “lending process” (for example, user (use Will be replaced with a procedure for granting a loan to a person). Thus, the article to be processed in the article processing system of the present invention, the article to be managed in the article management apparatus of the present invention, and the processing content of the article are not limited.

(B-4) In the above embodiment, the example in which the article transporting apparatus of the present invention is applied to a cart has been described. However, the present invention may be applied to an apparatus that transports articles other than carts. For example, the article management apparatus of the present invention may be simply mounted on a bag to construct the article transport apparatus of the present invention.

(B-5) In the above-described embodiment, the article management apparatus 40 allows the customer to read the barcode of the product 100 for putting the product in and out of the bag 20, but this step is omitted, and the image analysis unit The product 100 in the bag 20 is managed based on the analysis result of the appearance of the product 100 according to 45 (the barcode may not be attached to the product 100) and the measurement result of the weighing sensor 44. Also good.

  For example, when the weight measured by the weighing sensor 44 increases after a certain product 100 is photographed by the camera 43, the product 100 is determined as a product placed in the bag 20, and the weight measured by the weighing sensor 44 is measured. The product 100 photographed by the camera 43 after the decrease is reduced may be determined as the product taken out from the bag 20. At that time, the accuracy of managing the product 100 in the bag 20 can be improved in the article management device 40 by collating the analysis result of the image analysis unit 45 with the weight of the product 100 put in and out. good.

  In the article management device 40, when loading / unloading a product into / from the bag 20, reading of the barcode of the product 100 is omitted, thereby reducing the operational burden on the customer and managing the product without the barcode. It is possible to achieve such an effect.

(B-6) In the article management apparatus 40, the weighing sensor 44 may be omitted, or reading of the barcode of the product 100 in addition to the weighing sensor 44 may be omitted. That is, the article management apparatus 40 may manage the product 100 in the bag 20 using at least the analysis result of the appearance of the product 100 by the image analysis unit 45.

  For example, the image analysis unit 45 includes means for detecting the product 100 from the photographed image and detecting the direction in which the product 100 moves, and the product 100 has moved from the upper direction to the bag 20 as shown in FIG. In this case, the product 100 is regarded as a product that has entered the bag 20, and as shown in FIG. 8, when the product 100 moves upward from the direction of the bag 20, the product 100 is taken out of the bag 20. It may be used as a product.

  In the image analysis unit 45, as means for detecting the moving direction of the product 100 from the photographed image, for example, the position of the product 100 detected from the photographed image is periodically monitored, and the product 100 is moved from the history of the position. The direction to be detected may be detected.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Cart, 20 ... Bag, 30 ... Dolly, 40 ... Goods management apparatus, 41 ... Control part, 41a ... Managed product list, 42 ... Communication part, 43 ... Camera, 44 ... Measurement sensor, 45 ... Image analysis part, 46 ... product information DB, 47 ... output unit, 47a ... display, 50 ... settlement gate, 51 ... communication unit, 100, 100-1 to 100-4 ... product.

Claims (5)

In an article management apparatus that manages articles in a predetermined area,
Photographing means for photographing articles entering the region and articles exiting from the region, and obtaining photographed image data;
Article image information holding means for holding article image information relating to an image for each article;
Articles comprising: article management means for managing articles in the region using at least photographed image data acquired by the photographing means and information held by the article image information holding means Management device. A weight detection means for detecting the total weight of all articles in the region;
The article management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the article management unit manages the articles in the region by further using the total weight detected by the weight detection unit. In an article transporting apparatus having an article accommodating part for accommodating an article and an article management apparatus for managing an article in the article accommodating part,
An article transporting apparatus, wherein the article management apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 is applied as the article management apparatus. When a list of the stored articles is given from the article transport apparatus having an article storage section for storing articles, an article management apparatus for managing the articles in the article storage section, and the article storage apparatus, In an article processing system comprising an article processing apparatus having article processing means for performing
3. An article processing system, wherein the article management apparatus according to claim 1 is applied as the article management apparatus. When a list of the stored articles is given from the article transport apparatus having an article storage section for storing articles, an article management apparatus for managing the articles in the article storage section, and the article transport apparatus, a predetermined condition related to the stored articles In an article processing method in an article processing system comprising an article processing apparatus having an article processing means for performing the processing of:
Having photographing means, article image information holding means, article management means,
The photographing means photographs the article entering the region and the article exiting from the region, obtains photographed image data,
The article image information holding unit holds article image information related to an image for each article,
The article management means manages the articles in the area based on at least photographed image data acquired by the photographing means and information held by the article image information holding means. Method.

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