JP2014215827A - Behavior analysis system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce position measurement error.SOLUTION: A microcomputer 10 calculates the position of a cart 5 based on the field strength of a received radio signal and the position of the cart 5 based on a measured acceleration value and a measured angular speed. When the difference between the calculation results is larger than a predetermined error range, the microcomputer 10 adopts the position of the cart 5 which is calculated based on the field strength of the received radio signal. That is, the microcomputer 10 corrects the calculation result based on the measured acceleration value and the measured angular speed based on the calculation result calculated based on the field strength of the received radio signal. Therefore, compared to conventional examples where the position of the cart 5 is identified by using radio wave only, measurement error is reduced.

Description

  The present invention relates to a behavior analysis system.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a store that sells products such as a supermarket, a route (flow line) that a customer has moved through a sales floor is measured, and the measured flow line is analyzed to be used for sales promotion of the product.

  For example, in Patent Literature 1, a means for measuring a position in a sales floor is mounted on a wheelbarrow (so-called shopping cart) for a customer to carry goods, and the movement of the shopping cart (customer) is based on the measurement result. A flow line survey support system for measuring (surveying) a line is disclosed.

  In the conventional example described in Patent Document 1, radio signals (position positioning signals) using radio waves as a medium are transmitted from a plurality of base stations installed at a sales floor. Then, a location signal transmitted from each base station is received by a receiver mounted on the shopping cart, and its own location is determined (measured) based on the phase difference of each location signal.

JP 2011-186628 A

  By the way, the radio wave (position positioning signal) transmitted from the antenna of the base station is not only directly received by the antenna of the receiver of the shopping cart, but also reflected on the ceiling, floor, walls, shelves displaying products, etc. And received. For this reason, a phase difference is generated between the direct wave and the reflected wave, so that an error in the position determined based on the phase difference of the position determination signal becomes large.

  Also, there is a method of measuring the position using the principle of triangulation based on the difference in reception intensity of radio waves instead of the phase difference of radio waves. However, the measurement error also increases for the received intensity due to the influence of the direct wave and the reflected wave (multipath fading).

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to reduce position measurement errors.

  The behavior analysis system of the present invention is a behavior analysis system for analyzing the behavior of the customer in a store where merchandise is displayed along a passage along which the customer moves, and is installed at a plurality of locations in the store. A plurality of transmitters that transmit radio signals using radio waves as a medium and a handcart used by the customer to carry the goods, and obtain information necessary for specifying the position of the handcart An acquisition device that collects the information acquired by the acquisition device, and calculates a position of the wheelbarrow in the store from the collected information. Receiving means for receiving and measuring the received radio wave intensity of the radio signal, detecting means for detecting one or more types of physical quantities that change as the handcart moves, and measuring the received radio wave intensity And a transmission means for transmitting the physical quantity detection result to the arithmetic unit, and obtaining the distance and direction of movement of the handcart from the physical quantity detection result, and determining the handcart from the measured value of the received radio wave intensity. Correction means for obtaining a position and correcting the position of the wheelbarrow calculated from the movement distance and the movement direction using the position of the wheelbarrow obtained from the measured value of the received radio wave intensity is the acquisition device or It is provided in any one of the arithmetic units.

  In this behavior analysis system, the physical quantity detection unit preferably includes an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration and at least one of an angular velocity sensor that detects angular velocity and a geomagnetic sensor that detects geomagnetism.

  In this behavior analysis system, the detection means performs image processing on two imaging elements arranged at a predetermined interval, and an image obtained by imaging the floor surface of the passage by each imaging element to obtain the movement distance. It is preferable to have image processing means for obtaining a direction.

  In this behavior analysis system, the receiving means has an antenna for receiving the radio wave, and the antenna is not longer than the wavelength of the radio wave at a location facing the floor surface of the passage in the handcart. It is preferable that a distance be provided between the floor surface.

  In this behavior analysis system, the transmitter operates with a battery as a power source, intermittently transmits the radio signal, and is disposed with a distance not longer than the wavelength of the radio wave between the transmitter and the floor surface. Preferably it is comprised.

  In this behavior analysis system, the acquisition device includes a measurement unit that measures at least one of temperature, humidity, and illuminance, and the transmission unit transmits a measurement value of the measurement unit to the arithmetic device. It is preferable.

  In this behavior analysis system, it is preferable to have a collection device that is installed in the vicinity of the place where the purchase price of the product is paid in the store and collects the information acquired by the acquisition device and passes it to the arithmetic device.

  In this behavior analysis system, it is preferable to have a collection device that is installed in the vicinity of a place where the purchase price of the product is paid in the store and collects calculation results from the calculation device mounted on the handcart.

  In this behavior analysis system, an analysis device that calculates a trajectory of the wheelbarrow from a position of the wheelbarrow and analyzes the behavior of the customer based on the trajectory, the analysis device, the network It is preferable to acquire the data of the position from the collecting device.

  In this behavior analysis system, the arithmetic device controls the air conditioning equipment, refrigeration equipment, refrigeration equipment, ventilation equipment or lighting equipment in the store so that the measured value transmitted from the transmission means matches a target value. It is preferable to generate a control command for the purpose.

  In this behavior analysis system, a battery for supplying power to the acquisition device and a charging device for charging the battery are mounted on the wheelbarrow, and contactless with the charging device at a place where the wheelbarrow is placed It is preferable to have a non-contact power feeding device that feeds power with a power supply.

  In the behavior analysis system of the present invention, the correction means obtains the distance and direction of the handcart from the physical quantity detection result, obtains the position of the handcart from the measured value of the received radio wave intensity, and the travel distance and the movement. Since the position of the handcart calculated from the direction is corrected using the position of the handcart obtained from the measured value of the received radio wave intensity, it is possible to reduce the position measurement error.

It is a block diagram of the acquisition device in Embodiment 1 of the action analysis system concerning the present invention. It is a block diagram of the collection apparatus same as the above. It is a side view of the handcart in the same as the above. It is a system configuration diagram in which a part is omitted. It is a top view of the store where the same is installed. It is a perspective view of the refrigerated showcase installed in the store in the same as the above. (a), (b) is operation | movement explanatory drawing of the acquisition apparatus in the same as the above. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of the acquisition apparatus same as the above. It is a block diagram of the acquisition apparatus in Embodiment 2 of the action analysis system concerning the present invention. (a)-(c) is operation | movement explanatory drawing of the acquisition apparatus in the same as the above. It is a block diagram of the acquisition apparatus in Embodiment 3 of the action analysis system concerning the present invention.

(Embodiment 1)
An embodiment of a behavior analysis system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The behavior analysis system of the present embodiment is for analyzing a customer's behavior (flow line) in a store (for example, a supermarket) where merchandise is displayed along a passage along which the customer moves.

  An example of the layout (arrangement) of the store 6 in this embodiment is shown in FIG. In FIG. 5, the top is north.

  The store 6 is provided with an entrance / exit 60 on the south side, and a plurality (six locations in the illustrated example) of cash payment areas 61 are arranged in a line in the east-west direction in front of the entrance / exit 60. The cash payment place 61 is a place (so-called cash register) which is provided with a cash register (register <register>) and receives payment from customers.

  Along the walls on the east and west sides and the north side in the store 6, there are refrigerated showcases 62 for displaying products that require refrigeration, such as fruits and vegetables, meat, and fresh fish. In the store 6, a plurality of (four in the illustrated example) display shelves 63 having a longitudinal direction in the north-south direction are arranged in the east-west direction in an area surrounded by the money payment place 61 and the refrigerated showcase 62. It is installed at a predetermined interval. A passage 64 is provided between the refrigerated showcase 62 and the display shelf 63, between the display shelves 63, and between the display shelf 63 and the money payment place 61.

  Although not shown, a number of handcarts (shopping carts, hereinafter abbreviated as carts) 5 are placed near the entrance 60. Then, a customer who enters the store 6 through the entrance / exit 60 places the product on the cart 5 while moving through the store 6 and transports it to the cash payment place 61.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the cart 5 includes a frame 50, an upper carrier 51, a lower carrier 52, a caster 53, and the like. The frame 50 is configured by bending a metal circle. Casters 53 are attached to both ends (lower ends) of the frame 50, respectively. The upper carrier 51 and the lower carrier 52 are formed in a bowl shape with a shallow bottom, and are coupled to the frame 50 on the rear end side. A pair of left and right casters 53 are attached to the lower surface of the front end of the unloading platform 52. However, since such a cart 5 is well known, detailed illustration and description of the structure will be omitted.

  The behavior analysis system according to the present embodiment includes an acquisition device 1, a calculation device, a collection device 2, an analysis device 3, a transmitter 4, and the like. However, in the present embodiment, the acquisition device 1 also serves as an arithmetic device.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the acquisition device 1 includes a main unit 1A and a wireless communication unit 1B. The main unit 1A includes a microcontroller (hereinafter abbreviated as a microcomputer) 10, an acceleration sensor 11, an angular velocity sensor 12, a memory 13, a secondary battery 16, a power supply circuit 17, a charging device 18, and the like housed in a box-shaped housing. Configured. The wireless communication unit 1B includes an antenna 14, a wireless communication circuit 15, and the like housed in a box-shaped housing. The main unit 1A is attached to the front surface of the loading platform 51 of the cart 5 as shown in FIG. The wireless communication unit 1 </ b> B is attached to the lower surface of the loading platform 52 of the cart 5. The main unit 1A and the wireless communication unit 1B are connected by a multi-core cable 1C having a power line and a communication line.

  The acceleration sensor 11 independently measures the acceleration in the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction at a predetermined cycle, and outputs an acceleration measurement value in each axis direction as an electrical signal (acceleration signal). The acceleration sensor 11 according to the present embodiment is installed in the housing so that the plane including the x axis and the y axis (xy plane) is parallel to the floor surface of the store 6 in a state where the acquisition device 1 is attached to the cart 5. Is arranged.

  The angular velocity sensor 12 measures the angular velocity around the axis at a predetermined cycle, and outputs the angular velocity measurement value as an electrical signal (angular velocity signal). In addition, the angular velocity sensor 12 in this embodiment is arrange | positioned in a housing | casing so that the said axis | shaft may become perpendicular | vertical to the floor surface of the shop 6 in the state in which the acquisition apparatus 1 was attached to the cart 5. FIG. However, since the acceleration sensor 11 and the angular velocity sensor 12 are well known in the art, illustration and description of a detailed configuration are omitted.

  The microcomputer 10 performs various processes by executing a program stored in a built-in memory. For example, the microcomputer 10 takes the acceleration signal in each axis direction output from the acceleration sensor 11 from the input port, and calculates the movement distance by integrating the acceleration measurement value in each axis direction represented by the acceleration signal twice. . Further, the microcomputer 10 takes in the angular velocity signal output from the angular velocity sensor 12 from the input port, and calculates the rotation angle by integrating the angular velocity measurement value represented by the angular velocity signal. Further, the microcomputer 10 calculates the distance and direction of movement of the cart 5 from the movement distance and the rotation angle, and specifies the position (coordinates) of the cart 5. The microcomputer 10 stores the acceleration measurement value, the angular velocity measurement value, the movement distance, the rotation angle, and the position of the cart 5 in the memory 13 together with the time at which each data is acquired. The memory 13 is an electrically rewritable nonvolatile semiconductor memory (for example, a flash memory).

  The power supply circuit 17 stabilizes the DC voltage discharged from the secondary battery 16 and generates an operating power supply. This operating power is supplied to the wireless communication unit 1B via the power line of the cable 1C as well as the microcomputer 10 and the sensors 11 and 12.

  The charging device 18 charges the secondary battery 16 by converting AC power supplied from an external power source into DC power. For example, when the cart 5 is placed in a cart storage area near the entrance 60, AC power is supplied to the charging device 18 from an AC power system via a charging cable (not shown). In addition, it is also possible to perform non-contact electric power feeding to the charging device 18 using a conventionally well-known non-contact electric power feeder. For example, the power feeding coil of the non-contact power feeding device may be installed on the floor of the cart storage area, and high frequency power may be fed to the power receiving coil provided in the charging device 18. If power is supplied to the charging device 18 using the non-contact power supply device in this way, it is possible to improve the usability of the acquisition device 1 without the need to connect the charging cable. However, when power is supplied to the charging device 18 using a non-contact power supply device, the charging device 18 is preferably provided not in the main unit 1A but in the wireless communication unit 1B.

  The wireless communication unit 1B includes an antenna 14 and a wireless communication circuit 15 housed in a box-shaped housing. The radio communication circuit 15 is, for example, a radio station for a low-power data communication system that uses radio waves in the 5 GHz band or 2.4 GHz band, or a telemeter, telecon and roll, and data transmission radio that uses radio waves in the 920 MHz band. Corresponds to the radio station of the facility. The wireless communication circuit 15 demodulates and decodes a wireless signal transmitted from the transmitter 4 described later and received by the antenna 14 and outputs the signal to the microcomputer 10. Further, the wireless communication circuit 15 encodes and modulates the transmission frame created by the microcomputer 10 and transmits it from the antenna 14. The acquisition device 1 is assigned a unique identification code (cart ID).

  The transmitter 4 is similar to the radio communication circuit 15 of the radio communication unit 1B, for a radio station of a low power data communication system using radio waves in the 5 GHz band or 2.4 GHz band, or for a telemeter using radio waves in the 920 MHz band. Corresponds to radio stations for radio equipment for telecon and roll and data transmission. As shown in FIG. 8, the transmitter 4 uses a radio signal to determine a frame composed of a bit synchronization preamble, a frame synchronization unique word UW, a unique identification code ID assigned to the transmitter 4, and an error detection code CRC. Is transmitted intermittently at a period of. For example, the transmitter 4 is activated at an interval of 1 second, and after transmitting a radio signal 5 times at a rate of 1 millisecond every 50 milliseconds, it pauses for a pause period of 979 milliseconds (see FIG. 8). That is, since the transmitter 4 in this embodiment is configured to operate using a battery as a power source, the battery life can be extended by performing intermittent transmission as described above. However, when power is supplied from the power system, the transmitter 4 may perform continuous transmission. Note that the above-described times such as 50 milliseconds, 1 second, and 500 milliseconds are examples, and are not limited thereto. The transmitter 4 is attached to a position near the floor surface in the refrigerated showcase 62 or the display shelf 63 (see FIGS. 5 and 6).

  As shown in FIG. 2, the collection device 2 includes a control circuit 20, an antenna 21, a wireless communication circuit 22, a memory 23, a network interface (I / F) 24, and the like. The control circuit 20 is configured by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a built-in memory, and the like, and performs various processes to be described later by executing a program stored in the built-in memory by the CPU. The memory 23 includes an electrically rewritable nonvolatile semiconductor memory (for example, a flash memory), and stores the position information of the cart 5 received from the acquisition device 1 by the control circuit 20 as will be described later. Is done.

  The wireless communication circuit 22 is for a radio station of a low-power data communication system that uses radio waves in the 5 GHz band or 2.4 GHz band, similarly to the radio communication circuit 15 of the acquisition apparatus 1, or for a telemeter that uses radio waves in the 920 MHz band, Corresponds to radio stations for telecon and roll and data transmission radio equipment. The radio communication circuit 22 demodulates and decodes a radio signal received by the antenna 21 (a radio signal transmitted from the acquisition device 1) and outputs the demodulated signal to the control circuit 20. Further, the wireless communication circuit 22 encodes and modulates the transmission frame created by the control circuit 20 and transmits it from the antenna 21. A unique identification code is also assigned to the collection device 2.

  The network I / F 24 provides an interface for the control circuit 20 to communicate with the analyzer 3 via a network such as the Internet (see FIG. 4). A network address (for example, an IP address) is assigned to each of the acquisition device 1 and the collection device 2, and communication partners are mutually identified by the IP address. The collection device 2 is installed in each of a plurality (six in FIG. 5) of cash payment locations 61 provided near the entrance / exit 60 in the store 6.

  The analysis device 3 is a server (server computer) installed at a location away from the store 6. The analysis device 3 calculates the trajectory (traffic line) that the cart 5 (customer) has moved in the store 6 by comparing the position (coordinates) of the cart 5 received from the collection device 2 with the map information in the store 6. , Analyze customer behavior based on the trajectory.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. Note that the broken line in FIG. 5 indicates the approximate communication range of each transmitter 4, and the two-dot broken line indicates the approximate communication range of the collection device 2.

  First, when the customer takes out the cart 5 from the cart storage area, the charging of the secondary battery 16 by the charging device 18 is stopped. When charging of the charging device 18 is stopped, the power supply circuit 17 starts supplying power, so that the microcomputer 10 of the acquisition device 1 is activated, the acceleration sensor 11 and the angular velocity sensor 12 start measurement, and a wireless communication circuit. 15 also enters a wireless signal reception waiting state.

  The activated microcomputer 10 starts the process of specifying the position of the cart 5 as described above. The microcomputer 10 writes the start time of the process in the memory 13 and measures the elapsed time from the start time with a built-in timer.

  As already described, the microcomputer 10 calculates the movement distance and direction of the cart 5 based on the acceleration measurement value of the acceleration sensor 11 and the angular velocity measurement value of the angular velocity sensor 12, and specifies the position of the cart 5. Then, the microcomputer 10 determines the position (coordinates) of the identified cart 5 and the acceleration measurement value, angular velocity measurement value, movement distance, and rotation angle data together with the time (start time + elapsed time) at which each data was acquired. Save in the memory 13.

  On the other hand, when the cart 5 enters the communication range of the transmitter 4, the antenna 14 of the wireless communication unit 1 </ b> B catches the transmission radio wave of the transmitter 4, and the wireless communication circuit 15 receives a wireless signal transmitted from the transmitter 4. The wireless communication circuit 15 passes the transmission frame demodulated / decoded from the received wireless signal and the received radio wave intensity of the wireless signal to the microcomputer 10. The received radio wave intensity is output from the wireless communication circuit 15 to the microcomputer 10 as a received signal strength indication signal (RSSI signal) which is a DC voltage signal proportional to the magnitude of the received signal intensity.

  When the microcomputer 10 receives wireless signals transmitted by three different transmitters 4 within a range that can be regarded as substantially the same time and acquires the identification code of each transmitter 4, the received radio wave intensity (RSSI) for each transmitter 4 is obtained. The distance from each transmitter 4 is calculated from the signal). The memory 13 of the acquisition device 1 stores the position of each transmitter 4 in association with the identification code. The microcomputer 10 reads the position of each transmitter 4 stored in the memory 13 based on the identification code, and uses the triangulation method to determine the position of the cart 5 from the position of each transmitter 4 and the distance between each transmitter 4. Can be calculated.

  Here, radio waves (wireless signals) transmitted from the transmitter 4 are received by the antenna 13 of the acquisition apparatus 1 through a plurality of paths (multipath). For this reason, the radio signal received by the acquisition device 1 has a variation in the received signal level called multipath fading.

  However, in the present embodiment, the wireless communication unit 1B and the transmitter 4 of the acquisition device 1 are arranged with a distance from the floor that is not longer than the wavelength of the radio wave of the wireless signal. For example, the wavelength λ when the frequency of the radio signal is 920 MHz is 32.6 centimeters (cm). As shown in FIG. 7A, it is assumed that the distance (height) H from the floor surface to the antennas 40 and 14 is 1.2 meters (= λ). In this case, the distance L between the antennas 40 and 14 is obtained by combining the radio wave that directly reaches the antenna 14 from the antenna 40 and the radio wave that is radiated from the antenna 40 and reflected by the floor surface and reaches the antenna 14. As the value increases, the received signal level (received power) largely fluctuates approximately every half wavelength (= 16 cm) (see the solid line B in FIG. 7B).

  On the other hand, when the distance H from the floor surface to the antennas 40 and 14 is set to a value (20 cm) sufficiently smaller than the wavelength λ, multipath fading is suppressed as shown by a solid line A in FIG. The As a result, fluctuations in the received signal level are greatly suppressed, and the slope of attenuation with respect to the distance is larger than that of the solid line B. Therefore, since the received signal level monotonously decreases as the distance L increases, it is possible to improve the accuracy in obtaining the distance L from the received radio wave intensity (RSSI signal).

  By the way, as the moving distance becomes longer, the error of the calculation result (the moving distance and the direction) based on the acceleration measurement value and the angular velocity measurement value increases. Therefore, it is necessary to correct the error. Therefore, the microcomputer 10 receives the radio signal if the difference between the position of the cart 5 calculated from the received radio wave intensity of the radio signal and the calculation result based on the acceleration measurement value and the angular velocity measurement value exceeds a predetermined error range. The position of the cart 5 calculated from the radio wave intensity is adopted. That is, the microcomputer 10 corrects the calculation result based on the acceleration measurement value and the angular velocity measurement value with the calculation result calculated from the received radio wave intensity of the radio signal. On the other hand, if the difference is within the error range, the microcomputer 10 directly adopts the calculation result (movement distance and direction) based on the acceleration measurement value and the angular velocity measurement value. That is, the microcomputer 10 does not correct the calculation result based on the acceleration measurement value and the angular velocity measurement value.

  As described above, the microcomputer 10 corrects the calculation result based on the acceleration measurement value and the angular velocity measurement value with the calculation result calculated from the received radio wave intensity of the radio signal, so that the position of the cart 5 is specified only from the radio wave as in the conventional example. The measurement error can be reduced as compared with the case of doing so.

  A geomagnetic sensor may be used instead of the angular velocity sensor 12. That is, the microcomputer 10 may calculate the direction of the cart 5 based on the direction detected by the geomagnetic sensor.

  Further, in the conventional example, it is necessary to install a large number of base stations in the store, and there is a problem that the introduction cost (initial investment) of the behavior analysis system is high. In contrast, in the present embodiment, since the main position is specified based on the measured values of the acceleration sensor 11 and the angular velocity sensor 12, the number of installation locations of the transmitter 4 in the store 6 can be reduced, and compared with the conventional example. Thus, there is an advantage that the introduction cost can be reduced. In addition, since the transmitter 4 is battery-driven in this embodiment, there is no need to perform wiring to the transmitter 4 in the store 6, so that in this respect as well, the introduction cost can be reduced as compared with the conventional example. it can. In the present embodiment, the transmitter 4 is installed only at the corner of the passage 64 as shown in FIG. 5, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the transmitter 4 is installed in another place. It doesn't matter.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the position of the cart 5 is recorded on the acquisition device 1 mounted on the cart 5, and the position of the cart 5 acquired by each acquisition device 1 is collected by the collection device 2 installed in the cash payment place 61. The data is transferred to the analyzer 3. Since the analysis device 3 calculates the trajectory of each cart 5, the processing load of the microcomputer 10 is reduced as a result compared to the case where the arithmetic device (acquisition device 1) calculates the trajectory of the cart 5. In addition, the manufacturing cost of the acquisition device 1 (arithmetic device) can be reduced.

  Incidentally, in the present embodiment, the acquisition device 1 also serves as an arithmetic device, but an arithmetic device may be provided separately from the acquisition device 1. In that case, the collection device 2 collects information (data) necessary for calculating the position of the cart 5 such as an acceleration measurement value, an angular velocity measurement value, and a radio wave reception intensity from the acquisition device 1 and passes it to the calculation device. The calculation device may calculate the position of the cart 5 from the information passed from the collection device 2 and transmit the calculation result to the analysis device 3. If it does in this way, the manufacturing cost of the acquisition apparatus 1 mounted in the cart 5 can be reduced, and the introduction cost of a behavior analysis system can be reduced.

(Embodiment 2)
The behavior analysis system of the present embodiment is characterized by the configuration of the acquisition device 1, and the other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment. Therefore, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same component as Embodiment 1, and illustration and description are abbreviate | omitted.

  The acquisition device 1 in the present embodiment is characterized in that it includes two image sensors 19A and 19B instead of the acceleration sensor 11 and the angular velocity sensor 12, and the main unit 1A and the wireless communication unit 1B are integrally formed. . And the acquisition apparatus 1 is attached to the lower surface of the loading platform 52 of the cart 5 similarly to the radio | wireless communication unit 1B in Embodiment 1. FIG.

  Each of the image sensors 19A and 19B is disposed so as to receive light emitted from a light emitting element (not shown) (such as a light emitting diode or a laser diode) and reflected on the floor surface. That is, using a known technique used for an optical mouse that is an input device of a computer, a characteristic shape and contrast on the floor surface are extracted from images captured by the image sensors 19A and 19B. Since the characteristic shape and contrast also move with the displacement of the image sensors 19A and 19B, the amount and direction of displacement of the image sensors 19A and 19B are measured by tracking the characteristic shape and contrast. be able to.

  In the present embodiment, the microcomputer 10 performs image processing on the image data output from the image sensors 19A and 19B to extract feature amounts (such as the characteristic shape and contrast), and tracks the feature amounts to cart. The movement amount (movement distance) of 5 and the direction of movement are calculated.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 10A, the distance between the optical axes of the two image sensors 19A and 19B arranged at the same distance from the floor is defined as d. Then, in the two-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system (absolute coordinate system) set on the floor as shown in FIG. 10B, the image sensors 19A and 19B move from the coordinates (x0, y0) to the coordinates (x1, y1). Suppose you did. At this time, the vector from the coordinates (x0, y0) to the coordinates (x1, y1) is changed into a linear component Δx passing through the origin and the coordinates (x0, y0) and a linear component Δy orthogonal to the straight line. When divided, the coordinates (x1, y1) are expressed by the following equations. However, θ is an angle formed by a straight line passing through the origin and coordinates (x0, y0) and the x axis.

x1 = x0 + Δx0 · cos θ−Δy · sin θ
y1 = y0 + Δx0 · sin θ + Δy · cos θ
Here, the straight line passing through the origin and coordinates (x0, y0) is the x-axis of the two-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system (sensor coordinate system) fixed to the cart 5, and the straight line orthogonal to the straight line is the sensor coordinate system. It becomes the y-axis. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 10C, the displacement angle when one image sensor 19A is at the coordinates (Δx0, Δy0) and the other image sensor 19B is moved to the coordinates (Δx1, Δy1) in the sensor coordinate system. Δθ is represented by the following equation. Here, k is an error coefficient between the two image sensors 19A and 19B.

Δθ = (k · Δy1−Δy0) / d
Accordingly, the rotation angle in the absolute coordinate system (the angle formed by the straight line connecting the x axis of the absolute coordinate system and the coordinates (x1, y1)) Θ is obtained by Θ = θ + Δθ.

  In this embodiment, since the microcomputer 10 calculates the moving distance and direction of the cart 5 using the two image sensors 19A and 19B, the case where the acceleration sensor 11 and the angular velocity sensor 12 are used as in the first embodiment. In comparison, the calculation error can be reduced.

(Embodiment 3)
The behavior analysis system according to the present embodiment is characterized in that one or more sensor units 7 are provided in the acquisition device 1, and other configurations are the same as those in the first or second embodiment. Therefore, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same component as Embodiment 1 or 2, and illustration and description are abbreviate | omitted.

  Conventionally, the temperature, humidity, and illuminance in the store 6 are measured by sensors, and the air conditioning and lighting of the store 6 are adjusted based on the measured values of the sensors. However, the temperature and humidity and brightness in the store 6 often vary greatly depending on the location. For example, in the vicinity of the refrigerated showcase 62, the temperature and humidity tend to be relatively lowered by the cold air of the refrigerated showcase 62. Moreover, since the lighting fixture is also incorporated in the refrigerated showcase 62, the illuminance tends to be relatively increased by the light leaking from the refrigerated showcase 62.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the sensor unit 7 provided in the acquisition device 1 measures temperature, humidity, or illuminance, accumulates the measured values in the memory 13 of the acquisition device 1, and transfers the cart from the acquisition device 1 to the collection device 2. The measurement value of the sensor unit 7 is transmitted together with the position 5.

  The sensor unit 7 measures the ambient temperature (air temperature) with a temperature detection element such as a thermistor, and outputs the measurement result (temperature measurement value) to the microcomputer 10 as an electrical signal. However, the measurement target of the sensor unit 7 is not limited to temperature, and the measurement value of humidity or illuminance may be output to the microcomputer 10 as an electrical signal.

  Then, the microcomputer 10 transmits data such as a temperature measurement value stored in the memory 13 together with the position data of the cart 5 from the wireless communication circuit 15 to the collection device 2.

  The collection device 2 passes data such as a temperature measurement value received from the acquisition device 1 to the arithmetic device. The arithmetic unit generates, for example, a control command for controlling the air conditioning equipment, the refrigeration equipment, the refrigeration equipment, the ventilation equipment, and the lighting equipment in the store 6 so that the temperature measurement value or the like matches the target value. The command is transmitted to the controller of the air conditioning equipment or the controller of the lighting equipment. When each controller receives a control command transmitted from the arithmetic device, it controls the air conditioning equipment, refrigeration equipment, refrigeration equipment, ventilation equipment, and lighting equipment based on the control command to increase / decrease the temperature and humidity and control the light. .

  Thus, according to this embodiment, the sensor unit 7 is provided in the acquisition device 1 that moves in the store together with the cart 5, and air conditioning equipment, refrigeration equipment, refrigeration equipment, ventilation equipment, and lighting equipment are provided according to each measured value. By controlling, the temperature, humidity or lighting in the store 6 can be adjusted appropriately.

1 Acquisition device (also computing device)
1A Main unit 1B Wireless communication unit 2 Collection device 3 Analysis device 4 Transmitter 5 Wheelbarrow (shopping cart)
10 Microcontroller (correction means)
11 Acceleration sensor (detection means)
12 Angular velocity sensor (detection means)
13 Memory 14 Antenna 15 Wireless Communication Circuit

Claims (11)

A behavior analysis system for analyzing the behavior of the customer in a store where merchandise is displayed along a passage along which the customer moves,
A plurality of transmitters installed at a plurality of locations in the store and transmitting radio signals using radio waves as a medium, and a handcart used by the customer to carry the product, the position of the handcart is determined. An acquisition device that acquires information necessary for specifying, and an arithmetic device that collects the information acquired by the acquisition device and calculates the position of the wheelbarrow in the store from the collected information,
The acquisition device includes a receiving unit that receives the radio signal and measures a received radio wave intensity of the radio signal, a detection unit that detects one or more types of physical quantities that change as the handcart moves, A transmission means for transmitting the measurement value of the received radio wave intensity and the detection result of the physical quantity to the arithmetic device;
The distance and direction of movement of the wheelbarrow is obtained from the physical quantity detection result, the position of the wheelbarrow is obtained from the measured value of the received radio wave intensity, and the position of the wheelbarrow calculated from the movement distance and direction of movement is calculated. A behavior analysis system characterized in that a correction means for correcting the position by using the position of the handcart obtained from the measured value of the received radio wave intensity is provided in either the acquisition device or the arithmetic device.   2. The behavior analysis system according to claim 1, wherein the physical quantity detection means includes an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration and at least one of an angular velocity sensor that detects angular velocity and a geomagnetic sensor that detects geomagnetism.   The detection means includes two image sensors arranged at a predetermined interval, and image processing means for obtaining the moving distance and direction by performing image processing on an image obtained by imaging the floor surface of the passage by each of the image sensors. The behavior analysis system according to claim 1, further comprising:   The receiving means includes an antenna for receiving the radio wave, and the antenna has a distance not longer than the wavelength of the radio wave at a location facing the floor surface of the passage in the handcart. The behavior analysis system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the behavior analysis system is arranged with a space between them.   The transmitter is configured to operate with a battery as a power source, intermittently transmit the wireless signal, and be disposed with a distance not longer than the wavelength of the radio wave between the floor surface. The behavior analysis system according to claim 1, wherein the behavior analysis system is characterized in that   The acquisition device includes a measurement unit that measures at least one of temperature, humidity, and illuminance, and the transmission unit transmits a measurement value of the measurement unit to the arithmetic unit. Item 6. The behavior analysis system according to any one of Items 1 to 5.   7. A collection device that is installed in the vicinity of a place where the purchase price of the product is paid in the store, collects the information acquired by the acquisition device, and passes the collected information to the arithmetic device. The behavior analysis system according to any one of the above.   7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a collection device that is installed in a vicinity of a place where the purchase price of the product is paid in the store and collects calculation results from the calculation device mounted on the wheelbarrow. The behavior analysis system according to any one of the above.   An analysis device that calculates a trajectory of the handcart from the position of the handcart and analyzes the behavior of the customer based on the trajectory, and the analysis device receives the position from the calculation device or the collection device through a network. The behavioral analysis system according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the data is acquired.   The arithmetic unit generates a control command for controlling the air conditioning equipment, refrigeration equipment, refrigeration equipment, ventilation equipment or lighting equipment in the store so that the measured value transmitted from the transmission means matches a target value. The behavior analysis system according to claim 6, wherein:   A battery for supplying power to the acquisition device and a charging device for charging the battery are mounted on the wheelbarrow, and contactless power feeding is performed in a contactless manner to the charging device at a place where the wheelbarrow is placed. It has an apparatus, The behavioral analysis system of any one of Claims 1-10 characterized by the above-mentioned.

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