JP2015170255A - Electronic shelf tag and electronic shelf tag system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic shelf tag and an electronic shelf tag system capable of providing a service corresponding to a customer.SOLUTION: An electronic shelf tag 16 is communicably connected to a server 12 for transmitting article data related to an article to be sold at a shop and is installed in association with each article at the shop. The electronic shelf tag 16 comprises a radio communication unit, a storage unit, a display unit, and a short-range radio communication unit. The radio communication unit receives the article data transmitted from the server 12. The storage unit stores the article data. The display unit displays information including display data included in the article data. The short-range radio communication unit wirelessly receives a request from a portable terminal 18 carried by a customer at the shop and wirelessly transmits information including non-display data, which is not the display-data, included in the article data to the portable terminal 18.

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic shelf label and an electronic shelf label system.

  Conventionally, as disclosed in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-91984), an electronic shelf label system (ESL system / Electronic Shelf Label System) has been used in a store such as a supermarket or a convenience store.

  The electronic shelf label system will be briefly described. In general, in stores that sell a plurality of types of products, information (product names and selling prices, etc.) related to products sold in the store is centrally managed by a product master stored in a POS system or the like. . On the other hand, merchandise information is often transmitted to store customers via paper media shelf labels attached to merchandise shelves on which the merchandise is displayed. However, when using a paper medium shelf label, the management of the shelf label must be relied upon manually, and thus human error such as a mistake in the name of the product and the selling price tends to occur. Therefore, there is a possibility that an incorrect selling price different from the selling price at the time of settlement by the register of the POS system is transmitted to the customer.

  The electronic shelf label system is a system for solving such a problem. The electronic shelf label system mainly includes an electronic shelf label installed in association with each product displayed in the store, and a store server connected to each electronic shelf label via a communication network. The electronic shelf label is attached to the product shelf, and includes a memory that stores product information such as names and selling prices of products displayed on the product shelf, and a display that displays the product information. As the display of the electronic shelf label, electronic paper or the like with extremely low power consumption is used. The store server has a function of transmitting product information stored in the product master to an electronic shelf label corresponding to the product. The electronic shelf label displays the name and selling price of the corresponding product on the display based on the product information received from the store server. Further, when the product information stored in the product master is updated due to a change in the selling price of the product, the store server transmits the updated product information to the electronic shelf label, and the electronic shelf label displays the received product information. Show on the display. Thereby, the electronic shelf label system can automatically update the product information displayed on the electronic shelf label in conjunction with the update of the product information stored in the product master. For this reason, when the electronic shelf label system is used, the selling price that matches the selling price at the time of settlement is always displayed on the electronic shelf label, so that the correct selling price is transmitted to the customer.

  However, since the electronic shelf label is attached to the commodity shelf in the same manner as the paper medium shelf label, it is difficult to enlarge the display of the electronic shelf label. For this reason, the electronic shelf label can store various product information such as product raw material, expiration date and store member special price in addition to the product name and selling price in its memory. The displayed product information is usually limited only to the product name and selling price. In order to reduce the power consumption of the electronic shelf label, it is preferable to reduce the number of times the display display is changed as much as possible. Therefore, the customer of the store can usually access only a part of the product information stored in the electronic shelf label, for example, the name and selling price of the product, via the display of the electronic shelf label. Therefore, the conventional electronic shelf label can store various kinds of product information, but since it is difficult to present to the customer by displaying all the product information on the display, a service corresponding to the customer is provided based on the product information Is difficult.

  The electronic shelf label and the electronic shelf label system according to the present invention can provide services according to customers.

  The electronic shelf label according to the present invention is communicably connected to a server that transmits product data relating to a product sold at a store, and is installed in association with each product at the store. The electronic shelf label includes a first communication unit, a storage unit, a display unit, and a second communication unit. The first communication unit receives product data transmitted from the server. The storage unit stores product data. The display unit displays information including display data included in the product data. The second communication unit wirelessly receives a request from a terminal carried by a customer of the store, and wirelessly transmits information including non-display data that is included in the product data and is not display data to the terminal.

  The electronic shelf label displays display data that is a part of the product data, and wirelessly transmits non-display data other than the display data to the customer terminal. The customer terminal presents the non-display data received wirelessly from the electronic shelf label. The customer can select the product data that he / she wants to acquire from the non-display data stored in the electronic shelf label and present it on his / her terminal. For example, when the electronic shelf label displays only the name and price of the product, the customer can display the raw material of the product wirelessly received from the electronic shelf label on the display of his / her terminal. Therefore, this electronic shelf label can provide services according to customers.

  In the electronic shelf label according to the present invention, it is preferable that the first communication unit wirelessly receives the product data. In this case, the maximum distance that the first communication unit can wirelessly communicate with the server may be longer than the maximum distance that the second communication unit can wirelessly communicate with the terminal.

  In the electronic shelf label according to the present invention, it is preferable that the second communication unit further wirelessly transmits information including at least a part of the display data to the terminal.

  With this electronic shelf label, the customer can wirelessly receive the product data displayed on the electronic shelf label from the electronic shelf label and present it on his / her terminal.

  In the electronic shelf label according to the present invention, the display data preferably includes the name of the product and the price of the product.

  In addition, in the electronic shelf label according to the present invention, when the product is food, the non-display data includes the raw material of the product, the allergen contained in the product, the expiration date of the product, the price of the product applied to the store member It is preferable to include at least a part of the price of the product in the competitor store of the store.

  An electronic shelf label system according to the present invention includes a server, a terminal, and an electronic shelf label. The server transmits product data related to products sold at the store. The terminal is a device that is carried by a store customer. The electronic shelf label is communicably connected to the server and the terminal, and is installed in association with each product in the store. The electronic shelf label includes a first communication unit, a storage unit, a display unit, and a second communication unit. The first communication unit receives product data transmitted from the server. The storage unit stores product data. The display unit displays information including display data included in the product data. The second communication unit wirelessly receives a request from a terminal carried by a customer of the store, and wirelessly transmits information including non-display data that is included in the product data and is not display data to the terminal. The terminal includes a third communication unit and a presentation unit. The third communication unit wirelessly transmits a request to the second communication unit, and wirelessly receives information including non-display data from the second communication unit. The presenting unit presents information including non-display data wirelessly received by the third communication unit to the customer.

  In this electronic shelf label system, the server can centrally manage the product data stored in all the electronic shelf labels. For example, the server can collectively change the product data displayed on all the electronic shelf labels. Therefore, this electronic shelf label system can efficiently manage product data.

  In the electronic shelf label system according to the present invention, it is preferable that the terminal further includes a selection unit for the customer to select at least a part of information including the non-display data wirelessly received by the third communication unit. In this case, the presentation unit presents information selected by the customer by the selection unit.

  In this electronic shelf label system, the customer can select product data stored in the electronic shelf label and desired to be presented on his / her terminal. For example, the customer can acquire arbitrary product data using a dedicated application installed in his / her terminal.

  In the electronic shelf label system according to the present invention, the first communication unit preferably transmits information related to the request wirelessly received by the second communication unit to the server.

  In this electronic shelf label system, the server can acquire information related to product data acquired by a customer using his / her terminal.

  The electronic shelf label and the electronic shelf label system according to the present invention can provide services according to customers.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of an electronic shelf label system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block block diagram of a server. It is a block diagram of a goods database and an electronic shelf label database. It is an example of merchandise information. It is an external view of the goods shelf in which the electronic shelf label is installed. It is a block block diagram of an electronic shelf label. It is an external view of the front side of an electronic shelf label. It is a block block diagram of a portable terminal. It is an example of a display of the display part of a portable terminal. It is an example of a display of the display part of a portable terminal in the modification A. It is an example of a display of the display part of a portable terminal in the modification A. It is an example of a display of the display part of a portable terminal in the modification B.

  An electronic shelf label and an electronic shelf label system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiment described below is one specific example of the present invention, and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

(1) Configuration of Electronic Shelf Label System FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an electronic shelf label system 10 according to the present embodiment. The electronic shelf label system 10 mainly includes a server 12, a plurality of access points 14, a plurality of electronic shelf labels 16, and a mobile terminal 18. The electronic shelf label system 10 is a network installed in a store such as a supermarket or a convenience store. The server 12 is connected to the electronic shelf label 16 via the access point 14. The electronic shelf label 16 is attached to a commodity shelf installed in the store. The electronic shelf label 16 stores information related to products displayed on the product shelf. A customer who visits a store for purchasing a product can acquire information stored in the electronic shelf label 16 by using the portable terminal 18 that the customer owns. Next, each component of the electronic shelf label system 10 will be described.

(1-1) Server The server 12 is a computer installed in a management room or the like in the store. The server 12 is used by an administrator of the electronic shelf label system 10 and store staff. The server 12 is connected to each access point 14 by wire. The server 12 is connected to the electronic shelf label 16 via the access point 14 so as to be communicable.

  FIG. 2 is a block configuration diagram of the server 12. The server 12 mainly includes a control unit 20, a storage unit 21, an input unit 22, an output unit 23, and a communication unit 24. The control unit 20 is an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU. The storage unit 21 is a storage device such as an HDD (hard disk drive) and an SSD (solid state drive). The storage unit 21 stores a program executed by the control unit 20, data necessary for executing the program, an OS (operating system) used by the server 12, and the like. The storage unit 21 stores a product database 30 and an electronic shelf label database 40. The control unit 20 reads and executes a program stored in the storage unit 21 to realize various functions of the server 12. The input unit 22 is an input device such as a keyboard and a mouse. The output unit 23 is an output device such as a display and a printer. The communication unit 24 is a network interface device that mediates communication with the access point 14.

  FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of the product database 30 and the electronic shelf label database 40 stored in the storage unit 21.

  The product database 30 is a database used for managing products sold in the store. Store staff and the like manage the product database 30 stored in the storage unit 21 using the input unit 22 and the output unit 23. As shown in FIG. 3, the product database 30 stores a product ID 31 and product information 32 in association with each other. The product ID 31 is a character string that is uniquely assigned to each product item sold in the store. The product information 32 is various types of information related to products sold in the store. As shown in FIG. 3, the product information 32 includes a name 32a, a price 32b, a manufacturer 32c, a raw material 32d, an allergen 32e, an expiration date 32f, a store member special price 32g, and a price 32h at a competing store. Consists of items. Some items such as the raw material 32d and the allergic substance 32e store data when the product is food. Thus, the product information 32 may be configured from different items depending on the product category. However, all the product information 32 includes at least items of a name 32a and a price 32b. FIG. 4 is an example of the product information 32 when the product is “frozen croquette”. In addition, as long as the server 12, the electronic shelf label 16, and the portable terminal 18 are processable, there is no restriction | limiting in the format of the data stored in each item 32a-32h of the merchandise information 32. FIG. For example, in the item of allergic substance 32e of the product information 32, a character string representing the name of the allergic substance such as “egg, wheat” may be stored, and a bit flag set for each item of allergic substance. May be stored. The product information 32 may further include items other than the items 32a to 32h illustrated in FIG. For example, the product information 32 may further include an item in which data relating to the date of manufacture and the distribution channel is stored.

  The electronic shelf label database 40 is a database used for managing the electronic shelf label 16 attached to the commodity shelf in the store. Store staff and the like manage the electronic shelf label database 40 stored in the storage unit 21 using the input unit 22 and the output unit 23. As shown in FIG. 3, the electronic shelf label database 40 stores a shelf label ID 41 and shelf information 42 in association with each other. The shelf label ID 41 is a character string uniquely assigned to each electronic shelf label 16. As shown in FIG. 3, the shelf information 42 includes a shelf ID 42a and a display product ID 42b. The shelf ID 42a is a character string uniquely assigned to each product shelf installed in the store. The displayed product ID 42b is information for specifying a product displayed on the product shelf to which the corresponding shelf ID 42a is assigned. Specifically, the product ID 31 stored in the product database 30 is used as the data stored in the display product ID 42b. Thus, the shelf information 42 associates the product shelves installed in the store with the products displayed on the product shelves.

(1-2) Access Point The access point 14 is a device that relays communication between the server 12 and the electronic shelf label 16. The access point 14 is wired to the server 12 and wirelessly connected to the electronic shelf label 16. The access point 14 is installed at a plurality of locations in the store so that it can wirelessly communicate with all the electronic shelf labels 16 installed in the store.

(1-3) Electronic shelf label The electronic shelf label 16 is a device for presenting information related to products sold in a store to a customer. The electronic shelf label 16 is wirelessly connected to the access point 14. The electronic shelf label 16 can wirelessly communicate with the mobile terminal 18. The electronic shelf label 16 operates with electric power supplied from a built-in battery.

  FIG. 5 is an external view of the commodity shelf 17 to which the electronic shelf label 16 is attached. A plurality of product shelves 17 are installed in the store. The commodity shelf 17 is a shelf for displaying the commodity 19 sold in the store. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that only one type of product 19 is displayed on each product shelf 17. An electronic shelf label 16 is attached to the lower side of the product shelf 17. The electronic shelf label 16 presents information about the product 19 displayed on the product shelf 17 to the customer. In addition, one type of product 19 may be displayed on the plurality of product shelves 17 as necessary. Further, a plurality of types of products 19 may be displayed on one product shelf 17 as necessary. In this case, the product shelf 17 is divided for each type of the product 19, and only one type of product 19 is displayed for each divided space.

  FIG. 6 is a block configuration diagram of the electronic shelf label 16. The electronic shelf label 14 mainly includes a control unit 50, a storage unit 51, a display unit 52, a wireless communication unit 53, and a short-range wireless communication unit 54. The control unit 50 is an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU. The control unit 50 controls the storage unit 51, the display unit 52, the wireless communication unit 53, and the short-range wireless communication unit 54. The storage unit 51 is a storage device that is rewritable and includes a small nonvolatile memory. The storage unit 51 stores a program executed by the control unit 50 and data necessary for executing the program. The storage unit 51 stores the product information 32 received from the server 12. The display unit 52 is a low power consumption display such as electronic paper. Since the electronic paper does not consume power for maintaining the display, if the display is not changed frequently, the electronic paper can be used without replacing the battery for a long time. The wireless communication unit 53 is a network interface device that mediates wireless communication with the access point 14. The short-range wireless communication unit 54 is a network interface device that mediates communication with the mobile terminal 18. The communicable distance of the short-range wireless communication unit 54 is shorter than the communicable distance of the wireless communication unit 53. In the present embodiment, the short-range wireless communication unit 54 is an NFC interface. NFC (Near Field Communication) is one of the international standards for wireless communication for performing data communication at a close range of several tens of centimeters. Note that the short-range wireless communication unit 54 may be a member integrated with the storage unit 51.

  FIG. 7 is an external view of the front side of the electronic shelf label 16. A display unit 52 is provided on the front side of the electronic shelf label 16. The electronic shelf label 16 is attached to the product shelf 17 so that the customer can easily view the display unit 52. A near field communication unit 54 is built in the front side of the electronic shelf label 16. The display unit 52 of the electronic shelf label 16 displays at least a part of the product information 32 of the product 19 displayed on the product shelf 17 to which the electronic shelf label 16 is attached. Normally, as shown in FIG. 7, only the name 32 a and the price 32 b of the product 19 are displayed on the display unit 52 of the electronic shelf label 16. That is, among the items 32a to 32h included in the product information 32, the name 32a and the price 32b are display data, and data other than the name 32a and the price 32b is non-display data.

(1-4) Mobile terminal The mobile terminal 18 is an NFC terminal owned by a customer. The mobile terminal 18 is, for example, a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal. FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the mobile terminal 18. The mobile terminal 18 mainly includes a control unit 60, a storage unit 61, a display unit 62, a wireless communication unit 63, an input unit 64, and an audio output unit 65. The control unit 60 is an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU. The control unit 60 controls the storage unit 61, the display unit 62, the wireless communication unit 63, the input unit 64, and the audio output unit 65. The storage unit 61 is a storage device such as a nonvolatile memory. The storage unit 61 stores a program executed by the control unit 60 and data necessary for executing the program. The display unit 62 is a liquid crystal display or the like. The wireless communication unit 63 is an NFC chip capable of short-range wireless communication with the short-range wireless communication unit 54 that is an NFC interface of the electronic shelf label 16. The input unit 64 is a button, a microphone, or the like for inputting data to the mobile terminal 18. When the display unit 62 is a touch panel display, the display unit 62 may have the function of the input unit 64. The audio output unit 65 is a speaker or the like.

  The storage unit 61 stores a store-specific information selection application 66. The information selection application 66 has a function of performing wireless communication between the short-range wireless communication unit 54 of the electronic shelf label 16 and the wireless communication unit 63 of the mobile terminal 18. The customer uses the information selection application 66 to hold his / her mobile terminal 18 over the electronic shelf label 16, whereby the product information 32 stored in the storage unit 51 of the electronic shelf label 16 is stored in the storage unit of the mobile terminal 18. 61 can be stored. The information selection application 66 has a function of selecting and processing the product information 32 acquired from the electronic shelf label 16 according to the customer's request and presenting it to the customer. The customer can check the product information 32 stored in the storage unit 61 of his / her mobile terminal 18 using the information selection application 66 in a format according to his / her request through the mobile terminal 18. .

  The customer can download the information selection application 66 from the official website of the store or the like and install it on his mobile terminal 18. A plurality of information selection applications 66 are provided according to the customer's request. As an example of the information selection application 66, there is an “allergy substance notification application” that presents allergic substances contained in the product 19 to a customer when the product 19 is food. The “allergic substance notification application” has a function of displaying data stored in the allergic substance 32e of the product information 32 on the display unit 62 of the mobile terminal 18 to warn the customer. FIG. 9 is a display example of the display unit 62 of the portable terminal 18 when the customer uses the “allergic substance notification application”. The customer may register a specific allergic substance that reacts with the mobile terminal 18 in advance. In this case, the “allergic substance notification application” warns that the product 19 contains the allergic substance only when the allergic substance 32e of the product information 32 contains the allergic substance registered by the customer. Alternatively, it may be displayed on the display unit 62 of the mobile terminal 18.

  The customer can download a plurality of information selection applications 66 having different functions from each other to his / her mobile terminal 18 and select and use the appropriate information selection application 66 as necessary.

(2) Operation of Electronic Shelf Label System The operation of the electronic shelf label system 10 installed in a store such as a supermarket or a convenience store will be described. First, an administrator of the electronic shelf label system 10, a store staff, and the like send information on the product 19 displayed on the product shelf 17 in the store to the electronic shelf label 16 attached to the product shelf 17. The process of storing data in will be described.

  The storage unit 21 of the server 12 stores a product database 30 and an electronic shelf label database 40. The product database 30 stores a product ID 31 for specifying an item of the product 19 and product information 32 of the product 19. The electronic shelf label database 40 includes a shelf label ID 41 for specifying the electronic shelf label 16 and a display product ID 42b for specifying the product 19 displayed on the product shelf 17 to which the electronic shelf label 16 is attached. And are stored. A common ID is stored in the product ID 31 and the display product ID 42b. Therefore, the control unit 20 of the server 12 can acquire the product information 32 corresponding to each shelf label ID 41 by referring to the product database 30 and the electronic shelf label database 40. That is, the control unit 20 of the server 12 can transmit the product information 32 of the product 19 displayed on the product shelf 17 to which the electronic shelf label 16 is attached to the electronic shelf label 16. The storage unit 51 of the electronic shelf label 16 stores the product information 32 received from the server 12. The display unit 52 of the electronic shelf label 16 displays the name 32 a and the price 32 b included in the product information 32 stored in the storage unit 51.

  Next, a process in which the customer acquires the product information 32 of the product 19 from the electronic shelf label 16 using his / her mobile terminal 18 will be described. The above-mentioned “allergic substance notification application” is installed in the customer's mobile terminal 18 as the information selection application 66.

  The customer who visited the store operates his / her mobile terminal 18 to activate the information selection application 66 in advance. Next, the customer approaches the product shelf 17 on which the product 19 whose product information 32 is desired to be acquired is displayed, and holds the portable terminal 18 over the electronic shelf label 16 attached to the product shelf 17. Thereby, the control unit 60 of the portable terminal 18 instantaneously reads the product information 32 stored in the storage unit 51 of the electronic shelf label 16 via the wireless communication unit 63 and stores it in the storage unit 61. The control unit 60 of the portable terminal 18 selects the allergic substance 32e from the items 32a to 32h included in the product information 32 stored in the storage unit 61, and displays the data stored in the allergic substance 32e on the display unit 62. To do. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 9, the control unit 60 of the mobile terminal 18 displays information on the allergen contained in the product 19 and a predetermined warning on the display unit 62 of the mobile terminal 18.

(3) Features of Electronic Shelf Label System In the electronic shelf label system 10 according to the present embodiment, the electronic shelf label 16 is attached to the product shelf 17 and stores the product information 32 of the product 19 displayed on the product shelf 17. keeping. The display unit 52 of the electronic shelf label 16 displays only the product name 32a and the price 32b, which are part of the product information 32, and does not display the product information 32 other than the product name 32a and the price 32b.

  Since the electronic shelf label 16 is attached to the frame of the product shelf 17, it is difficult to increase the size of the display unit 52 of the electronic shelf label 16. In addition, from the viewpoint of visibility of the electronic shelf label 16, it is difficult to reduce the size of characters displayed on the display unit 52. Therefore, the storage unit 51 of the electronic shelf label 16 can store product information 32 including various types of information related to the product 19, but the information displayed on the display unit 52 of the electronic shelf label 16 is usually As shown in FIG. 7, the product name is limited to the name 32a and the price 32b. Moreover, in order to suppress the power consumption of the electronic paper which is the display part 52 of the electronic shelf label 16, it is preferable that the information displayed on the display part 52 is not changed as much as possible. Therefore, it is preferable that the display unit 52 of the electronic shelf label 16 continues to display only the name 32a and the price 32b of the product 19 displayed on the product shelf 17 to which the electronic shelf label 16 is attached.

  In the electronic shelf label system 10, the customer who visits the store simply holds his / her mobile terminal 18 over the electronic shelf label 16, and stores the product information 32 that is not displayed on the display unit 52 of the electronic shelf label 16. 18 display units 62 can be displayed. As a result, the display unit 52 of the electronic shelf label 16 continues to display only the product name 32a and the price 32b, which are part of the product information 32, while suppressing the power consumption of the electronic shelf label 16, and the mobile phone of the customer. Product information 32 other than the product name 32a and the price 32b can be displayed on the display unit 62 of the terminal 18.

  Further, the customer can display the product information 32 selected and processed according to his / her request on the display unit 62 of the mobile terminal 18 by using the information selection application 66 downloaded to the mobile terminal 18. For example, the customer uses the above-mentioned “allergy substance notification application” as the information selection application 66, so that when the product 19 contains allergens, the data stored in the allergens 32 e of the product information 32 is stored in the data. Based on this, a predetermined warning can be displayed on the display unit 62 of the portable terminal 18.

  Further, the customer can download a plurality of information selection applications 66 corresponding to his / her various requests to the mobile terminal 18. By appropriately selecting the information selection application 66, the customer can select the product information 32 that he / she wants to present on his / her mobile terminal 18. Therefore, the electronic shelf label system 10 can provide services according to customers.

  Further, in the electronic shelf label system 10, store staff or the like can manage the product information 32 transmitted to all the electronic shelf labels 16 using the product database 30 by operating the server 12. it can. For example, store staff or the like can collectively transmit the latest product information 32 from the server 12 to all the electronic shelf labels 16 when the product database 30 is updated. Therefore, the electronic shelf label system 10 can efficiently manage the products 19 sold in the store.

  Further, in the electronic shelf label system 10, a store staff or the like can visually recognize the name 32 a and the price 32 b of the product displayed on the electronic shelf label 16 while checking the product shelf 17 to which the electronic shelf label 16 is attached. Appropriate goods 19 can be displayed and replenished. The product name 32 a and the price 32 b displayed on the electronic shelf label 16 are centrally managed by the product database 30. Therefore, the electronic shelf label system 10 can prevent a mistake that the wrong product 19 is displayed on the product shelf 17.

  In the electronic shelf label system 10, a shelf label ID 41 and a shelf ID 42 a associated with the shelf label ID 41 are stored in the electronic shelf label database 40. Therefore, the administrator of the electronic shelf label system 10 specifies the correct product shelf 17 to which the electronic shelf label 16 should be attached when the electronic shelf label 16 is attached to the product shelf 17 after replacing the battery of the electronic shelf label 16. can do. Therefore, the electronic shelf label system 10 can prevent a mistake that the wrong electronic shelf label 16 is attached to the product shelf 17 during maintenance management of the electronic shelf label 16.

(4) Modifications Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the specific configuration of the present invention can be changed without departing from the gist of the present invention. Next, modifications applicable to the present embodiment will be described.

(4-1) Modification A
In the present embodiment, the “allergic substance notification application” has been described as the information selection application 66 that the customer downloads to the mobile terminal 18. The “allergic substance notification application” has a function of displaying data stored in the allergic substance 32 e of the product information 32 on the display unit 62 of the mobile terminal 18. However, the customer may download the information selection application 66 having other functions to the mobile terminal 18 and cause the mobile terminal 18 to present the product information 32 according to his / her request. Next, as another example of the information selection application 66, a “member dedicated application”, an “amount calculation application”, and a “voice notification application” will be described.

  The “member-only application” has a function of presenting the selling price of the product 19 applied only to store members to customers who are store members. The store member can purchase the product 19 at a price lower than the selling price stored in the price 32b of the product information 32. The selling price of the product 19 applied to the store member is stored in the store member special price 32 g of the product information 32. A customer who is a member of the store downloads and activates the “member-only application” on his / her mobile terminal 18. The customer holds the mobile terminal 18 over the electronic shelf label 16 to cause the mobile terminal 18 to acquire the product information 32 of the product 19 displayed on the product shelf 17 to which the electronic shelf label 16 is attached. The display unit 62 of the mobile terminal 18 displays the store member special price 32 g included in the product information 32. FIG. 10 is a display example of the display unit 62 of the mobile terminal 18 when the customer uses the “member-only application”. The “member-only application” may be input with the customer's member ID and password at the time of activation.

  The “amount calculation application” has a function of recording the selling price of all the products 19 that the customer plans to purchase, calculating the amount that the customer needs to pay at the time of settlement, and presenting it to the customer. The customer downloads and starts the “money calculation application” on his / her mobile terminal 18. The customer holds the mobile terminal 18 over the electronic shelf label 16 to cause the mobile terminal 18 to acquire the product information 32 of the product 19 displayed on the product shelf 17 to which the electronic shelf label 16 is attached. Based on the product information 32 acquired by the mobile terminal 18, the control unit 60 of the mobile terminal 18 automatically registers the name 32 a and the price 32 b of the product 19 that the customer plans to purchase in the storage unit 61 of the mobile terminal 18. . The control unit 60 of the mobile terminal 18 further calculates the sum of the prices 32b of all the registered products 19. The display unit 62 of the mobile terminal 18 displays the calculated total amount as a provisional value of the amount that the customer needs to pay at the time of payment. When the customer settles the product 19 in cash at the cash register in the store, the amount of money displayed on the display unit 62 of the portable terminal 18 is prepared in advance, thereby shortening the time required for settlement at the cash register. it can. FIG. 11 is a display example of the display unit 62 of the mobile terminal 18 when the customer uses the “money amount calculation application”. As shown in FIG. 11, the “money amount calculation application” is a function for displaying the name 32a and the price 32b of the product 19 registered by the customer using the mobile terminal 18 on the display unit 62 of the mobile terminal 18 in the form of a receipt. May further be included. Further, the “money amount calculation application” may further have a function of canceling registration of the product 19 registered by the customer using the mobile terminal 18.

  The “voice notification application” has a function of reading out the product information 32 of the product 19 by voice for customers who are blind. The customer downloads and activates the “voice application” on his / her mobile terminal 18. The customer holds the mobile terminal 18 over the electronic shelf label 16 to cause the mobile terminal 18 to acquire the product information 32 of the product 19 displayed on the product shelf 17 to which the electronic shelf label 16 is attached. The control unit 60 of the mobile terminal 18 outputs the audio data read out from the data about the name 32 a and the price 32 b of the product information 32 acquired by the mobile terminal 18 from the audio output unit 65 of the mobile terminal 18. For example, the voice output unit 65 of the portable terminal 18 presents the product information 32 to the customer by voice saying “Frozen croquette, 1 pack is 298 yen”. Thereby, the visually impaired customer can grasp the name 32 a and the price 32 b of the product 19 without visually recognizing the electronic shelf label 16. Note that the “voice notification application” may read out data related to the product information 32 other than the name 32a and the price 32b of the product 19 as necessary.

(4-2) Modification B
In the present embodiment and Modification A, specific examples of various information selection applications 66 that can be downloaded to the mobile terminal 18 by a customer have been described. In the present embodiment and Modification A, the customer can select the information selection application 66 having the function required by the customer, download it to the mobile terminal 18 and use it.

  However, the customer downloads a plurality of information selection applications 66 having various functions to his / her mobile terminal 18 and activates the appropriate information selection application 66 as necessary to obtain the necessary product information 32. May be.

  For example, the customer may download to the portable terminal 18 an application launcher that includes all of the above-mentioned “allergy substance notification application”, “member-only application”, “money amount calculation application”, and “voice notification application”. FIG. 12 is a display example of the display unit 62 of the mobile terminal 18 when the customer uses the application launcher. On the display unit 62 of the mobile terminal 18 shown in FIG. 12, four frames representing the above-described four types of information selection applications 66 are displayed. The customer can select and activate the information selection application 66 by tapping an area in any one of the frames displayed on the display unit 62. The application launcher may further have a function of registering the information selection application 66 having other functions, a function of canceling the registration, and the like.

(4-3) Modification C
In this embodiment and Modification A, the customer downloads and uses the information selection application 66 having the functions required by the customer on the mobile terminal 18. The control unit 60 of the mobile terminal 18 presents at least a part of the product information 32 acquired by the mobile terminal 18 from the electronic shelf label 16 to the customer by the information selection application 66. However, the control unit 60 of the mobile terminal 18 may present all data included in the product information 32 acquired by the mobile terminal 18 from the electronic shelf label 16 to the customer by the information selection application 66.

  The information selection application 66 further has a function of registering in advance data that the customer wants to acquire among the data included in the items 32a to 32h of the product information 32 and presenting only the registered data to the customer. You may do it. The information selection application 66 may further have a function that allows the customer to customize the layout of data displayed on the display unit 62 of the mobile terminal 18.

(4-4) Modification D
In the present embodiment and Modification A, specific examples of various information selection applications 66 that can be downloaded to the mobile terminal 18 by a customer have been described. These information selection applications 66 are examples, and there is no limitation on the format of data that the portable terminal 18 can present to the customer.

  For example, the information selection application 66 may have a function of combining the above-described “allergen notification application” and “voice application”. In this case, the visually impaired customer holds his / her mobile terminal 18 over the electronic shelf label 16, whereby the product information 32 of the product 19 displayed on the product shelf 17 to which the electronic shelf label 16 is attached. Is acquired by the mobile terminal 18. And the portable terminal 18 can read the audio | voice data regarding the name 32a of the goods contained in the acquired merchandise information 32, the price 32b, and the allergic substance 32e, and can show it to a customer.

(4-5) Modification E
In the present embodiment, the customer's mobile terminal 18 can wirelessly receive the product information 32 from the electronic shelf label 16 and display it on the display unit 62. At this time, the electronic shelf label 16 that wirelessly transmits the product information 32 to the mobile terminal 18 may transmit information about the destination mobile terminal 18 and information about itself to the server 12 via the access point 14. Good. Further, the mobile terminal 18 transmits information related to the information selection application 66 used by the customer to the electronic shelf label 16, and the electronic shelf label 16 further transmits the information to the server 12 via the access point 14. May be.

  In this modification, the server 12 includes information related to the customer who has acquired the product information 32 from the electronic shelf label 16, information related to the electronic shelf label 16 from which the product information 32 has been acquired by the customer's mobile terminal 18, and an information selection application 66. Can be used to acquire and store information about the product information 32 acquired by the customer. Such information is useful for improving the service of the store. For example, in the electronic shelf label 16 in which the data stored in the allergic substance 32e of the product information 32 is frequently acquired by the mobile terminal 18, the server 12 includes the name 32a of the product 19 corresponding to the electronic shelf label 16 and In addition to the price 32b, information related to the allergic substance 32e can be further displayed on the display unit 52. Thereby, the electronic shelf label system 10 can reduce the number of times the customer acquires the product information 32 from the electronic shelf label 16 using the mobile terminal 18.

10 Electronic shelf label system 12 Server 16 Electronic shelf label 18 Mobile terminal (terminal)
19 products 32 product information (product data)
51 Storage Unit 52 Display Unit 53 Wireless Communication Unit (First Communication Unit)
54 Short-range wireless communication unit (second communication unit)
62 Display section (presentation section)
63 Wireless communication unit (third communication unit)
66 Information selection application (selection unit)

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-91984

Claims (8)

An electronic shelf label that is communicably connected to a server that transmits product data related to a product sold in a store, and is installed in association with each product in the store,
A first communication unit that receives the product data transmitted from the server;
A storage unit for storing the product data;
A display unit for displaying information including display data included in the product data;
A second communication unit that wirelessly receives a request from a terminal carried by a customer of the store and wirelessly transmits information including non-display data that is included in the product data and is not the display data;
Electronic shelf label with. The first communication unit wirelessly receives the product data,
The maximum distance that the first communication unit can wirelessly communicate with the server is longer than the maximum distance that the second communication unit can wirelessly communicate with the terminal.
The electronic shelf label according to claim 1. The second communication unit further wirelessly transmits information including at least a part of the display data to the terminal.
The electronic shelf label according to claim 1 or 2. The display data includes the name of the product and the price of the product.
The electronic shelf label of any one of Claim 1 to 3. When the product is a food, the non-display data is the raw material of the product, the allergen contained in the product, the expiration date of the product, the price of the product applied to members of the store, and the Including at least a portion of the price of the product at a competitor of the store,
The electronic shelf label of any one of Claim 1 to 4. A server that sends product data about products sold in stores;
A terminal carried by a customer of the store;
An electronic shelf label that is communicably connected to the server and the terminal, and is installed in association with each product in the store;
With
The electronic shelf label
A first communication unit that receives the product data transmitted from the server;
A storage unit for storing the product data;
A display unit for displaying information including display data included in the product data;
A second communication unit that wirelessly receives a request from a terminal carried by a customer of the store and wirelessly transmits information including non-display data that is included in the product data and is not the display data;
With
The terminal
A third communication unit that wirelessly transmits the request to the second communication unit and wirelessly receives information including the non-display data from the second communication unit;
A presentation unit for presenting information including the non-display data wirelessly received by the third communication unit to the customer;
Comprising
Electronic shelf label system. The terminal further includes a selection unit for the customer to select at least a part of information including the non-display data wirelessly received by the third communication unit,
The presenting unit presents the information selected by the customer by the selecting unit;
The electronic shelf label system according to claim 6. The first communication unit transmits information on the request wirelessly received by the second communication unit to the server.
The electronic shelf label system according to claim 6 or 7.

Images