JP2016110536A - Merchandise processing system and merchandise processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a merchandise processing system and a merchandise processing method capable of easily grasping an identification result related to an object.SOLUTION: A merchandise processing system S includes: a merchandise identification device 2 for identifying an object to be conveyed in a predetermined conveyance direction by a belt conveyer 1 as merchandise on the basis of image information to be acquired by imaging the object; and a display control circuit for controlling display lamps P arrayed along the conveyance direction to show an identification result related to the object correspondingly to the position in the conveyance direction of the object as the identification object of the merchandise identification device 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a product processing system and a product processing method.

  In recent years, product identification devices that identify products based on image information obtained by imaging products are becoming popular. By using this merchandise item identification device for cash register settlement, there is an advantage that sales registration of fruits and vegetables without a barcode becomes easy.

  For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a feature amount extraction unit that extracts an appearance feature amount of a product based on image information obtained by imaging the product, and a comparison between feature amount data of a predetermined recognition dictionary file and the appearance feature amount. There is described a product identification device including a similarity calculation unit that calculates a similarity based on a candidate output unit that outputs a candidate for a target product based on the similarity calculated by the similarity calculation unit.

JP 2014-92975 A

  In Patent Literature 1, an operator (store clerk) holds a product picked up from a basket over a reading window, picks up and identifies the product with a product identification device, and then repeats the operation of putting the product into another basket. ing.

On the other hand, a belt conveyor type system is known in which customers themselves place products one after another on a belt conveyor, and the customers themselves pack the products for which payment has been completed. This eliminates the need for an operator to take out the product from the basket and move it to another basket.
Such a system, for example, is provided with a tunnel-type product identification device in the middle of the belt conveyor, and the product identified by the product identification device is automatically registered for sales and is not identified by the product identification device (one For items that could not be narrowed down to products, sales are registered by operator operation.

  That is, the belt conveyor type system is configured such that the operator himself does not take out the product from the basket and register the sale, but registers the sale of the product conveyed by the belt conveyor. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult for the operator to grasp the correspondence between the products (objects) being conveyed one after another and the products (objects) to be identified by the product identification device, which is inconvenient for the operator. It was.

  Then, this invention makes it a subject to provide the merchandise processing system and merchandise processing method which can grasp | ascertain easily the identification result regarding a target object.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides:
A product for identifying an object transported in a predetermined transport direction by a transport means as a product based on image information acquired by imaging the target object and / or an identification label attached to the target object An identification means;
The display means arranged along the transport direction is controlled so as to indicate the identification result of the object by the commodity identification means, corresponding to the position in the transport direction of the object transported in the transport direction. And a display control means.

The present invention also provides:
A product for identifying an object transported in a predetermined transport direction by a transport means as a product based on image information acquired by imaging the target object and / or an identification label attached to the target object An identification step;
The display means arranged along the transport direction is controlled so as to indicate the identification result of the target object in the product identification step, corresponding to the position of the target object transported in the transport direction in the transport direction. A product control method comprising: a display control step.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the goods processing system and goods processing method which can grasp | ascertain easily the identification result regarding a target object can be provided.

1 is an external perspective view of a product processing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a lineblock diagram of a merchandise processing system. It is a functional block diagram containing the microcomputer of a goods identification device. It is a flowchart which shows the process which a goods identification device performs. It is a sequence diagram regarding a merchandise processing system. It is an external appearance perspective view of the goods processing system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a lineblock diagram of a merchandise processing system. It is a flowchart which shows the process which a goods identification device performs. It is a flowchart which shows the process which a display control circuit performs.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. Hereinafter, a product placed on the belt conveyor 1 (see FIG. 1) of the product processing system S (see FIG. 1) may be referred to as an “object”. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 1, front and rear, up and down, and left and right are defined.

<< First Embodiment >>
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a product processing system S according to the first embodiment.
The merchandise processing system S is a system for paying out merchandise, etc., according to the identification result of the belt conveyor 1 (carrying means) that conveys the merchandise, the merchandise identification apparatus 2 that identifies the merchandise, and the merchandise identification apparatus 2. And a plurality of display lamps P (display means) that are lit in different colors, and a POS terminal 3 that performs settlement and the like.

In FIG. 1, the operator (store clerk) and the customer are not shown, but the operator operates the POS terminal 3 on the left side (front side of the paper) of the belt conveyor 1, and the customer is on the right side (back of the page) of the belt conveyor 1. Side) to pay money.
In addition, the products to be purchased are taken out from the basket (not shown) by the customer near the upstream end of the belt conveyor 1 and placed on the belt 12 one by one. Then, after the payment of money is finished, the product is packed in a bag by the customer on the mounting table C.

The belt conveyor 1 is a device that conveys an object, which is a product, in a predetermined conveyance direction (see the arrow in FIG. 1) by rotating a wide belt 12 having an annular shape.
The belt conveyor 1 rotatably supports a plurality of rollers 11 arranged so that the axes thereof are parallel to each other, an annular belt 12 stretched so as to slide on the rollers 11, and the rollers 11 rotatably. A support 13, a motor 14 that rotates the roller 11, a rotation angle sensor 15 that detects a rotation angle (mechanical angle) of the motor 14 (see FIG. 2), and a motor control circuit 16 that controls the motor 14 (see FIG. 2). ) And a foot switch 17 for switching the driving / stopping of the motor 14.
In FIG. 1, only the carrier roller connected to the rotor of the motor 14 among the plurality of rollers 11 is illustrated, and the free roller that rotates by the frictional force with the belt 12 is not illustrated.

  In the present embodiment, a transparent (or translucent) belt having optical transparency is used as the belt 12. This is because the cameras 221 to 224, which will be described later, capture an image of the object from four directions, up, down, left, and right. That is, the light-transmitting belt 12 is used so that the camera 222 arranged on the lower side of the belt 12 can image the object from the lower side.

As shown in FIG. 1, the foot switch 17 is disposed below the POS terminal 3. Each time the operator steps on the foot switch 17 with his / her foot, the motor control circuit 16 (see FIG. 2) switches between driving / stopping the motor 14 (that is, moving / stopping the object on the belt 12). ing.
The rotation angle sensor 15 shown in FIG. 2 is connected to the motor control circuit 16 and is also connected to the microcomputer 24 of the product identification device 2. The rotation angle sensor 15 outputs the detected value to the motor control circuit 16 and the microcomputer 24.

  The merchandise item identification device 2 shown in FIG. 1 is based on image information acquired by imaging a target object conveyed in the predetermined conveyance direction (see the arrow in FIG. 1) by the belt conveyor 1. It is a device that identifies as In addition, when the product corresponding to the object cannot be specified, information indicating that and information indicating one or a plurality of candidate products are output from the product identification device 2 to the POS terminal 3. Yes.

As shown in FIG. 1, the commodity identification device 2 includes a housing 21, cameras 221 to 224, and a signal transmission circuit 23.
The housing 21 has a hole H and has a rectangular frame shape in a longitudinal sectional view. And the belt 12 is arrange | positioned so that this hole H may be penetrated. That is, the merchandise item identification device 2 is arranged so as to identify the object while the object is being conveyed by the belt conveyor 1.

  A camera 221 shown in FIG. 1 captures an object from above, and is installed on the upper wall of the housing 21. The camera 222 images the object from below and is installed on the lower wall of the housing 21. The camera 223 captures an object from the left and is installed on the left wall of the housing 21. The camera 224 captures an object from the right, and is installed on the right wall of the housing 21.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the camera 221 to 224 is configured to capture an image of the object from four directions, up, down, left and right. Although not shown in FIG. 1, light sources that irradiate the product from above, below, left, and right are respectively installed on the upper wall, lower wall, left wall, and right wall of the housing 21.
As described above, since the belt 12 is light transmissive, light from a light source (not shown) installed on the lower wall passes through the belt 12 and is irradiated onto the object. An object can be imaged from below. Incidentally, the roller 11 is not installed in a range corresponding to the housing 21 in the transport direction. Therefore, the imaging of the object by the camera 222 is not likely to be hindered by the roller 11.

  The cameras 221 to 224 are, for example, a color CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) image sensor and a color CMOS image sensor (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor), and at a predetermined frame rate according to a command from the CPU 241 (see FIG. 2) (for example, Imaging is performed 30 times per second).

  The signal transmission circuit 23 has a function of transmitting information based on the result of “commodity identification processing” described later to the display lamp P as an electromagnetic wave. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the signal transmission circuit 23 is installed on the upper wall of the housing 21.

Although details will be described later, the result of the “product identification process” executed by the product identification device 2 corresponds to one of the following (A), (B), and (C).
(A) When the object can be specified as a product (B) Although the object cannot be specified as a product, but the candidate product is listed (C) The target cannot be specified as a product and no candidate product is listed Case

The signal transmission circuit 23 has information indicating which of the above-mentioned (A), (B), and (C) the object conveyed by the belt conveyor 1 and the lamp ID of the display lamp P to be lit. And a lighting signal including the above.
The signal transmission circuit 23 also has a function of transmitting a turn-off signal for turning off the display lamp P that has been turned on on the side of the object conveyed to the vicinity of the downstream end of the belt conveyor 1. . Details of the turn-on signal and the turn-off signal will be described later.

The plurality of display lamps P are lamps that are turned on / off in response to a signal from the signal transmission circuit 23. As shown in FIG. 1, the display lamps P are arranged on the surface of the belt conveyor 1 at equal intervals along the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 1. For this reason, the position of the plurality of display lamps P moves so as to follow the object conveyed by the belt conveyor 1.
In the example shown in FIG. 1, the plurality of display lamps P are installed in the vicinity of the edge on the POS terminal 3 side in the width direction of the belt 12. This is because it is easy for the operator to see the display lamp P, and to prevent the display lamp P from being hidden by the object on the belt 12.

  Different lamp IDs are assigned to the display lamps P, respectively. This lamp ID is information used when specifying the display lamp P to be turned on / off, and is stored in the ROM 242 (see FIG. 2) of the commodity identification device 2 described later, and also the display control circuit Pb (see FIG. 2). ) Is also stored in a storage unit (not shown).

  The display lamp P includes a lamp body Pa (see FIG. 2) and a display control circuit Pb (see FIG. 2). The lamp body Pa is, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode), and is configured to be turned on / off according to a signal from the display control circuit Pb and to be able to switch the light emission color (for example, blue / yellow / red) at the time of lighting. Has been.

  The display control circuit Pb (see FIG. 2) is a circuit that controls the lamp main body Pa, and lights the lamp main body Pa with an emission color corresponding to the lighting signal received from the signal transmission circuit 23. For example, the display control circuit Pb displays the lamp body Pa in blue (A: when one product can be identified), yellow (B: when candidate products are listed) in accordance with a signal from the signal transmission circuit 23. Or red (C: when a product cannot be specified) and lit in different colors.

  The lamp body Pa and the display control circuit Pb are installed on a film member (not shown) that can be bent near the upstream end and the downstream end of the belt conveyor 1. The display lamp P is supplied with power by wireless power feeding using a secondary battery, for example.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the product processing system S.
The product identification device 2 includes the above-described housing 21 (see FIG. 1), cameras 221 to 224 (described as “camera 22” in FIG. 2), a signal transmission circuit 23, a microcomputer 24, an interface 25, And a power supply 26.
The microcomputer 24 controls the cameras 221 to 224 and the signal transmission circuit 23 included in the commodity identification device 2 and includes a CPU 241, a ROM 242, and a RAM 243.

  The CPU 241, the ROM 242, and the RAM 243 are connected via a bus, and the program stored in the ROM 242 is read out and expanded in the RAM 243, and the CPU 241 executes various processes. A camera 22, a signal transmission circuit 23, an interface 25, and a power supply 26 are connected to the CPU 241 via an internal bus or an input / output circuit (not shown).

The interface 25 is for transmitting and receiving data between the product identification device 2 and the POS terminal 3, and is connected to an interface 36 provided in the POS terminal 3.
The power source 26 is a power source for each device included in the product identification device 2 and is connected to each device described above.

When a single product is specified by the product identification device 2 (described above (A)), the POS terminal 3 stores information related to sales registration such as the product classification, product name, unit price, etc. Sales are recorded and recorded in the figure.
In addition, when one product is not specified by the product identification device 2 (described above (B), (C)), the POS terminal 3 registers a product corresponding to the product ID specified by the operator's operation as a sales registration. It is supposed to be.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the POS terminal 3 includes a microcomputer 31, a display 32, a touch panel 33, a keyboard 34, a customer display 35, an interface 36, an HDD 37 (Hard Disk Drive), and a drawer 38. A printer 39 and a power source 40 are provided.

  The microcomputer 31 controls each device included in the POS terminal 3 and includes a CPU 311, a ROM 312, and a RAM 313. The CPU 311, the ROM 312, and the RAM 313 are connected via a bus, and a program stored in the ROM 312 is read out and expanded in the RAM 313, and the CPU 311 executes various processes.

  The CPU 311 includes a display 32, a touch panel 33, a keyboard 34, a customer display 35, an interface 36, an HDD 37, a drawer 38, a printer 39, and a power supply 40 via an internal bus and an input / output circuit (not shown). It is connected.

The display 32 displays information related to products in accordance with instructions from the CPU 311 based on information input from the product identification device 2 via the interface 36 or operator operations via the touch panel 33 or the like.
The touch panel 33 receives an operator's operation related to information displayed on the display 32.
The keyboard 34 includes a temporary tightening key 341 that is pressed when performing temporary tightening (provisional accounting) for sales registration, a tightening key 342 that is pressed when performing final tightening (accounting) for sales registration, numeric keys, and various calculations. A numeric keypad 343 including a child key.

The customer display 35 presents information related to sales registration to the customer in accordance with a command from the CPU 311.
The interface 36 is for transmitting and receiving data between the product identification device 2 and the POS terminal 3, and is connected to the interface 25 provided in the product identification device 2.

  The HDD 37 stores programs and various files. All or a part of the programs and various files stored in the HDD 37 are copied to the RAM 313 when the POS terminal 3 is started up, and the programs copied to the RAM 313 are executed by the CPU 311. The HDD 37 stores a feature file 371 for each product. The feature amount file 371 is a product file in which, for each product to be displayed and sold in a store, an association between information such as product identification information and product price and reference image information of the product is set.

The drawer 38 stores cash or the like, and is opened by a predetermined operation via the keyboard 34.
The printer 39 prints the transaction details regarding the merchandise on the receipt in accordance with a command from the CPU 311.
The power source 40 is a power source for each device provided in the POS terminal 3, and is connected to each device described above.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram including the microcomputer 24 of the product identification device 2.
The microcomputer 24 includes an image information acquisition unit 24a, an object detection unit 24b, a feature amount extraction unit 24c, a similarity calculation unit 24d, a similarity determination unit 24e, a signal generation unit 24f, and an information output unit 24g. And. The functions of the respective components described above are realized by the CPU 241 (see FIG. 2) of the microcomputer 24 executing a program stored in the ROM 242 (see FIG. 2).

The image information acquisition unit 24a outputs an imaging ON signal to the camera 22 (cameras 221 to 224 shown in FIG. 1), sequentially captures frame images of the object obtained by imaging, and stores them in the RAM 243 (see FIG. 2).
The object detection unit 24b detects all or part of the object included in the frame image acquired by the image information acquisition unit 24a based on pattern matching or the like. For example, the object detection unit 24b binarizes the above-described frame image to extract a contour line, and detects the target object based on the contour line.

  The feature amount extraction unit 24c extracts a feature amount from the frame image described above. Specifically, the feature amount extraction unit 24c extracts, as image information, feature amounts such as the color, shape (including surface irregularities), and size of the target object from the frame image in which the target object is detected.

Recognizing an object included in an image in this way is called generic object recognition. In "Current status and future of general object recognition" written by Keiji Yanai, a survey of general object recognition research is added to methods, data sets and evaluation benchmarks are performed, and the future is prospected.
Keiji Yanai, “Current Status and Future of General Object Recognition”, [online], Transactions of Information Processing Society of Japan, November 15, 2007, Vol. 48, No. SIG16, pp. 1-24, [November 27, 2014 Day search], Internet <URL: http: //mm.cs.uec.ac.jp/IPSJ-TCVIM-Yanai.pdf>

In addition, techniques for performing general object recognition by dividing an image into regions for each object are described in the following documents.
Jamie Shotton et al., “Semantic Texton Forests for Image Categorization and Segmentation”, Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, 2008. CVPR 2008. IEEE Conference on, [searched November 27, 2014], Internet <URL: http: // mi .eng.cam.ac.uk / ~ cipolla / publications / inproceedings / 2008-CVPR-semantic-texton-forests.pdf>

  The feature quantity extraction unit 24c extracts feature quantities for each of the four-direction frame images acquired by imaging the object from above, below, left, and right by the cameras 221 to 224 (see FIG. 1).

  The similarity calculation unit 24d compares and refers to the image information such as the feature amount extracted by the feature amount extraction unit 24c and the reference image information of each product stored in the HDD 37, and compares the object and each product. Calculate similarity. Here, the “similarity” is a value indicating how similar the object is to the product. The similarity is 100% when the image of the object completely matches the image of the product, and the similarity is low when the image of the object is significantly different from the image of the product.

  The similarity determination unit 24e has a function of specifying a product based on the similarity calculated by the similarity calculation unit 24d and listing one or a plurality of candidate products. The determination result of the similarity determination unit 24e is the above-described A (when the product can be specified), B (when the candidate product is listed), C (when the product cannot be specified and the candidate product is not listed) It corresponds to either.

  Note that the “product identification unit” that identifies an object conveyed by the belt conveyor 1 as a product based on image information acquired by imaging the object includes a feature amount extraction unit 24c illustrated in FIG. A similarity calculation unit 24d and a similarity determination unit 24e are included.

  The signal generation unit 24f generates a lighting signal for lighting the display lamp P based on the determination result of the similarity determination unit 24e and the detection value of the rotation angle sensor 15. In addition, when the object moves to the vicinity of the downstream end of the belt conveyor 1, the signal generation unit 24 f generates a turn-off signal for turning off the display lamp P that has been turned on on the lateral side.

  The “display control means” that controls the lamp main body Pa so as to indicate the identification result related to the object corresponding to the position in the transport direction of the object that is the identification object of the commodity identification device 2 is a signal generator. 24f (see FIG. 3) and a display control circuit Pb (see FIG. 2).

  The information output unit 24g illustrated in FIG. 3 outputs information based on the determination result of the similarity determination unit 24e to the microcomputer 31 of the POS terminal 3. Specifically, when the product corresponding to the object is specified (in the case of (A) described above), the information output unit 24g outputs the product ID or the like of the specified product to the POS terminal 3. In this case, on the POS terminal 3 side, sales of this product are registered as it is.

When one or a plurality of candidate products are listed for the object (in the case of (B) described above), the information output unit 24g outputs the product ID and the like of the candidate product to the POS terminal 3. In this case, on the POS terminal 3 side, the candidate product selected by the operator's operation is registered for sales.
When the product corresponding to the object is not specified and no candidate product is listed (in the case of (C) described above), the information output unit 24g outputs information to that effect to the POS terminal 3. In this case, on the POS terminal 3 side, a product input by the operator's operation is registered for sales.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing processing executed by the product identification device 2.
It is assumed that the object (product) is being conveyed by the belt conveyor 1 during the process shown in FIG.
In step S101, the merchandise item identification device 2 determines whether or not an object has been detected by the object detection unit 24b. As described above, the product identification device 2 detects an object based on pattern matching or the like from a frame image obtained by imaging the object.

  When the target is detected (S101 → Yes), the process of the merchandise item identification device 2 proceeds to step S102. On the other hand, when the target is not detected (S101 → No), the merchandise item identification device 2 repeats the process of step S101.

  In step S102, the merchandise item identification device 2 specifies the display lamp P to be lit. Specifically, the merchandise item identification device 2 uses a plurality of display lamps P (display lamps P corresponding to the positions of the objects in the transport direction) that have crossed the cameras 221 to 224 when the objects are imaged. It is specified as the display lamp P located on the side of the object.

The display lamp P that has crossed the cameras 221 to 224 at the time of imaging of the object can be specified based on the following relationship, for example. That is, the radius r of the roller 11 (carrier roller) connected to the motor 14, the total length L in the circumferential direction of the belt 12, the total number N of the display lamps P, and the number of rotations (rotation) from the predetermined initial state. The following relationship holds for the number m) and the number k of the display lamps P _k crossing the cameras 221 to 224.

  kL / N = 2πrm (1)

In the aforementioned initial state, and that those display lamp P ₀ was across the camera 221 to 224, in order toward the downstream side from the display lamp P _0, display lamp _{P 1, P 2, ...,} P _k ,..., P _N-1 are installed (in FIG. 1, the initial state). Each time the belt 12 makes one revolution, the initial state is obtained. For example, each time the display lamp P ₀ is detected by a sensor (not shown) provided in the housing 21 (see FIG. 1), the rotational speed m of the motor 14. Can be initialized to zero.

The merchandise item identification device 2 calculates the rotational speed m of the motor 14 from the initial state to the time of imaging by the cameras 221 to 224 based on the detection value of the rotation angle sensor 15 (see FIG. 2) installed in the motor 14. Furthermore, the merchandise item identification device 2 calculates the number k of the display lamp P _k based on the rotational speed m and the equation (1). Thereby, the display lamp _Pk (display lamp P to be lit) that crosses the cameras 221 to 224 when the object is imaged can be specified.

In addition, it is preferable that the number of display lamps P to be lit is variable in accordance with the length h (see FIG. 1) of the object in the transport direction. The length h of the object in the transport direction is calculated based on the frame image obtained at the time of detection in step S101.
Then, the merchandise item identification device 2 calculates the number of display lamps P to be lit based on the length h of the object in the transport direction. Specifically, the length h in the transport direction of the object J2 (product “daikon”) shown in FIG. 1 generally corresponds to the length of three display lamps P (3 L / N). In this case, in addition to the display lamp P ₄ specified based on the expression (1), the display lamps P ₃ and P ₅ may be lit.

  In step S103, the merchandise item identification device 2 extracts the feature amount from the frame image of the object by the feature amount extraction unit 24c. That is, the merchandise item identification device 2 extracts, as image information, feature quantities such as the color, shape, and size of the object from the frame image of the object obtained by imaging. As described above, image information is extracted for object recognition for each of the four vertical, horizontal, and horizontal frame images acquired by imaging the target with the cameras 221 to 224.

  In step S <b> 104, the product identification device 2 determines the similarity α between the image information of the object captured by the cameras 221 to 224 and the reference image information of each product registered in the feature file 371 (see FIG. 3). Is calculated by the similarity calculation unit 24d.

  The merchandise item identification device 2 calculates the similarity as follows, for example. That is, the product identification device 2 includes image information (feature amount) based on a frame image obtained by capturing an object from above with the camera 221, and reference image information of each product stored in the feature amount file 371. The similarity α is calculated by comparing and referring to. Note that the feature amount file 371 stores reference image information corresponding to four directions of up, down, left, and right for each product.

  Next, the merchandise item identification device 2 identifies the direction (direction) having the highest similarity to the image information of the target object obtained by imaging from above among the four-direction reference image information of one merchandise item. Further, the merchandise item identification device 2 obtains reference image information corresponding to other directions (downward, left, and right with the direction having the highest similarity as the upper side) and an object from below, left, and right. The similarity in each direction is calculated by comparing and referring to the image information (feature amount) based on the frame image. The product identification device 2 performs such processing for each product.

Usually, the customer places the objects on the belt 12 one after another without paying particular attention to the direction of the object (product). Therefore, if the similarity is calculated based only on the imaging result of one camera, the similarity with the product corresponding to the object may be lowered depending on how the object is placed.
On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the degree of similarity corresponding to each direction is calculated based on image information obtained by capturing an image of the object from four directions, up, down, left, and right. Therefore, the accuracy of the similarity determination process (S105, S110) described next can be improved.

  In step S <b> 105, the product identification device 2 determines whether or not there is a product having a similarity equal to or higher than the first threshold value α <b> 1 (for example, 70%) in all four directions, up, down, left, and right, by the similarity determination unit 24 e. . The first threshold value α1 is a threshold value that serves as a determination criterion when specifying a product corresponding to the object, and is set in advance.

If there is a product whose similarity is greater than or equal to the first threshold value α1 in all four directions, up, down, left, and right (S105 → Yes), the processing of the product identification device 2 proceeds to step S106.
In step S106, the merchandise item identification device 2 identifies a merchandise item corresponding to the object. That is, when the product whose similarity is equal to or greater than the first threshold value α1 is narrowed down to one, the product identification device 2 identifies the object as the product. In addition, when there are a plurality of products whose similarity is equal to or greater than the first threshold value α1, the product identification device 2 specifies, for example, a product that gives the maximum value of the similarity as a product corresponding to the object.

In step S107, the merchandise item identification device 2 generates the first lighting signal by the signal generation unit 24f. Here, the “first lighting signal” is a signal for lighting the display lamp P on the side of the target object in blue to indicate that the product corresponding to the target object has been specified. In the “first lighting signal”, identification information (the above-mentioned number k) of the display lamp P _k that has crossed the cameras 221 to 224 at the time of imaging of the object and the emission color (blue) of the display lamp P _k are specified. And information to be included.

In step S <b> 108, the product identification device 2 transmits the first lighting signal by the signal transmission circuit 23. As a result, the display lamp P located on the side of the object detected in step S101 is lit in blue. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the display lamps P ₃ , P ₄ , and P ₅ on the side of the target object J2 specified as the product “daikon” are lit in blue (shown by a thick frame line).

  In step S109, the product identification device 2 transmits the product information (product ID and the like) related to the product identified in step S106 to the POS terminal 3 by the information output unit 24g. As a result, the object detected in step S101 is registered as a product specified in step S106.

As described above, since the display lamps P ₃ , P ₄ , and P ₅ on the side of the object J2 (see FIG. 1) specified as the product “daikon” are lit in blue, the front side of the POS terminal 3 Can easily grasp the correspondence between the product “daikon” displayed on the display 32 and the object J2. That is, the operator can grasp in advance that the object J2 may be passed without stopping the belt conveyor 1.

If there is no product having a similarity equal to or greater than the first threshold value α1 in all four directions (upper, lower, left, and right) in step S105 (S105 → No), the processing of the product identification device 2 proceeds to step S110.
In step S110, the merchandise item identification device 2 determines whether or not there is a merchandise item whose similarity is equal to or greater than the second threshold value α2 (for example, 50%) in all four directions of upper, lower, left, and right by the similarity determination unit 24e. Note that the second threshold value α2 is a threshold value that is a criterion for determining whether or not to list candidate products that are candidates for the object, and is set in advance.

If there is a product whose similarity is equal to or greater than the second threshold value α2 in all four directions, up, down, left, and right (S110 → Yes), the process of the product identification device 2 proceeds to step S111.
In step S111, the merchandise item identification device 2 generates a second lighting signal by the signal generation unit 24f. Here, the “second lighting signal” is a signal that lights the display lamp P on the side of the target object in yellow to indicate that the candidate product of the target object has been listed. In the “second lighting signal”, the identification information (the number k described above) of the display lamp P _k that has crossed the cameras 221 to 224 at the time of imaging the object and the emission color (yellow) of the display lamp P _k are specified. And information to be included.

In step S <b> 112, the product identification device 2 transmits the second lighting signal by the signal transmission circuit 23. As a result, the display lamp P located on the side of the object detected in step S101 is lit in yellow. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the display lamp P ₁ on the side of the object J3 is lit yellow (illustrated with diagonal lines).

  In step S113, the product identification device 2 transmits information (product ID, etc.) regarding the candidate product specified in step S110 to the POS terminal 3 by the information output unit 24g. As a result, a candidate product selection screen (a confirmation screen when there is one candidate product) is displayed on the display 32 of the POS terminal 3.

As described above, since the display lamp P ₁ on the side of the object J3 (see FIG. 1) is lit in yellow, the operator on the front side of the POS terminal 3 can select the candidate product displayed on the display 32 and The correspondence relationship with the object J3 can be easily grasped. In this case, when the object J3 moves to the front of the POS terminal 3, the foot switch 17 (see FIG. 1) is stepped on by the operator, and the belt conveyor 1 is temporarily stopped. Then, an item corresponding to the target object J3 is selected from the candidate products displayed on the display 32 by the operator, and sales are registered.
More preferably, the display lamp P _{1 that} is lit yellow on the side of the object J3 may be configured to change the emission color from yellow to blue at the sales registration timing. As a result, it is possible to clearly indicate to the operator and the customer that sales have been registered. Thereafter, when the foot switch 17 (see FIG. 1) is stepped on again by the operator, the conveyance by the belt conveyor 1 is resumed.

In step S110, if there is no product whose similarity is equal to or greater than the second threshold value α2 in all four directions (upper, lower, left, and right) (S110 → No), the processing of the product identification device 2 proceeds to step S114.
In step S114, the merchandise item identification device 2 generates the third lighting signal by the signal generation unit 24f. Here, the “third lighting signal” means that the display lamp P on the side of the object is lit in red to indicate that the product corresponding to the object is not specified and the candidate product is not listed. Signal. In the “third lighting signal”, identification information (the above-mentioned number k) of the display lamp P _k that has crossed the cameras 221 to 224 at the time of imaging of the object and the emission color (red) of the display lamp P _k are specified. And information to be included.

  The “product identification process” (product identification step) for identifying an object conveyed in the predetermined conveyance direction by the belt conveyor 1 as a product based on image information acquired by imaging the object is as follows. The processes of steps S103 to S106 and S110 are included.

In step S115, the commodity identification device 2 transmits the third lighting signal by the signal transmission circuit 23 (see FIG. 1). As a result, the display lamp P located on the side of the object detected in step S101 is lit in red. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the display lamps P ₇ and P ₈ on the side of the object J1 are lit in red (shown by shading).

  In step S116, the merchandise item identification device 2 transmits information indicating that no merchandise item has been specified to the POS terminal 3 by the information output unit 24g. As a result, the fact that the product has not been specified is displayed on the display 32 of the POS terminal 3.

As described above, since the display lamps P ₇ and P ₈ on the side of the object J1 (see FIG. 1) are lit in red, an operator on the front side of the POS terminal 3 can confirm that the object J1 is a product. You can easily grasp that it was not specified as. In this case, when the object J1 (see FIG. 1) moves to the front of the POS terminal 3, the foot switch 17 is stepped on by the operator, and the belt conveyor 1 is temporarily stopped. Then, a product corresponding to the object J1 is input by the operator (or the barcode is read using a barcode scanner), and sales are registered.
More preferably, the display lamps P ₇ and P ₈ lit in red on the side of the object J1 are configured such that the emission color is changed from red to blue at the sales registration timing. That's fine. As a result, it is possible to clearly indicate to the operator and the customer that sales have been registered. Thereafter, when the foot switch 17 (see FIG. 1) is stepped on again by the operator, the conveyance by the belt conveyor 1 is resumed.

  In step S117, the merchandise item identification device 2 determines whether the moving distance x of the object after transmitting the lighting signal (first lighting signal, second lighting signal, or third lighting signal) is equal to or greater than a predetermined value x1. Determine whether. The predetermined value x1 is a threshold value that is a criterion for determining whether or not the object has reached the vicinity of the downstream end of the belt conveyor 1, and is set in advance. The moving distance x of the object is calculated based on the detection value of the rotation angle sensor 15 (see FIG. 2) installed in the motor 14.

  When the moving distance x of the target object is equal to or greater than the predetermined value x1 (S117 → Yes), the processing of the merchandise item identification device 2 proceeds to step S118. When the moving distance x of the object is less than the predetermined value x1 (S117 → No), the merchandise item identification device 2 repeats the process of step S117.

In step S118, the merchandise item identification device 2 transmits a turn-off signal for turning off the display lamp P. The turn-off signal includes identification information of the display lamp P _k located on the side of the object detected in step S101 and information indicating that the display lamp P _k is turned off.
By transmitting the turn-off signal, the display lamp P _k corresponding to the identification information is turned off. Therefore, in the vicinity of the upstream end of the belt conveyor 1, the display lamp _Pk is turned off.

FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram regarding the product processing system S.
In step S201, the merchandise item identification device 2 transmits a lighting signal to the display control circuit Pb based on the result of the merchandise item identification process (S103 to S106, S110).
In step S202, the display control circuit Pb turns on the display lamp P (lamp body Pa). Although omitted in FIG. 5, the display control circuit Pb performs the product identification process when the identification information of the display lamp P included in the lighting signal received in step S201 matches the identification information of itself. The display lamp P is turned on with the light emission colors (blue / yellow / red) corresponding to the result.

  Further, in the “display control process” (display control step) for controlling the display lamp P so as to indicate the identification result relating to the object in correspondence with the position in the transport direction of the object to be identified, step S201 is performed. , S202 is included.

In step S203, the merchandise item identification device 2 transmits a turn-off signal to the display control circuit Pb based on the movement distance of the object with reference to the transmission time of the turn-on signal.
In step S204, the display control circuit Pb turns off the display lamp P. Although omitted in FIG. 5, the display control circuit Pb displays the display lamp P when the identification information of the display lamp P included in the extinguishing signal received in step S203 matches the identification information of itself. Turn off the light.

<Effect>
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, among the plurality of display lamps P installed on the belt 12, the display lamp P on the side of the product that is the identification target of the product identification device 2 is the product identification result. It is lit in the color corresponding to. Therefore, the operator who operates the POS terminal 3 easily grasps the correspondence between the product displayed on the display 32 (candidate product or information indicating that the product cannot be identified) and the product being conveyed one after another. it can. That is, the operator can know in advance whether the product should be passed through as it is or whether the product should be confirmed by temporarily stopping the belt conveyor 1. As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide the product processing system S capable of easily grasping the identification result regarding the object.

In the present embodiment, the object is imaged from four directions, up, down, left and right, and the object is identified based on image information obtained by the imaging. Therefore, compared with the case where an object is imaged from one direction, a product corresponding to the object can be accurately specified.
Further, when a customer places an object on the belt 12, it is rare to take care that the image is taken in a direction in which the feature is well known. According to this embodiment, since an object is imaged from four directions, a product corresponding to the object can be accurately specified regardless of the direction of the object on the belt 12.

<< Second Embodiment >>
In the second embodiment, the indicator lamp P (see FIG. 1) is not installed on the belt 12, but the indicator lamp P is installed on the support 13 (see FIG. 6) on the side of the belt 12. It is different from the form. That is, in the first embodiment, the display lamp P moves with the belt 12, but in the second embodiment, the display lamp P is installed on the support 13 and does not move with the belt 12. Yes. And in this 2nd Embodiment, the some display lamp P is passing the side of the target object conveyed so that it may seem that the light emission location follows the target object conveyed by the belt conveyor 1. FIG. The display lamp P is lit only during the passage.
The product processing system S according to the second embodiment (see FIG. 7) has a configuration that is almost the same as that of the first embodiment (see FIG. 2) except for the connection relationship regarding the rotation angle sensor 15. Therefore, a different part from 1st Embodiment is demonstrated and description is abbreviate | omitted about the part which overlaps with 1st Embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an external perspective view of the product processing system S according to the second embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 6, the display lamp P is installed on the upper surface of the support tool 13 (installed tool). The support 13 that supports the rollers 11 of the belt conveyor 1 has a rectangular shape elongated in the transport direction in plan view. A plurality of display lamps P are arranged on the upper surface of the support 13 (downstream of the product identification device 2) along the product conveyance direction.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of the product processing system S.
As shown in FIG. 7, the display control circuit Pb that controls the lamp body Pa is electrically connected to the signal transmission circuit 23, and changes the lighting color of the lamp body Pa according to the signal input from the signal transmission circuit 23. It comes to control.
The display control circuit Pb is also connected to a rotation angle sensor 15 that detects the rotation angle of the motor 14. The display control circuit Pb switches on / off of the display lamp P based on the detection value of the rotation angle sensor 15 (that is, corresponding to the moving distance of the object). The processing executed by the display control circuit Pb will be described later.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing processing executed by the product identification device 2. Note that the same processing steps as those described in the first embodiment are denoted by the same step numbers as in FIG.
The series of processing shown in FIG. 8 includes the processing described in the first embodiment (see FIG. 4) to step S102 (identification of the display lamp P to be lit), step S117 (determination regarding the moving distance of the object), step The difference is that S118 (transmission of extinguishing signal) is omitted.
The timing for turning on / off the display lamp P is determined on the display control circuit Pb side.

Further, the contents of the generated first lighting signal (S107a), second lighting signal (S111a), and third lighting signal (S114a) are the same as steps S107, S111, and S114 (see FIG. 4) of the first embodiment. Is different.
That is, the first lighting signal transmitted in step S107a includes the length h of the object in the transport direction and information indicating that a product corresponding to the object is specified (S105 → Yes).
The second lighting signal transmitted in step S111a includes the length h of the object in the transport direction and information indicating that a candidate product has been listed (S110 → Yes).
The third lighting signal transmitted in step S114a includes the length h of the object in the transport direction, information indicating that the product corresponding to the object could not be specified and no candidate product was listed (S110 → No) , Is included.
Since the other processes are the same as those in the first embodiment (see FIG. 4), description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing processing executed by the display control circuit Pb.
In step S301, the display control circuit Pb determines whether or not a lighting signal (a first lighting signal, a second lighting signal, or a third lighting signal) is received from the product identification device 2. As described above, the lighting signal includes the length h of the object in the conveyance direction (see FIG. 6) and information indicating the result of the product identification process.
When the lighting signal is not received (S301 → No), the display control circuit Pb repeats the process of step S301. When the lighting signal is received (S301 → Yes), the process of the display control circuit Pb proceeds to step S302.

  In step S302, the display control circuit Pb calculates the number of display lamps P to be lit based on the length h of the object in the transport direction. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 6, three display lamps P are lit corresponding to the length h of the object J2 (product “daikon”) in the transport direction.

In step S303, the display control circuit Pb controls lighting / extinguishing of the display lamp P based on the lighting signal received in step S301 and the detected value of the rotation angle sensor 15 installed in the motor 14.
More specifically, the display control circuit Pb repeatedly calculates the moving distance of the object on the belt 12 based on the time point when the lighting signal is received in step S301. Then, the display control circuit Pb switches on / off of each display lamp P based on the above moving distance so that the display lamp P on the side of the object that moves momentarily is turned on.

Further, the display control circuit Pb lights up the display lamp P with the emission color corresponding to the result of the product identification process based on the lighting signal received in step S301. For example, for the object J2 (see FIG. 6) identified as the product “radish”, the display control circuit Pb turns on the display lamp P on the side of the object J2 in blue (indicated by a thick frame in FIG. 6). The display lamps P are switched on / off. In other words, the display control circuit Pb switches among the plurality of display lamps P to be turned on in response to a change in the position of the object.
Thus, the operator on the front side of the POS terminal 3 can easily grasp that the product “daikon” displayed on the display 32 is the object J2.

Similarly, for the target object J3 (see FIG. 6) on which the candidate product is listed, the display control circuit Pb sets each side display lamp P to light in yellow (indicated by the hatched line in FIG. 6). The display lamp P is switched on / off.
Further, the display control circuit Pb turns on the side display lamp P in red (shaded in FIG. 6) for the object J1 (see FIG. 6) for which no product is specified and no candidate product is listed. In this way, the display lamps P are switched on / off.
As a result, the operator on the near side of the POS terminal 3 can step on the foot switch 17 to stop the belt conveyor 1 when the objects J1 and J3 have moved to the front, and select candidate products. it can.

<Effect>
According to the present embodiment, among the plurality of display lamps P installed on the support 13, the display lamp P on the side of the product that is the identification target of the product identification device 2 is a color corresponding to the product identification result. Lights on. Therefore, the operator who operates the POS terminal 3 associates the product displayed on the display 32 (candidate product or information indicating that identification has not been possible) with the object conveyed one after another by the belt conveyor 1. You can easily grasp the relationship.

≪Modification≫
As described above, the commodity processing system S according to the present invention has been described by each embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to these descriptions, and various modifications can be made.
For example, in each embodiment, although the structure which images a target object from four directions of up and down, right and left with the cameras 221-224 (refer FIG. 1, FIG. 6) was demonstrated, it does not restrict to this. For example, the object may be identified based on the imaging result of one camera installed so as to look down on the object in an oblique direction.
Alternatively, an object may be imaged from two directions (for example, up / right) or three directions (for example, up / right / left), and the object may be identified based on the imaging result. If the object is not imaged from the lower side, a normal belt that does not have optical transparency may be used as the belt 12.

  Moreover, although each embodiment demonstrated the case where the display lamp P was made to light blue / yellow / red based on the result of a goods identification process, you may change the color (state) of the display lamp P suitably. For example, the display lamp P may be turned on with different luminance (state) according to the result of the product identification process, or the blinking state of the display lamp P may be changed according to the result of the product identification process.

For example, when the product corresponding to the target object can be identified (S105 → Yes: see FIG. 4), the display lamp P on the side of the target object is lit in blue, and the product corresponding to the target object is displayed. If it cannot be specified (S105 → No: see FIG. 4), the display lamp P on the side of the object may be lit in red.
Note that “when the product corresponding to the object cannot be identified” includes a case where one or a plurality of candidate products are listed and a case where no candidate product is listed. In this way, even if the display lamp P has two emission colors, the operator can pass the product as it is (emission color: corresponding to blue) and the product to be confirmed once the belt conveyor 1 is stopped (emission color: (Corresponding to red).
Further, for example, when a product corresponding to the object can be identified (S105 → Yes, S106: see FIG. 4), the display lamp P on the side of the object is turned on, and the product corresponding to the object is selected. If it cannot be specified (S105 → No: see FIG. 4), the display lamp P on the side of the object may remain off.

Moreover, although each embodiment demonstrated the structure which provides a predetermined space | interval between the display lamps P adjacent in a conveyance direction (refer FIG. 1, FIG. 6), it is not restricted to this. For example, a large number of LEDs arranged in the conveying direction of the object may be installed on the belt 12 and the LEDs on the side of the object may be turned on based on the identification result of the commodity identification device 2.
In addition, a liquid crystal display (not shown) that is elongated in the conveying direction is installed on the upper surface of the support tool 13 (installed tool), and this target object corresponds to the position of the target object to be identified by the product identification device 2. The liquid crystal display may be controlled so as to show the identification result regarding In addition, you may display the identification result regarding an object color-coded, and may display as a design or a character.

  Moreover, although 2nd Embodiment (refer FIG. 6) demonstrated the structure which installs the display lamp P in the support tool 13 (installed tool) which supports the roller 11 so that rotation is possible, it is not restricted to this. For example, a “installed tool” for installing the display lamp P may be separately provided, and the “installed tool” may be disposed on the side of the belt conveyor 1.

Moreover, although each embodiment demonstrated the structure which identifies a target based on the image information (feature amount) obtained by imaging a target, it is not restricted to this. For example, instead of the product identification device 2, a barcode scanner (product identification means: not shown) that reads a barcode (identification label) attached to an object may be arranged in the middle of the belt conveyor 1.
For the object whose barcode is read by the barcode scanner, the display lamp P on the side of the object is lit in blue, for example. In addition, for an object whose barcode cannot be read, the display lamp P on the side of the object is lit in red, for example. Thereby, the operator can grasp in advance the object from which the barcode is read and the object that is not.

  The product identification device 2 also includes a barcode scanner, and identifies the object based on image information obtained by imaging the object and / or a barcode (identification label) attached to the object. It may be configured. In this configuration, when the product specified based on the bar code is different from the product specified based on the image information, it is preferable to prioritize a bar code with high certainty.

  Moreover, although each embodiment demonstrated the case where the product processing system S was used for the sales registration of goods, it is not restricted to this. For example, the product processing system S of each embodiment can be applied to a system that classifies and manages products using a belt conveyor.

  Moreover, you may make it make another computer perform the process (FIG. 4, FIG. 8, etc.) demonstrated by each embodiment with a program. The above-mentioned program can be provided via a communication line, or can be written and distributed on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM.

  The invention described in the scope of claims at the beginning of the filing of the present application will be appended.

(Appendix)
[1]
A product for identifying an object transported in a predetermined transport direction by a transport means as a product based on image information acquired by imaging the target object and / or an identification label attached to the target object An identification means;
The display means arranged along the transport direction is controlled so as to indicate the identification result of the object by the commodity identification means, corresponding to the position in the transport direction of the object transported in the transport direction. And a display control means.
[2]
The transport means is a belt conveyor including a belt,
The display means is a plurality of display lamps arranged on the belt,
The said display control means turns on the display lamp corresponding to the position in the said conveyance direction of the target object which became the identification object of the said product identification means among several said display lamps. Product processing system.
[3]
The display means is a plurality of display lamps arranged on the installation tool on the side of the transport means,
The display control means switches a display lamp to be lit among a plurality of the display lamps in response to a change in a position of an object that is an identification target of the product identification means. Product processing system.
[4]
The display control means includes a plurality of the display lamps.
A display lamp corresponding to the position of the object identified as the product by the product identification means;
The product processing system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a display lamp corresponding to a position of an object not specified as a product by the product identification unit is turned on in a different state.
[5]
The display control means includes a plurality of the display lamps.
A display lamp corresponding to the position of the object identified as the product by the product identification means;
A display lamp corresponding to the position of the object for which one or more candidate products are specified by the product identification means;
The display lamp corresponding to the position of the target object that is not specified as a product by the product identification unit and for which no candidate product is specified is lit in a different state. It is a goods processing system of description.
[6]
The product identification means includes:
For each piece of image information obtained by imaging the object transported by the transport unit from a plurality of directions, the similarity with the reference image information of each product registered in the storage unit is calculated, and corresponding to the plurality of directions 6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when there is a product having a similarity equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold for each of the image information to be performed, an object to be imaged is specified as the product. The product processing system described in 1.
[7]
A product for identifying an object transported in a predetermined transport direction by a transport means as a product based on image information acquired by imaging the target object and / or an identification label attached to the target object An identification step;
The display means arranged along the transport direction is controlled so as to indicate the identification result of the target object in the product identification step, corresponding to the position of the target object transported in the transport direction in the transport direction. A product control method comprising: a display control step.

S Product processing system 1 Belt conveyor (conveying means)
12 Belt 13 Support tool (installed tool)
14 motor 15 sensor 15 rotation angle sensor 16 motor control circuit 17 foot switch 2 product identification device (product identification means)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 21 Housing 22,221,222,223,224 Camera 23 Signal transmission circuit 24 Microcomputer 24a Image information acquisition part 24b Object detection part 24c Feature quantity extraction part (product identification means)
24d similarity calculation unit (product identification means)
24e Similarity determination unit (product identification means)
24f Signal generator (display control means)
24g Information output unit 3 POS terminal P Display lamp (display means)
Pb display control circuit (display control means)
Pa lamp body (display means)

Claims (7)

A product for identifying an object transported in a predetermined transport direction by a transport means as a product based on image information acquired by imaging the target object and / or an identification label attached to the target object An identification means;
The display means arranged along the transport direction is controlled so as to indicate the identification result of the object by the commodity identification means, corresponding to the position in the transport direction of the object transported in the transport direction. A product control system comprising: a display control means; The transport means is a belt conveyor including a belt,
The display means is a plurality of display lamps arranged on the belt,
The display control means turns on a display lamp corresponding to a position in the transport direction of an object that is an identification target of the product identification means among the plurality of display lamps. Product processing system. The display means is a plurality of display lamps arranged on the installation tool on the side of the transport means,
The display control means switches a display lamp to be lit among a plurality of the display lamps in response to a change in a position of an object that is an identification target of the product identification means. Product processing system. The display control means includes a plurality of the display lamps.
A display lamp corresponding to the position of the object identified as the product by the product identification means;
The product processing system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a display lamp corresponding to a position of an object not specified as a product by the product identification unit is turned on in a different state. The display control means includes a plurality of the display lamps.
A display lamp corresponding to the position of the object identified as the product by the product identification means;
A display lamp corresponding to the position of the object for which one or more candidate products are specified by the product identification means;
The display lamp corresponding to the position of the target object that is not specified as the product by the product identification means and for which the candidate product is not specified is lit in a different state. The product processing system described. The product identification means includes:
For each piece of image information obtained by imaging the object transported by the transport unit from a plurality of directions, the similarity with the reference image information of each product registered in the storage unit is calculated, and corresponding to the plurality of directions The object which is an imaging target is specified as the product when there is a product having a similarity equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold for each of the image information to be performed. Product processing system described in 1. A product for identifying an object transported in a predetermined transport direction by a transport means as a product based on image information acquired by imaging the target object and / or an identification label attached to the target object An identification step;
The display means arranged along the transport direction is controlled so as to indicate the identification result of the target object in the product identification step, corresponding to the position of the target object transported in the transport direction in the transport direction. A display control step;
A product processing method comprising:

Images