JP2016110538A - 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 lamp P for performing notification of the identification result of the merchandise identification device 2 related to the object when the object moves to a predetermined position in the conveyance direction.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;
A product processing system comprising: notification means for notifying an identification result of the product identification means regarding the object when the object moves to a predetermined position in the transport direction.

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;
And a notifying step of notifying an identification result of the product identifying step relating to the object when the object moves to a predetermined position in the transport direction.

  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 flowchart which shows the process which a display control circuit performs. It is a flowchart which shows the process which the display control circuit of the goods processing system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention performs. It is a flowchart which shows the process which the display control circuit of the goods processing system which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention 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 and the like. The merchandise processing system S is a belt conveyor 1 (carrying means) that conveys merchandise, a merchandise identification apparatus 2 (product identification means) that identifies merchandise, and a merchandise identification apparatus 2 Display lamps P (notification means) that are lit in different colors according to the identification results, 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 (switching means) 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 to the display control circuit Pb of the display lamp P. The rotation angle sensor 15 outputs the detected value to the motor control circuit 16 and the display control circuit Pb.

  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 in the middle of the belt conveyor 1 in the conveyance direction, and identifies 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 “product identification processing” described later to the display lamp P. 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 displays a signal indicating which one of the above-mentioned (A), (B), and (C) the object to be conveyed by the belt conveyor 1 corresponds to the display control circuit Pb (see FIG. 2). To be sent to.

The display lamp P notifies the identification result of the merchandise item identification device 2 regarding the object when the object moves to a predetermined position in the transport direction (near the display lamp P). In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the display lamp P is disposed on the opposite side (right side) of the belt conveyor 1 as viewed from the operator.
The display lamp P is provided at a height that is easily visible to the operator in the columnar support member D extending in the vertical direction, and is disposed slightly upstream of the POS terminal 3 in the transport direction. This is because the display lamp P informs the operator of the identification result related to the object that has moved to the front of the operator (near the display lamp P).

  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.

Further, the distance information indicating the distance from the product identification device 2 to the installation position (predetermined position) of the display lamp P is the belt 12 from when the product identification device 2 detects the target until notification about the target is performed. The moving distance is set in the display control circuit Pb.
In other words, when the object identified by the product identification device 2 moves to the front of the operator (near the display lamp P), the display lamp P notifies the operator of the identification result regarding the object. It is like that.

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. In addition, a signal indicating that the product has been specified is output to the display control circuit Pb.

  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 the similarity between the target object and each product. Calculate the degree. 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.

  The signal generation unit 24f has a function of generating signals including a determination result of the similarity determination unit 24e (first signal, second signal, and third signal described later). The signal generated by the signal generation unit 24f is output to the display control circuit Pb of the display lamp P by the signal transmission circuit 23 (see FIG. 2). The processing executed by the signal generation unit 24f will be described later.

  The information output unit 24g 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, the candidate product selected by the operator's operation is registered for sales on the POS terminal 3 side.
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 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 based on object recognition is extracted for each of four vertical, horizontal, and horizontal frame images obtained by imaging the target with the cameras 221 to 224.

  In step S <b> 103, 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 (S104, S108) described next can be improved.

  In step S104, the product identification device 2 determines whether or not there is a product having a similarity equal to or greater than the first threshold value α1 (for example, 70%) in all the four directions (up, down, left, and right) by the similarity determination unit 24e. . 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 (S104 → Yes), the processing of the product identification device 2 proceeds to step S105.
In step S105, 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 S106, the merchandise item identification device 2 generates the first signal by the signal generation unit 24f, and further transmits the first signal to the display lamp P by the signal transmission circuit 23 (see FIG. 2). Here, the “first signal” is a signal indicating that a product corresponding to the object is specified.

  In step S107, the product identification device 2 transmits the product information (product ID, etc.) related to the product identified in step S105 to the POS terminal 3 by the information output unit 24g. As a result, the object detected in step S101 is registered as sales as the product specified in step S105.

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 S104 (S104 → No), the processing of the product identification device 2 proceeds to step S108.
In step S108, the merchandise item identification device 2 determines whether or not there is a merchandise item having a similarity degree equal to or greater than the second threshold value α2 (for example, 50%) in all four directions (up, down, 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 (S108 → Yes), the processing of the product identification device 2 proceeds to step S109.
In step S109, the merchandise item identification device 2 generates the second signal by the signal generation unit 24f, and further transmits the second signal to the display lamp P by the signal transmission circuit 23 (see FIG. 2). Here, the “second signal” is a signal indicating that a candidate product related to the object is listed.

  In step S110, the product identification device 2 transmits information (product ID, etc.) regarding the candidate product specified in step S108 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.

In step S108, when there is no product whose similarity is equal to or greater than the second threshold value α2 in all four directions, up, down, left, and right (S108 → No), the processing of the product identification device 2 proceeds to step S111.
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 S102 to S105 and S108 are included.

  In step S111, the merchandise item identification device 2 generates the third signal by the signal generation unit 24f, and further transmits the third signal to the display lamp P by the signal transmission circuit 23 (see FIG. 2). Here, the “third signal” is a signal indicating that a product corresponding to the object is not specified and no candidate product is listed.

  In step S112, the product identification device 2 transmits information indicating that the product has not 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.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing processing executed by the display control circuit Pb (see FIG. 2).
In step S201, the display control circuit Pb determines whether a signal (the first signal, the second signal, or the third signal described above) has been received from the commodity identification device 2. When a signal is received from the product identification device 2 (S201 → Yes), the processing of the display control circuit Pb proceeds to step S202. When no signal is received from the merchandise item identification device 2 (S201 → No), the display control circuit Pb repeats the process of step S201.

  In step S202, the display control circuit Pb calculates the movement distance x of the belt 12 (that is, the movement distance of the object) based on when the object is detected by the product identification device 2. That is, the display control circuit Pb calculates the moving distance x of the belt 12 based on the detection value of the rotation angle sensor 15 (see FIG. 2) with reference to the rotation angle of the motor 14 when the signal of step S201 is received. .

  In step S203, the display control circuit Pb determines whether or not the movement distance x calculated in step S202 is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance x1. This predetermined distance x1 (see FIG. 1) is a threshold value that serves as a criterion for determining whether or not the object that has been identified by the product identification device 2 has moved to the front of the operator (near the POS terminal 3). . For example, when the display lamp P is installed near the POS terminal 3 in the transport direction (see FIG. 1), the distance between the product identification device 2 and the display lamp P may be set as the predetermined distance x1.

When the moving distance x of the belt 12 is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance x1 (S203 → Yes), the processing of the display control circuit Pb proceeds to step S204. In this case, the object that is the identification target of the commodity identification device 2 has moved to the vicinity of the POS terminal 3 in the transport direction.
On the other hand, when the moving distance x of the belt 12 is less than the predetermined distance x1 (S203 → No), the processing of the display control circuit Pb returns to Step S202. In this case, the object that is the identification target of the merchandise item identification device 2 has moved downstream toward the POS terminal 3.

In step S204, the display control circuit Pb notifies the identification result of the commodity identification device 2. More specifically, when the first signal indicating that the product corresponding to the object is specified is received from the product identification device 2, the display control circuit Pb lights the display lamp P in blue.
For example, when the object J2 (see FIG. 1) specified as the product “radish” by the product identification device 2 moves to the vicinity of the POS terminal 3, the display control circuit Pb turns on the display lamp P in blue. Thus, the operator on the front side of the POS terminal 3 can easily grasp the correspondence relationship between the product “daikon” displayed on the display 32 and the object J2. That is, the operator can grasp that the object J2 may be passed through without stopping the belt conveyor 1.

When receiving the second signal indicating that the candidate product related to the object has been specified from the product identification device 2, the display control circuit Pb lights the display lamp P in yellow.
For example, when the object J3 (see FIG. 1) whose candidate product is listed by the product identification device 2 moves to the vicinity of the POS terminal 3, the display control circuit Pb turns on the display lamp P in yellow. As a result, the operator can easily grasp the correspondence between the candidate product displayed on the display 32 and the target object J3. 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.

When receiving the third signal indicating that the product corresponding to the object cannot be specified and the candidate product cannot be specified from the product identification device 2, the display control circuit Pb lights the display lamp P in red.
For example, when the object J1 (see FIG. 1) for which a product or the like has not been specified has moved to the vicinity of the POS terminal 3, the display control circuit Pb turns on the display lamp P in red. Thus, the operator can easily grasp that the object J1 has not been specified as a product. 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.

  In addition, the process of steps S201 to S204 is included in the “notification process” (notification step) for notifying the identification result of the product identification process regarding the object when the object moves to a predetermined position in the transport direction.

  After notifying the identification result in step S204 in FIG. 5, the processing of the display control circuit Pb returns to “START” (RETURN). In this way, the display control circuit Pb notifies the identification result at the timing when the target object is moved to the vicinity of the POS terminal 3 every time the target object is identified by the commodity identification device 2.

<Effect>
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, when an object that has been identified by the product identification device 2 has moved to the vicinity of the POS terminal (in front of the operator), it corresponds to the product identification result. The display lamp P is lit in color. Therefore, the operator who operates the POS terminal 3 can easily set the correspondence between the product (candidate product or information indicating that the product cannot be identified) displayed on the display 32 and the object conveyed one after another. I can grasp. That is, the operator can grasp whether the object should be passed as it is or whether the object 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. In addition, 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 >>
The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that when the product corresponding to the object is not specified by the product identification device 2, the display lamp P is turned off when the product is specified by the operation of the operator. Yes. In addition, about the structure (refer FIG.1, FIG.2, FIG.3) of the goods processing system S and the process (refer FIG. 4) which the goods identification apparatus 2 performs are the same as that of 1st Embodiment. Therefore, a part different from the first embodiment (a process executed by the display control circuit Pb) will be described, and a description of a part overlapping with the first embodiment will be omitted.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing processing executed by the display control circuit Pb of the product processing system S according to the second embodiment. In addition, the same step number is attached | subjected about the part which overlaps with the process (refer FIG. 5) demonstrated in 1st Embodiment.
When the moving distance x of the belt 12 is not less than the predetermined distance x1 in step S203 (S203 → Yes), the processing of the display control circuit Pb proceeds to step S304.

In step S304, the display control circuit Pb determines whether or not the signal received in step S201 is the first signal. As described above, the first signal is a signal output from the product identification device 2 to the display control circuit Pb when the product corresponding to the object is specified.
When the signal received in step S201 is the first signal (S204 → Yes), the processing of the display control circuit Pb proceeds to step S305.
In step S305, the display control circuit Pb lights the display lamp P in blue. As a result, the operator can easily grasp the correspondence between the object that has moved to the front and the product registered in the POS terminal 3.

In step S306, the display control circuit Pb calculates again the moving distance x of the belt 12 based on the time when the object is identified by the commodity identification device 2.
In step S307, the display control circuit Pb determines whether or not the movement distance x calculated in step S306 is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance x2. The predetermined distance x2 is a threshold value that is a criterion for determining whether or not the object has passed in front of the display lamp P (that is, whether or not the operator has passed the object), and is set in advance.

If the movement distance x is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance x2 (S307 → Yes), the processing of the display control circuit Pb proceeds to step S308. On the other hand, when the moving distance x is less than the predetermined distance x2 (S307 → No), the processing of the display control circuit Pb returns to Step S305.
In step S308, the display control circuit Pb turns off the display lamp P and prepares for the next signal from the product identification device 2 (RETURN).

If the signal received in step S201 is not the first signal (S304 → No), the process of the display control circuit Pb proceeds to step S309.
In step S309, the display control circuit Pb determines whether or not the signal received in step S201 is the second signal. As described above, the second signal is a signal output from the product identification device 2 to the display control circuit Pb when a candidate product related to the object is listed.
When the signal received in step S201 is the second signal (S309 → Yes), the processing of the display control circuit Pb proceeds to step S310.

  In step S310, the display control circuit Pb lights the display lamp P in yellow. Thus, the operator can easily grasp the correspondence relationship between the object that has moved to the front and one or more candidate products displayed on the POS terminal 3.

  In step S <b> 311, the display control circuit Pb determines whether or not a product corresponding to the target object is specified from the candidate products by an operator's operation. When the product corresponding to the object is specified (S311 → Yes), the display control circuit Pb turns off the display lamp P (that is, stops the notification) in step S308. On the other hand, when the product corresponding to the object is not specified (S311 → No), the process of the display control circuit Pb returns to step S310.

If the signal received in step S201 is not the second signal (S309 → No), the process of the display control circuit Pb proceeds to step S312. In this case, a third signal indicating that the product corresponding to the object cannot be specified and no candidate product is listed is input from the product identification device 2 to the display control circuit Pb.
In step S312, the display control circuit Pb lights the display lamp P in red. Accordingly, the operator can easily grasp the correspondence between the object that has moved to the front and the information that the product or the like is not specified.

  In step S313, the display control circuit Pb determines whether or not a product corresponding to the object is specified (input) by the operation of the operator. When the product corresponding to the object is specified (S313 → Yes), the display control circuit Pb turns off the display lamp P (that is, stops the notification) in step S308. On the other hand, when the product corresponding to the object is not specified (S313 → No), the process of the display control circuit Pb returns to Step S312.

<Effect>
In this embodiment, when the product corresponding to the object is not specified by the product identification device 2 (S304 → No), when the product is specified by the operator's operation (S311 → Yes, S313 → Yes), the display The control circuit Pb turns off the display lamp P (S308). Therefore, the operator can easily grasp the fact that the object that has moved to his eyes (near the POS terminal 3) has been registered as a product by turning off the display lamp P.

«Third embodiment»
The third embodiment is different from the second embodiment in that the display lamp P is turned off when the belt conveyor 1 is re-driven when the product corresponding to the object is not specified by the product identification device 2. However, the rest is the same as in the second embodiment. Therefore, a different part (process which the display control circuit Pb performs) from 2nd Embodiment is demonstrated, and description is abbreviate | omitted about the part which overlaps with 2nd Embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing processing executed by the display control circuit Pb of the product processing system S according to the third embodiment. In addition, the same step number is attached | subjected about the part which overlaps with the process (refer FIG. 5, FIG. 6) demonstrated in 1st, 2nd embodiment.
When the signal received in step S201 is not the first signal (S304 → No), the processing of the display control circuit Pb proceeds to step S409.

  In step S409, the display control circuit Pb lights the display lamp P in red. As a result, the operator can grasp that the product corresponding to the object that has moved to the front has not been specified by the product identification device 2.

  In step S410, the display control circuit Pb determines whether or not the belt conveyor 1 is stopped. That is, in step S410, it is determined whether or not the belt conveyor 1 is temporarily stopped by stepping on the foot switch 17 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) by an operator in order to confirm the object. A signal indicating that the foot switch 17 has been stepped on is output to the display control circuit Pb.

When the belt conveyor 1 is stopped in step S410 (S410 → Yes), the processing of the display control circuit Pb proceeds to step S411.
In step S411, the display control circuit Pb determines whether or not the belt conveyor 1 that has once been stopped is re-driven. Usually, the operator selects a product corresponding to the object and performs sales registration, and then steps on the foot switch 17 to drive the belt conveyor 1 again. In other words, in step S411, it can be said that the determination as to whether or not the product corresponding to the object has been specified is indirectly performed.

When the belt conveyor 1 is driven again (S411 → Yes), in step S308, the display control circuit Pb turns off the display lamp P (that is, stops the notification) and prepares for the next signal from the product identification device 2 ( RETURN).
If the belt conveyor 1 is not redriven (S411 → No), the processing of the display control circuit Pb returns to step S409. That is, the display control circuit Pb turns on the display lamp P in red until the belt conveyor 1 is driven again.

  If the belt conveyor 1 is not stopped at step S410 (S410 → No), the process of the display control circuit Pb proceeds to step S412. For example, when an operator visually observes an object passing in front of his / her eyes, it may be known which product the object is. In this case, the operator often operates the POS terminal 3 to select a product corresponding to the object, and often passes the object without stepping on the foot switch 17.

In step S412, the display control circuit Pb calculates the moving distance x of the belt 12 with reference to the time when the object is identified by the commodity identification device 2.
In step S413, the display control circuit Pb determines whether or not the movement distance x calculated in step S412 is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance x2. As described above, the predetermined distance x2 is a threshold value that is a criterion for determining whether or not the object has passed in front of the POS terminal 3 (predetermined position) (that is, the operator has passed the object through).

  If the movement distance x is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance x2 (S413 → Yes), the processing of the display control circuit Pb proceeds to step S308. That is, when it is detected that the object has passed in front of the display lamp P (S413 → Yes), the display control circuit Pb turns off the display lamp P (that is, stops the notification) in step S308, and the product identification device Prepare for the next signal from 2 (RETURN). This is because it is not necessary to keep the display lamp P lit in red after the object has passed in front of the operator.

  If the movement distance x is less than the predetermined distance x2 (S413 → No), the processing of the display control circuit Pb returns to step S409. That is, the display control circuit Pb lights the display lamp P in red until the object passes in front of the operator.

<Effect>
In the present embodiment, when the product corresponding to the object is not specified by the product identification device 2 (S304 → No), when the belt conveyor 1 is redriven (S411 → Yes), the display control circuit Pb is The display lamp P is turned off (S308). Therefore, it is possible to prepare for the next lighting for the objects conveyed one after another after the belt conveyor 1 is re-driven.

  In addition, although the commodity corresponding to the object is not specified by the commodity identification device 2 (S304 → No), the object passes through the POS terminal 3 without stopping the belt conveyor 1 (S413 → Yes). The display control circuit Pb turns off the display lamp P (S308). As a result, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the lighting state relating to the object continues even though the object has passed.

≪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.
In the first and second embodiments, the case where the display lamp P is lit in blue / yellow / red based on the result of the product identification process will be described. In the third embodiment, the display lamp P is changed into blue / red. Although the case of lighting is described, the color of the display lamp P may be changed as appropriate.

  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. In this case, the display control circuit Pb turns on the display lamp P in blue when the object whose barcode has been read by the barcode scanner has moved to the vicinity of the POS terminal 3. For an object whose barcode cannot be read, the display lamp P is lit in red when the object moves to the vicinity of the POS terminal 3. As a result, the operator can accurately grasp the object whose bar code has been 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 structure which alert | reports the identification result of the goods identification apparatus 2 to the operator by the display lamp P, it is not restricted to this. For example, when an object to be identified by the product identification device 2 has moved to a predetermined position (near the POS terminal 3), the identification result regarding the object is notified by voice using a speaker (notification means). May be. Moreover, you may make it alert | report the identification result regarding a target object combining the display lamp P and an audio | voice.

  In each embodiment, the configuration in which the display lamp P and the POS terminal 3 are separate has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, “notification means” for notifying the identification result of the commodity identification device 2 may be incorporated in the POS terminal 3. In this case, when an object whose product is not specified by the product identification device 2 has moved to the front of the POS terminal 3, an image of the object (an image obtained by imaging with the camera 22) is displayed on the display 32. It is preferable to display. Thus, the operator can clearly grasp the correspondence between the object in front of the user and the object displayed as an image on the display 32.

  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 (FIGS. 4-7 etc.) demonstrated by each embodiment by 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;
A product processing system comprising: notification means for notifying an identification result of the product identification means regarding the object when the object moves to a predetermined position in the transport direction.
[2]
The transport means is a belt conveyor having a belt,
The product identification means is disposed in the middle of the belt conveyor in the transport direction,
The notification means includes a distance information indicating a distance from the product identification means to the predetermined position, and a distance traveled by the belt from when the object is detected by the product identification means until the notification regarding the object is performed. The commodity processing system according to claim 1, wherein the commodity processing system is set as follows.
[3]
When the product corresponding to the target is specified by an operator's operation after notifying that the product corresponding to the target has not been specified by the product identification unit, the notification means The product processing system according to claim 2, wherein the product processing system is stopped.
[4]
The belt conveyor is configured to switch driving / stopping according to the operation of the switching means,
The informing means informs that the product corresponding to the object has not been specified by the product identifying means, and then when the belt conveyor is temporarily stopped by the switching means and then driven again, the object The product processing system according to claim 2, wherein the notification related to the information is stopped.
[5]
The belt conveyor is configured to switch driving / stopping according to the operation of the switching means,
The notification means notifies that the product corresponding to the object has not been specified by the product identification means, and then the object has passed the predetermined position without the belt conveyor being stopped by the switching means. The product processing system according to claim 2, wherein when the detection is detected, the notification regarding the object is stopped.
[6]
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;
And a notifying step of notifying an identification result of the product identifying step relating to the object when the object moves to a predetermined position in the transport direction.

S Product processing system 1 Belt conveyor (conveying means)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 Belt 13 Support tool 14 Motor 15 Sensor 15 Rotation angle sensor 16 Motor control circuit 17 Foot switch (switching means)
2. Product identification device (product identification means)
21 Housing 22, 221, 222, 223, 224 Camera 23 Signal transmission circuit 24 Microcomputer 24a Image information acquisition unit 24b Object detection unit 24c Feature amount extraction unit 24d Similarity calculation unit 24e Similarity determination unit 24f Signal generation unit 24g Information Output unit 3 POS terminal P Display lamp (notification means)
Pa lamp body Pb display control circuit

Claims (6)

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;
A product processing system comprising: notification means for notifying an identification result of the product identification means regarding the object when the object moves to a predetermined position in the transport direction. The transport means is a belt conveyor having a belt,
The product identification means is disposed in the middle of the belt conveyor in the transport direction,
The notification means includes a distance information indicating a distance from the product identification means to the predetermined position, and a distance traveled by the belt from when the object is detected by the product identification means until the notification regarding the object is performed. The product processing system according to claim 1, wherein the product processing system is set as follows. When the product corresponding to the target is specified by an operator's operation after notifying that the product corresponding to the target has not been specified by the product identification unit, the notification means The product processing system according to claim 2, wherein the product processing system is stopped. The belt conveyor is configured to switch driving / stopping according to the operation of the switching means,
The informing means informs that the product corresponding to the object has not been specified by the product identifying means, and then when the belt conveyor is temporarily stopped by the switching means and then driven again, the object The merchandise processing system according to claim 2, wherein the notification regarding is stopped. The belt conveyor is configured to switch driving / stopping according to the operation of the switching means,
The notification means notifies that the product corresponding to the object has not been specified by the product identification means, and then the object has passed the predetermined position without the belt conveyor being stopped by the switching means. The product processing system according to claim 2, wherein when the detection is detected, the notification regarding the object is stopped. 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;
A notification step of notifying the identification result of the product identification step related to the object when the object moves to a predetermined position in the transport direction;
A product processing method comprising:

Images