JP2017199242A - Inside of shop monitoring and guidance system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system of a low cost capable of reliably monitoring the inside of a shop and simultaneously capable of performing a merchandise guidance inside of a shop high in customer convenience.SOLUTION: A mobile body having a display unit 19 built-in with a camera and a voice transmitting/receiving unit moves along driving routes 1a to 1d autonomously or by the control of a management part 17. An image captured by the camera of the mobile body is displayed in a display part 25 of the management part, and as a result, the inside of the shop is monitored. When a customer needs a merchandise guidance, a closest call button 15 is turned ON so that the mobile body stops at a calling position P, and during stopping, a face to face conversation is conducted between the customer and a clerk stationed in the management part by a video phone through the camera of the mobile body, the display unit, the transmitting/receiving unit, and the display part and a communication part of the management part, and the customer is notified of a display location for the merchandise.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a system for in-store monitoring and guidance to customers in various stores such as supermarkets, discount centers, home centers, drug stores, book stores, and pachinko stores.

  Shoplifting is a common occurrence at various merchandise stores such as supermarkets, home centers and bookstores, and the annual loss due to shoplifting is considerable. Also, in amusement stores such as pachinko parlors, fraudulent acts such as making a gaming machine malfunction and gaining profits often occur.

  In order to prevent these shoplifting and fraud, it is considered to be the most effective to visit the store clerk and guardman frequently in the store, but in order to reduce labor costs, usually a camera is installed in the store, Suspicious persons are monitored by using a camera installed in a store, an IC tag attached to a product, and a measuring instrument in combination (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  However, in these conventional techniques, the camera is fixed at a fixed position on the ceiling of the store, so that shoplifters can relatively easily put their hand in the blind spot of the camera, and shoplifting and fraud It is difficult to confirm the site of action.

  In addition, large merchandise stores have a large display space for products, and there are many types of products on display, so it is not easy for customers to know where the products they want to buy are in the store. Is often.

  Therefore, conventionally, while preparing a database in which product information including the product name, product classification, image, display place, etc. of each product is stored in advance, an information terminal for searching this database is installed in the store, or There is provided a system in which an information terminal is attached to a shopping cart and a customer is informed of a display location of goods through the information terminal.

  However, according to the configuration in which the information terminal is installed in the store, there is an inconvenience that the customer has to find the installation location of the information terminal and move there, and according to the configuration in which the information terminal is attached to the shopping cart, It is necessary to prepare an information terminal for each shopping cart, which is very expensive. In addition, it is very troublesome for elderly customers to operate the information terminal to search and read the information displayed on the display.

  Furthermore, in the prior art, it is necessary to introduce an in-store monitoring system and an in-store product guidance system separately, and there is a problem that system installation and maintenance costs become enormous.

JP 2012-242912 A JP-A-8-30691 JP 2002-304671 A

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a low-cost system that can perform in-store monitoring reliably and at the same time provide in-store product guidance with high customer convenience.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, according to the present invention, a route provided in a store, a guide disposed along the route, and one or a plurality of guides that are guided by the guide and can move along the route When the call switch is turned on. A call signal transmitter that transmits a call signal, and a management unit that centrally manages the mobile body. The mobile body includes a distance sensor at the front and back, and the movement is controlled by the management unit. It is possible to switch between the management movement mode to be performed and the autonomous movement mode to autonomously perform the movement, and in the autonomous movement mode, predetermined obstacles or other moving bodies ahead in the traveling direction When approaching a distance, the direction of travel is reversed, and the management unit constantly monitors the position of the moving body on the route, and when the call signal is received, the call position where the call signal is transmitted The mobile body that is closest to is switched from the autonomous movement mode to the management movement mode and moved to the calling position and stopped for a predetermined time, and then the mobile body is changed from the management movement mode to the autonomous movement mode. The mobile unit is connected to a camera for in-store monitoring and a call, a display unit, a transmission / reception unit including a microphone and a speaker, and the camera, the display unit, and the transmission / reception unit. The communication unit of the mobile unit. A communication unit that performs wireless communication with each other, a display unit that is connected to the communication unit and displays an image captured by the camera of the moving body, a microphone, a speaker, and a camera, and is connected to the communication unit An in-store monitoring and guidance system is provided that includes a communication unit.

  According to the present invention, the management unit is provided in an appropriate place such as a store management room or a guide counter in the store. Then, the in-store monitoring is performed by moving the moving body equipped with the camera along the route autonomously or under the control of the management unit, and displaying the image of the moving body camera on the display unit of the management unit. Can do. As a result, the area that becomes the blind spot of the camera becomes smaller than in the case of a camera fixed at a conventional fixed position, and monitoring such as shoplifting can be performed more effectively. In addition, the movement of the moving body can make the shoplifter, etc. strongly aware that it is constantly monitored, and a deterrent effect such as shoplifting can be obtained.

Further, when the customer needs product guidance, the nearest call button is turned on to stop the mobile body at the call position, and during the stop, the mobile phone and the clerk resident in the management room through the mobile phone Through face-to-face conversations, you can know where to display the products you want to purchase. Thereby, even an elderly customer can receive product guidance easily and quickly.
According to the present invention, it is possible to perform effective in-store monitoring and in-store guidance to a very convenient customer at the same time with one system, and extremely high cost performance can be obtained.

1 is a perspective view showing an entire in-store monitoring and guidance system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the whole structure of the system of FIG. It is a figure which shows the drive system for driving | running | working of the moving body of the system of FIG. 1, (A) is a perspective view, (B) is a perspective view which shows the inside of a moving body. It is a figure which shows the principal part of the system of FIG. 1, (A) is a perspective view, (B) is a perspective view of the state which removed a part of cover of the path | route and the display unit in (A). FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the present invention will be described based on preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the entire in-store monitoring and guidance system according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the system shown in FIG.
3A and 3B are diagrams showing a driving system for traveling the moving body of the system shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 3A is a perspective view, and FIG. 3B is a perspective view showing the inside of the moving body. 4 is a diagram showing the main part of the system of FIG. 1, (A) is a perspective view, and (B) is a state in which a part of the cover of the path and the display unit are removed in (A). FIG.

1 to 4, according to the present invention, traveling paths 1 a to 1 d are provided in the store. In this embodiment, four traveling paths 1a to 1d are provided independently, the first traveling path 1a is formed in a straight line, and the second to fourth traveling paths 1b to 1d are all formed in a loop. Has been.
The linear travel path 1a and the loop travel paths 1b to 1d have substantially the same configuration. Therefore, hereinafter, the configuration of the present invention will be described using the first travel path 1a as a representative example.

In this embodiment, the travel path 1a has a flat surface, and guide walls 2a and 2b are provided on both sides of the travel path 1a.
In addition, in order to prevent the entry of dust and dirt into the travel path 1a and to improve the design, a cover 4 is provided to cover the upper surface opening of the channel formed from the travel path 1a and the guide walls 2a and 2b. It is done.
In this case, the cover 4 is integrally formed with one of the guide walls 2a and 2b (one side guide wall) 2b, and the other end of the guide walls 2a and 2b (the other side guide wall) 2a and the cover. 4, a gap 5 extending in the length direction of the travel path 1a is formed.

In addition, a pair of power supply lines 6a and 6b is disposed on the travel path 1a along the length direction of the travel path 1a, and an external power supply to the power supply lines 6a and 6b is provided outside one end of the travel path 1a. A power supply device 7 is provided.
Then, the assembly of the travel path 1a, the guide walls 2a and 2b, the cover 4, the feed lines 6a and 6b, and the external power supply device 7 is fixed to the upper surface of the commodity display shelf.

Moreover, according to this invention, the one or several mobile body 3 which is guided by the guide walls 2a and 2b and can move on the traveling path 1a is provided.
In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the moving body 3 includes a wheel 8 for traveling on the traveling path 1 a, a motor 9, and a power transmission mechanism 10 disposed between the motor 9 and the wheel 8. Have.
The moving body 7 also has a current collecting unit 11 that takes in electricity from the power supply lines 6 a and 6 b, and power is supplied from the current collecting unit 11 to the motor 9. That is, the current collecting unit 11 constitutes a power supply unit provided in the moving body 3.

  In addition, the moving body 3 includes distance sensors 12 and 13 disposed in front and rear portions thereof, and a control unit 14 that controls the motor 9 and the power transmission mechanism 10. The detection signals of the distance sensors 12 and 13 are sent to the control unit 14.

  According to the present invention, the call switch 15 disposed at one or a plurality of call positions P set in advance along the travel path 1a and the call switch 15 related at the call position P are connected to the call switch 15. When 15 is turned on, a call signal transmitter 16 that transmits a call signal and a management unit 17 that centrally manages the mobile unit 3 are provided.

  The mobile unit 3 is further connected with a camera 18 for in-store monitoring and a telephone call, a display unit 19, a transmission / reception unit 20 having a microphone and a speaker, and a camera 18, the display unit 19 and the transmission / reception unit 20. And a communication unit 21. In this embodiment, the camera 18 and the transmission / reception unit 20 are built in the display unit 19. The communication unit 21 is a wireless LAN slave unit in this embodiment.

The display unit 19 is attached to the main body of the moving body 3 via an attachment portion 30 provided on one side of the main body of the moving body 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the mounting portion 30 protrudes from the main body of the moving body 3, extends outwardly from the gap 5 beyond the guide wall 2 a, and is fixed to the tip of the support rod 30 a. Mounting plate 30b. The support rod 30a has a node in the middle, bends around the node in a vertical plane, and can be fixed at a desired bending angle.
The camera 18, the display unit 19, the transmission / reception unit 20, and the communication unit 21 are controlled by the control unit 14.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, a horizontal roller support plate 31 protrudes from the front and rear surfaces of the moving body 3 and extends in the width direction of the moving body 3. Guide rollers 32 are attached to both sides of the roller support plate so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis. The guide roller 32 can contact the inner surfaces of the associated guide walls 2a, 2b.

  The moving body 3 can be switched between a management movement mode in which movement is performed under the control of the management unit 17 and an autonomous movement mode in which movement is performed autonomously, based on a program incorporated in the control unit 14 in advance. In the autonomous movement mode, when the distance sensors 12 and 13 detect that an obstacle ahead of the traveling direction or another moving body 3 has approached a predetermined distance, the moving body 3 reverses the traveling direction.

  The management unit 17 includes a moving body position monitoring unit 22 that constantly monitors the position of the moving body 3 on the traveling path 1a, a call signal receiving unit 23 that receives a call signal transmitted from the call signal transmitter 16, and a moving body. It has a control unit 28 to which a position monitoring unit 22 and a call signal receiving unit 23 are connected. Information on the position of the calling position P on the route is registered in the control unit 28 in advance.

The management unit 17 also includes a communication unit 24 that performs wireless communication with the communication unit 21 of the mobile unit 3, and a display unit 25 that is connected to the communication unit 24 and displays an image captured by the camera 18 of the mobile unit 3. And a call unit 27 connected to the communication unit 24. The communication unit 24, the display unit 25, and the call unit 27 are connected to the control unit 28.
The management unit 17 further provides various commands such as a command for switching the moving mode of the mobile unit 3, a command for moving the mobile unit in the managed mobile mode, and a command for performing a call with the mobile unit. An input unit 26 for receiving input is provided.

As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the management unit 17 is composed of a personal computer and necessary peripheral devices connected to the personal computer. In this case, the control unit 28, the mobile signal receiving unit 22 and the paging signal receiving unit 23 are built in a personal computer, the display unit 25 is a personal computer display, and the calling unit 27 is a camera and a speaker built in the personal computer display. And a microphone 27a connected to the personal computer, and the input unit 26 includes a personal computer keyboard and mouse. The communication unit 24 includes a wireless LAN router connected to a personal computer.
In this embodiment, a wireless LAN relay 28 is disposed between the wireless LAN router (communication unit 24) of the management unit 17 and the wireless LAN slave unit (communication unit 21) of the mobile unit 3. The wireless LAN repeater 28 is arranged as necessary.
The management unit 17 is usually arranged in a store management room or a guide counter in the store.

  When the call switch 15 is turned ON and a call signal is transmitted from the call signal transmitter 16, the mobile body 3 closest to the call position P from which the call signal is transmitted is changed from the autonomous movement mode to the management movement mode. In addition to being switched, the robot moves to the calling position P and stops.

  The switching of the moving mode of the moving body 3 and the stopping operation at the calling position are performed automatically by the control unit 28 of the management unit 17 or manually by inputting a command through the input unit 26 of the management unit 17.

During this stoppage, between the customer and the clerk resident in the management room through the camera 18, the display unit 19 and the transmission / reception unit 20 of the mobile 3 and the display unit 25 and the call unit 27 of the management unit 17. Thus, a face-to-face conversation is made by videophone, and in-store guidance information is given to the customer.
When the necessary conversation is completed, a moving mode switching command is input through the input unit 26 of the management unit 17, whereby the moving body 3 starts moving in the autonomous moving mode.

  Thus, according to the present invention, the moving body 3 provided with the camera 18 is moved autonomously along the traveling path 1a or under the control of the management unit, and the image of the moving body 3 by the camera 18 is displayed on the display of the management unit 17. By displaying on the unit 25, the inside of the store can be monitored. As a result, the area where the camera 18 becomes a blind spot becomes smaller than in the case of a conventional camera fixed at a fixed position, and monitoring such as shoplifting can be performed more effectively. In addition, the movement of the moving body 3 makes it possible to make the shoplifter, etc. aware of the fact that it is constantly monitored, and a deterrent effect such as shoplifting can be obtained.

  In this case, the face recognition program is incorporated in the control part 28 of the management part 17 in advance, and a database in which face images of shoplifters and fraudsters found in the store in the past are registered in the management part 17. If the registered person is tracked by the moving body 3 when the person appears in the store, the effect of suppressing shoplifting and fraud is further enhanced.

Further, according to the present invention, when the customer needs product guidance, the nearest call button is turned on to stop the mobile body at the call position, and during the stop, the mobile body stays in the management room through the mobile body. By having a face-to-face conversation with a sales clerk using a video phone, you can know where to display the products you want to purchase. Thereby, even an elderly customer can receive product guidance easily and quickly.
According to the present invention, it is possible to perform effective in-store monitoring and in-store guidance to a very convenient customer at the same time with one system, and extremely high cost performance can be obtained.

  Further, when an emergency such as a fire or an earthquake occurs, the customer is notified by making an in-store guidance announcement throughout the store through the communication unit 27 of the management unit 17 and the transmission / reception unit 20 of each mobile unit 3. Evacuate quickly and accurately.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing another embodiment of the present invention.
The embodiment shown in FIG. 5 is different from the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 only in the configuration of the power supply unit and the external power supply of the moving body. Therefore, in the following, the same components as those shown in FIG. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

With reference to FIG. 5, in this embodiment, a power supply unit 33 for non-contact power supply is provided at at least one predetermined power supply position S on the traveling path 1a. The power feeding unit 33 can be disposed in the vicinity of the travel path 1a as shown in FIG. 5, or can be provided on the road surface of the guide walls 2a, 2b or the travel path 1a.
In addition, an external power supply device 34 that supplies power to the power supply unit 33 is installed outside the travel path 1a.
Further, although not shown, the power feeding position is provided with a mark indicating the power feeding position on the road surface of the traveling road 1a or the inner side surfaces of the guide walls 2a and 2b.

The moving body 3 ′ includes a rechargeable battery 35 and a power receiving unit 36 that is connected to the rechargeable battery 35 and makes a pair with the power supply unit 33.
Further, the moving body 3 ′ includes a mark detection sensor (not shown) that detects the mark.

According to the embodiment of FIG. 5, the charging state of the rechargeable battery 35 is constantly monitored by the control unit 14 of the moving body 3 ′, and when the potential of the rechargeable battery 35 decreases to a certain level, the moving body 3 ′ Stop at the nearest feeding position S. During this stop, the rechargeable battery 35 is charged from the external power supply device 34 via the power supply unit 33 and the power receiving unit 36. When the rechargeable battery 35 is fully charged, the moving body 3 ′ starts running again.
Also in this embodiment, it goes without saying that the same effect as the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 can be obtained.

  The configuration of the present invention has been described based on the preferred embodiments. However, the configuration of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the configurations described in the claims of this application. It goes without saying that it can be made.

1 a to 1 d Traveling path 2 a, 2 b Guide wall 3, 3 ′ Moving body 4 Cover 5 Gap 6 a, 6 b Power supply line 7 External power supply device 8 Wheel 9 Motor 10 Power transmission mechanism 11 Current collection unit 12, 13 Distance sensor 14 Control unit 15 Call switch 16 Call signal transmitter 17 Management unit 18 Camera 19 Display unit 20 Transmission / reception unit 21 Communication unit (wireless LAN slave unit)
22 Mobile body position monitoring unit 23 Call signal receiving unit 24 Communication unit (wireless LAN router)
25 Display unit 26 Input unit 27 Calling unit 27a Microphone 28 Control unit 29 Wireless LAN repeater 30 Mounting unit 30a Support rod 30b Mounting plate 31 Roller support plate 32 Guide roller 33 Power supply unit 34 External power supply device 35 Rechargeable battery 36 Power receiving unit P Call Position S Feeding position

Claims (1)

The route provided in the store,
A guide disposed along the path;
One or a plurality of moving bodies that are guided by the guide and can move along the path;
A call switch disposed at one or more predetermined call positions along the route;
A call signal transmitter which is connected to the call switch concerned at the call position and emits a call signal when the call switch is turned ON;
A management unit for centrally managing the mobile body,
The mobile body is provided with a distance sensor in front and rear, and can be switched between a management movement mode in which the movement is controlled by the management unit and an autonomous movement mode in which the movement is autonomously performed, and the autonomous movement mode , When approaching a predetermined distance to an obstacle or other moving body ahead in the direction of travel, reverse the direction of travel,
The management unit constantly monitors the position of the mobile body on the route, and when receiving the call signal, the management unit moves the mobile body nearest to the call position from which the call signal is transmitted to the autonomous movement. The mode is switched from the mode to the management movement mode and moved to the calling position to stop for a predetermined time, and then the mobile body is switched from the management movement mode to the autonomous movement mode.
The moving body is
A camera for in-store monitoring and calls,
A display unit;
A transceiver unit with a microphone and a speaker;
A communication unit to which the camera, the display unit and the transmission / reception unit are connected;
The management unit
A communication unit that performs wireless communication with the communication unit of the mobile unit;
A display unit connected to the communication unit and displaying an image taken by the camera of the moving body;
An in-store monitoring and guidance system comprising: a microphone, a speaker, and a camera, and a call unit connected to the communication unit.