JP2020038489A - Portable terminal device and program therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

To reduce power consumption by causing only a non-contact communication function required in accordance with a situation in a portable terminal device to be used when purchasing merchandise.SOLUTION: A user's behavior is estimated on the basis of position information in a portable terminal device to be used when a user purchases merchandise in a shop, and a power source of an RFID reader and a power source of a short-range radio communication part respectively undergo on/off control on the basis of the estimated behavior. The position information is preferably a combination of past position information and present position information. The portable terminal device can be configured so as to detect unauthorized taking-out to issue a warning by further using information as to whether the settlement of merchandise is completed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a mobile terminal device, and more particularly, to a mobile terminal device used when a user purchases a product at a store.

  2. Description of the Related Art In a retail store, an unmanned store system has been developed in which an RFID tag is attached to a product, the tag is detected by a small tag reading device, and accounting is performed without checking at a cash register. Also, there is a technology for connecting an electronic money IC to a cash register using short-range wireless communication (NFC) and performing non-contact payment. An NFC interface (I / I / A technology for performing non-contact payment using an IC card having an F) or a smartphone equipped with an NFC I / F has already become widespread. Here, RFID generally uses radio waves in the UHF band, and NFC uses radio waves in the HF band. Also, if the smartphone is equipped with the RFID reader function and the NFC communication function, it is possible to detect a product and settle the product with the smartphone.

  As described above, the implementation in which the product to be purchased is detected by the RFID and the payment of the purchase price is performed by the NFC conforms to the situation where the corresponding existing infrastructure is widely used, and has an advantage that the implementation is easy. There is. However, in such a system using contactless communication, the battery capacity mounted on a small reader or smartphone is usually not very large, and polling and carrier wave transmission for contactless communication are always performed. When executed, there is a problem that the duration of the battery is shortened.

  As a conventional technique, there is a technique of estimating a purchase behavior by analyzing position information in a store and a purchase history (Patent Document 1). By using information that can be obtained by using a mobile processing device such as a smartphone by the technology, the in-store information can be obtained based on the past purchase behavior of the target customer or another customer (for example, traffic flow and stay time). Alternatively, it is possible to estimate a customer's purchase behavior (for example, a flow line and a stay time) between stores. However, the technology does not change the settings of smartphone functions after estimating the next purchase behavior from location information and purchase history information, but extends the battery life by controlling the power consumption of the terminal It does not make it.

Japanese Patent No. 5967553

  As described above, in a smartphone using both RFID and NFC non-contact communication, their non-contact communication functions consume power, but the battery capacity is not so large. Therefore, there is a problem in that the non-contact communication of both the RFID and the NFC shortens the battery life. On the other hand, in a retail store, the function of the smartphone is switched for each zone in accordance with the location information indicating which zone (store floor, cash register, outside the store, etc.) the customer is in, and the power supply of the RFID reader function and the NFC function is switched. It is conceivable to reduce the power consumption by turning on and off. However, if the function of the smartphone is switched only by the location information, the function is switched even in a scene where the user does not shop in the retail store and just passes through the cash register, and the function does not match the user's actual behavior. There is a risk of switching to such a function. For example, simply passing through a passage adjacent to a supermarket or the like in a large-scale shopping mall or the like may not be practical because the function of the smartphone may be switched, and the above problem is still solved. Cannot be used for such purposes.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and includes position information of a user acquired by a smartphone in a retail store, shopping progress information (whether or not a product is put in a shopping basket, and E.g., whether or not the user has approached the cashier after putting the shopping cart in) and to estimate the user's actions, based on the estimated actions, to enable / disable a plurality of contactless communication functions of the smartphone. By providing an appropriate mechanism, only the necessary non-contact communication function is operated according to the situation of the user, the power consumption is reduced, and the duration of the battery is extended. Another object of the present invention is to suppress erroneous actions by a user based on shopping progress information.

The present invention relates to a portable terminal device used when a user purchases a product at a store, an RFID reader for detecting an RFID tag attached to the product and reading product information stored therein, and a short-range wireless communication device. A short-range wireless communication unit for communicating with the store terminal of the store using communication, a position information acquisition unit for acquiring position information of the portable terminal device, and a control unit for controlling operation of the portable terminal device. Then, the control unit estimates a user's action based on the position information, and executes on / off control of the power supply of the RFID reader and the power supply of the short-range wireless communication unit based on the estimated action. It is characterized by. The present invention provides the control unit,
When the location information indicates that the user has arrived at any sales floor of the store via any of the entrances of the store, the user's action is assumed to be shopping, and the operation mode is shifted to the pre-shopping mode. Powering on the RFID reader and powering off the short-range wireless communication unit,
When the location information indicates that the user has arrived at any cashier of the store via any sales floor of the store, it is assumed that the user's action is to settle the shopping, and the operation mode is set to the pre-settlement mode. Shift to turn off the RFID reader and turn on the short-range wireless communication unit, and indicate that the location information has arrived at any exit of the store via any cash register of the store In such a case, it is presumed that the action of the user is to exit the store, the operation mode is shifted to the exit mode, the power of the RFID reader is turned off, and the power of the short-range wireless communication unit is turned off. Can be configured.

  The present invention can be configured so that the control unit further executes issuing a notification when the operation mode shifts. The present invention, when the RFID reader detects the RFID tag attached to any of the products, reads the product information from the RFID tag, and stores the product corresponding to the product information in the purchase list. It can be configured to perform further. The present invention can be configured so that the control unit further outputs a message or voice prompting for payment when the control unit shifts to the pre-payment mode. The present invention further includes a settlement unit that communicates with the store terminal through the short-range wireless communication unit and performs settlement of the merchandise stored in the purchase list, and the transition to the pre-settlement mode completes the settlement by the settlement unit. In this state, it can be configured to be performed when the position information indicates that the user has arrived at any cash register of the store via any sales floor of the store. According to the present invention, when the control unit detects the RFID tag attached to one of the products by the RFID reader, the position information arrives at any exit of the store in a state where the payment is not performed by the payment unit. In the case of indicating, issuing a warning may be further executed. The present invention further includes a communication unit that communicates with the store server, wherein the control unit informs that the user has entered the store when the position information indicates that the user has entered the store via any of the entrances of the store. Is notified to the store server by the communication unit. The present invention can be configured so that the control unit further executes receiving the coupon information from the store server after notifying that the user has entered the store. The present invention further includes: when the position information indicates that the customer has left the store via any of the outlets of the store, the control unit notifies the store server that the store has left by the communication unit. Can be configured to run. The present invention can be configured so that the control unit further executes receiving coupon information from the store server after notifying that the store has left. The present invention is also realized as a computer program for causing a computer to function as any one of the portable terminal devices described above, and a recording medium storing the computer program.

  The present invention relates to a portable terminal device used when a user purchases a product at a store, estimating a user's action based on position information, and based on the estimated action, powering an RFID reader and short-range wireless communication. In order to execute the on / off control of the power supply of the unit, the RFID according to the situation of whether or not to detect the product by RFID and whether to settle the product using the short-range wireless communication unit The power supply of the reader and the power supply of the short-range wireless communication unit can be appropriately turned on / off, so that the user can operate necessary functions, reduce power consumption, and extend the battery life. It has the effect of.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the mobile terminal device 100. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a configuration of a system connected to a mobile terminal device 100. FIG. It is an image figure of installation of a BLE beacon on the ceiling of a store. FIG. 4 is an operation flowchart of the mobile terminal device 100. FIG. 4 is an operation flowchart of the mobile terminal device 100. It is an image figure of a store and a BLE beacon installed at a store entrance. It is an image figure of a situation which detects goods in a shopping basket. It is an image figure of the situation of settling goods. It is an image figure of a store and a BLE beacon installed at a store exit.

(Basic concept of the present invention)
The present invention suppresses the battery consumption of a smartphone by appropriately turning on and off the power supply of an RFID reader function and an NFC function according to the situation of a user when using a portable terminal device such as a smartphone for settlement of shopping. Things. The basic concept is as follows.

  A user operates a shopping application on a smartphone when shopping at a store. The RFID reader function of the smartphone detects an RFID tag attached to a product that has been put into a shopping basket for purchase and has come to a position near the smartphone, reads information stored in the RFID tag, and inputs the information to the smartphone. . When inputting the information stored in the RFID tag, the smartphone receives (1) current position information (where it is, for example, an entrance, a sales floor, a cash register, etc.), and (2) past position information (past, typically, Estimates the user ’s shopping activity based on the information from which location just before the current location (for example, the entrance when the user is currently at the sales floor). The operation mode is switched, and the validity / invalidation is performed by appropriately turning on / off the power of the RFID reader function and the NFC function. Thus, the battery consumption of the smartphone can be reduced without stopping necessary functions. Furthermore, by using (3) merchandise detection information (whether or not a merchandise is in a shopping basket) and (4) settlement history information (whether or not the detected merchandise has been settled), abnormal behavior of the user, etc. Can be detected and an appropriate warning can be output from the smartphone. In the present invention, Table 1 below shows how to use the information of (1) to (4) to estimate the user's actions and control the functions (RFID reader, NFC, warning) of the smartphone. Show. Table 1 also describes recommended actions to be performed next, and it is also possible to display such recommended actions on a smartphone and provide a guide to the user. The information described in Table 1 is stored as a table in the application used by the smartphone as necessary, embedded in the application that operates on the smartphone as logic, or stored in a server on the network and required by the smartphone. It can be configured to read out in response.

  State A in Table 1 typically indicates that the current position is within a retail store or department store when the position immediately before the user is an entrance (including an entrance), outside the entrance, outside a store, or outside a department store. It is in the sales floor. This state is presumed to be the state before shopping in which the user is going to shop. As the current position or the past position, a position under another condition can be used as long as it corresponds to a state where the user can shop. For example, the past position is a sales floor on another floor in the store, and the current position may be inside the store (sales floor), inside the entrance, or the like. Moreover, those conditions can be combined. Here, typically, the merchandise is not detected by the RFID reader function, and the settlement of the merchandise is not performed. The user turns on the power supply of the RFID reader function because the user needs to put the goods in the shopping basket before settlement, but turns off the power supply of the NFC function because the current position is not near the cash register and no accounting is performed. The warning is off because no product has been detected. The next recommended action is to put the goods into the shopping basket by shopping.

  State B in Table 1 is typically a state where the current position is near a store terminal such as a cash register when the position immediately before the user is a retail store or a department store. This state is presumed to be a state before settlement in which all items purchased by the user are put in a shopping basket and accounting (settlement) is to be performed. As the current position and the past position, a position under another condition can be used as long as the position corresponds to a state in which the user can make a payment. For example, the past position may be an entrance, and the current position may be near a cash register. Moreover, those conditions can be combined. Here, typically, the merchandise is detected by the RFID reader function, but the settlement of the merchandise has not been performed yet. The user turns off the power of the RFID reader function because the user does not put a new product in the shopping cart, but turns on the power of the NFC function because a checkout is about to be performed. The warning is off because the item has been detected but the transaction is about to be made. The next recommended action is to make a payment by holding the smartphone over the NFC reader / writer at the cash register.

  In state C in Table 1, typically, when the position immediately before the user is near a store terminal such as a cash register, the current position is an exit (including an entrance) that leads to outside the store or outside the department store. And that the settlement of the merchandise has been completed (or the merchandise has not been placed in the shopping basket in the first place). This state is presumed to be a state in which the user leaves the store after purchasing a product and making a payment. As the current position and the past position, a position under other conditions can be used as long as the position corresponds to a state in which the user performs settlement and intends to leave the store. For example, the past position is near the cash register, but the current position may be a sales floor on another floor in the store. Moreover, those conditions can be combined. The condition that the user has left the store is a condition that the settlement of the commodity detected by the RFID reader function has been completed. The user turns off the power of the RFID reader function because no new product is put in the shopping basket, and also turns off the power of the NFC function because there is no checkout at the cash register. The warning is off because accounting has been completed. The next recommended action is to leave the store.

  State D in Table 1 is typically a state where the current position is at the exit leading to the outside of the store or the department store, when the position immediately before the user is in the retail store or the department store, In addition, the settlement of the product has not been completed. This state is presumed to be a state in which the product is being illegally taken out. As the current position or the past position, a position under another condition can be used as long as the position corresponds to a state where the user is trying to illegally take out the product. For example, the past position is a sales floor in a store, but the current position may be a sales floor on another floor in the store. If payment has not been made, there may be a cashier near the past position. Moreover, those conditions can be combined. The condition that the user is in an unauthorized take-out condition is that the settlement of the commodity detected by the RFID reader function is not completed. The user turns off the power of the RFID reader function because no new product is put in the shopping basket, and also turns off the power of the NFC function because there is no immediate checkout at the cash register. Turn on the warning because you are about to take out the product even though the accounting is not completed. The next recommended action is to return to the store and make a payment.

(Configuration of the mobile terminal device 100)
A mobile terminal device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. The mobile terminal device 100 is a mobile terminal device used when a user purchases a product at a store, and is typically a mobile computer terminal having a wireless communication function such as a smartphone. First, the configuration of the mobile terminal device 100 will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the portable terminal device 100. The mobile terminal device 100 mainly includes a control unit 101, an RFID reader 102, a short-range wireless communication unit 103, a settlement unit 104, a communication unit 105, a user I / F 106, and a position information acquisition unit 107. The mobile terminal device 100 is typically a portable terminal device such as a smartphone having a function of executing a given program, a communication function, an RFID reader function, an NFC communication function, and a payment function. The control unit 101 is a circuit for executing various operations for controlling the operation of the portable terminal device 100. Typically, the control unit 101 is a data processing circuit configured by connecting a processor, a temporary memory, and a flash ROM via a bus. It is. The control unit 101 executes various control operations by causing a processor to execute a program stored in a flash ROM using a work area of a temporary memory. The characteristic operation of the portable terminal device 100 according to the present invention is executed by executing a shopping application stored in the flash ROM, thereby forming a module realizing the control unit 101.

  The RFID reader 102 is a reader device that stores ID information and includes an antenna, a high-frequency circuit, a data processing circuit, and the like for reading ID information and the like by short-range wireless communication from an RFID tag having a short-range wireless communication function. . RFID tags typically transmit information using radio waves in the UHF band. The output of the RFID reader 102 is adjusted so as to detect a short distance RFID tag of several tens of cm to about 1 m. This makes it possible to detect the RFID tags attached to the products in the shopping basket owned by the user, while not detecting the RFID tags attached to the products arranged on the shelf of the store. When the user moves, a situation in which the RFID of another product is detected one after another occurs, it is considered that the product on the shelf that is not in the shopping basket is detected, and such a situation is detected. Then, a process of lowering the output of the radio wave of the RFID reader 102 to such an extent that this does not occur may be performed.

  The short-range wireless communication unit 103 is a communication circuit including an antenna, a high-frequency circuit, a data processing circuit, and the like, for performing communication by a so-called NFC with a store terminal or the like as an external cash register. NFC typically transmits information using radio waves in the HF band. The settlement unit 104 is a circuit for performing settlement when purchasing a product or the like. The settlement unit 104 is typically a data processing circuit including an IC storing the balance of electronic money, a processor for performing settlement processing, a temporary memory, a flash ROM, and the like. The settlement unit 104 is typically connected to the short-range wireless communication unit 103, and performs settlement processing by performing non-contact communication with the store terminal.

  The communication unit 105 is a circuit for typically wirelessly communicating with an external network such as a mobile phone network. The communication unit 105 may be an I / F for performing wired communication. The communication unit 105 is typically a circuit including an antenna, a high-frequency circuit, a data processing circuit, and the like. The user I / F 106 includes a display, a speaker, an LED, and a vibration element for performing data display, audio output, and the like to the user, a touch panel, buttons, and the like for inputting operation instructions from the user. It is a user interface circuit such as a driving circuit.

  The position information acquisition unit 107 is a circuit that receives a radio signal having position-related information from the outside and acquires information on the current position, and typically includes a Bluetooth (registered trademark) receiver or a GPS receiver, Or both. When the position information acquisition unit 107 is a Bluetooth receiver, the position information acquisition unit 107 acquires information on the current position by receiving a radio signal from an external Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon. In order to obtain position information by Bluetooth, BLE beacons are previously installed at equal intervals on the ceiling of the store. FIG. 3 is an image diagram of installing a BLE beacon on the ceiling of a store. In FIG. 3, a BLE beacon 152 is installed on the ceiling of the store, and the Bluetooth receiver, which is the position information acquisition unit 107 of the portable terminal device 100 held by the user, detects the BLE beacon 152 and detects the current position information. Has been shown to get. Specifically, when the Bluetooth receiver receives a radio signal from the BLE beacon 152, the Bluetooth receiver acquires the identification information of the BLE beacon 152 from the radio signal and transmits it to the control unit 101. The control unit 101 stores the correspondence between the identification information of each BLE beacon 152 and the installation position in advance, and acquires the current position by reading the installation position of the identification information of the corresponding BLE beacon 152. The correspondence between the identification information of the BLE beacon 152 and the installation location is stored on a server, and the current location is acquired by sending the identification information to the server via the Internet and inquiring about the installation location. You may comprise. Further, the information of the installation position may be encoded in the radio signal of the BLE beacon 152. The installation position is for distinguishing the position in the target store, and at least the entrance (including the entrance; may be distinguished immediately outside or just inside the entrance) and the exit (including the entrance. , The inside may be distinguished), the inside of the store (store floor), and the vicinity of the cash register. The Bluetooth receiver simultaneously receives radio signals from a plurality of BLE beacons 152, determines the positional relationship with the signals, measures the intensity of the radio signals from the BLE beacon 152, and uses the respective intensities of the respective BLE beacons. By judging the distance from 152, the installation position can be determined more precisely.

  When the position information acquisition unit 107 is a GPS receiver, the position information acquisition unit 107 acquires the coordinates (longitude / latitude) information of the current position by receiving a positioning signal from a GPS positioning satellite. The control unit 101 stores the correspondence between the coordinates and the installation position in advance, and acquires the current position by reading the installation position of the corresponding coordinates. Note that the correspondence between the coordinates and the installation position may be stored on the server, and the current position may be acquired by sending coordinate information to the server via the Internet and inquiring about the installation position.

  Next, how the mobile terminal device 100 is connected to an external system will be described. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a configuration of a system connected to the mobile terminal device 100. The mobile terminal device 100 is connected to the store terminal 151 via the short-range wireless communication unit 103 at the time of settlement. The store terminal 151 is a cashier terminal having a payment processing function. The store terminal 151 is typically connected to the store server 150 via a LAN. The store terminal 151 has a reader / writer unit for communicating with the short-range wireless communication unit 103. The store terminal 151 may be connected to the reader / writer 151a instead of incorporating the reader / writer. The store server 150 is a server that provides functions such as customer information such as product information management and coupon issue and advertisement information management. The store server 150 is typically connected to the mobile terminal device 100 via a public wireless communication network. That is, the store server 150 is wirelessly connected to the mobile terminal device 100 via the base station 200 of the public wireless communication network provided by the mobile communication carrier through the Internet.

(Operation of the mobile terminal device 100)
Next, the operation of the mobile terminal device 100 will be described. 4 and 5 are operation flowcharts showing the operation of the portable terminal device 100. First, before entering a store such as a department store or a retail store, the user starts up a shopping application provided by the store on the mobile terminal device 100 and operates the shopping application on the mobile terminal device 100 (step S1). . The user operates the shopping application provided by the store on the mobile terminal device 100. For example, when the user is going to shop in a supermarket B as a store from now on, a shopping application for the supermarket B is operated on the mobile terminal device 100. The shopping application includes a merchandise detection history function for storing merchandise to which an RFID tag detected by the RFID reader 102 is attached, a function for making payment for those merchandise, and a current and past information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 107. The control unit 101 controls the power supply of the RFID reader 102 and the short-range wireless communication unit 103 to be turned on and off based on the position of the control unit 101. When the shopping application operates, the control unit 101 starts monitoring the position information, estimates the user's behavior based on the position information, and based on the estimated behavior, functions of the mobile terminal device 100, particularly Then, on / off control of the power supply of the RFID reader 102 and the short-range wireless communication unit 103 is started. Accordingly, the power supply of the RFID reader 102 and the short-range wireless communication unit 103 can be adjusted according to whether the product is detected by the RFID and whether the settlement of the product using the short-range wireless communication unit 103 is performed. The power can be turned on / off appropriately, the power consumption can be reduced while the user operates necessary functions, and the battery life can be extended. The position information preferably uses a combination of past position information and current position information. Thereby, it is possible to more accurately estimate the action of the user and more appropriately control the non-contact communication function.

  The control unit 101 confirms the position of the mobile terminal device 100 using the position information acquisition unit 107 (Bluetooth receiver or GPS receiver). The control unit 101 detects that the user has entered the store based on the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 107 (step S2). When the position information acquisition unit 107 is a Bluetooth receiver, when a user enters a store, the Bluetooth receiver receives a position signal from a BLE beacon 152 installed near the entrance of the store, acquires position information, and enters the store. It detects that it has done. Entering the store may be detected based on the fact that the position information has moved from outside the entrance (or entrance) to the store, or from inside the entrance into the store. FIG. 6 is an image diagram of a store and a BLE beacon installed at the store entrance. The BLE beacons 152a and 152b are installed overhead just after entering the store from the store entrance, and the correspondence between the identification information of these BLE beacons and the installation location is assumed to correspond to the shopping application just inside the entrance. It is remembered. The correspondence between the identification information of the BLE beacon 152 and the installation location can be stored in the store server 150. In this case, the control unit 101 transmits the identification information of the BLE beacon 152 to the store server 150 through the base station 200 and the Internet. Get current position by sending and querying. If the identification information of the BLE beacon 152 received by the Bluetooth receiver is the identification information of the BLE beacon 152a or 152b, the control unit 101 determines that the user has entered the store. In addition, the Bluetooth receiver detects the BLE beacon 152a or 152b installed inside the entrance after the BLE beacon 152c or 152d installed outside the entrance, that is, the user moves from the outside to the inside of the entrance. By doing so, it is possible to determine that the user has entered the store. When determining that the user has entered the store, the control unit 101 shifts the operation to step S3. If the position information acquisition unit 107 is a GPS receiver, the installation position corresponding to the acquired coordinate information is near the entrance, the user enters the store building, and the signal strength of the GPS positioning signal decreases. Thus, it can be determined that the user has entered the store.

  When it is determined that the user has entered the store, it is preferable that the control unit 101 notifies the store server 150 of the fact via the Internet. In this manner, the store can be provided with an opportunity to perform an appropriate action for the user entering the store. The store server 150 notified of entering the store may transmit information of a discount coupon such as “5% OFF” via the Internet and cause the control unit 101 to display the information. When receiving the coupon information from the store server 150, the control unit 101 causes a message such as “acquired coupon” to be output from a display or a speaker using the user I / F 106 or notified by vibration. can do. As a result, it is possible to give a purchase incentive to a user who is going to do shopping at an appropriate timing.

  When the control unit 101 detects that the current position of the user acquired by using the position information acquisition unit 107 has arrived in the store or at the sales floor from the entrance, the operation is shifted to the pre-shopping mode (step S3). That is, when the control unit 101 detects that the past position is the entrance and the current position has entered the store based on the position signal from the position information acquisition unit 107, the control unit 101 estimates that the user is in a state before shopping, and operates. To the pre-shopping mode. This state corresponds to the above-described state A, and the past position and the current position may be other conditions described for the state A or a combination thereof. In the pre-shopping mode, the control unit 101 turns on the power of the RFID reader 102 and turns off the power of the short-range wireless communication unit 103. As a result, the RFID reader 102 starts detecting the RFID tag attached to the product while suppressing power consumption by the short-range wireless communication unit 103, and detects that the product has entered the shopping basket. The control unit 101 uses the user I / F 106 to display a message on the display, notify by vibration, notify by turning on or blinking an LED, or the like, by using the user I / F 106, for the transition to the pre-shopping mode. The message can be notified by voice using a speaker. The message is suitable if it indicates the next recommended action, such as "Shopping is ready. Please put the product in the shopping cart."

  The control unit 101 monitors whether there is a notification from the RFID reader 102 that the RFID tag attached to the product has been detected. As a result, the fact that a product has entered the shopping basket is detected using the RFID tag (step S4). FIG. 7 is an image diagram of a situation where a product in a shopping basket is detected. When a product is put into the shopping basket, it is located near the portable terminal device 100 held by the user, and the information recorded on the RFID tag attached to the product is read by the RFID reader 102. . When the RFID reader 102 detects the RFID tag attached to the product, the control unit 101 shifts the operation to step S5. When detecting the RFID tag attached to the product, the RFID reader 102 obtains information stored therein. Information such as “product code: 00000001”, “best before date: 201812321”, and “product serial number: 00000001” is recorded on the RFID tag. Alternatively, information such as “product name: ****” and “price: 980” may be recorded on the RFID tag. For example, when a user picks up milk from a product shelf and puts it into a shopping basket, information of the RFID tag attached to the milk is read by the RFID reader 102 and transmitted to the control unit 101.

  The control unit 101 displays, on the display of the mobile terminal device 100, attributes such as the name and price of the product in the shopping basket (step S5). That is, the control unit 101 displays the attribute of the product on the display based on the information read from the RFID tag attached to the product by the RFID reader 102. For example, when information on a product name or a price is read from an RFID tag, the control unit 101 displays the information on a display. When the information read from the RFID tag includes the product code but does not include the product name or the price, the control unit 101 transmits the information such as the product name or the price corresponding to the product code to the base station 200. It is preferable to inquire and acquire the store server 150 via the Internet and display it. The control unit 101 stores the product that has read the information of the RFID tag as a purchase list as the history of the product detection information, sums up the prices of all the products present in the purchase list at that time, and displays the total price on the display. Display. When a product is detected, the user may be notified of the detection of the product by display, sound, vibration, or the like. The user keeps putting the purchased product in the shopping basket until all the desired products are placed in the shopping basket, the RFID reader 102 reads the information of the RFID tag of those products, and the control unit 101 displays the information of the product in the purchase list. To be displayed.

  Next, the control unit 101 detects that the current position of the user acquired by using the position information acquiring unit 107 is near the cash register (step S6). When the position information acquisition unit 107 is a Bluetooth receiver, the Bluetooth receiver receives the position signal from the BLE beacon 152 installed near the store terminal 151 to acquire the position information, and informs that the user has come near the cash register. Detect. That is, the control unit 101 stores in advance the identification information of the BLE beacon 152 installed near the cash register, and the identification information of the BLE beacon 152 included in the radio signal received from the BLE beacon 152 by the Bluetooth receiver is stored therein. If it is included, it is determined that the user is near the shop terminal 151. The store server 150 stores the correspondence between the identification information of each BLE beacon 152 and the installation position. When the control unit 101 acquires the identification information of the BLE beacon 152, the control unit 101 stores the store server via the base station 200 and the Internet. It is also possible to ask 150 whether the identification information is the identification information of the BLE beacon 152 installed near the cash register, and determine whether the user is near the cash register based on the result of the inquiry. Alternatively, the information of the installation position in the store may be encoded in the radio signal of the BLE beacon 152, and the position information may be transmitted to the control unit 101 via the position information acquisition unit 107. If the control unit 101 determines that the user has come near the store terminal 151, the control unit 101 shifts the operation to step S7.

  When the past position of the user is in the store and the current position acquired by using the position information acquiring unit 107 is near the cash register, the control unit 101 shifts the operation to the pre-settlement mode (step S7). That is, when the control unit 101 detects that the user has come near the store terminal 151 based on the position signal from the position information acquisition unit 107 in a state where the immediately preceding position information is in the store, the control unit 101 waits for the user to pay for the shopping. , And the operation is shifted to the pre-settlement mode. This state corresponds to the above-described state B, and the past position and the current position may be other conditions described for the state B or a combination thereof. In the pre-payment mode, the control unit 101 turns off the power of the RFID reader 102 and turns on the power of the short-range wireless communication unit 103. Accordingly, it is possible to settle the purchased merchandise in the settlement unit 104 based on communication with the store terminal 151 through the short-range wireless communication unit 103 while suppressing power consumption by the RFID reader 102. The control unit 101 uses the user I / F 106 to display a message on the display, notify by vibration, notify by turning on or blinking the LED, or the like, by using the user I / F 106, for the transition to the pre-settlement mode. The message can be notified by voice using a speaker (step S8). It is preferable that the message indicate the next recommended action such as "Please hold the smartphone over the cashier" to prompt the user to make a payment.

  The control unit 101 monitors whether the settlement unit 104 communicates with the store terminal 151 through the short-range wireless communication unit 103 and completes the settlement of the commodity detected by the RFID (step S9). That is, the control unit 101 waits for a notification from the payment unit 104 that payment of the product has been completed, and upon receiving the notification, determines that payment has been completed and shifts to the next step. FIG. 8 is an image diagram of a situation in which a product is settled. In the settlement, the user holds the mobile terminal device 100 over the NFC reader / writer unit of the store terminal 151 (or the reader / writer 151a connected to the store terminal 151), and connects the mobile terminal device 100 with the store via the short-range wireless communication unit 103. Communication with the terminal 151 is enabled. In the settlement, the control unit 101 transmits information on the detected product to the store terminal 151 via the short-range wireless communication unit 103. The store terminal 151 preferably obtains a list of products to be purchased and a total price based on the received product information, displays the total price on a display, and causes a cashier or a user to confirm. The store terminal 151 receives a payment instruction from a cashier or a user, and transmits a request to withdraw the total amount from the balance of the electronic money to the payment unit 104 via the short-range wireless communication unit 103 in response to the instruction. The settlement unit 104 deducts the total amount from the electronic money stored therein, transmits the completion of the settlement and the balance to the store terminal 151 through the short-range wireless communication unit 103, and sets the control unit 101 to settle the product. Notify that has been completed. Thereby, the settlement of the commodity is completed. When the settlement of the product is completed, the control unit 101 shifts the operation to step S10.

  The control unit 101 detects that the user has left the store based on the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 107 (step S10). When the position information acquisition unit 107 is a Bluetooth receiver, when the user goes out of the store, the Bluetooth receiver receives the position signal from the BLE beacon 152 installed near the exit of the store, acquires the position information, and exits. Detect that the store has been opened. The fact that the store has left may be detected based on the fact that the position information has moved from the inside of the exit (or the entrance) to the outside of the store, or that the position information has moved from the inside of the store to the outside of the exit. FIG. 9 is an image diagram of a store and a BLE beacon 152 installed at a store exit. The BLE beacons 152c and 152d are installed overhead just after leaving the store from the store exit, and the correspondence between the identification information and the installation location of these BLE beacons 152 corresponds to the shopping application just outside the exit. It is stored as The correspondence between the identification information of the BLE beacon 152 and the installation location can be stored in the store server 150. In this case, the control unit 101 stores the identification information of the BLE beacon 152 in the store server 150 via the base station 200 and the Internet. The current position is acquired by sending it to 150 and making an inquiry. If the identification information of BLE beacon 152 received by the Bluetooth receiver is the identification information of BLE beacon 152c or 152d, control unit 101 determines that the user has left the store. Also, the Bluetooth receiver detects that the BLE beacon 152a installed on the inside of the exit has detected the BLE beacon 152c or 152d installed on the outside of the exit after the 152b, that is, the user has received the inside of the exit from the store. It is also possible to determine that the user has left the store by moving outward from. When determining that the user has left the store, the control unit 101 shifts the operation to step S11. When the position information acquisition unit 107 is a GPS receiver, the signal strength of the GPS positioning signal is increased and acquired from the state where the level of the GPS positioning signal is reduced due to the presence of the user in the store building. When the installation position corresponding to the coordinate information is near the exit, it can be determined that the user has left the store.

  When the user goes out of the store through the exit after completing the payment, the control unit 101 transitions to the store closing mode, and notifies the store server 150 of the transition (step S11). That is, when the control unit 101 detects that the past position is near the cash register and the current position has come to the exit by the position signal from the position information acquiring unit 107 in a state where the settlement by the settlement unit 104 is completed, the user It is estimated that payment is completed and the store is closed, and the operation is shifted to the store close mode. This state corresponds to the above-described state C, and the past position and the current position may be other conditions described for the state C or a combination thereof. In the exit mode, the control unit 101 turns off the power of the RFID reader 102 and turns off the power of the short-range wireless communication unit 103. Thereby, power consumption by the RFID reader 102 and the short-range wireless communication unit 103 can be suppressed. Note that the control unit 101 uses the user I / F 106 to display a message on the display, notify by vibration, notify by turning on or blinking an LED, and the like, by using the user I / F 106, The message can be notified by voice using a speaker. It is preferable that the message indicate the next recommended action such as "I am waiting for another visit".

  It is preferable that the control unit 101 notifies the store server 150 via the Internet when the mode changes to the store exit mode. In this way, the store can be provided with an opportunity to take an appropriate action for the user leaving the store. The store server 150 that has been notified that the store has left may transmit discount coupon information such as “5% OFF at the next visit” via the Internet, and may cause the control unit 101 to display the information. The control unit 101 receives the coupon information from the store server 150 (Step S12). When receiving such discount coupon information, the control unit 101 can output a message such as “acquired coupon” from a display or a speaker, or notify the user by vibration. As a result, an incentive to return to the store can be given to the user who has completed shopping at an appropriate timing.

  The information on the discount coupon may be transmitted by e-mail. In this case, the store server 150 stores the mail address of the user in advance, and transmits the discount coupon by e-mail. Such an e-mail can be transmitted at various timings, such as immediately after the shopping is completed, after a certain period of time has elapsed after the shopping is completed, periodically, before a sale is held, and the like. The mobile terminal device 100 can display the discount coupon sent by e-mail using the mailer application.

  Preferably, if the user arrives at the exit without completing the payment, the control unit 101 transitions to the unauthorized take-out mode (step S11a). That is, when the control unit 101 detects that the past position is in the store and the current position has come to the exit by the position signal from the position information acquisition unit 107 in a state where the settlement by the settlement unit 104 is not completed, the user It is assumed that the user forgets the settlement and tries to take out the product, or presumes that the user is illegally taking out the product without performing the payment, and shifts the operation to the unauthorized taking-out mode. This state corresponds to the state D described above, and the past position and the current position may be other conditions described for the state D or a combination thereof. In the unauthorized removal mode, the control unit 101 turns off the power of the RFID reader 102 and turns off the power of the short-range wireless communication unit 103, and further uses the user I / F 106 to notify the user and / or the clerk. Output a warning to the user. The warning to the user can be performed by outputting a warning message such as "Please return to the store and making a payment" from the display or speaker, outputting a warning sound from the speaker, blinking the LED, and the like. it can. The warning to the clerk is to output a warning sound or a warning message from the speaker, to display the warning message on the display, or to inform that the communication unit 105 has illegally taken out the store server 150 via the base station 200 and the Internet. It can be performed by transmitting information. When such information is transmitted, the store server 150 causes the store clerk to take appropriate measures by causing the store to broadcast a warning or notifying the store clerk or security officer with a short message or e-mail. Can be encouraged. As a result, it is possible to prevent the user from taking out the product erroneously or illegally.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used when a user purchases a product at a store such as a retail store, and can perform appropriate notification according to the situation to a user while suppressing power consumption. The present invention can be used for providing a device and an application program therefor.

100: mobile terminal device 101: control unit 102: RFID reader 103: short-range wireless communication unit 104: settlement unit 105: communication unit 106: user I / F
107: Location information acquisition unit 150: Store server 151: Store terminal 151a: Reader / writer 152: BLE beacon 200: Base station

Claims (12)

A portable terminal device used when a user purchases a product at a store,
An RFID reader for detecting an RFID tag attached to the product and reading product information stored therein;
A short-range wireless communication unit for communicating with the store terminal of the store using short-range wireless communication,
A position information acquisition unit that acquires position information of the mobile terminal device,
A control unit that controls the operation of the mobile terminal device;
With
The control unit estimates the action of the user based on the position information, and based on the estimated action, on / off control of the power of the RFID reader and the power of the short-range wireless communication unit, respectively. A portable terminal device characterized by executing. The control unit includes:
When the location information indicates that the user has arrived at any sales floor of the store via one of the entrances of the store, the user's action is presumed to be shopping, and the operation mode is set to be before shopping. Shifting to a mode, turning on the power of the RFID reader and turning off the power of the short-range wireless communication unit,
When the location information indicates that the user has arrived at any cash register of the store via any sales floor of the store, the user's action is estimated to perform payment for shopping, and the operation mode To the pre-settlement mode to turn off the power of the RFID reader and turn on the power of the short-range wireless communication unit, and the location information of the store via any cash register of the store When indicating that the user has arrived at any of the exits, it is presumed that the action of the user is to exit the store, the operation mode is shifted to the exit mode, the power of the RFID reader is turned off, and the short-range wireless communication is performed. The mobile terminal device according to claim 1, wherein turning off the power of the unit is performed.   The mobile terminal device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit further executes: issuing a notification when the operation mode is shifted.   The controller reads out the product information from the RFID tag when the RFID reader detects the RFID tag attached to any of the products, and stores a product corresponding to the product information in a purchase list. The mobile terminal device according to claim 2, further comprising:   The mobile terminal device according to claim 4, wherein the control unit further executes, when shifting to the pre-payment mode, outputting a message or voice prompting for payment. A settlement unit that communicates with the store terminal through the short-range wireless communication unit and performs settlement of the product stored in the purchase list;
The transition to the pre-settlement mode is a case where the location information indicates that the customer has arrived at any cash register of the store via any sales floor of the store in a state where the payment by the payment unit has been completed. The mobile terminal device according to claim 5, wherein the mobile terminal device is operated.   The control unit, after the RFID reader detects the RFID tag attached to any of the products, in a state where payment by the payment unit is not performed, the position information is sent to any exit of the store 7. The portable terminal device according to claim 6, further comprising: issuing a warning when indicating that the information has come. Further comprising a communication unit for communicating with the store server,
The control unit may notify the store server that the store has been entered by the communication unit when the position information indicates that the user has entered the store via any of the entrances of the store. The portable terminal device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further performing:   The mobile terminal device according to claim 8, wherein the control unit further executes receiving coupon information from the store server after notifying that the store has been entered.   The control unit may notify the store server that the store has been closed by the communication unit when the position information indicates that the store has come to the outside of the store via any of the outlets of the store. 10. The mobile terminal device according to claim 8, further comprising:   The mobile terminal device according to claim 10, wherein the control unit further executes receiving coupon information from the store server after notifying that the store has left.   A computer program for causing a computer to function as the mobile terminal device according to claim 1.

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