JP2023075716A - Information processing device and commodity sales system - Google Patents

Abstract

To achieve the promotion of commodity sales in a distribution form of a commodity through an automatic vending machine.SOLUTION: When an information processing device configured to be communicable with each of a plurality of operator terminals respectively used by a plurality of automatic vending machine operators who operate an automatic vending machine to sell commodities receives from an operator terminal an exhibition request for a commodity to a commodity sales site for operators at which an automatic vending machine operator can purchase the commodity to be sold with an automatic vending machine through electronic commerce, it registers information of the commodity exhibited in the exhibition request as information of a sales commodity in the commodity sales site for operators. Also, in receiving a display request at the commodity sales site for operators from another operator terminal different from an operator terminal transmitting the exhibition request, it acquires the information of the sales commodity including the exhibited commodity and transmits the information to the operator terminal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and a product sales system that are applied in the form of product distribution via vending machines.

In general product distribution, products are sold from producers to consumers via wholesalers, middlemen (brokers), and retailers. As an example of technology that supports operations related to the distribution of products, in addition to the flow of transactions in such a distribution format, a system for directly conducting product transactions between consumers and producers has been provided. there is

JP 2021-39725 A

Here, not only retail stores but also vending machines are becoming popular as a means of selling products to consumers. Vending machines are unmanned and have no restrictions on sales hours, making them highly convenient. In addition, since consumers can purchase products non-face-to-face, they are attracting attention for their peace of mind. provides vending machines that can sell a wide variety of products. The form of distribution of goods through such vending machines differs from the form of distribution through general retail stores, for example, in some cases, product producers operate vending machines to sell their own products. Characteristic.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to realize promotion of product sales, especially in the form of product distribution via vending machines.

According to one aspect of the present invention, an information processing apparatus configured to communicate with a plurality of operator terminals respectively used by a plurality of vending machine operators who operate vending machines and sell products is provided. . The information processing device sends, from the operator terminal, a product listing request to a product sales site for operators where the vending machine operator can purchase products to be sold by the vending machine through electronic commerce. When receiving the information, the information of the product exhibited in the exhibition request is registered as the information of the product for sale on the product sales site for the operator. Further, when the information processing device receives a display request for the product sales site for the operator from another operator terminal different from the operator terminal that transmitted the exhibition request, the information processing device includes the exhibited product. The information on the sales product is acquired, and the information on the sales product is transmitted to the other operator terminal.

In one aspect of the present invention, an information processing apparatus is provided that is configured to communicate with a consumer terminal used by a consumer who purchases products from a vending machine. When the information processing device receives from the consumer terminal a search request for the vending machine including the search condition specified by the consumer, the information processing device matches the search condition based on the information on the vending machine. A vending machine is searched, and if there is a vending machine that matches the search conditions, information including location information of the vending machine is transmitted to the consumer terminal. In addition, when there is no vending machine that matches the search conditions, the information processing device acquires information on products that match the search conditions, and the information on the products is provided by the consumer through electronic commerce. is transmitted to the consumer terminal as information on the sale target on the consumer product sales site that can be purchased.

According to the present invention, it is possible to realize promotion of product sales, particularly in the form of product distribution via vending machines.

It is an explanatory view showing an example of a distribution form to which the product sales system of this embodiment is applied. It is an explanatory view of the whole composition of an example of a merchandise sales system. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a data structure; It is a flow chart which shows an example of sales information record processing. It is a flowchart which shows an example of a vending machine search process. It is a flowchart which shows an example of a vending machine search process. It is a flow chart which shows an example of EC sales processing for managers. It is a flow chart which shows an example of EC sales processing for managers. It is a flow chart which shows an example of commodity exhibition processing. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of matching processing; It is a flow chart which shows an example of sales analysis processing. It is a flow chart which shows an example of delivery plan generation processing. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a search condition input screen of a vending machine; FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a search result screen of a vending machine; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a navigation screen; It is explanatory drawing of an example of an EC site screen for consumers. It is explanatory drawing of an example of the EC site screen for operators. It is explanatory drawing of an example of a goods exhibition screen. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a matching result display screen; It is explanatory drawing of an example of a sales analysis display screen. It is explanatory drawing of an example of a sales forecast display screen. It is explanatory drawing of an example of a delivery plan display screen. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing device; FIG.

[Outline of distribution form to which the present embodiment is applied]
One embodiment of the merchandise vending system described herein relates to the distribution of merchandise through vending machines. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a product distribution form according to this embodiment.
In this distribution mode, the vending machine operator installs and operates the vending machine at an arbitrary location. A vending machine operator purchases commodities to be sold by the vending machine, stores the commodities in the unloading device of the vending machine operated by the vending machine operator, and sells the commodities. There are two ways to purchase this product. One method is a method in which a broker purchases products from producers and provides them to vending machine operators ((1) and (2) in FIG. 1). Another method is a method in which the vending machine operator produces (manufactures) the products sold by the vending machine by himself ((3) in FIG. 1). In other words, the vending machine operator himself is the producer. In recent years, it has become possible to install a variety of take-out devices on vending machines, making it possible to sell all kinds of products. became possible. Merchandise procured by any of these methods is housed in the unloading device of the vending machine by the vending machine operator (or by the intermediary in some cases) ((4) in FIG. 1). Then, the consumer purchases the desired product from the vending machine by paying for the product ((5) in FIG. 1).

For example, vending machine operator X in FIG. 1 purchases product A1 from producer A and products B1 and B2 from producer B through an intermediary, and stores them in vending machines X1 to X3 operated by him/herself. can be sold as On the other hand, the vending machine operator Y can store and sell the products Y1 and Y2 produced (manufactured) by himself/herself in the vending machines Y1 to Y4 that he/she operates. In addition to these products Y1 and Y2, the vending machine operator Y can also sell products procured from any of the producers.

Here, according to an example of the product sales system described below in this specification, the following functions are mainly realized in such a form of distribution via vending machines. First, when a vending machine operator purchases products from a producer, a product sales site (EC (Electronic Commerce)) for vending machine operators that can be used on operator terminals, which are devices such as smartphones used by vending machine operators. site) to easily purchase products. At this time, if the vending machine operator is also the producer, the product produced by the vending machine operator can be exhibited on the EC site. This allows the vending machine operator to stock products produced by other vending machine operators. For example, in the example of FIG. 1, vending machine operator Y can purchase product Z1 provided by vending machine operator Z. Therefore, it is possible to expand the sales channels of products produced by vending machine operators, and to build a relationship (family) in which vending machine operators, who used to be in a competitive relationship, cooperate with each other. It becomes possible. As a result, the contents of the products sold by the vending machines are more substantial, and the sales of products in the form of distribution through the vending machines are further promoted.

Further, according to an example of the product sales system described below, the consumer can search for a vending machine by designating a search condition desired by the consumer. Then, when there is a vending machine that satisfies the search conditions, the location information of the vending machine is displayed on the consumer terminal, which is a device such as a smart phone used by the consumer. Therefore, the consumer can easily find a vending machine that sells the product that the consumer desires, for example, making it easier to purchase using the vending machine. On the other hand, if there is no vending machine that satisfies the search condition desired by the consumer, for example, if the product desired by the consumer is not sold at a vending machine near the consumer, the desired vending machine may not be available. An EC site for consumers from which products can be purchased is displayed on the consumer terminal. Then, the consumer can directly purchase the product through the EC site ((6) in FIG. 1). This will further improve convenience for consumers and lead to further promotion of product sales.

Furthermore, according to an example of the product sales system described below, various sales analyzes and future sales forecasts are performed based on the sales performance of products in vending machines, and the operator terminals used by the vending machine operators can be displayed. As a result, the vending machine operator's operation management work becomes more efficient, and, for example, in order to increase profits from product sales, it is possible to make decisions such as what kind of products should be sold by which vending machine. It will become easier, and it will be possible to realize an increase in profits and expansion of sales channels. Further, according to an example of the product sales system described below, a product delivery plan based on the location of vending machines and inventory information is generated and displayed on the operator terminal used by the vending machine operator. can be done. Therefore, the vending machine operator can efficiently perform inventory replenishment work for vending machines.

A product sales system according to the present embodiment capable of realizing such various functions will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[Overall system configuration]
FIG. 2 shows the overall configuration of an example of the product sales system 1 in this embodiment. The merchandise sales system 1 includes vending machines 10 , consumer terminals 20 , operator terminals 30 and servers 40 . Although there are actually a plurality of vending machines 10, consumer terminals 20, and operator terminals 30, only one of each is shown in FIG. Also, a plurality of servers 40 may exist depending on the system configuration.

The vending machine 10 is equipped with a carry-out device capable of storing and carrying out products. It is a device that realizes unmanned sales of commodities by carrying them out with a carry-out device as a condition. The vending machine 10 can keep vending commodities at room temperature, refrigerated, or frozen, depending on the model, so that various commodities can be sold. There are a plurality of types of unloading devices such as spirals, conveyors, and hooks, and products that can be unloaded differ according to these types. Furthermore, the products that can be carried out differ depending on the pitch of the spiral. Such delivery devices can be arbitrarily replaced, and it is possible to install a delivery device that matches the product that the vending machine operator desires to sell. The vending machine 10 also includes a general-purpose information processing device capable of storing and calculating information. The vending machine 10 includes a sales information transmission section 11 as an example of a functional configuration realized by the processor of the information processing device.

The consumer terminal 20 is a device used by a consumer who purchases products from the vending machine 10 . Consumer terminal 20 is an information processing device that includes, for example, a mobile device (eg, smart phone, PDA, etc.), mobile computer, tablet computer, or any other type of device. In addition, the consumer terminal 20 has a GPS (Global Positioning System) function and can hold the position information of its own device. The consumer terminal 20 includes a vending machine search display section 21 and a consumer EC display section 22 as an example of a functional configuration implemented in the processor of the information processing device.

The operator terminal 30 is a device used by a vending machine operator who operates the vending machine 10 and stores and sells arbitrary products in the vending machine 10 . Like the consumer terminal 20, the operator terminal 30 is also an information processing device including any type of device such as a mobile device. The operator terminal 30 includes an operator EC display unit 31, an exhibition reception unit 32, a matching display unit 33, a sales analysis display unit 34, and a delivery plan display unit 35, as an example of a functional configuration realized in the processor of the information processing device. Prepare.

The server 40 is a device that can be operated by an intermediary. For example, based on the sales information for each vending machine operator and the sales information for each vending machine 10, the intermediary provides consulting to vending machine operators and producers, product advertisement distribution to consumer terminals 20, and the like. can do The server 40 is an information processing device including any kind of device such as a desktop computer. The server 40 has the following configuration as an example of the functional configuration realized by the processor of the information processing device. First, the server 40 has a sales information recording section 41 that operates in cooperation with the vending machine 10 . The server 40 also includes a vending machine search unit 42 and a consumer EC sales unit 43 that operate in cooperation with the consumer terminal 20 . Further, the server 40 includes an operator EC sales unit 44 , an exhibition processing unit 45 , a matching processing unit 46 , a sales analysis unit 47 and a delivery plan generation unit 48 that operate in cooperation with the operator terminal 30 .
The server 40 also stores vending machine installation information 51, product information 52, vending machine inventory information 53, vending machine sales information 54, consumer EC related information 55, It has EC related information 56 for operators and attribute information 57 .

The vending machine 10, the consumer terminal 20, the operator terminal 30, and the server 40 are interconnected via a network. The network is, for example, any one or more of communication lines by mobile communication systems including LTE (Long Term Evolution), etc., LAN (Local Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network) and similar networks. can contain. Also, in this embodiment, it is assumed that the communication between devices is wireless communication, but it is not limited to this.

In addition to the above configuration, when the intermediary operates the server 40, an intermediary terminal (not shown) interconnected with the server 40 via a network may be used. The intermediary terminal can be configured, for example, to realize a function of confirming information stored in the storage device of the server 40, a delivery plan, placing orders, and giving execution instructions.
A producer who does not operate the vending machine 10 but only produces and supplies products may also use a producer terminal (not shown) interconnected with the server 40 via a network. The producer terminal can be configured, for example, to implement functions such as transmitting exhibition information to the server 40, receiving order information from the server 40, and receiving sales forecast information.

[data structure]
FIG. 3 shows an example of the data structure of vending machine installation information 51, product information 52, vending machine inventory information 53, vending machine sales information 54, EC related information 55 for consumers, and EC related information 56 for operators. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing;

The vending machine installation information 51 is data including information related to each of the vending machines 10 installed in various places. The vending machine installation information 51 includes, for example, a vending machine ID that uniquely identifies each vending machine 10, a vending machine operator who operates the vending machine 10, Store (store name) set in the case of having a store related to products stored in the vending machine 10 or in the case of operating the vending machine itself as a store, installation position information of the vending machine 10, and the vending machine 10 includes information indicating the loading/unloading device that indicates the type of loading/unloading device for the product loaded on the .

The product information 52 is data including basic information (master) about the product itself, and for example, the product (product name), the attribute (genre) of the product, the product photo, and the information about the product stored in the vending machine 10. contains data indicating the unloading device that can be installed when The attribute of a product is, for example, information indicating the type of food (ramen, gyoza, cake, etc.) in the case of food. As such attributes, it is possible to include a variety of other information such as the characteristics of the area where the product is produced.

The vending machine inventory information 53 is data including information related to the inventory of products currently sold in the vending machine 10 . The vending machine inventory information 53 includes, for example, the vending machine ID of the vending machine 10, the inventory product currently stored in the vending machine 10, the selling price of the product, and the deadline for selling the product ( For example, if the product is food, it includes information indicating the retention period, which indicates the expiration date, expiration date, etc.).

The vending machine sales information 54 is data including information indicating the sales performance of the vending machine 10 . The vending machine sales information 54 includes, for example, the vending machine ID of the vending machine 10, the sold product indicating the product purchased by the consumer at the vending machine 10, and the includes information indicating the date and time of the sale, which is the date and time of the sale.

The consumer-oriented EC related information 55 is data including information related to EC sites that sell consumer-oriented products. The consumer-oriented EC-related information 55 includes, for example, information indicating sales products that can be sold on the consumer-oriented EC site and sales prices of the sales products.

The EC-related information 56 for operators is data including information relating to EC sites that sell products for vending machine operators. The operator-oriented EC-related information 56 includes, for example, information indicating sales products that can be sold on the EC site, sales prices of the sales products, and sellers of the sales products. For example, when the vending machine operator puts up the product on the EC site using the product listing function, the exhibitor of the product for sale is information indicating the vending machine operator. Also, in the case of products provided by a producer who provides products through an intermediary, the intermediary may be the exhibitor.

The attribute information 57 is data including information indicating a combination in which the attributes of products match (good compatibility), and is used in the matching process described later. The attribute information 57 includes, as an example, attributes and matching attributes that match the attributes. As an example of such a combination of attributes that are compatible with each other, attributes that are highly likely to be purchased together, such as one attribute being ramen and its matching attribute being dumplings, can be considered.

[Functions and processing realized in this system]
Next, functions and specific processes implemented by the vending machine 10, the consumer terminal 20, the operator terminal 30 and the server 40 will be described with reference to flowcharts shown in FIGS. 4 to 12. FIG. Further, in the description, screen examples shown in FIGS. 13 to 22 will also be referred to as appropriate. The processes realized in the present embodiment are (1) cooperation processing by the vending machine 10 and the server 40, (2) cooperation processing by the consumer terminal 20 and the server 40, and (3) cooperation by the operator terminal 30 and the server 40. processing. As described above, in the commodity sales system 1 of the present embodiment, in principle, it is assumed that there are a plurality of vending machines 10, consumer terminals 20, and operator terminals 30, respectively. For this reason, the processing described below is performed by each of the plurality of vending machines 10 and the server 40 in (1), each of the plurality of consumer terminals 20 and the server 40 in (2), and the plurality of operators in (3). It is implemented in each of the terminals 30 and the server 40 .

(1) Coordination Processing by Vending Machine 10 and Server 40 FIG. This process is a process of reflecting the sales status of products in the vending machine 10 in the data held by the server 40 .
At step 101 (denoted as S101 in the figure; the same shall apply hereinafter), the sales information transmission section 11 of the vending machine 10 receives the information when the consumer purchases the product in the vending machine 10, that is, when the product is sold. , the sales information is transmitted to the server 40 . The sales information includes information indicating the vending machine ID of the vending machine 10, the product to be sold, and the date and time of sale of the product.

At step 102, the sales information recording unit 41 of the server 40 updates the vending machine inventory information 53 based on the received sales information. Specifically, among the data of the vending machine inventory information 53, the amount of the product included in the sales information is subtracted from the inventory quantity of the inventory product of the data corresponding to the vending machine ID included in the received sales information. As a premise of this processing, the vending machine inventory information 53 is registered with data for the stored products when the vending machine operator purchases the products and stores them in the unloading device of the vending machine 10. . The registration process is implemented by, for example, cooperative processing by the vending machine operator terminal 30 and the server 40, but detailed description thereof is omitted in this specification.
At step 103, the sales information recording unit 41 updates the vending machine sales information 54 based on the received sales information. Specifically, data including the vending machine ID, the product to be sold, and the date and time of sale included in the received sales information are recorded as the vending machine sales information 54 .

According to the sales information recording process, when a product is sold in the vending machine 10, the inventory information of the product in the vending machine 10 managed by the server 40 is updated. Therefore, the inventory status of the vending machine 10 can be accurately managed on the server 40 side. In addition, the sales information of the vending machine 10 is accumulated as data of the vending machine sales information 54, and the data can be utilized in the sales analysis processing to be described later.

In addition, when the number of products in stock in the vending machine 10 falls below a predetermined threshold value as a result of the sales information recording process, the operator terminal 30 of the vending machine operator who operates the vending machine 10 is notified of this fact. may be sent and a warning message may be displayed on the operator terminal 30 . By doing so, it becomes possible for the vending machine operator to take measures such as replenishing products or placing orders before the vending machine 10 runs out of stock.

(2) Cooperation processing between consumer terminal 20 and server 40 FIGS. 42 and the consumer EC sales department (consumer sales processing part) 43 realize vending machine search processing. This process is a process for realizing a function of searching the consumer terminal 20 for the vending machine 10 that satisfies the consumer's desired condition.

At step 201 , the vending machine search display unit 21 of the consumer terminal 20 displays a search condition input screen 211 for inputting desired conditions when the consumer searches for the vending machine 10 . FIG. 13 shows an example of such a search condition input screen 211. As shown in FIG. In this example, as an example of search conditions, the area where the vending machine 10 is installed (for example, within a predetermined distance from the current position), the genre of the desired product, and the name of the desired product are entered. , is displayed. Also, a search execution button 211B for making a search execution request is displayed. Note that the search conditions are not limited to this example, and arbitrary search conditions such as keywords included in the location where the vending machine 10 is installed can be set.

At step 202 , the vending machine search display unit 21 accepts designation of search conditions and a search execution request from the consumer via the search condition input screen 211 .
At step 203 , the vending machine search and display unit 21 transmits the specified search conditions to the server 40 together with the location information of the consumer terminal 20 .

At step 204 , the vending machine search unit 42 of the server 40 searches for vending machine 10 data that satisfies the search conditions received from the consumer terminal 20 . For example, when an area is included as a search condition, the data of the vending machine 10 whose installation position information of the vending machine 10 is included in the relevant area in the vending machine installation information 51 is searched. In addition, when the genre of the product is included in the search condition, the product whose attribute matches the genre is specified from the product information 52, and the vending machine 10 that includes the product as an inventory product from the vending machine inventory information 53. Search data for Also, if the product name is included as a search condition, the vending machine installation information 51 is searched for the data of the vending machine 10 that has the product in stock. Also, when a plurality of search conditions are specified, the vending machine 10 that satisfies all the specified conditions is searched.

At step 205, the vending machine search unit 42 determines whether or not there is a vending machine 10 that satisfies the search conditions as a result of the search process. If the vending machine 10 exists, proceed to step 206 (YES), otherwise proceed to step 207 (NO).
At step 206, the vending machine search unit 42 transmits information on vending machines 10 that satisfy the search conditions. The information may include, for example, the vending machine ID and location information of the vending machine 10 . Further, the vending machine search unit 42 may transmit the information of the actual store handling the product together with the vending machine 10 having the product in stock.

At step 207 , the vending machine search display unit 21 of the consumer terminal 20 displays the information on the vending machine 10 received from the server 40 on the search result screen 212 . FIG. 14 shows an example of such a search result screen 212. As shown in FIG. In this example, a mark (star) indicating the position of the vending machine 10 is displayed on the search result map 212A as the display mode of the search results. By tapping (clicking) the icon on the search result map 212A, detailed information of the product sold by the vending machine 10 (for example, the product sold by the vending machine 10 and its selling price) is displayed. may be displayed. Also, the display mode of the search results is not limited to this example, and for example, the relevant vending machines 10 may be displayed in a list format or the like.

In step 208, the vending machine search and display unit 21 selects one of the search results of the vending machine 10 displayed on the search result screen 212 and, when the consumer makes a navigation request, A navigation screen 213 from the current position to the vending machine 10 is displayed. FIG. 15 shows an example of such a navigation screen 213, in which a navigation map 213A is displayed. Note that the process of displaying the icon of the vending machine 10 on the map based on the position information of the vending machine 10 in step 207 and the process of performing navigation in step 208 can be performed, for example, by an existing map application API (Application programming interface).

At step 209, the consumer EC sales department 43 of the server 40 acquires information on products that satisfy the search conditions. For example, if the search condition includes a product genre, the product corresponding to the genre can be specified from the product information 52 . Then, the consumer-oriented EC sales unit 43 retrieves the specified product from the consumer-oriented EC related information 55 instead of the information of the vending machine 10, and obtains the information of the product, that is, the product to be sold and the selling price. The information contained therein is acquired, and the acquired product information is transmitted to the consumer terminal 20 as the information of the sale target on the consumer product sales site where the consumer can purchase the product through electronic commerce.

At step 210 , the consumer EC display unit 22 of the consumer terminal 20 displays the consumer EC site screen 221 on which the product can be purchased based on the product information received from the server 40 . The consumer EC site screen 221 can be displayed, for example, on the web browser or application screen of the consumer terminal 20 . FIG. 16 shows an example of such an EC site screen 221 for consumers. As shown in FIG. 16, on the EC site screen 221 for consumers, products 221A that match the conditions input by the consumer as search conditions for the vending machine 10 are displayed as recommended products. Also, on the EC site screen 221 for consumers, a purchase execution button 221B is displayed for the consumer to select a product to purchase and send a purchase request. A consumer can purchase a desired product via the EC site screen 221 for consumers.

According to the vending machine search process, the consumer terminal 20 displays the position information of the vending machine 10 that matches the search condition specified by the consumer. Therefore, the consumer can know where the vending machine 10 that satisfies the desired conditions is located, and the convenience in using the vending machine 10 is greatly improved. Also, by displaying the position of the vending machine 10 as an icon on the map, it becomes easier to visually grasp the position. Furthermore, by performing navigation to the vending machine 10, it becomes possible to easily reach the vending machine 10 that satisfies the desired conditions.

In addition, in the vending machine search process, if the vending machine 10 that satisfies the search conditions does not exist, not only is the consumer informed that the vending machine 10 does not exist, but the EC site that sells the products that meet the search conditions consumes the products. displayed on the user terminal 20. In this case, the consumer cannot go to the vending machine 10 on the spot and purchase the product immediately, but can easily purchase the desired product on the EC site. In this way, product sales by the vending machine 10 are complemented by product sales by the EC site, and by merging the two, convenience for consumers can be further improved, and product sales can be expected to be promoted.

Furthermore, as a modification of the vending machine search process, if there is no vending machine 10 that satisfies the search conditions, the consumer can make a reservation so that the desired product can be purchased at the vending machine 10 . good. Specifically, for example, information indicating a reserved product and a reservation date is transmitted from the consumer terminal 20 to the server 40, and the information is transmitted to the operator terminal 30 used by the vending machine operator who operates the vending machine 10. to be notified. Then, the vending machine operator replenishes the reserved product to the vending machine 10 by the reservation date and secures the inventory, so that the consumer can purchase the desired product. Further, the product may be reserved for the vending machine 10 specified (selected) by the consumer from among the search results of the vending machines 10 displayed on the search result screen 212 . In this case, estimate the approximate arrival time from the route displayed on the navigation screen 213, set the reservation time with extra time added, or set the reservation time from the current time, and if the time/time has passed , By canceling reservations, it is possible to reduce losses while expanding sales opportunities. In this case, for example, a bar code reader or the like provided in the vending machine 10 is used to read a bar code that identifies the purchaser, thereby confirming that the purchaser is the consumer who made the reservation and selling the product. should be sold.

In order to realize the function of the vending machine search processing, the product sales system may include at least the consumer terminal 20 and the server 40 instead of including all the configurations shown in FIG. In this case, the server 40 includes at least a vending machine search unit 42, a consumer EC sales unit 43, vending machine installation information 51, product information 52, vending machine inventory information 53, and consumer EC related information. 55 and other configurations as desired.

(3) Cooperation processing by operator terminal 30 and server 40 FIG. 7 and FIG. ) 44 for operators. This process is a process that realizes a function for the vending machine operator to purchase commodities to be stored and sold in the unloading device of the vending machine 10 operated by the vending machine operator.

In step 301, the EC display unit 31 for the operator of the operator terminal 30 displays a product (purchased product) to be sold by the vending machine 10 via a menu screen or the like (not shown) for the vending machine operator. is accepted by the vending machine operator through electronic commerce.
In step 302 , the operator-oriented EC display unit 31 transmits to the server 40 a display request for the operator-oriented product sales site.

In step 303, the operator EC sales unit 44 of the server 40 acquires information on sales products to be sold on the operator EC site, that is, information including sales products and sales prices, from the operator EC related information 56. .
In step 304, the operator-oriented EC sales unit 44 transmits the information on the sales product acquired in step 303 to the operator terminal 30 as information indicating the sales target on the operator-oriented product sales site.
At this time, the products for sale may include products exhibited by other vending machine operators through the product exhibition process described later. That is, the operator terminal 30 (second operator terminal) to which the information on the sale product is to be sent is a different operator terminal than the operator terminal 30 (first operator terminal) that requested the exhibition. can be 30;

In step 305, the operator EC display unit 31 of the operator terminal 30 displays the operator EC site screen 311 on which the sales product can be purchased based on the sales product information received from the server 40. . The operator EC site screen 311 can be displayed on, for example, a web browser or an application screen of the operator terminal 30 . FIG. 17 shows an example of such an EC site screen 311 for operators. On the screen, the information on the sales product acquired from the operator EC related information 56 on the server 40 side is displayed as the sales product 311A. The screen also displays a purchase execution button 311B for sending a purchase request.

In step 306, the EC display unit 31 for operators receives the input of the purchased product and quantity and the purchase request from the vending machine operator via the EC site screen 311 for operators (in FIG. are omitted).
In step 307 , the EC display unit 31 for operators transmits to the server 40 purchase information in which the input information is associated with information indicating the vending machine operator who uses the operator terminal 30 .

In step 308, the operator EC sales unit 44 of the server 40 searches the vending machine installation information 51 for the vending machine 10 operated by the vending machine operator, and Identify the unloading device. In addition, the operator-oriented EC sales unit 44 identifies, from the product information 52, a carry-out device that can store the purchased product.
In step 309, the operator-oriented EC sales unit 44 determines whether or not the vending machine 10 operated by the vending machine operator is equipped with a delivery device capable of containing the purchased product. It is determined whether or not it is compatible with the unloading device installed in the vending machine 10 operated by the vending machine operator. If both match, go to step 310 (YES), otherwise go to step 311 (NO).
At step 310, the EC sales department for operators 44 executes purchase procedure processing for the purchased product.

In step 311, the operator-oriented EC sales unit 44 issues a notification indicating that the vending machine 10 operated by the vending machine operator does not have a carry-out device capable of containing purchased products. to the user terminal 30. At this time, the operator-oriented EC sales unit 44 may transmit together information indicating the delivery device capable of storing the purchased product and information regarding the purchase arrangement of the delivery device. In addition, the operator-oriented EC sales unit 44 may also transmit the products that can be stored in the unloading device.
At step 312 , the operator EC display unit 31 of the operator terminal 30 displays a warning message on the screen based on the information received from the server 40 . Note that when the EC display unit 31 for operators receives from the server 40 information indicating an unloading device that can store the purchased product, the information indicating the unloading device is also displayed on the screen. You may do so.

In step 313, the operator-oriented EC display unit 31 displays a screen allowing selection of whether or not to continue the purchase (illustration of the screen is omitted). When the vending machine operator selects to continue the purchase, the server 40 is notified to that effect. As a result, the operator EC sales unit 44 of the server 40 executes the purchase procedure process in step 310 (YES). On the other hand, if the vending machine operator selects not to continue the purchase, the process ends (NO).

According to the operator-oriented EC sales process, the vending machine operator can easily purchase, on the EC site, products to be sold by the vending machine 10 operated by the vending machine operator. Also, when the vending machine operator purchases a product, it is determined whether or not the vending machine 10 operated by the vending machine operator has a carry-out device capable of containing the product. If not, a warning is displayed on the operator terminal 30. - 特許庁Therefore, it is possible to prevent the vending machine operator from erroneously purchasing a product that cannot be sold by the vending machine 10 operated by the vending machine operator. In addition, at this time, information indicating the delivery device capable of storing the product desired to be purchased is displayed, and information regarding the purchase arrangement of the delivery device is also displayed, so that the vending machine operator can After purchasing the product, it is also possible to purchase and arrange the carry-out device at the same time. Since the vending machine 10 has a structure in which the carry-out device can be freely replaced, the vending machine operator can newly install the carry-out device purchased and arranged in this way in the vending machine 10. It is possible to sell the desired purchased product. In addition, by displaying products that can be stored in the delivery device together with information related to the purchase arrangement of the delivery device, the vending machine operator can, for example, purchase other products in addition to the originally desired purchase product. You can know that it can be stored in the carry-out device. Therefore, it can be an opportunity for the vending machine operator to sell new products through the vending machine. In addition, this increases the motivation of the vending machine operator to purchase the carry-out device, making it possible to promote sales of the carry-out device itself.

As a modification of the operator-oriented EC sales process, when the operator-oriented EC sales unit 44 of the server 40 acquires the information on the sales product in step 303, the vending machine 10 operated by the vending machine operator You may acquire the information of the carry-out apparatus mounted in. Then, it is determined in advance whether or not each product to be sold is compatible with the unloading device installed in the vending machine 10 operated by the vending machine operator, and the compatibility information is also sent to the operator in step 304. You may make it transmit to the terminal 30. FIG. When displaying a list of products for sale on the EC site on the EC display unit 31 for the operator of the operator terminal 30, it is compatible with the carry-out device installed in the vending machine 10 operated by the vending machine operator. You may make it display only goods. At this time, even if the merchandise to be sold does not conform to the delivery device mounted on the vending machine 10 operated by the vending machine operator, the merchandise itself is displayed and a warning mark or the like is displayed along with the merchandise. You may do so.

FIG. 9 shows product listing processing realized by the listing acceptance unit 32 of the operator terminal 30 and the listing processing unit 45 of the server 40 . This process is a process that realizes a function for the vending machine operator to put up products and the like produced by him/herself on the EC site for the operator.

In step 401 , the exhibition reception unit 32 of the operator terminal 30 displays the product exhibition screen 321 . FIG. 18 shows an example of such a product listing screen 321. As shown in FIG. The product listing screen 321 displays, as an example of the product listing information, an exhibition information input field 321A in which an exhibited product (product name), an exhibition price, an exhibited product attribute, and a product photograph can be entered. In addition, an exhibition execution button 321B for requesting the exhibition of the product is displayed.
At step 402 , the exhibition reception unit 32 receives an exhibition request and an entry of an exhibition product, exhibition price, exhibition product attributes and product photo from the vending machine operator via the product exhibition screen 321 . In addition, in the listing request, the sales conditions for selling the exhibited product on the EC site for operators may be input and added. For example, it may be possible to designate an area (for example, regions, prefectures, major ordinance-designated cities, etc.) in which the exhibit product is desired or not to be sold.
At step 403 , the exhibition acceptance unit 32 transmits to the server 40 the article exhibition information in which the input information and the information indicating the vending machine operator are associated with each other.

In step 404, based on the product exhibition information received from the operator terminal 30, the exhibition processing unit 45 of the server 40 regards the exhibition product as a sales product, and sets the sales product, the sales price, and the vending machine operator who is the exhibitor. The included data is newly registered in the EC-related information 56 for operators. In addition, when the exhibited product does not exist in the product information 52 , data including the exhibited product, attributes, and product photograph is newly registered as data of the product information 52 . At this time, it is desirable to specify the unloading device that can store the product based on the attributes of the product and include it in the data.

According to the product listing process, the vending machine operator can not only sell products produced by the vending machine operator himself/herself through the vending machine 10 operated by the vending machine operator, but also can exhibit the products on the EC site for the operator. That is, the vending machine operator is in a position to purchase products to be sold by the vending machine 10, and can also serve as a producer to provide products to other vending machine operators. Then, by the EC sales processing for operators described above, it becomes possible for other vending machine operators to purchase the exhibited products and sell them in the vending machines 10 operated by themselves. As a result, as described above, it is possible to expand the sales channels of the products produced by the vending machine operators, and it is possible for the vending machine operators to build a relationship of mutual cooperation. Also, when a producer who does not operate the vending machine 10 puts up a product, the vending machine operator can use the producer terminal to put up a product in the same way as the vending machine operator puts up products produced by him/herself. can.

In addition, in order to realize the functions of the EC sales process for the operator and the product listing process, the product sales system including at least the operator terminal 30 and the server 40, instead of including all the configurations shown in FIG. good. In this case, the operator terminal 30 includes at least an operator EC display unit 31 and an exhibition accepting unit 32, while the server 40 includes an operator EC sales unit 44, an exhibition processing unit 45, and vending machine installation information. 51, product information 52, and EC-related information 56 for operators, and other configurations may be provided as necessary.

FIG. 10 shows matching processing realized by the matching display unit 33 of the operator terminal 30 and the matching processing unit 46 of the server 40 . This processing realizes a function that enables the vending machine operator to search for other products suitable for selling together with the products to be sold by the vending machine 10 operated by the vending machine operator.

At step 501, the matching display unit 33 of the operator terminal 30 accepts a request for matching processing via a menu screen or the like for the vending machine operator.
At step 502 , the matching display unit 33 transmits to the server 40 a matching request containing information indicating the vending machine operator using the operator terminal 30 .

At step 503 , the matching processing unit 46 of the server 40 selects the vending machine operator from the vending machine installation information 51 based on the information indicating the vending machine operator included in the matching request received from the operator terminal 30 . identifies the vending machine 10 operated by , and identifies the product sold by the vending machine 10 from the vending machine inventory information 53 . Then, the matching processing unit 46 refers to the product information 52 to specify the attributes of the product, and further refers to the attribute information 57 to specify attributes that match the attributes of the product. Further, the matching processing unit 46 refers to the product information 52 and searches for matching products corresponding to the matching attributes.

At step 504 , the matching processing unit 46 determines whether or not the matching product exists in the product information 52 at step 503 . If it exists, proceed to step 505 (YES), otherwise proceed to step 506 (NO).
At step 505 , the matching processing unit 46 transmits information indicating matching products to the manager terminal 30 .
At step 506 , the matching processing unit 46 transmits information indicating that there is no matching product to the operator terminal 30 .

At step 507 , the matching display unit 33 of the operator terminal 30 displays the matching product received from the server 40 on the matching result display screen 331 . FIG. 19 shows an example of such a matching result display screen 331. As shown in FIG. On the screen, as a matching result 331A, for example, the product sold by the vending machine 10 operated by the vending machine operator who is the user of the operator terminal 30 is displayed as "your product". , the matching product received from the server 40 is displayed as a "product with good compatibility" in association with the product.

According to the matching process, when the vending machine operator purchases products to be sold by the vending machine 10 on the EC site, matching products having attributes that are compatible with the products sold by the vending machine 10 of the vending machine operator. can be easily found. At this time, if the matching product exists in the EC-related information 56 for managers, an EC site for managers from which the matching product can be purchased may be displayed. As a result, the vending machine operator can easily purchase matching products.

Further, the precision of such matching processing results can be further improved by setting the attribute information 57 . For example, the data of the attribute information 57 can be set in advance by a system operator or the like, but can also be automatically updated. For example, based on the data of the vending machine sales information 54, information indicating what types of products were sold together (for example, consecutively within a predetermined period of time) in the same vending machine 10 is collected at predetermined intervals. , attributes of products that sell well together (for example, more than a prescribed threshold number of products sold together within a prescribed period of time) are linked to each other and newly registered as a combination of the attributes of the attribute information 57 and matching attributes. can also be By doing so, a combination of attributes that even the system operator did not expect may be discovered. Further, the sales patterns of combinations of products with certain attributes and products with other attributes are learned to construct a neural network, and data of the attribute information 57 is generated and accumulated based on the learning results. can be

The matching product may be, for example, a product provided by a normal producer or a product put up by another vending machine operator. In the case of , it is possible to further promote the cooperative relationship between vending machine operators described above.
Further, the matching process may be executed in the server 40 regardless of whether or not there is a request from the operator terminal 30 , and the operation may be such that the matching result is proposed to the operator terminal 30 .

In order to realize the function of the above matching processing, the product sales system may include at least the operator terminal 30 and the server 40 instead of including all the configurations shown in FIG. In this case, the server 40 includes at least the operator terminal 30 including the operator EC display unit 31 and the matching display unit 33, while the server 40 includes the operator EC sales unit 44 and the matching processing unit 46, and the automatic Vending machine installation information 51, product information 52, vending machine inventory information 53, EC related information 56 for operators, and attribute information 57 may be provided, and other configurations may be provided as necessary.

FIG. 11 shows sales analysis processing realized by the sales analysis display unit 34 of the operator terminal 30 and the sales analysis unit 47 of the server 40 . This processing realizes a function that enables the vending machine operator to refer to the analysis result based on the sales performance of the vending machine 10 operated by the vending machine operator.

At step 601, the sales analysis display unit 34 of the operator terminal 30 receives a sales analysis request from the vending machine operator via the menu screen for the vending machine operator.
At step 602 , the sales analysis display unit 34 transmits to the server 40 a sales analysis request containing information indicating the vending machine operator using the operator terminal 30 .

In step 603, the sales analysis unit 47 of the server 40, based on the information indicating the vending machine operator included in the sales analysis request received from the operator terminal 30, determines the vending machine operation from the vending machine installation information 51. Identify the vending machine 10 operated by the person. Furthermore, the sales analysis unit 47 acquires sales information for the vending machine 10 from the vending machine sales information 54 . The sales information includes sold items and their prices.

At step 604, the sales analysis unit 47 generates sales analysis information based on the acquired sales information. Such sales analysis can be done in a variety of ways. For example, it is possible to calculate the amount of sales (amount of sales) for the past one week in each vending machine 10 for each day of the week. Furthermore, it is also possible to calculate the sales amount for each time slot. It is also possible to calculate the number of products sold instead of the sales amount. Furthermore, it is also possible to subdivide and perform such an analysis for every sales product. Also, by referring to the product attributes of the product information 52, it is possible to analyze the sales record for each product attribute. Furthermore, by combining such analysis results with the position information of the vending machine 10, it is possible to perform analysis based on regional characteristics such as what kind of products are sold in which region.
At step 605 , the sales analysis unit 47 transmits sales analysis information to the operator terminal 30 .

At step 606 , the sales analysis display unit 34 of the operator terminal 30 displays the sales analysis information received from the server 40 on the sales analysis display screen 341 . FIG. 20 shows an example of such a sales analysis display screen 341. As shown in FIG. In this example, the sales analysis result 341A shows the sales amount (sales amount) of the vending machine 10 for the past one week for each day of the week. However, as described above, sales analysis can be implemented in a variety of ways and is not limited to the displayed content.

According to the sales analysis processing, sales analysis is performed based on the data of the vending machine sales information 54 accumulated in the server 40 , and the analysis result is displayed on the operator terminal 30 . Therefore, the vending machine operator can easily refer to the analysis results based on the sales performance of the vending machine 10 operated by the vending machine operator. Then, for example, the operation details of the vending machine 10 can be verified based on the analysis result, and the operation can be improved as necessary, for example, by changing sales products whose sales are not growing. In particular, in a case where a vending machine operator operates a large number of vending machines 10, the provision of such sales analysis results greatly reduces the load of operation management work.
The sales analysis process is executed by the server 40, for example, every predetermined period (every weekend or the end of the month) regardless of whether or not there is a request from the operator terminal 30, and the sales analysis results are sent to the operator terminal 30. You may make it transmit. Furthermore, in the above sales analysis processing, the vending machine operator performs a sales analysis on the vending machine 10 managed (owned) by himself/herself, and transmits the information to the operator terminal 30. 40 or the intermediary agent terminal, the sales analysis information may be used as information for consulting vending machine operators and producers, product advertisement distribution to the consumer terminal 20, and the like.

As one aspect of the sales analysis processing described above, the sales analysis unit 47 can also predict future sales based on the data of the vending machine sales information 54 . For example, by calculating past sales amounts for each day of the week in each vending machine 10, it is possible to predict sales for each next day of the week based on the calculation result. FIG. 21 shows an example of a sales forecast display screen 342 displaying such a sales forecast result on the operator terminal 30. As shown in FIG. In this example, the sales forecast result 342A shows the sales amount (sales amount) of the vending machine 10 for the past one week from Sunday to Thursday by day of the week, as well as the past sales amount from Friday to Saturday. Based on the information, sales forecasts for Friday through Saturday are displayed. In such a sales forecast, it is also possible to calculate and display the forecast accuracy based on, for example, fluctuation values of past sales records. As with sales analysis, sales prediction can also be realized in various ways, and is not limited to the display contents.

In order to realize the sales analysis processing function described above, the product sales system may include at least the vending machine 10, the operator terminal 30, and the server 40, instead of including all the configurations shown in FIG. In this case, at least the operator terminal 30 has a sales analysis display unit 34, while the server 40 has a sales analysis unit 47, vending machine installation information 51, product information 52, and vending machine sales information 54, Other configurations may be provided as necessary.

FIG. 12 shows a delivery plan generation process realized by the delivery plan display unit 35 of the operator terminal 30 and the delivery plan generation unit 48 of the server 40. As shown in FIG. This processing realizes a function that enables the vending machine operator to refer to a delivery plan indicating in what order products should be replenished to the vending machine 10 operated by the vending machine operator. be. Note that, in this process, it is assumed that there are, in principle, a plurality of vending machines 10 operated by the vending machine operator.

In step 701, the delivery plan display unit 35 of the operator terminal 30 receives a delivery plan generation request from the vending machine operator via the menu screen for the vending machine operator or the like.
At step 702 , the delivery plan display unit 35 transmits to the server 40 a delivery plan generation request containing information indicating the vending machine operator who uses the operator terminal 30 .

In step 703 , the delivery plan generation unit 48 of the server 40 selects the relevant vending machine from the vending machine installation information 51 based on the information indicating the vending machine operator included in the delivery plan generation request received from the operator terminal 30 . The vending machine 10 operated by the machine operator and its position information are specified. Furthermore, the delivery plan generation unit 48 acquires inventory information for the vending machine 10 from the vending machine inventory information 53 . Inventory information is inventory products and their quantity, and the quantity can be specified from the number of data items of the product included in the vending machine inventory information 53 .

At step 704, the delivery plan generation unit 48 generates a delivery plan indicating an appropriate delivery order based on the position information of each vending machine 10, the inventory products and their quantities. As an example of the delivery plan generation method, the following method can be considered. First, among a plurality of vending machines 10, the vending machines 10 with insufficient product inventory (the quantity of products in inventory is below a predetermined threshold value) are extracted, and the breakdown of the products with insufficient inventory is obtained. identify. Then, products that can be delivered at the same time are grouped, and after calculating and setting the replenishment amount of products based on the quantity of inventory products in each vending machine 10 and the sales forecast, products belonging to each group are determined. Based on the positional relationship of each missing vending machine 10, a route with the shortest travel distance for delivery to the entire vending machine 10 is calculated. In addition, the delivery plan generation method can be calculated by various methods such as prioritizing vending machines 10 with a large number of shortages in inventory and making the delivery order first, and further considering traffic conditions. .
At step 705 , the delivery plan generation unit 48 transmits the delivery plan information to the operator terminal 30 .

At step 706 , the delivery plan display unit 35 of the operator terminal 30 displays the delivery plan information received from the server 40 on the delivery plan display screen 351 . FIG. 22 shows an example of such a delivery plan display screen 351. As shown in FIG. In the example of the delivery plan display screen 351, the delivery route is displayed as the delivery plan 351A along with the positions of the vending machines 10 and the order of delivery on the map so that it can be visually grasped easily. As shown in this example, if there are multiple delivery routes, multiple routes may be displayed at the same time. In addition, if the deliverer can be specified for each delivery route, the deliverer information may also be displayed. The display method of the delivery plan is not limited to such a mode, and for example, the vending machines 10 to be delivered may be displayed in a list in order of delivery.

According to the delivery plan generation process, a delivery plan is automatically created in consideration of the inventory status of the vending machine 10 operated by the vending machine operator and displayed on the operator terminal 30 . Then, the vending machine operator can easily refer to such a delivery plan. Therefore, the vending machine operator can efficiently perform the inventory replenishment work of the vending machine 10, and the burden of the operation work can be reduced.

In addition, in the delivery plan generation process, a delivery plan may be generated by designating the delivery completion time. In addition to promoting sales by completing deliveries before the sales opportunity time obtained from sales forecasts, it is also possible to specify the delivery completion time as part of labor management of deliverers, thereby avoiding excessive labor risks and reducing operational work. Reduced burden. Further, in the delivery plan generation process, the vending machine operator generates a delivery plan for replenishing the vending machine 10 managed (owned) by the vending machine operator, and transmits the information to the operator terminal 30. However, for example, an intermediary collects products from multiple producers and delivers them to multiple vending machine vendors, or multiple vending machine vendors manage (own) multiple vending machines 10 A delivery plan may be generated (displayed on the intermediary terminal) for direct replenishment (delivery) to each of can reduce the burden of operation work.

In order to realize the function of the above-described delivery plan generation processing, the product sales system may include at least the vending machine 10, the operator terminal 30, and the server 40, instead of including all the configurations shown in FIG. . In this case, at least the operator terminal 30 has a delivery plan display unit 35, while the server 40 has a delivery plan generation unit 48, vending machine installation information 51, product information 52, and vending machine sales information 54. , other configurations may be provided as necessary.

[Hardware Configuration of Information Processing Device]
FIG. 23 shows the general-purpose information processing device installed in the vending machine 10, the consumer terminal 20, the operator terminal 30, and the information processing device constituting the server 40, which are the constituent elements of the product sales system 1 according to the present embodiment. An example of a hardware configuration is shown. This information processing apparatus comprises a processor 910 , a memory 920 , a storage 930 , a portable storage medium drive device 940 , an input/output device 950 and a communication interface 960 .

The processor 910 includes a control unit, an arithmetic unit, an instruction decoder, etc., and the execution unit follows the instructions of the program decoded by the instruction decoder and uses the arithmetic unit to perform arithmetic and logic operations in accordance with control signals output from the control unit. perform an operation. The processor 910 includes a control register that stores various information used for control, a cache that can temporarily store the contents of the memory 920 that has already been accessed, and the like. Note that the processor 910 may have a configuration in which a plurality of CPU (Central Processing Unit) cores are provided.

The memory 920 is, for example, a storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), and is a main memory in which a program to be executed by the processor 910 is loaded and data used for processing by the processor 910 is stored. The storage 930 is, for example, a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or flash memory, and stores programs and various data. The portable storage medium drive device 940 is a device that reads data and programs stored in the portable storage medium 970 . The portable storage medium 970 is, for example, a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, flash memory, or the like. Processor 910 executes programs stored in storage 930 and portable storage medium 970 while cooperating with memory 920 and storage 930 . Note that the program executed by the processor 910 and the data to be accessed may be stored in another device that can communicate with the information processing device.

The input/output device 950 is input means and output means such as a touch panel, a keyboard, or a display, for example, and receives an operation command by a user's operation or the like, while outputting a processing result by the information processing device. Communication interface 960 includes, for example, a communication module, a LAN card, etc., as well as a radio frequency receiver and transmitter, and an optical receiver and transmitter, enabling data communication with the outside. Each component of the information processing apparatus described above is connected by a bus 980 .

[others]
The functional configuration and physical configuration of the product sales system described in this specification are not limited to the above aspects. It is also possible to implement

For example, in the present embodiment, one server 40 includes a sales information recording unit 41, a vending machine search unit 42, an EC sales unit for consumers 43, an EC sales unit for operators 44, an exhibition processing unit 45, and a matching process. Although a unit 46, a sales analysis unit 47, and a delivery plan generation unit 48 are provided, a distributed configuration in which a plurality of servers are provided to distribute functions may be employed.

Further, in the present embodiment, a mode is illustrated in which a storage device for storing various data is provided in the server 40, but the configuration is not limited to this. For example, one or more data servers using an information processing device different from the server 40 may be provided separately, such information may be stored in the storage device of the data server, and these data may be accessed via a network. can be

Furthermore, function allocation among the vending machine 10, the consumer terminal 20, the operator terminal 30, and the server 40 is not limited to the mode as in this embodiment. For example, the server 40 side may simply function as a data server, and the function of the sales information recording section 41 may be implemented on the vending machine 10 side. Similarly, the functions of the vending machine search unit 42 and the EC sales unit 43 for consumers can be implemented on the consumer terminal 20 side. Further, similarly, the operator terminal 30 can realize the functions of the operator EC sales unit 44 , the exhibition processing unit 45 , the matching processing unit 46 , the sales analysis unit 47 and the delivery plan generation unit 48 .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Vending machine, 20... Consumer terminal, 30... Operator terminal, 40... Server, 41... Sales information recording part, 42... Vending machine search part, 43... EC sales department for consumers, 44... Operator EC sales department for 45: Listing processing unit 46: Matching processing unit 47: Sales analysis unit 48: Delivery plan generation unit 51: Vending machine installation information 52: Product information 53: Vending machine inventory information , 54... vending machine sales information, 55... EC related information for consumers, 56... EC related information for operators

Claims (8)

An information processing device configured to communicate with a plurality of operator terminals respectively used by a plurality of vending machine operators who operate vending machines and sell products,
When receiving, from the operator terminal, a request for exhibiting a product to a product sales site for operators where the vending machine operator can purchase products to be sold by the vending machine through electronic commerce, an exhibition processing unit that registers information about the merchandise put up in the listing request as information about the merchandise for sale on the merchandise sales site for operators;
When receiving a display request for the product sales site for the operator from another operator terminal different from the operator terminal that sent the listing request, acquiring information on the sales product including the exhibited product. , an operator-oriented sales processing unit that transmits information on the sales product to the other operator terminal;
Information processing device with Acquiring information indicating products sold in said vending machine operated by said vending machine operator and the attributes of said products, and acquiring information of matching products having attributes that match the attributes of said products. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a matching processing unit that transmits information on said matching product to said operator terminal used by said vending machine operator. The sales processing unit is capable of storing the purchased product in a vending machine when receiving a product purchase request via the product sales site for the operator from the operator terminal together with information on the purchased product. Acquisition of information on a carry-out device, acquisition of information on a carry-out device installed in a vending machine operated by said vending machine operator who uses said operator terminal, and carrying out capable of storing said purchased product 3. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the notification is sent to the operator terminal when the device is not installed in the vending machine operated by the vending machine operator. further configured to communicate with each of said vending machines;
a sales information recording unit that, when receiving from the vending machine information that a consumer has purchased a product in the vending machine, records the information as sales information in the vending machine;
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a sales analysis unit that generates sales analysis information of said vending machine based on said sales information. Acquiring position information and product inventory information for each of the vending machines, calculating a replenishment amount of products for each of the vending machines based on the sales forecast based on the inventory information and the sales analysis information, and calculating the position of the vending machine 5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a delivery plan generating unit that generates product delivery plan information for said vending machine based on the information and said replenishment amount. An information processing device configured to communicate with a consumer terminal used by a consumer who purchases products from a vending machine,
When receiving from the consumer terminal a search request for the vending machine that includes search conditions specified by the consumer, searching for a vending machine that meets the search conditions based on the information on the vending machine. a vending machine search unit for transmitting information including location information of the vending machine to the consumer terminal when there is a vending machine that matches the search condition;
A product for consumers that, when there is no vending machine that matches the search conditions, obtains information on a product that matches the search conditions, and uses the information on the products for consumers to purchase the products through electronic commerce. a consumer sales processing unit that transmits to the consumer terminal as information indicating sales targets on the sales site;
Information processing device with a plurality of operator terminals respectively used by a plurality of vending machine operators who operate vending machines and sell products;
A product sales system comprising a server configured to be communicable with each of the operator terminals,
A product sales site for operators in which a first operator terminal of said plurality of operator terminals enables said vending machine operator to purchase products to be sold by said vending machine through electronic commerce. to the server, and the server that received the listing request registers the information of the products exhibited in the listing request as the information of the products sold on the product sales site for operators;
A second operator terminal among the plurality of operator terminals transmits a display request of the product sales site for operators to the server, and the server that receives the display request sends the display request to the first operator. Acquiring information on the sales product including the product exhibited in the exhibition request received from the terminal, and transmitting the information on the sales product to the second operator terminal;
Merchandise sales system. a consumer terminal used by a consumer who purchases goods from a vending machine;
A product sales system comprising a server configured to be communicable with the consumer terminal,
The consumer terminal transmits a search request for the vending machine including search conditions specified by the consumer,
When the server receives the search request, the server searches for a vending machine that matches the search condition based on the information on the vending machine, and if there is a vending machine that matches the search condition, While transmitting information including the location information of the vending machine to the consumer terminal, if there is no vending machine that matches the search conditions, acquire information on products that match the search conditions, transmitting product information to the consumer terminal as information indicating a sale target on a consumer product sales site where the consumer can purchase the product through electronic commerce;
Merchandise sales system.

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