JP2023159187A - Advertisement management system, control method thereof, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To easily recognize a state of an advertisement to be replaced, in the advertisement for a commodity whose information is to be changed.SOLUTION: An advertisement management system communicates with an information processing apparatus including imaging means and a server device which manages first sales price information of a commodity. The advertisement management system acquires second sales price information of the commodity with an advertisement printed thereon, from the advertisement of the commodity captured by the imaging means. The advertisement management system displays the first sales price information managed by the server device and the acquired second sales price information, so that whether they are coincident with each other can be identified. The advertisement management system displays information as to whether the first sales price information managed by the server device and the acquired second sales price information are coincident with each other, and detail information of advertisements, so as to be identified by advertisement.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

The present invention relates to an advertisement management system, a control method thereof, and a program.

In retail stores such as supermarkets, it is common to display POP (Point of Purchase) advertisements on the display shelves where products are displayed, which include the product, price, and a catchphrase and explanatory text to promote the product. It is.

The prices and catchphrases of products described in such POP advertisements may change as there are many limited-time campaigns and special sales. Therefore, if the actual product information and the content described in the POP advertisement are different, a person in charge of the retail store has to change the POP advertisement.

Therefore, Patent Document 1 describes a mechanism that can determine whether a posted POP advertisement is valid or invalid so that a person in charge can know which POP advertisements should be removed.

In Patent Document 1, product information such as bill identification information or product identification information is printed on a POP advertisement. When determining whether or not to place an advertisement, a mechanism is disclosed in which the product information of the POP advertisement is read and a process is performed to determine whether the product information described in the POP advertisement is valid or invalid.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-48752

When it is determined that an invalid POP advertisement has been published using the mechanism of Patent Document 1, the task of replacing the POP advertisement occurs. In this case, the person in charge needs to know what to do next in response to the invalid state of the POP advertisement, such as whether the POP advertisement has been replaced or whether new POP advertisement data needs to be created.

However, if product information changes frequently, POP advertisements must be replaced each time. In such a case, the person in charge has to check which items of the contents of the POP advertisement being displayed are invalid each time the person in charge performs the replacement work, which is a time-consuming task for the person in charge.

The present embodiment aims to provide an advertisement management system that can easily recognize the state of an advertisement that should be replaced in an advertisement for a product whose information is to be changed.

The advertisement management system of the present invention is an advertisement management system capable of communicating with an information processing device equipped with a server device that manages first selling price information of a product and an imaging means, the advertisement management system of the product being imaged by the imaging means. an acquisition means for acquiring second selling price information when the advertisement was printed, and the first selling price information managed by the server device and the second selling price information acquired by the acquisition means match. The present invention is characterized by comprising a display control means for controlling to display detailed information of the advertisement in an identifiable manner along with information on whether to display the advertisement or not.

According to the present invention, in an advertisement for a product whose information is to be changed, the state of the advertisement to be replaced can be easily recognized.

It is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration of an advertisement management system. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device 100, a server device 101, and a mobile terminal 102. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a printing apparatus 103. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing functional configurations of an information processing device 100, a server device 101, and a mobile terminal 102. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing when printing an advertisement in the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the process which can check whether an advertisement needs to be replaced on a mobile terminal in the first embodiment of the present invention. 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing for automatically printing an advertisement when it is necessary to replace the advertisement in the second embodiment of the present invention. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing for automatically printing an advertisement when it is necessary to replace the advertisement in the second embodiment of the present invention, and is a continuation of the flowchart of FIG. 7. It is a figure which shows an example of the selling price check table 900 and the check result table 910 in this embodiment. It is a diagram showing an example of a planning instruction table 1000 in this embodiment. It is a figure showing an example of a screen displayed on portable terminal 102 in this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the process which displays the screen which shows what state the POP advertisement is in which position in the store in the third embodiment of this invention. It is a figure showing an example of advertisement position check table 1300 in a third embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the screen 1400 which shows the advertising information which needs to be replaced in the third embodiment of this invention. It is a figure showing an example of advertisement image 1500 in a third embodiment of the present invention.

[Embodiment 1]
Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the system configuration of an advertisement management system in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, in the present invention, an information processing apparatus 100, a server apparatus 101, and a printing apparatus 103 are connected via a network 105 so as to be able to communicate data with each other. The network 105 includes a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), and the like. Furthermore, the mobile terminal 102, such as a smart device equipped with a touch screen, does not need to be able to communicate with the information processing apparatus 100, server apparatus 101, and printing apparatus 103 all the time, but only needs to be able to communicate with them as needed.

The configurations of the various terminals or servers connected to the network 105 in FIG. 1 are merely examples, and it goes without saying that there are various configuration examples depending on the usage and purpose.

The information processing device 100 (client terminal or server device) is a terminal that can be used by employees of stores such as supermarkets to issue instructions for creating POP advertisements including color codes, and is a terminal provided at each store. It is.

A color code is a system that can express information using different colors and their arrangement.For example, it is possible to express information by arranging cells of multiple colors such as "red," "blue," and "yellow" in a column or matrix. can be expressed. Such color codes can be recognized from about 50 times the distance compared to two-dimensional barcodes, so there is no need for close-up photography, and multiple color codes can be recognized at the same time. In this embodiment, an instruction is given to create a POP advertisement displaying such a color code.

The server device 101 can manage various databases such as limited-time projects such as "Spring Thanksgiving" and product information and POP layouts corresponding to the projects. By managing plans on such a server device 101, a common plan, common product information, and common POP layout can be used in response to access from the information processing device 100 from each store. Note that it is also possible to manage plans, product information, POP layouts, etc. with the information processing device 100 of each store without providing the server device 101.

The mobile terminal 102 is a terminal used by employees at each store to determine whether there has been a change in the published content of a POP advertisement or whether the publication period has elapsed, and is provided so that it can be easily carried. . According to the present invention, by simply capturing an image of a POP advertisement posted on a product display shelf in a store using the camera 232 of the mobile terminal 102, it is possible to easily determine whether or not the description of the POP advertisement has been changed. I can do it. Further, by providing the information so that it can be determined without communicating with the server device 101 or the like, it is possible to easily determine whether the publication period is within the period even at a store with a poor communication environment.

The printing device 103 is a printer installed in each store that can print POP advertisements, and may be either an inkjet printer or a laser printer, but a color compatible printer that can print color codes is required. be. This printing device 103 can not only print in response to print requests from each store, but also accept and print print instructions from the headquarters.

FIG. 2A is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 100 and the server device 101.

The CPU 201 centrally controls each device and controller connected to the system bus 204.

Further, the ROM 202 or external memory 211 (storage means) stores a BIOS (Basic Input/Output System), which is a control program for the CPU 201, an operating system program (hereinafter referred to as OS), and the like. Further, various programs, which will be described later, necessary for realizing the functions executed by the information processing device 100 and the server device 101 are stored. The RAM 203 functions as the main memory, work area, etc. of the CPU 201.

The CPU 201 loads programs and the like necessary for execution of processing into the RAM 203 and executes the programs to realize various operations.

Further, an input controller (input C) 205 controls input from an input device 209 such as a keyboard or a pointing device such as a mouse (not shown).

A video controller (VC) 206 controls display on a display device such as a display 210. The type of display device is assumed to be a CRT or a liquid crystal display, but is not limited thereto.

A memory controller (MC) 207 controls access to an external memory 211 such as a hard disk (HD) or flexible disk (FD) that stores boot programs, browser software, various applications, font data, various data, and the like. Alternatively, it controls access to external memory 211 such as a card type memory connected to a PCMCIA card slot via an adapter.

A communication I/F controller (communication I/FC) 208 connects and communicates with external devices via a network, and executes communication control processing on the network. For example, Internet communication using TCP/IP is possible.

Note that the CPU 201 enables display on the display 210 by, for example, executing an outline font development (rasterization) process in a display information area in the RAM 203. Further, the CPU 201 allows the user to give instructions using a mouse cursor (not shown) on the display 210.

Various programs used by the information processing device 100 and the server device 101 of the present invention to execute various processes described below are recorded in the external memory 211, and are executed by the CPU 201 by being loaded into the RAM 203 as necessary. It is something that will be done.

Furthermore, definition files and various information tables used by the program according to the present invention are stored in the external memory 211.

FIG. 2(b) is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the mobile terminal 102, such as a smart device equipped with a touch screen.

The CPU 221 centrally controls each device and controller connected to the system bus 224.

Further, the ROM 222 or the external memory 231 (storage means) stores a BIOS (Basic Input/Output System), which is a control program for the CPU 221, an operating system program (hereinafter referred to as OS), and the like. Further, various programs, which will be described later, necessary to realize the functions executed by the mobile terminal 102 are stored. The RAM 223 functions as the main memory, work area, etc. of the CPU 221.

The CPU 221 loads programs and the like necessary for execution of processing into the RAM 223 and executes the programs to realize various operations. Further, the touch panel controller 225 controls the touch panel 233, the display controller 226 controls the display 230, and the camera controller 229 controls the camera 232.

The memory controller 227 controls access to an external memory 231 such as a hard disk (HD) or flexible disk (FD) that stores boot programs, browser software, various applications, editing files, various data, and the like. Alternatively, it controls access to external memory 231 such as a card type memory connected to a PCMCIA card slot via an adapter.

The communication I/F controller (communication I/FC) 228 connects and communicates with external devices via a network, and executes communication control processing on the network. For example, Internet communication using TCP/IP is possible.

Note that the CPU 221 enables display on the display 230 by, for example, executing an outline font development (rasterization) process in a display information area in the RAM 223.

Various programs used by the mobile terminal 102 of the present invention to execute various processes described later are stored in the external memory 231, and are executed by the CPU 221 by being loaded into the RAM 223 as necessary. . Further, definition files and various information tables used by the program according to the present invention are stored in the external memory 231.

Next, an example of the hardware configuration of the printing apparatus 103 will be described using FIG. 3.

In FIG. 3, a controller unit 333 is connected to a print section 314, a card reader 315, and an operation section 318 that function as an image output device. Then, an advertisement print job is output by connecting to a local area network or a public network (WAN) such as PSTN or ISDN.

As shown in FIG. 3, the controller unit 333 includes a CPU 301, a RAM 306, a ROM 302, an external storage device (hard disk drive (HDD)) 307, a network interface (Network I/F) 303, and the like. Further, the controller unit 333 includes a modem (Modem) 304, an operation unit interface (operation unit I/F) 305, an external interface (external I/F) 309, and an image bus interface (IMAGE BUS I/F) 308. Ru. Further, the controller unit 333 includes a raster image processor (RIP) 310, a printer interface (printer I/F) 311, an image processing section 313, and the like.

CPU 301 is a processor that controls the entire system.

The RAM 306 is a system work memory for the operation of the CPU 301, and is a program memory for recording programs and an image memory for temporarily storing image data.

The ROM 302 stores a system boot program and various control programs.

An external storage device (hard disk drive HDD) 307 stores various programs, print jobs, etc. for controlling the system. It also stores various tables.

An operation unit interface (operation unit I/F) 305 is an interface unit with an operation unit (UI) 318 and outputs image data to be displayed on the operation unit 318 to the operation unit 318.

Further, the operation unit I/F 305 plays a role of transmitting information (for example, user information, etc.) input by the system user from the operation unit 318 to the CPU 301. Note that the operation unit 318 includes a display unit having a touch panel, and the user can issue various instructions by pressing (touching with a finger or the like) buttons displayed on the display unit.

A network interface (Network I/F) 303 connects to a network (LAN) and inputs and outputs data.

A modem (MODEM) 304 is connected to a public line and performs input/output of data such as sending/receiving FAX.

An external interface (external I/F) 309 is an interface unit that accepts external inputs such as USB, IEEE1394, printer port, and RS-232C.

An image bus interface (IMAGE BUS I/F) 308 is a bus bridge that connects the system bus 316 and an image bus 317 that transfers image data at high speed, and converts the data structure. The image bus 317 is composed of a PCI bus or IEEE1394. The following devices are arranged on the image bus 317.

A raster image processor (RIP) 310 develops vector data such as a PDL code into a bitmap image.

A printer interface (printer I/F) 311 connects the print section 314 and the controller unit 333, and performs synchronous/asynchronous conversion of image data.

The image processing unit 313 performs printer correction, resolution conversion, etc. on print output image data obtained by developing a print job. In addition to this, the image processing unit 313 rotates the image data, and performs compression/expansion processing such as JPEG for multivalued image data and JBIG, MMR, MH, etc. for binary image data.

A print unit 314 connected to the printer I/F 311 is a part that converts raster image data into an image on paper. Methods include an electrophotographic method using a photoreceptor drum or a photoreceptor belt, an inkjet method in which an image is directly printed on paper by ejecting ink from a micro nozzle array, and any method may be used. The printing operation is started by an instruction from the CPU 301. Note that the print unit 314 has a plurality of paper feed stages so that different paper sizes or different paper orientations can be selected, and corresponding paper cassettes.

The operation unit 318 connected to the operation unit I/F 305 has a liquid crystal display (LCD) display unit. A touch panel sheet is pasted on the LCD, which displays a system operation screen, and when a displayed key is pressed, the position information is transmitted to the CPU 301 via the operation unit I/F 305. Further, the operation unit 318 includes various operation keys such as a start key, a stop key, an ID key, and a reset key.

Here, the start key of the operation unit 318 is used when starting a printing operation. In the center of the start key, there are two colored LEDs, green and red, which indicate whether the start key is ready for use or not. Further, a stop key on the operation unit 318 functions to stop the operation in progress. Further, the ID key of the operation unit 318 is used when inputting the user's ID. The reset key is used to initialize settings from the operation unit 318.

Next, the functional configurations of the information processing device 100, the server device 101, the mobile terminal 102, and the printing device 103 will be described using FIG. Note that the functional configurations of the information processing device 100, server device 101, mobile terminal 102, and printing device 103 shown in FIG. 4 are merely examples, and there are various configuration examples depending on the use and purpose.

The information processing device 100 includes a communication control unit 401, a color code generation unit 402, and an advertisement data generation unit 403 as functional units.

The communication control unit 401 is a functional unit for controlling communication between the information processing apparatus 100, the server apparatus 101, and the printing apparatus 103.

The color code generation unit 402 is a functional unit that generates a color code containing information. Specifically, a color code indicating a printing serial number, which is identification information for each POP advertisement, is generated. The printing serial number is an identification number assigned to each POP advertisement when an instruction to print the POP advertisement is received. In this embodiment, the printed serial number is indicated by a color code, but the information indicated by the color code, such as the selling price information of the product and the publication period of the POP advertisement, may be information other than the printed serial number regarding the product or the POP advertisement. . Further, the color code does not necessarily have to be generated by the information processing apparatus 100, and the color code may be generated by the server apparatus 101, the printing apparatus 103, or another apparatus and managed by the information processing apparatus 100.

The advertisement data generation unit 403 is a functional unit for generating advertisement data corresponding to a product. In this embodiment, advertisement data is generated that includes the color code generated by the color code generation unit 402 together with product information.

Next, the functional units of the server device 101 will be explained. The server device 101 includes a communication control section 404, a storage section 405, and a printing serial number acquisition section 406.

The communication control unit 404 is a functional unit that controls communication between the information processing apparatus 100, the mobile terminal 102, and the printing apparatus 103.

The storage unit 405 is a functional unit (storage means) for storing information on various tables and masters, which will be described later, and information constituting various screens. Add, update, or delete information as necessary.

The print serial number acquisition unit 406 is a functional unit for acquiring a print serial number for each POP advertisement when the server device 101 receives a print instruction for a POP advertisement from the information processing device 100. The printing serial number acquired by the printing serial number acquisition unit 406 is transmitted from the server device 101 to the information processing apparatus 100, and the color code generation unit of the information processing apparatus 100 generates a color code indicating the received printing serial number.

Next, the functional units of the mobile terminal 102 will be explained. The functional units of the mobile terminal 102 include an imaging unit 407 and a display control unit 408.

The imaging unit 407 is a functional unit that controls imaging by the camera 232 included in the mobile terminal 102. In this embodiment, by capturing an image of the color code included in the POP advertisement, changes in the POP advertisement are displayed on the screen in a distinguishable manner.

The display control unit 408 is a functional unit for controlling the display on the display 230 of the mobile terminal 102 (display control means). When a screen display instruction is issued from the display control unit 408, the display instruction is transmitted to the display 210 via the video controller 206. When the display 230 receives this instruction, it displays the screen according to the instruction.

Next, the flow of a series of processes from creation of a POP advertisement to notification of a POP advertisement to be changed will be explained using the flowcharts of FIGS. 5 and 6. The embodiment described with the flowcharts of FIGS. 5 and 6 is the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart up to outputting the POP advertisement specified by the user.

In step S501, the CPU 201 of the information processing apparatus 100 accepts the user's selection of an arbitrary advertisement template from advertisement templates stored in advance in the information processing apparatus 100. An advertisement template refers to an advertisement layout that sets where to place a product name, selling price, and catchphrase in a POP advertisement.

In step S502, the CPU 201 of the information processing device 100 receives selection of a product for which a POP advertisement is to be created. The CPU 201 of the information processing device 100 may accept selections for each product one by one, or may accept specifications for all products that are grouped to some extent, such as a list of products applicable to a limited-time event, at once. good.

In step S503, the CPU 201 of the information processing apparatus 100 transmits the JAN code (Japanese Article Number) of the product selected in step S502 and an instruction to print an advertisement corresponding to the product to the server device 101. In this embodiment, the JAN code is sent as information that identifies the product, but information other than the JAN code may be sent if it is identification information that can identify the product, such as the product name or product code managed by store. You may.

In step S504, the CPU 201 of the server device 101 receives the JAN code of the product and the print instruction from the information processing device 100.

In step S505, the CPU 201 of the server device 101 obtains selling price information of the product corresponding to the JAN code received in step S504 from a POS system (Point of Sales system) that is linked with the server device 101 (obtaining means). The POS system manages product sales information and also manages the fluctuating selling prices of products. The selling price information that the server device 101 acquires from the POS system in step S505 is the selling price of the product at the time of acquiring the selling price information.

In step S506, the CPU 201 of the server device 101 acquires a print serial number using the function of the print serial number acquisition unit 406. The CPU 201 of the server device 101 obtains a number (print serial number) for each POP advertisement for which a print instruction has been received. Even if the printing serial number of a POP advertisement for a product having the same JAN code has been acquired in the past, when a new printing instruction is received, the CPU 201 of the server device 101 acquires a new printing serial number.

In step S507, the CPU 201 of the server device 101 stores the JAN code received in step S504, the selling price information obtained in step S505, and the printing serial number obtained in step S506 in the selling price check table 900 in association with each other.

A selling price check table 900 in FIG. 9 is a table that manages information on POP advertisements for which printing instructions have been accepted. The CPU 201 of the server device 101 also checks the selling price check table 900 when checking the changed content of the POP advertisement captured by the mobile terminal 102. The selling price check table 900 includes a JAN code 901, a printing serial number 902, a printing price 903, a printing flag 904, a printing time 905, and a selling price 906. The JAN code 901 is received by the server device 101 in step S504, and the printing serial number 902 is stored as the one acquired by the server device 101 in step S506. The printing price 903 is the selling price that the server device 101 acquired from the POS system in step S505, and the JAN code 901, printing serial number 902, and printing price 903 are stored in association with each other. A print flag 904 manages whether or not an advertisement for which a print instruction has been received has been printed. The printing time 905 stores the time when the POP advertisement was printed. The selling price 906 is selling price information obtained separately from the printing price 903, and the selling price information of the product is obtained from the POS system and stored at the timing when the POP advertisement is imaged and confirmed by the mobile terminal 102 or at every predetermined period. When checking whether there is a change in the price of the POP advertisement being posted, the value stored in the printing price 903 and the selling price 906 are compared.

The explanation returns to FIG. 5. In step S508, the CPU 201 of the server device 101 transmits the printing serial number associated with the JAN code to the information processing device 100 together with the JAN code.

In step S509, the CPU 201 of the information processing device 100 receives the JAN code and the printing serial number from the server device 101.

In step S510, the CPU 201 of the information processing apparatus 100 uses the function of the color code generation unit 402 to generate a color code indicating the printing serial number. Then, the function of the advertisement data generation unit 403 generates advertisement data including the color code.

In step S511, the CPU 201 of the information processing apparatus 100 uses the function of the communication control unit 401 to transmit an output instruction to the printing apparatus 103 (output control means).

In step S512, the CPU 201 of the information processing device 100 transmits information indicating that the print instruction was transmitted in step S511 to the server device 101. Note that, in order to confirm that printing has been performed reliably, the CPU 201 of the information processing apparatus 100 may transmit the print result to the server apparatus 101 after receiving information from the printing apparatus 103 as to whether printing has been completed. .

In step S513, the CPU 201 of the server device 101 receives the print result from the information processing device 100.

In step S514, the CPU 201 of the server device 101 stores the print result received from the information processing device 100 using the function of the storage unit 405. More specifically, the CPU 201 of the server device 101 stores “1” in the print flag 904 of the selling price check table 900. If the POP advertisement data has been generated but has not yet been printed by the printing device 103, the CPU 201 of the server device 101 stores "0".

This concludes the explanation of the process of outputting the POP advertisement for which the designation has been accepted. Through this process, a color code indicating the printing serial number assigned at the time of data creation of the POP advertisement is generated, and a POP advertisement including the color code is created and printed.

Next, using FIG. 6, a description will be given of a series of processing steps for capturing an image of a POP advertisement printed by the process of the flowchart in FIG. 5 with a mobile terminal and notifying a user of a POP advertisement that has been changed.

In step S601, the CPU 221 of the mobile terminal 102 installs an application for checking the contents of POP advertisements on the mobile terminal 102 in advance, and starts the corresponding application.

In step S602, the CPU 221 of the mobile terminal 102 starts imaging the POP advertisement using the function of the imaging unit 407.

In step S603, the CPU 221 of the mobile terminal 102 identifies the print serial number indicated by the color code included in the POP advertisement.

In step S604, the printing serial number identified in step S603 is transmitted to the server device 101.

In step S605, the CPU 201 of the server device 101 receives the printing serial number from the mobile terminal 102.

In step S606, the CPU 201 of the server device 101 uses the received printing serial number as a key to search for the printing serial number 902 in the selling price check table 900 stored by the function of the storage unit 405.

In step S607, the CPU 201 of the server device 101 identifies the printing serial number searched in step S606 from among the printing serial numbers 902, and further specifies the printing price 903 and selling price 906 that are stored in association with the printing serial number 902. refer. The selling price stored in the printing price 903 is the selling price at the time the POP advertisement was printed, and is therefore an unchangeable value. On the other hand, the value stored in the selling price 906 is a variable selling price because it is acquired from the POS system at a predetermined timing. Next, the CPU 201 of the server device 101 compares the selling price stored in the printing price 903 and the selling price stored in the selling price 906, and determines whether the two selling prices are the same value (whether they match or not). ). If the CPU 201 of the server device 101 determines that the two selling prices are the same, it advances the process to step S608 and determines that there is no problem. In other words, it is determined that there is no change in the content of the product information of the POP advertisement, and the process advances to step S612. If the CPU 201 of the server device 101 determines that the two selling prices are not the same, but different, the process proceeds to step S609.

In step S609, the CPU 201 of the server device 101 determines whether there is the latest serial number. More specifically, the JAN code associated with the printing serial number used as the search key is specified, and the JAN code 901 of the selling price check table 900 is searched using the JAN code as the key. If the same JAN code is identified and a new printing serial number (latest serial number) is stored, print data for the POP advertisement with updated selling price has been generated to accommodate the replacement of the POP advertisement. shows. Therefore, if the CPU 201 of the server device 101 determines that there is the latest serial number, the process proceeds to step S611, and determines that the advertisement data of the POP advertisement has been generated and the printing instruction has been accepted, and that the POP advertisement has not been replaced. If the CPU 201 of the server device 101 determines that there is no latest serial number, it advances the process to step S610, and determines that the content (selling price) of the POP advertisement has changed and that the POP advertisement has not yet been printed.

Here, the check result table 910 in FIG. 9 will be explained. The check result table 910 in this embodiment is an example of a table that stores the results of determining whether or not the selling price has changed based on the print serial number of the POP advertisement. The check result table 910 includes a JAN code 911, a printing serial number 912, and a check result 913. The check result 913 indicates the results determined in steps S608, S610, and S611 after checking the changed content of the POP advertisement. For example, if the information indicated by the POP advertisement has not changed and there is no problem, the CPU 201 of the server device 101 stores "0". Although the information indicated by the POP advertisement has changed, the new POP advertisement has already been printed because the latest serial number has been obtained. The CPU 201 stores “1” in the check result 913. If it is determined that the POP advertisement with updated information has not been printed because the information indicated by the POP advertisement has changed and the latest serial number has not been obtained, the CPU 201 of the server device 101 sets “2” to the check result 913. Store.

Let's return to the flowchart in FIG. 6. In step S612, the CPU 201 of the server device 101 transmits the results stored in the check result table 910 in FIG. 9 to the mobile terminal 102.

In step S613, the CPU 221 of the mobile terminal 102 receives the check result from the server device 101.

In step S614, the CPU 221 of the mobile terminal 102 notifies the content of the change in the POP advertisement based on the check result received in step S613. In this embodiment, the function of the display control unit 408 is used to identify and display a POP advertisement whose written content has been changed on the display 230 of the mobile terminal 102. Further, the CPU 221 of the mobile terminal 102 also displays detailed information for each POP advertisement according to the check result received in step S613. The detailed information referred to here is information indicating the status of the POP advertisement that should be notified to the person in charge of the store when the CPU 201 of the server device 101 determines that there is a change in the selling price of the POP advertisement. Here, the information indicating the status of the POP advertisement can be used to inform store personnel about the next steps, such as whether the POP advertisement with an error has not been replaced or whether new POP advertisement data needs to be created. Contains information to indicate.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example in which the CPU 221 of the mobile terminal 102 performs identification display corresponding to the check result received from the server device 101 in step S614. The inside of the store being imaged is displayed on the display 230 of the mobile terminal 102, and a POP advertisement 1101 and a color code 1102 included in the POP advertisement 1101 are displayed. The color code 1102 is read with the mobile terminal 102 to determine the status of the POP advertisement. Replacement omission error display 1104 and unprinted error display 1103 are identification displays of POP advertisement error displays corresponding to the check results, respectively, in the form of being superimposed on the captured image. The POP advertisements in which the reprinting failure error display 1104 and the unprinting error display 1103 are superimposed are both POP advertisements in which a change has occurred between the selling price stated in the POP advertisement and the actual selling price of the product. In this embodiment, it is possible to not only manage whether or not a problematic POP advertisement can be posted, but also notify the error status of a POP advertisement that should be changed, reducing the confirmation work of store staff who check POP advertisements and replace them. It becomes possible to do so. Note that in this embodiment, since it is sufficient to be able to notify a POP advertisement with a change in published content, the notification may be performed not only by display but also by other notification methods such as audio. In addition to displaying an error state, a POP advertisement with a change in selling price may be displayed with the correct selling price superimposed on the captured image.

This concludes the explanation of the process flow for notifying the user (store staff) of a POP advertisement that has been changed. This process allows store staff to recognize at a glance which POP advertisements should be replaced. In addition, in this embodiment, for a POP advertisement whose selling price has been changed, is it necessary to create print data for the POP advertisement with a new updated selling price, or is there no need to create new print data and it is simply an omission of replacement? You can also find out detailed information such as: Therefore, by simply capturing an image of the POP advertisement with the mobile terminal 102, the person in charge at the store can grasp the next work to be done when a POP advertisement that needs to be replaced is discovered.

[Embodiment 2]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described using the flowcharts of FIGS. 7 and 8. In the first embodiment, it is determined whether or not there is a change in the content described in the POP advertisement, and the POP advertisement with the change is identified and displayed and notified. In the second embodiment, if there is a POP advertisement that is imaged by the mobile terminal 102 and the published content has changed, a mechanism is provided that extracts the POP advertisement and automatically prints a POP advertisement with the changed content updated. Describe it.

The processing from step S701 to step S707 in FIG. 7 is the same as step S601 to step S607 in FIG. 6, so a description thereof will be omitted. The processing from step S701 to step S707 is processing in which the server device 101 compares the selling price of the specified product based on the printed serial number captured by the mobile terminal 102 and read from the color code.

In step S708, the CPU 201 of the server device 101 compares the selling price stored in the printing price 903 with the selling price stored in the selling price 906 in step S707, and determines that the two selling prices are not the same value. This is the case processing. The CPU 201 of the server device 101 identifies the JAN code that corresponds to the printing serial number of the POP advertisement whose selling price has changed.

In step S709, the CPU 201 of the server device 101 specifies current date information.

In step S710, the CPU 201 of the server device 101 acquires the plan information stored by the function of the storage unit 405. Project information refers to projects such as limited-time special sales held at stores, and is an advertisement generation system that summarizes information such as the layout, catchphrase, and selling price of POP advertisements prepared for each project. Show the data for. Note that the plan information may be stored in the server device 101, or information stored in another storage device may be acquired as appropriate.

A planning instruction table 1000 in FIG. 10 is an example of a table that summarizes planning information that can generate advertising data for planning. The project instruction table 1000 includes a classification 1001, a title 1002, a pattern 1003, a sale start date 1004, a sale end date 1005, a JAN code 1006, a manufacturer name 1007, a product name 1008, a selling price 1009, and a catchphrase 1010. Classification 1001 indicates the classification of data for a project (special sale) advertisement or normal advertisement data, and title 1002 indicates the title of the project. A pattern 1003 indicates a layout pattern of a POP advertisement, and a sale start date 1004 and a sale end date 1005 indicate the sale start date and sale end date of the corresponding product, respectively. In other words, it also shows the publication period of the POP advertisement. Further, a JAN code 1006, a manufacturer name 1007, a product name 1008, a selling price 1009, and a catchphrase 1010 are information for each product and indicate data to be printed in a POP advertisement for planning. In step S710 of FIG. 7, this planning instruction table 1000 is acquired as planning information.

Let's return to the flowchart in FIG. In step S711, the CPU 201 of the server device 101 determines whether the corresponding product is included in the planning information based on the current date specified in step S709 and the JAN code specified in step S708. That is, it is determined whether the JAN code identified in step S708 is included in the products currently being held. If the CPU 201 of the server device 101 determines that the JAN code of the corresponding product is included in the plan information, the process proceeds to step S712. If the CPU 201 of the server device 101 determines that the JAN code of the corresponding product is not included in the plan information, the process proceeds to step S713.

In step S712, the CPU 201 of the server device 101 obtains the selling price for planning from the selling price 1009 of the planning instruction table 1000.

In step S713, the CPU 201 of the server device 101 uses the function of the communication control unit 404 to obtain the latest current selling price from the POS system.

In step S714, the CPU 201 of the server device 101 acquires a print serial number using the function of the print serial number acquisition unit 406.

In step S715, the CPU 201 of the server device 101 associates the JAN code specified in step S708, the selling price information obtained in step S713 or step S714, and the printing serial number obtained in step S714. The associated items are then stored in the selling price check table 900.

The CPU 201 of the server device 101 repeats the processing from step S706 to step S715 by the number of printing serial numbers received from the mobile terminal 102.

In step S716, the CPU 201 of the server device 101 extracts data of the POP advertisement whose print serial number has been newly acquired. That is, it is determined in step S707 that the two selling prices are not the same, and the data for which the printing serial number has been newly acquired is extracted.

Next, in step S717 in FIG. 8, the CPU 201 of the server device 101 transmits the data extracted in step S716 to the information processing device 100.

In step S718, the CPU 201 of the information processing device 100 receives the data extracted in step S716 from the server device 101.

In step S719, the CPU 201 of the information processing apparatus 100 generates new print data for the two POP advertisements received in step S718 that have different selling prices. Here, as determined in step S711, if the CPU 201 of the information processing apparatus 100 includes advertisement data indicating the target product for which the project is being held, the CPU 201 generates print data for the project using the project information. Further, the CPU 201 of the information processing device 100 generates print data of a normal POP advertisement if the advertisement data indicating the target product for which the event is being held is not included.

In step S720, the CPU 201 of the information processing apparatus 100 transmits an instruction to output a POP advertisement to the printing apparatus 103.

In step S721, the CPU 201 of the information processing device 100 specifies the printing time at which the POP advertisement was printed, and transmits it to the server device 101.

In step S722, the CPU 201 of the server device 101 stores the printing time received from the information processing device 100 in the printing time 905 of the selling price check table 900, and ends the series of processing.

This concludes the explanation of the mechanism for printing a POP advertisement whose information has been changed, read and extracted by the mobile terminal 102, in the second embodiment. In this embodiment, a change in the selling price information is used as a criterion for changing the POP advertisement, but the criterion for changing the POP advertisement is not limited to the selling price information, but may also be a change in other information such as a change in the publication period of the POP advertisement or a change in the catchphrase.

Through the processing of the second embodiment, a store staff member can simply capture an image of a POP advertisement with the mobile terminal 102, and not only can the information change and find a new POP advertisement to be printed, but also the POP advertisement that needs to be printed. can be easily printed. Furthermore, since POP advertisements that have been changed are automatically created, POP advertisements that should be changed are notified when POP advertisements are created, and there are also problems such as forgetting to create or printing POP advertisements that need to be replaced. It has a deterrent effect.

[Embodiment 3]
A third embodiment will now be described using FIGS. 12 to 15. In the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the state of POP advertisements is recognized using the mobile terminal 102. The third embodiment acquires selling price information of POP advertisements, as well as location information within the store and information on shelves displaying products (shelf information), and determines the state of the POP advertisements at which positions in the store. The process for displaying the screen shown in FIG.

Although the third embodiment will mainly be described with reference to the mobile terminal 102, it may be not only the mobile terminal 102 but also a movable information processing device or terminal such as a self-propelled robot. If the person taking the image of the POP advertisement is a robot, etc., the driving route inside the store is memorized in advance, and while moving along the memorized driving route, the POP advertisement is imaged and the selling price included in the POP advertisement is recorded. It's good to get information.

First, the flow shown in FIG. 12 will be explained. In step S1201 of FIG. 12, the CPU 221 of the mobile terminal 102 starts imaging a POP advertisement using the function of the imaging unit 407. Note that, as described above, it is not limited to the mobile terminal 102 that performs imaging, and a self-propelled information processing device such as a robot may start an application and start imaging.

In step S1202, the CPU 221 of the mobile terminal 102 acquires position information at the time of imaging (position information acquisition means). Location information may be obtained by GPS (Global Positioning System), shelf information of products in a store, etc., or any information that indicates the location of the imaged POP advertisement. good.

Here, the advertisement position check table 1300 in FIG. 13 will be explained. The advertisement position check table 1300 is an example of a data table that stores information including the position of a POP advertisement imaged by the mobile terminal 102. Advertisement position check table 1300 includes shelf information 1301, JAN code 1302, product name 1303, and POP information 1304. Shelf information 1301 indicates the position of the shelf where the POP advertisement was imaged and the location of the shelf. JAN code 1302 and product name 1303 indicate the JAN code printed on the imaged POP advertisement and the product name printed on the POP advertisement, respectively. POP information 1304 indicates information such as the printing status of the imaged POP advertisement.

In step S1203, the CPU 221 of the mobile terminal 102 captures and acquires an image of the POP advertisement, and transmits the print serial number of the specified POP advertisement to the server device 101. The processing performed by the server device 101 that receives the print serial number from the CPU 221 of the mobile terminal 102 is the same as the processing from step S605 to step S612 in FIG. 6, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted. That is, the server device 101 that has received the printing serial number compares the selling price information of the POP advertisements using the printing serial number as a key, and determines whether there is any difference in the selling price information of the POP advertisements. If there is a difference in the selling price information, it is determined whether the POP advertisement has been printed and has not been replaced, or whether it has not been printed, and the check result is transmitted to the mobile terminal 102.

In step S1204, the CPU 221 of the mobile terminal 102 receives the check result from the server device 101.

In step S1205, the CPU 221 of the mobile terminal 102 associates the check result received in step S1204 with the position information acquired in step S1202 and stores them in the advertisement position check table 1300. For example, the received check result is stored in the POP information 1304 of the advertisement position check table 1300, and the position information is stored in the shelf information 1301. In this embodiment, the advertisement position check table 1300 is stored in the mobile terminal 102, but it may be stored in the server device 101.

In step S1206, the CPU 221 of the mobile terminal 102 generates a display screen of advertisement information. More specifically, based on the information in the advertisement position check table 1300, a screen is generated that displays information on POP advertisements to be notified to users for whom it has been determined that there is a difference in the printed information. In this embodiment, the mobile terminal 102 performs the advertisement information display screen generation process, but the server device 101 performs the advertisement information display screen generation process, and the mobile terminal 102 receives the information generated by the server device 101. You may obtain it as appropriate.

In step S1207, the CPU 221 of the mobile terminal 102 displays the advertisement information display screen generated in step S1206 on the display 230 of the mobile terminal 102.

Here, FIG. 14 will be explained. FIG. 14 is a screen 1400 showing advertisement information that needs to be replaced, and shows an example of the screen displayed in step S1207. A screen 1400 showing advertising information that needs to be replaced includes an advertising information display 1401 and an in-store map 1402. An in-store diagram 1402 shows the location of the POP advertisement to be notified, and an advertisement information display 1401 identifies and displays the status of the POP advertisement using colors, marks, symbols, etc. With this display, when the administrator later checks the status of the POP advertisement, it becomes possible to confirm at a glance which position, in what condition, the POP advertisement needs to be replaced. Furthermore, since the status of the POP advertisement is represented by symbols and diagrams, it is possible to notify the user of the status of the POP advertisement in an easy-to-read format, even if the display 230 is a small terminal, for example. In this embodiment, information on POP advertisements to be notified is displayed using diagrams, but it may be displayed in a list format. Furthermore, even though a notification has been given once regarding unprinted or reposted POP advertisements, the same notification may be made again if the POP advertisements have not been replaced. In that case, a flag is set on the information of the POP advertisement in question, and a message such as "Checked last time" is displayed on the advertisement information display 1401 to indicate that the replacement has not been done even though the notification has been made. It's okay.

Furthermore, in addition to the POP advertisement used in the description of this embodiment, information regarding the replacement of leaflets and posters may be displayed on the display 230 of the mobile terminal 102, as shown in the advertisement image 1500 in FIG. 15. Further, the code containing information on the advertisement to be imaged is not limited to a color code, but may be any information such as a two-dimensional barcode as long as the information on the advertisement can be read. In FIG. 15, for example, by printing a code including publication period information on a poster or flyer and capturing an image of the code with the mobile terminal 102, it is possible to check whether the advertisement is within the publication period or not, and whether the target advertisement has not been printed or has not been replaced. The system makes a determination as to whether or not the poster or flyer is relevant, and displays information about the poster or flyer.

This concludes the description of the process for displaying a screen showing the state of the POP advertisement at which position in the store in the third embodiment.

As described above, according to the present invention, in an advertisement for a product whose information is changed, the state of the advertisement to be replaced can be easily recognized.

The present invention can be implemented as a system, an apparatus, a method, a program, a storage medium, etc., and specifically, it may be applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices. It may be applied to a device consisting of two pieces of equipment.

Note that the present invention includes a system or device in which a software program that implements the functions of the embodiments described above is supplied directly or remotely. The present invention also includes a case where the information processing device of the system or device reads and executes the supplied program code.

Therefore, in order to realize the functional processing of the present invention on the information processing device, the program code itself that is installed (installable) in the information processing device also realizes the present invention. That is, the present invention also includes the computer program itself for realizing the functional processing of the present invention.

In that case, as long as it has the function of a program, it may be in the form of an object code, a program executed by an interpreter, script data supplied to the OS, or the like.

Examples of recording media for supplying programs include flexible disks, hard disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, MOs, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, and CD-RWs. There are also magnetic tapes, nonvolatile memory cards, ROMs, DVDs (DVD-ROM, DVD-R), and the like.

Another method of supplying the program is to connect to an Internet home page using a browser on a client computer. It can also be supplied by downloading the computer program of the present invention itself or a compressed file containing an automatic installation function from the homepage to a recording medium such as a hard disk.

It can also be realized by dividing the program code constituting the program of the present invention into a plurality of files and downloading each file from a different homepage. In other words, the present invention also includes a WWW server that allows a plurality of users to download a program file for realizing the functional processing of the present invention on an information processing device.

Additionally, the program of the present invention can be encrypted, stored on a storage medium such as a CD-ROM, and distributed to users, and users who meet certain conditions can download the key information for decrypting it from a homepage via the Internet. let It is also possible to execute the encrypted program by using the downloaded key information and install it on the information processing device.

Further, the functions of the embodiments described above are realized by the information processing device executing the read program. In addition, based on instructions from the program, an OS running on the information processing device performs part or all of the actual processing, and the functions of the above-described embodiments can also be realized by this processing.

Further, the program read from the recording medium is written into a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the information processing apparatus or a function expansion unit connected to the information processing apparatus. Thereafter, based on the instructions of the program, the CPU included in the function expansion board or function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the functions of the above-described embodiments are also realized by this processing.

The embodiments described above are merely examples of implementation of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be construed as limited by these embodiments. That is, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from its technical idea or main features.

100 Information processing device 101 Server device 102 Mobile terminal 103 Printing device 201 CPU
230 Display 211 External memory 221 CPU
231 External memory 232 Camera

The advertisement management system of the present invention includes:
A system capable of communicating with a server device that manages variable first selling price information corresponding to a product,
a second advertisement that replaces the first advertisement when the second selling price information obtained from the first advertisement of the product does not match the first selling price information of the product managed by the server device; output control means for controlling to output information about
Equipped with
The information regarding the second advertisement includes information according to the printing status of the second advertisement.

Claims (10)

An advertisement management system capable of communicating with an information processing device including a server device that manages first selling price information of a product and an imaging means,
acquisition means for acquiring second selling price information when the advertisement is printed from the advertisement for the product imaged by the imaging means;
Display controlling to display detailed information of the advertisement in an identifiable manner along with information as to whether the first selling price information managed by the server device and the second selling price information acquired by the acquiring means match. control means;
An advertisement management system comprising: The first selling price information indicates variable selling price information corresponding to the product,
The second selling price information indicates selling price information when the advertisement was printed,
The advertisement management system according to claim 1, wherein the advertisement management system manages whether or not the first selling price information and the second selling price information match. The advertisement management system further includes a storage means for storing advertisement print data,
The display control means stores print data in which the first selling price information and the second selling price information match, and the first selling price information and the second selling price information match. 3. The advertisement management system according to claim 1, wherein if the advertisement has not been replaced, the advertisement management system performs control to display a message indicating that the advertisement has not been replaced. The advertisement management system further includes output control means for controlling output of the print data,
The output control means is configured to output print data of an advertisement in which the first selling price information and the second selling price information match, when the first selling price information and the second selling price information do not match. The advertisement management system according to claim 3, wherein the advertisement management system controls the advertisement management system. The advertisement management system includes a generation means for generating the print data,
5. The advertisement management system according to claim 3, wherein the generating means generates the print data in which the first selling price information and the second selling price information are matched. The storage means stores planning information that is information about a special sale advertisement with a fixed period;
6. The advertisement management system according to claim 5, wherein the generating unit generates the print data based on the planning information when the planning information is stored in the storage unit. The information processing device further includes a position information acquisition unit that acquires information indicating the position of the advertisement imaged by the imaging unit,
7. The advertisement management system according to claim 1, wherein the display control means controls to display detailed information of the advertisement as well as information indicating the position of the advertisement. A method for controlling an advertisement management system capable of communicating with an information processing device including a server device that manages first selling price information of a product and an imaging means, the method comprising:
an acquisition step of acquiring second selling price information when the advertisement is printed from the advertisement of the product imaged by the imaging means;
Display controlling to display detailed information of the advertisement in an identifiable manner along with information as to whether or not the first selling price information managed by the server device and the second selling price information acquired in the acquiring step match. a control step;
A method for controlling an advertisement management system, comprising: An information processing device comprising an imaging means capable of communicating with a server device that manages first selling price information of a product,
identifying means for acquiring second selling price information when the advertisement is printed from the advertisement of the product imaged by the image capturing means;
acquisition means for acquiring first selling price information managed by the server device;
Display control means for controlling to display detailed information of the advertisement in which the first selling price information obtained by the obtaining means and the second selling price information specified by the specifying means are not matched in an identifiable manner;
An information processing device comprising: A program for causing a computer to function as each means of the information processing apparatus according to claim 9.

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