JP2023162615A - Destination guidance system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a destination guidance system capable of efficiently guiding a user to his/her desired commodity sales floor.SOLUTION: In a destination guidance system, facility equipment 100 of a tablet or the like provided in advance in a store includes: a data transfer part 110 for receiving correlation data, commodity information data and sales floor layout data from a store office 10 corresponding to a management center in a facility for managing the correlation data, the commodity information data and the layout data; a display part 131 for displaying the commodity information data; and a destination setting part 140 for generating a map display for guiding a user to a sales floor of a commodity selected by the user on the basis of an HMI device 130 for generating selection commodity data by making the user select the commodity the user wants to purchase among commodities included in the commodity information data displayed in the display part 131, and the selection commodity data, the correlation data and the layout data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to a destination guidance system that enables efficient product purchase within a facility.

In recent years, as the population ages, people may not know where in the facility the place they want to go is, and it may take time and fatigue to get there. Additionally, people with weak or disabled legs may have difficulty moving around the facility on foot. In other words, the movement of elderly or physically disabled people within facilities poses many problems.

As for automatic driving using electric vehicles, there are the following conventional technologies (for example, see Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, a patient is moved to a desired room using an electric wheelchair by reading a medical examination ticket containing medical examination information for specifying the desired room.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-156057

However, the conventional technology has the following problems.
The method using an electric cart in Patent Document 1 is suitable for elderly people or people with physical disabilities. However, in general, there is no passageway for all able-bodied people to move around using electric carts, and walking is the mainstream. Furthermore, it may be difficult for people on foot to know which rooms in the hospital they should go to and in what order, and where those rooms are located.

Furthermore, at a hospital, the destination guidance system may guide the patient to a destination determined by the hospital. However, in supermarkets, etc., where the user decides what to purchase, there are a wide variety of destinations (departments), and even the same user often goes to different departments every day, making it impossible to decide on a destination unambiguously like in a hospital. There was a problem.

In addition, in supermarkets, bargain items and the like may be sold at locations other than the normal sales floor. In such a case, even if the system of the prior art is applied, there is a possibility that the user may be able to specify the product he or she wants to purchase and go to the regular sales floor, but not be able to go to the bargain sales floor. Therefore, it is desirable for users to be able to purchase products efficiently in facilities such as supermarkets.

The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a destination guidance system that can efficiently guide a user to a desired product counter.

The destination guidance system according to the present disclosure includes correlation data that associates products handled within the facility with product sales locations within the facility, product information data regarding products handled within the facility, and products and sales locations within the facility. and a data transfer unit that receives correlation data, product information data, and sales floor layout data from a management center in the facility that manages the layout data associated with the data, and a display unit that displays the product information data. An HMI device that generates selected product data by allowing a user to select a product that the user wants to purchase from among the products included in the product information data displayed in the section, and an HMI device that generates selected product data based on the selected product data, correlation data, and layout data. , and a destination setting unit that generates destination guide display data for displaying a map to guide the user to the sales floor of the product selected by the user.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to obtain a destination guidance system that can efficiently guide a user to a desired product department.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a destination guidance system according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing correlation data that associates products handled in a facility to which the destination guidance system according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure is applied and sales floor locations. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing sales floor layout data used in the destination guidance system according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing product information data used in the destination guidance system according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of hierarchically divided HMI display data in Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of destination guide display data generated by the destination setting unit according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of a destination guidance system according to Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is an overall configuration diagram of a destination guidance system according to Embodiment 3 of the present disclosure. It is an overall configuration diagram of a destination guidance system according to Embodiment 5 of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is an overall configuration diagram of a destination guidance system according to Embodiment 6 of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is an overall configuration diagram of a destination guidance system according to Embodiment 7 of the present disclosure. It is an overall configuration diagram of a destination guidance system according to Embodiment 8 of the present disclosure. FIG. 12 is an overall configuration diagram of a destination guidance system according to Embodiment 9 of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the destination guidance system of the present disclosure will be described using the drawings.
A technical feature of the destination guidance system according to the present disclosure is that the user can select a desired product while looking at the displayed content, and thereby visually recognize the sales floor of the selected product as a map display. .

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a destination guidance system according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. The destination guidance system according to the first embodiment corresponds to a case where facility equipment 100, such as a tablet, which is provided in a store in advance, is used as the main equipment. A facility equipment 100 that can be used by a user within the facility is installed with a function that enables destination guidance by data transfer from a data transfer unit 11 installed in a store office 10 corresponding to a management center.

A customer (hereinafter referred to as a user) who comes to the store can easily go to the department of the product he or she wishes to purchase by using the facility equipment 100 in which the destination guidance function is installed.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing correlation data that associates products handled in a facility to which the destination guidance system according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure is applied with sales floor locations. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing sales floor layout data used in the destination guidance system according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. Further, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing product information data used in the destination guidance system according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure.

Each department is identified by a combination of letters and numbers. The relationship between a product and a sales floor location is specified by the correlation data shown in FIG. 2, and the sales floor within the store is specified by the sales floor layout data shown in FIG. 3. Further, advertisement content, detailed information, etc. regarding the product are summarized in the product information data shown in FIG. 4.

Regarding correlation data, sales floor layout data, and product information data, the latest data is managed by a management center corresponding to the store office 10, and is transferred to facility equipment via the data transfer unit 11 and data transfer means 1A as necessary. The data is transferred to the data transfer unit 110 in the data transfer unit 100 .

The data transfer unit 110 that has received the latest data stores the latest correlation data in the storage unit 121, stores the latest sales floor layout data in the storage unit 122, and stores the latest product information data in the storage unit 123.

Note that the data transfer means 1A may be wired such as USB, or wireless such as WiFi or local 5G. In the case of a wired connection, the operator side will connect to each facility equipment 100 by wire and transfer data. On the other hand, in the case of wireless connection, the system can be designed in such a way that data can be transferred from a store PC to all facility equipment 100 in a single operation, reducing labor and all facility equipment 100. data can be transferred to the facility equipment 100.

Furthermore, each of the correlation data, sales floor layout data, and product information data is separately stored and managed by storage units 121 to 123 on the facility equipment 100 side. For example, when changing the price, only the product information data needs to be updated, and when changing the sales floor, only the correlation data needs to be updated.

On the other hand, data that does not occur unless the store layout is changed, such as sales floor layout data, can be used as is. As a result, the latest data to be transferred is reduced to the minimum necessary, reducing the number of man-hours required to change data and the amount of confirmation of changed data, enabling efficient data updates and reducing the probability of errors occurring. can. Note that it is not necessary to provide separate storage units, and one storage unit may be used as long as each data can be managed individually.

The facility equipment 100 prepared in advance through the data transfer described above is placed at the entrance of a store or the like. When the user comes to the store, he or she can pick up the facility equipment 100 at the entrance and use it. A specific method of using the facility equipment 100 by a user will be described based on the configuration inside the facility equipment 100 shown in FIG.

The HMI (Human Machine Interface) device 130 in the facility equipment 100 includes a display section 131, an input section 132, and a storage section 133. The display unit 131 displays the product information data stored in the storage unit 123 according to the HMI display method. The user selects the product he/she wishes to purchase from among the products displayed on the display section 131 by inputting an operation from the input section 132.

The display section 131 cannot display all products at once. Therefore, the display unit 131 according to the first embodiment employs an HMI display method in which display contents are displayed in a hierarchical manner. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a specific example of hierarchically divided HMI display data in Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure.

In the specific example of the HMI display method shown in FIG. 5, the HMI display method is divided into three hierarchies, hierarchies 1 to 3, and displayed hierarchically. In layer 1, which is the upper layer, major items such as "advertisement products," "regular products," and "cooking menu" can be selected. Furthermore, in layer 2, which is a middle layer, product names corresponding to higher-level concepts can be selected for each major item in layer 1. Furthermore, in layer 3, which is a lower layer, product names that correspond to lower concepts obtained by further subdividing the products in layer 2 can be selected.

By performing such a hierarchical display in the HMI display method, the user can easily find the product he or she wants to select, and can easily select the product he or she wants to purchase by performing a selection operation using the input unit 132. For example, regarding the product "vegetables," the user can distinguish and select "vegetables" included in "regular products" and "vegetables" included in "advertised products," thereby prompting the user to guide the user to the desired department. Route information can be obtained.

In addition, by having the user select the "cooking menu" they want to make from that day's menu on layer 1, the ingredients necessary for that dish can be automatically selected and displayed, and the user can select the desired product according to the displayed contents. can.

Furthermore, the HMI device 130 can also display on the display unit 131 seasonings and the like necessary for the cooking menu selected by the user. As a result, it is possible to realize a system that can prevent forgetting to buy items, help busy users with their shopping, and enable efficient product selection. Furthermore, by entering the number of people through the input section 132, the standard amount of materials can also be displayed, thereby further improving convenience.

The HMI device 130 stores the product selected by the user via the input unit 132 in the storage unit 133 as selected product data. The destination setting unit 140 then selects the item selected by the user based on the selected product data stored in the storage unit 133, the correlation data stored in the storage unit 121, and the layout data stored in the storage unit 122. Destination guide display data for displaying a map to guide the user to the product sales area is generated and displayed on the display unit 131.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of destination guide display data generated by destination setting section 140 according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. The destination guide display data shown in Figure 6 displays the user's own location and each product department on a map superimposed on the store layout data when the user selects three products: potato chips, chocolate, and milk. This shows the state in which the Note that a specific method for displaying the self-position will be described in detail in Embodiment 4, which will be described later.

In the destination guide display data shown in FIG. 6, the sales floor of the product the user wants to purchase is displayed in a different color, and the name, photo, price, etc. of the product to be purchased at that sales floor are also displayed. By performing such an identification display, the user can easily go to the sales floor of the product he or she wants to purchase while viewing the destination guide display data displayed on the display unit 131.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, by selecting a desired product while looking at the display contents, the user can visually recognize the sales floor of the selected product as a map display. With such a configuration, it is possible to realize a destination guidance system that can efficiently guide the user to a desired product counter.

Furthermore, detailed product information data can be provided to the user. As a result, the user can shop with confidence by referring to the product information data. In particular, Embodiment 1 has a configuration in which facility equipment permanently installed in a store is utilized as the main equipment of the destination guidance system. As a result, by using the facility equipment as the main device, customers visiting the store can immediately receive a service that efficiently guides them to the desired product department.

Embodiment 2.
In the second embodiment, a case will be described in which a destination guidance system is constructed by using user equipment such as a smartphone or tablet owned by a user in combination with facility equipment. That is, in the second embodiment, a system configuration in which facility equipment 100 as a main device and user equipment owned by a user are used together will be described.

FIG. 7 is an overall configuration diagram of a destination guidance system according to Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure. In the first embodiment, after arriving at the store, the user had to use the facility equipment 100 always available at the store as a destination guidance system and select the product he wanted to purchase on the spot. In this case, after arriving at the store, the user uses the facility equipment 100 to select the product he or she wants to purchase, so the user cannot shop immediately and takes time to select the product.

Therefore, the second embodiment further includes a configuration that allows the user to select a product using the user device 200 that the user owns so that the user can select the product before visiting the store. Specifically, the user uses a public line to download and install application software for product selection prepared by the store onto the user device 200, such as a smartphone, that the user owns in advance.

Further, the configuration is such that specific data communication is possible between the user equipment 200 that the user owns and the facility equipment 100 that is permanently installed in the store. Therefore, the user can use the user device 200 to execute processing related to product selection before visiting the store, and transfer the process to the facility equipment 100 at the time of visiting the store.

The user equipment 200 shown in FIG. 7 includes a data transfer section 210, a storage section 223, and an HMI device 230. The HMI device 230 also includes a display section 231, an input section 232, and a storage section 233. Here, the data transfer unit 210 corresponds to a data transfer unit for user equipment, and the HMI device 230 corresponds to an HMI device for user equipment.

By downloading the product selection application software described above to the user device 200, the user can display the product information data shown in FIG. 4 and the display data using the HMI display method shown in FIG. , etc., and stored in the storage unit 223.

At this time, the amount of data transferred over public lines can be reduced by setting the display data according to the HMI display method so that once it has been downloaded, there is no need to download it again unless there is a change. , it is possible to reduce communication volume and communication time.

Further, the product information data can be set to be acquired at the timing the user needs. Alternatively, the store can also send information such as advertisements to users as push information. By transmitting such push information, electronic advertisements can be transferred to user equipment 200 in a timely manner.

As a result, the store has the advantage of being able to secure users and increase sales. On the other hand, the user can use the HMI device 230 to click on the electronic advertisement and select the product he or she wants to purchase, just as if he were marking a paper advertisement with a red pen in a conventional newspaper insert.

The user device 200 stores the sent electronic advertisement and product information data in the storage unit 223, and displays the data on the display unit 231 in the HMI device 230 as a hierarchical MHI display method.

On the other hand, while viewing the product information data hierarchically displayed on the user device 200 at home or the like, the user selects the product he or she wants to purchase through a selection operation using the input section 232, and selects the product to be stored in the storage section 233 in the user device 200. The selected products are stored as selected product data.

Here, the system can be configured such that the storage units such as the storage units 221 to 223, 233, etc. can utilize part of the memory within the user device 200.

The user goes to a store with the user device 200, and transfers data between the data transfer unit 111 in the facility equipment 100 placed near the entrance of the store and the data transfer unit 210 in the user device 200. Data transfer is performed using . As a result, when the user visits the store, the selected product data stored in advance in the storage unit 233 in the user device can be immediately transferred to the storage unit 133 in the facility equipment 100.

Note that interference with other devices can be prevented by using short-range communication such as NFC or Bluetooth (registered trademark) as the data transfer means 1B. However, the specific communication method is not particularly limited.

As described in the first embodiment, the facility equipment 100 can generate destination guide display data based on the selected product data transferred from the user equipment 200. That is, by transferring the selected product data generated in advance using the user device 200 to the facility device 100 when the user visits the store, the user can reduce the time required for product selection and display the destination guidance display data. It is possible to carry out shopping at an early stage while visually checking the items.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, a destination guidance system is configured using both user equipment and facility equipment. With such a configuration, users can carefully select products in advance at home, etc., and after arriving at the store, the selected product data created in advance can be transferred to the facility equipment always available at the store. can do. As a result, the user can generate selected product data in advance during free time, and can start shopping immediately after arriving at the store, making it possible to shorten shopping time.

On the other hand, for stores, advertising products can be sent to user devices via push information, providing users with sufficient time to select products based on the latest information, and helping to secure users and increase sales. can.

Embodiment 3.
In the third embodiment, instead of using the facility equipment 100 as the main device, all the functions of the main device are provided to the user device so that the user device such as a smartphone or tablet that the user owns can be used as the main device. Let's explain the case where .

FIG. 8 is an overall configuration diagram of a destination guidance system according to Embodiment 3 of the present disclosure. In the above-described second embodiment, by providing a configuration in which selected product data can be generated in advance using the user device 200, the time required to generate selected product data after visiting the store is intended to be reduced. However, in the configuration of the second embodiment, it takes time and effort to transfer the selected product data generated in advance to the facility equipment 100.

Therefore, in the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the user device 200 is used as the main device without using the facility device 100, and all of the destination guidance system according to the present disclosure is performed using the user device 200 alone. It has a configuration that realizes the function. Specifically, the user uses a public line to download and install application software prepared by the store, which has functions for product selection and destination guidance, onto the user device 200 such as a smartphone that the user owns. I'll keep it.

As a result, the user can perform specific data communication between the user device 200 that the user owns and the data transfer unit 11 installed in the store office 10. Therefore, the user can use the user device 200 to execute the processes necessary to implement the product selection function and the destination guidance function in advance before visiting the store.

The user device 200 shown in FIG. 8 includes a storage section 221 to a storage section 223, an HMI device 230, a destination setting section 240, and a self-location confirmation section 250. The HMI device 230 also includes a display section 231, an input section 232, and a storage section 233.

Here, the storage units 221 to 223, the HMI device 230, the destination setting unit 240, and the self-location confirmation unit 250 included in the user equipment 200 in FIG. 8 are the storage units 121 to 223 included in the facility equipment 100 in FIG. It is substantially equivalent to the storage section 123, the HMI device 130, the destination setting section 140, and the self-location confirmation section 150. Therefore, user equipment 200 according to the third embodiment has a configuration that can realize the functions of facility equipment 100 in the first embodiment.

With the configuration shown in FIG. 8, the user can acquire the product information data shown in FIG. 4 and the HMI display data shown in FIG. let Furthermore, in the user equipment 200 according to the third embodiment, the user can also obtain the correlation data shown in FIG. 2 and the sales floor layout data shown in FIG. 3 from a public line such as LTE. The information is stored in the storage unit 221 and the storage unit 222.

The storage units 221 to 223 are programmed to correspond to each memory using the memory within the user device 200, so that there is no need to prepare a memory as hardware.

Product information data can be set to be acquired by the user at desired timing. Alternatively, the store can also send information such as advertisements to users as push information. By transmitting such push information, electronic advertisements can be transferred to user equipment 200 in a timely manner.

Furthermore, the user device 200 according to the third embodiment can also receive correlation data and sales floor layout data from the data transfer unit 11 installed in the store office 10 using the same method and at the same timing as the product information data. can.

However, regarding correlation data and sales floor layout data, if there is no change from the previous time, there is no need to transfer them to the user device 200, and if the data is updated, it is sufficient to transfer them at the same time as the product information data. As a result, it is useful for reducing the amount of data on public radio waves and reducing communication time.

Further, the functions executed by the HMI device 230, the destination setting section 240, and the self-location confirmation section 250 in the third embodiment are the functions performed by the HMI device 130, the destination setting section 140, and the self-location confirmation section 250 of the facility equipment 100 in FIG. This function is substantially equivalent to the function performed by the self-location confirmation unit 150. Therefore, a detailed explanation will be omitted and an outline of the operation will be explained below.

The user device 200 displays the product information data stored in the storage unit 223 on the display unit 231 of the HMI device 230 according to the HMI display method. While viewing the product information data displayed on the user device 200 at home or the like, the user selects the product he or she wishes to purchase through a selection operation using the input unit 232, and stores the selected product data in the storage unit 233.

The destination setting unit 240 then selects the item selected by the user based on the selected product data stored in the storage unit 233, the correlation data stored in the storage unit 221, and the layout data stored in the storage unit 222. Destination guide display data for displaying a map to guide the user to the product sales area is generated and displayed on the display unit 231.

As shown in FIG. 6, the destination guide display data displayed on the display unit 231 shows that the department where the product you want to purchase is displayed in a different color from other places, and the name of the product to be purchased at that store, Photos and prices are also displayed. By performing such an identification display, the user can easily go to the sales floor of the product he or she wants to purchase while viewing the destination guide display data displayed on the display unit 231.

As described above, according to the third embodiment, the user equipment such as a smartphone or tablet owned by the user has all the functions of the destination guidance system corresponding to the facility equipment in the first embodiment. It becomes. As a result, the user can generate product selection data in advance at home or the like, and immediately after arriving at the store, can start shopping while viewing the map display using the user device. Therefore, compared to the first and second embodiments described above, the user can go to the product department in a short time without waste, and can receive a service that efficiently guides the user to the desired product department.

Embodiment 4.
In the fourth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, a specific method for displaying the user's own position in the destination guide display data will be described.

If the user's location is not displayed in the destination guidance display data, the user can identify his or her location based on the layout of the store according to the displayed destination guidance display data, and find directions to the next place he or she wants to go. You need to make your own decisions and move towards your destination. Therefore, if the sales floor is relatively large or if the store is unfamiliar, it may be difficult to recognize one's own location. Furthermore, in these cases, the user may not be able to figure out how to get to the desired store just by visually checking the displayed destination guide display data.

Therefore, the store prepares a system that allows users to download (install) a ``self-location confirmation section'' to the main device in advance as a function that allows users to visually check their own location. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 7, the "self-location confirmation section" corresponds to the self-location confirmation section 150 in the facility equipment 100, which is the main device, and in FIG. This corresponds to the self-location confirmation section 250 within the device 200.

Note that in order to download the "self-location confirmation unit" for realizing the function of visually checking one's own location, a wireless connection such as WiFi at a store or a public line such as LTE may be used.

Further, as a self-location acquisition method used in the "self-location confirming unit", the following specific configurations can be mentioned.
Configuration 1: A configuration in which the absolute position of one's own position is acquired using the GPS function commonly provided in smartphones, tablets, etc. in recent years.
Configuration 2: A configuration in which the absolute position regarding the self-position is acquired using a general method such as beacon positioning using Bluetooth (registered trademark) used for position detection inside the building.

Further, in order to improve the self-positioning accuracy, a configuration may be adopted in which independent navigation means for determining the moving direction and distance from the moving speed and acceleration is added to the configuration 1 or 2.

By using the self-location confirmation unit 150 or the self-location confirmation unit 250 having the above-described functions, a user in the store can visually confirm where he or she is in the layout of the store. That is, as shown in an example in FIG. The user's own position can be superimposed and displayed as the position of the ★ mark.

Furthermore, the self-location confirmation unit 150 or the self-location confirmation unit 250 has an additional function of visually confirming the user's location, and recognizes an appropriate route from the user's location to the desired product sales area, and determines how the user should move to reach the desired product location. Destination guide display data can be created with route data added so that it can be visually confirmed whether the product sales floor can be reliably reached.

In addition, the self-location confirmation unit 150 or the self-location confirmation unit 250 has an additional function of visually confirming the self-location by detecting the transition state of the self-position due to the movement of the user over time and indicating it as an appropriate route. Destination guidance display data can also be created to timely display where the user is currently located on the dotted line.

By having these additional functions, it is possible to provide a service that reliably guides the user to the desired product section.

Further, the self-location confirmation unit 150 or the self-location confirmation unit 250 can also be provided with an audio function to support route guidance. The self-location confirmation unit 150 or the self-location confirmation unit 250 equipped with an audio function can provide audio destination guidance such as “Turn right at the next corner” or “Go straight ahead” as the user moves. becomes possible.

As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, it is possible to provide a configuration that has a function of displaying the user's own position in the destination guidance display data. As a result, the user can visually check his or her current location and the location of the desired product department as a map display, and then reach the destination more reliably and in a shorter time along an appropriate route.

Embodiment 5.
In the fifth embodiment, a destination guidance system further including a shopping cart will be described. In addition, in the following explanation, a case will be explained in which a shopping cart function is added to the configuration shown in FIG. 8 in the third embodiment, but the shopping cart function is added to the configuration of other embodiments. It is also possible to do so.

FIG. 9 is an overall configuration diagram of a destination guidance system according to Embodiment 5 of the present disclosure. Specifically, FIG. 9 illustrates a configuration in which a shopping cart 300 is further added to the configuration of FIG. 8 in the third embodiment. That is, a configuration in which a shopping cart 300 is further added to a destination guidance system using the user device 200 as the main device is illustrated.

In the first to fourth embodiments described above, a destination guidance system that displays a map to efficiently guide a user to a desired product counter has been described. In contrast, in Embodiment 5, a display function is provided that recognizes the products that the user has added to the cart, creates a list of products, and allows the user to see at a glance the products, quantity, total price, etc. in the current cart. Furthermore, the destination guidance system provided will be explained. Below, the functions of the newly added shopping cart 300 will be mainly explained.

The shopping cart 300 shown in FIG. 9 includes a data transfer section 310, a product reading section 320, and a product list creation section 330. Here, the data transfer section 310 corresponds to a cart data transfer section.

The product reading unit 320 reads product information in the shopping cart 300 by using methods currently used in self-checkout registers, such as barcode reading and automatic tag reading. Here, the product information includes product name, quantity, price, discount rate, etc.

Although not shown, the shopping cart 300 is provided with a power supply section such as a battery as a power source for driving the product reading section 320 and the like, and a storage section that stores the price of the read product.

The product list creation unit 330 creates a product list regarding the products in the shopping cart 300 based on the product information that is the result of reading by the product reading unit 320. The product list is information that lists necessary information such as quantity, price, discount amount, etc. for each product name.

The shopping cart 300 also includes a data transfer unit 310 for communicating with the user device 200. The product list created by the product list creation unit 330 is transferred to the user device 200 via the data transfer unit 310, stored in the storage unit 233 in the HMI device 230, and displayed on the display unit 231.

By visually checking the product list displayed on the display unit 231, the user can check the product list related to the products placed in the shopping cart 300, and can easily understand whether there are excess or shortage of products to be purchased.

As described above, according to Embodiment 5, the user can easily grasp the items to be purchased, the price, etc. in the shopping cart before making payment at the cash register. Until now, it was impossible to check the product list without looking at the receipt after payment at the cash register, but before payment, it is now possible to check the product list generated by the configuration of the fifth embodiment. As a result, it is possible to prevent forgetting to buy items, over-purchasing items, etc. before payment, and it is possible to provide efficient shopping services.

The storage unit also stores selected product data that the user originally selected to purchase. Therefore, based on the results of electronic comparison between the selected product data and the product list data, it is possible to electronically grasp the excess or deficiency of products to be purchased. As a result, it is possible to prevent forgetting to buy items, over-purchasing, etc., before making a payment, based on electronic comparative judgments, and it is possible to provide more efficient shopping services.

Furthermore, since the product list data can be grasped as electronic data, the product list data can be transferred to the cash register and used for payment processing. As a result, it is no longer necessary to check each item at the cash register, and the payment process can be performed smoothly.

Embodiment 6.
In the sixth embodiment, a configuration in which a payment function is further added to the shopping cart 300 described in the fifth embodiment will be described.

FIG. 10 is an overall configuration diagram of a destination guidance system according to Embodiment 6 of the present disclosure. Specifically, FIG. 10 illustrates a configuration in which an electronic payment section 340 and a printer 350 are further added to the shopping cart 300 in addition to the configuration of FIG. 9 in the fifth embodiment. Therefore, the functions of the electronic payment unit 340 and the printer 350 will be mainly described below.

The user can check the products that are in the shopping cart 300 and are scheduled to be purchased using the product list data created by the product list creation unit 330. Then, the user proceeds to payment if there is no problem as a result of the confirmation.

Previously, customers had to line up at the register and pay. In contrast, in the configuration of the sixth embodiment, product list data regarding the products in the shopping cart 300 is already created, and the user can check it in advance. Therefore, there is no need to line up at the cash register, and the user can make an electronic payment using the electronic payment unit 340 provided in the shopping cart 300 at any location.

Further, a receipt for electronic payment can be printed out using a printer 350 provided in the shopping cart 300. Therefore, the user can process the payment for the desired purchased item without lining up at the cash register, and can receive time-efficient shopping services.

Furthermore, unlike the configuration in FIG. 10, if the user device 200 is equipped with an electronic payment function, the electronic payment section 340 in the shopping cart 300 can be made unnecessary. Specifically, the user device 200 equipped with an electronic payment function performs electronic payment based on the product list data created by the product list creation unit 330 in the shopping cart 300, which is received via the data transfer means 1C. be able to.

Then, the user device 200 returns the payment completion information created by performing the electronic payment process to the shopping cart 300 side via the data transfer means 1C. Then, by using the printer 350 in the shopping cart 300, a receipt can be issued based on the payment completion information. As a result, there is no need to prepare the electronic payment unit 340 on the shopping cart 300 side, and it is possible to reduce costs on the store side.

Furthermore, the payment completion information created by the user device 200 can be transferred to the store office 10 via the data transfer means 1D. As a result, the store can electronically confirm whether or not the payment has been completed based on the received payment completion information, which can also be useful for crime prevention such as shoplifting prevention.

As described above, according to the sixth embodiment, the shopping cart is provided with an electronic payment section and a printer. As a result, the user can perform payment processing and receive a receipt at any location within the facility, allowing efficient shopping.

Embodiment 7.
In Embodiment 6 above, a configuration was described in which electronic payment can be made at any location. In contrast, in the seventh embodiment, a configuration will be described in which the payment process can be performed only when the user who has finished purchasing the desired product finally arrives at a predetermined location.

FIG. 11 is an overall configuration diagram of a destination guidance system according to Embodiment 7 of the present disclosure. Specifically, FIG. 11 differs from the configuration of the sixth embodiment shown in FIG. 10 in the following two points.
Difference 1: The function of the printer 350 in the shopping cart 300 is removed, and a printer installed at a predetermined location is used.
Difference 2: As the data transfer means between the store office 10 and the user equipment 200, the data transfer means 1E is used instead of the data transfer means 1D.

Therefore, these differences will be mainly explained below. By adopting the configuration shown in FIG. 10 described in the sixth embodiment, when a payment process is performed at an arbitrary location, the payment is completed based on the payment confirmation information received by the store office 10, which is the management center. In order to reply with information, it was necessary to select a means capable of communicating over a certain distance as the data transfer means 1D.

In contrast, by restricting data communication between the store office 10 and the user device 200 only in predetermined locations, a data transfer means 1E that communicates in a narrow area such as NFC is adopted. can do. That is, a short distance data transfer section can be used as the data transfer section 11 and the data transfer section 212, and a cheaper data transfer configuration can be constructed.

As a specific example of the predetermined location, as shown in FIG. 3, the locations R1 to R3, which correspond to cash registers where cashiers are permanently stationed, or the location SR4, which corresponds to a self-checkout register, can be considered. In this way, by using the cash register currently in use as a predetermined location, there is no need to provide the printer 350 in the shopping cart 300, and a printer installed at the cash register can be used instead.

In addition, for the store side, by adopting a configuration in which the payment is confirmed by the user passing through a predetermined location, it is possible to not only reduce equipment costs, but also realize a safe and secure payment system. Crime prevention effects such as shoplifting prevention can be enhanced.

In addition, for the user, the payment process can be completed at any location and can be completed by sending the final payment confirmation information at the self-checkout, allowing the user to efficiently complete shopping for the desired product. I can do it.

Note that, unlike the configuration in FIG. 11, if the user device 200 is equipped with an electronic payment function, the electronic payment unit 340 in the shopping cart 300 can be made unnecessary.

As described above, according to Embodiment 7, a configuration can be provided in which the user always passes through a predetermined location when performing payment processing. As a result, it is possible to improve both the convenience of shopping and the crime prevention effect.

Embodiment 8.
In the eighth embodiment, a case will be described in which a self-propelled electric cart 300A is used instead of the shopping cart 300. In particular, the eighth embodiment will be described in detail by taking as an example a case where the shopping cart 300 in the configuration of FIG. 10 shown in the previous sixth embodiment is replaced with a self-propelled electric cart 300A.

FIG. 12 is an overall configuration diagram of a destination guidance system according to Embodiment 8 of the present disclosure. Specifically, FIG. 12 illustrates a configuration in which a self-propelled electric cart 300A equipped with a safety section such as collision prevention is used instead of the shopping cart 300 described in the sixth embodiment. . The self-propelled electric cart 300A according to the eighth embodiment has the same configuration as the shopping cart 300 according to the sixth embodiment, including a data transfer section 310, a product reading section 320, a product list creation section 330, and an electronic It includes a payment section 340 and a printer 350, and further includes a self-propelled control section 360.

As described in detail in the fourth embodiment, appropriate route data from the user's current location to the desired product counter has already been created by the self-location confirmation section 150 or the self-location confirmation section 250. Therefore, the self-propelled controller 360 can automatically guide the user to the desired product counter using appropriate route data that can be obtained via the data transfer means 1C.

Regarding the safety of the surrounding area during automatic driving, the self-propelled electric cart 300A originally uses information from the surrounding area confirmation unit such as LiDAR to prevent collisions with other carts, people, etc. can be realized.

By using a shopping system equipped with the self-propelled electric cart 300A, even users who have difficulty walking by themselves, such as elderly people and people with disabilities, can be reliably guided to the desired product department. As a result, it is possible to realize a system that allows a person to shop alone without the help of an assistant or the like.

Note that when the user holds the facility equipment 100 or the user equipment 200 in his/her hand, the user's position changes in accordance with the user's movements. Therefore, although not shown, the self-propelled electric cart 300A is provided with a fixing part for fixing the facility equipment 100 or the user equipment 200. By fixing the facility equipment 100 or the user equipment 200 to a predetermined position of the self-propelled electric cart 300A using this fixing part, highly accurate self-positioning can be obtained.

Further, the self-propelled electric cart 300A has the same functions as the shopping cart 300, and can obtain the same functions as the shopping cart 300.

As described above, according to Embodiment 8, the self-propelled electric cart can guide the user to the desired department, making shopping more convenient and faster for various users. .

Note that the self-propelled electric cart 300A is configured to include only a data transfer unit 310 and a self-propelled control unit 360, and is specialized for use as a function to guide the user who rides the cart to a desired sales floor by automatic driving. It is also possible to do so.

Embodiment 9.
In the ninth embodiment, a case will be described in which a chair rotation control section 370 is further added to the configuration of the self-propelled electric cart 300A according to the eighth embodiment.

FIG. 13 is an overall configuration diagram of a destination guidance system according to Embodiment 9 of the present disclosure. The self-propelled electric cart 300A according to the ninth embodiment has the same configuration as the shopping cart 300 according to the eighth embodiment, including a data transfer section 310, a product reading section 320, a product list creation section 330, and an electronic It includes a payment section 340, a printer 350, and a self-propelled control section 360, and further includes a chair rotation control section 370.

The chair rotation control unit 370 enables the chair of the self-propelled electric cart 300A to be electrically rotated. When the self-propelled electric cart 300A arrives at the desired product counter, the user rotates the chair to the right or left to take the desired direction, depending on the positional relationship between the self-propelled electric cart and the product counter. The chair rotation control unit 370 can be operated as follows. In this way, by operating the chair rotation control unit 370, the user can easily pick up the desired product while sitting on the chair upon arriving at the sales floor.

Furthermore, as described in the eighth embodiment, if the self-propelled electric cart 300A is provided with a fixing part for fixing the facility equipment 100 or the user equipment 200, the user can The location can be determined.

Therefore, if it is possible to accurately determine the positional relationship between the user's own position and the desired product sales floor, the chair rotation control unit 370 can be automatically rotated to the desired position according to the positional relationship without any user operation. It is also possible to do so.

For example, even if the position at which the self-propelled electric cart 300A can stop may differ depending on how crowded the sales area is when the user arrives at the sales area, the chair rotation control unit 370 can control the user's own position at the time of stopping and the desired product sales area. The rotation angle of the chair can be appropriately controlled according to the positional relationship with the chair. As a result, the user can more easily pick up the product while sitting on the chair of the self-propelled electric cart 300A, regardless of the surrounding congestion.

As described above, according to the ninth embodiment, the angle of the chair provided on the self-propelled electric cart can be easily adjusted manually or automatically according to the positional relationship between the user's self-position and the target product sales area. It has a configuration that can be changed. As a result, the user can pick up a desired product while riding in the self-propelled electric cart, improving convenience.

Note that the stores in the first to ninth embodiments described above are not limited to supermarkets, and may include various facilities such as home centers, theme parks, and outdoor play areas. It is possible to utilize the system.

10 store office (management center), 11 data transfer section, 100 facility equipment, 110, 111 data transfer section, 121, 122, 123 storage section, 130 HMI device, 131 display section, 132 input section, 133 storage section, 140 destination setting unit, 150 self-position confirmation unit, 200 user equipment, 210 data transfer unit (data transfer unit for user equipment), 221, 222, 223 storage unit, 230 HMI device (HMI device for user equipment), 231 display unit, 232 input section, 233 storage section, 240 destination setting section, 250 self-position confirmation section, 300 shopping cart, 300A self-propelled electric cart, 310 data transfer section (cart data transfer section), 320 product reading section, 330 product list Creation unit, 340 Electronic payment unit, 350 Printer, 360 Self-propelled control unit, 370 Chair rotation control unit.

Claims (10)

Correlation data that associates products handled in a facility with the sales floor of the product in the facility, product information data regarding the products handled in the facility, and correlation data between the product and the sales floor in the facility. a data transfer unit that receives the correlation data, the product information data, and the sales floor layout data from a management center in the facility that manages the layout data;
An HMI that has a display section that displays the product information data, and that generates selected product data by having a user select a product that he or she wants to purchase from among the products included in the product information data displayed on the display section. a device;
a destination setting unit that generates destination guidance display data for displaying a map to guide the user to the sales floor of the product selected by the user based on the selected product data, the correlation data, and the layout data; A destination guidance system that includes equipment. The main device further includes a self-location confirmation unit that detects the current position within the facility as the self-location,
The destination setting section generates the destination guidance display data based on the self-position detected by the self-location confirmation section so as to display the self-position superimposed on the map display. Direction system as described. The destination guidance system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the main device is a facility device that can be used by a user within the facility. It is further equipped with user equipment that the user owns and is capable of data communication using a public line,
The user equipment includes:
a user equipment data transfer unit that receives the product information data from the management center via the public line;
an HMI device for user equipment that generates selected product data by allowing the user to select a product he or she wants to purchase from among the products included in the product information data;
The destination guidance system according to claim 3, wherein the user device data transfer unit has a function of transferring the selected product data generated using the user device HMI device to the HMI device in the facility equipment. . The destination guidance system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the main device is a user device owned by the user. Further comprising a shopping cart, which is used by the user when shopping within the facility, as a configuration separate from the main device,
The shopping cart is
a cart data transfer unit capable of data communication with the main device;
a product reading unit that reads product information possessed by products in the shopping cart;
and a product list creation unit that creates product list data regarding the products in the shopping cart based on the reading result by the product reading unit;
The HMI device in the main device receives the product list data via the cart data transfer unit, and compares the selected product data generated based on the selection operation by the user with the product list data. The destination guidance system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the result is displayed on the display unit. The shopping cart is
an electronic payment unit that executes payment processing based on the product list data created by the product list creation unit and generates payment confirmation information;
further comprising: a printer that prints a receipt indicating that the payment processing is completed after the payment confirmation information is confirmed in the management center;
When the payment confirmation information is generated, the cart data transfer unit transfers the generated payment confirmation information to the main device via the cart data transfer unit,
The data transfer section within the main device is
When the payment confirmation information is received via the cart data transfer unit, transmitting the payment confirmation information to the management center,
If payment completion information is received from the management center as a response to the payment confirmation information, transfer the payment completion information to the shopping cart;
The destination guidance system according to claim 6, wherein the printer prints the receipt by receiving the payment completion information via the cart data transfer unit. The main device is
an electronic payment unit that acquires the product list data created by the product list creation unit via the cart data transfer unit, executes payment processing based on the product list data, and generates payment confirmation information; ,
further comprising a short-distance data transfer unit capable of data communication with the management center at a predetermined location,
The short-distance data transfer section includes:
If the payment confirmation information is generated by the electronic payment unit and data communication is possible with the management center, transmitting the payment confirmation information to the management center;
When payment completion information is received from the management center as a response to the payment confirmation information, print a receipt indicating that the payment processing has been completed using a printer installed at the predetermined location. The destination guidance system described in item 6. Further comprising a self-propelled electric cart as a configuration separate from the main device, which has a function of transporting the user to the destination when shopping in the facility,
The destination setting unit in the main device transmits route data for guiding the user to the sales floor of the product selected by the user, which was specified when the destination guidance display data was generated, to the self-propelled electric cart. transfer,
The destination guidance system according to claim 2, wherein the self-propelled electric cart automatically travels to move the user to the destination according to the route data. The destination guidance system according to claim 9, wherein the self-propelled electric cart includes a chair rotation control unit for controlling the orientation of a chair on which the user sits.