JP7231070B2 - Gate-type payment system and gate-type payment device - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a technique for saving labor in product checkout by using an RF tag (RF: Radio Frequency) used for wireless automatic individual identification.

Convenience stores, supermarkets, and other stores are trying to reduce the amount of labor involved in product checkout, with the aim of resolving the serious labor shortage in rural areas and improving the efficiency of checkout operations.

In order to save labor in checkout operations, it is necessary to automatically recognize each product purchased by a customer. As a method for automatically recognizing products purchased by a customer, a camera is installed in the shopping basket in which the product is to be settled, and the image of the camera is used to automatically recognize the product in the shopping basket, as disclosed in Patent Document 1. Although disclosed, the method of automatically recognizing items placed in a shopping basket using RF tags is becoming mainstream.

When automatically recognizing products put in a shopping basket using an RF tag, each product sold in a store is tagged with an RF tag and stored in the RF tag attached to the product put in the shopping basket. Using a reader/writer that reads the data stored in the shopping basket, the product identification data that identifies the product is read from each RF tag attached to the product in the shopping basket. automatic recognition.

In the method of automatically recognizing products placed in a shopping basket using RF tags, a reader/writer that reads data stored in RF tags can be incorporated in a register as disclosed in Patent Document 2, for example. Common. However, in the configuration where the reader/writer is built into the register, the customer puts the shopping cart on the reader/writer built into the register, makes the register recognize the products in the shopping cart, and then purchases the products in the shopping cart. You have to stop in front of the register until you have paid for your purchase. This is not so much of a problem in stores with a relatively small number of customers, but in stores with a relatively large number of customers, it can be a factor in the line of customers waiting to pay their bills at busy times.

If the process of automatically recognizing the products in the shopping basket can be separated from the process of paying the purchase price for the products in the shopping basket using RF tags, the time required for product settlement can be shortened. Queues of customers waiting for As a device with such a configuration, for example, in Patent Document 3, a conveyor that conveys products (product conveyor) and a reader/writer that reads product identification data from an RF tag attached to the product being conveyed by the conveyor device) and an accounting processing device comprising a self-checkout machine (automatic accounting machine) used for payment related to the purchase price of goods.

JP 2016-57813 A JP 2008-299404 A JP 2004-013392 A

However, if a conveyor is used to transport a shopping basket containing products as in the invention disclosed in Patent Document 3, the system for automatically recognizing the products placed in the shopping basket becomes large-scale.

Therefore, the present invention proposes a system capable of automatically recognizing products placed in a shopping basket carried by a shopper while the shopper is passing through without using a conveyor.

A first invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a gate-type checkout system comprising at least a product attached with an RF tag and a gate-type checkout device that automatically recognizes the RF tag attached to the product. The gate-type checkout device includes a pair of gate bodies and a control unit that form a passage for the shopping basket containing the goods and have a radio wave shielding function, and at least one of the gate bodies is provided with the gate-type checkout device. A human body sensor that detects shoppers using the RF tag, a reader/writer that emits radio waves for wireless communication with the RF tag toward the conveying path, and a shopping basket conveyed along the conveying path. provided with a collision member that is attached to the conveying passage in a protruding state and tilts the front of the collided shopping basket to the right or left at an angle of 1 degree or more and 45 degrees or less with respect to the direction parallel to the conveying passage; The control unit causes the reader/writer to detect the RF tag when the human body sensor detects the human body of the shopper. In the gate-type checkout system according to the first invention, when a shopper passes by the gate-type checkout device so that the shopping basket moves along the transport passage formed between the gate bodies, the gate A checkout device is configured to detect the RF tag attached to the item in the shopping basket. Furthermore, the first invention is configured to be able to create a state in which the RF tag can be easily detected by moving the product with the collision member.

Furthermore, the second invention is the gate-type checkout system described in the first invention , in which a slit is formed in the upper part of the gate body along the center of the transport passage, and a ceiling member having a radio wave shielding function is provided. characterized by The second invention is an invention that prevents the shopping basket from moving between the gate bodies in a state of coming out from the upper part of the gate-type checkout device.

Furthermore, a third invention is characterized in that, in the gate-type checkout system described in the first invention or the second invention, the inner wall of the gate body is curved inward on the entrance/exit side of the transport passage. The third invention is an invention in which the detection performance of the RF tag is enhanced by utilizing reflection of radio waves.

Furthermore, a fourth invention is characterized in that, in the gate-type checkout system according to any one of the first to third inventions, a door having a radio wave shielding function is provided on the entrance/exit side of the transportation passage. The fourth invention is an invention that prevents radio waves from entering from the entrance/exit side of the transport passage.

Furthermore, the fifth invention is a gate-type checkout apparatus constituting the gate-type checkout system described in any one of the first to fourth inventions. The fifth invention is an invention relating to a gate-type fare adjustment device required in the gate-type fare adjustment system described in any one of the first to fourth inventions.

According to the above-described invention, when a shopper passes by the gate-type checkout device so that the shopping cart moves along the conveying passage formed between the gate bodies, the gate-type checkout device moves the shopping cart. Since the RF tags attached to the products in the shopping cart are detected, the products placed in the shopping basket carried by the shopper can be automatically recognized as the shopper passes by without using a conveyor.

The figure explaining the external appearance of a gate-type settlement system. The figure explaining the RF tag attached to goods. The figure explaining the side surface of a gate-type payment apparatus. The figure explaining the structure of a gate-type settlement apparatus. The figure explaining operation|movement of a gate-type settlement apparatus. The figure explaining an example of the settlement method of goods. The figure explaining the gate-type payment|settlement apparatus which concerns on a modification.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described. In addition, the following description does not restrict the technical scope of the present invention, but is described to aid understanding.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the appearance of a gate-type payment system 1 according to this embodiment. A gate-type checkout system 1 according to the present embodiment comprises at least a product 4 with an RF tag 3 and a gate-type checkout device 2 . The gate-type checkout device 2 forms a transport passage 2a for the shopper 6 to move the plastic shopping basket 5 containing the products 4, and is provided with a pair of gate bodies 20 (gate bodies 20a and 20b) having a radio wave shielding function. ) and a control unit 23, at least one of the gate bodies 20 has a human body sensor 22 for detecting a shopper 6 using the gate type payment device 2, and a radio wave for wireless communication with the RF tag 3. a reader/writer 21 that emits light toward the user, a collision member 24 that causes the shopping basket 5 conveyed along the conveying path 2a to collide, and an impact sensor that detects the impact when the shopping basket 5 collides with the collision member 24. 25 are provided.

In the context of the present invention, a shopping basket 5 is meant to be used by a shopper 6 to carry goods 4 . In FIG. 1, the shopping basket 5 has a basket-like shape, but the shopping basket 5 may have the shape of a plastic bag, or the shopping basket 5 may have the shape of a plastic shopping cart.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the RF tag 3 attached to the product 4. As shown in FIG. The RF tag 3 attached to the product 4 is in the form of a seal label, and is attached to the product 4 using an adhesive material formed on the back surface of the RF tag 3 . The RF tag 3 is a medium used for automatic individual identification using radio, and the RF tag 3 includes an antenna 30 corresponding to the frequency band (here, UFH band) used in radio communication, and an antenna 30 connected to the antenna 30. An IC chip 31 is built in. The IC chip 31 embedded in the RF tag 3 stores at least a tag identifier different for each RF tag 3 . Furthermore, the IC chip 31 can store the product data (product code and price) of the product 4 to which the RF tag 3 is attached.

The gate type settlement device 2 will be described. The two gate bodies 20 provided in the gate-type payment device 2 have a symmetrical shape, and are installed facing each other, so that the product 4 with the RF tag 3 can be inserted between the two gate bodies 20. It is a transport passage 2a for the shopper 6 to move the shopping basket 5. The reader/writer 21 may be provided on either one of the two gate bodies 20, but in FIG. , the position where the reader/writer 21 is provided is near the middle of the conveying path 2a.

The human body sensor 22 is provided on the outer wall of the gate body 20 on the entrance side of the transport passage 2a. The human body sensor 22 may be provided on either of the two gate main bodies 20, but in FIG. Human body sensors 22 are provided on the outer wall of each of the two gate bodies 20 so that both of the shoppers 6 passing by the gate can be detected. The human body sensor 22 may be of a transmissive type, but in this embodiment, an infrared type human body sensor 22 is used.

The collision member 24 and the impact sensor 25 may be provided on either of the two gate bodies 20. In FIG. A collision member 24 and a shock sensor 25 are provided at a location directly downstream of the reader/writer 21 .

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a side view of the gate-type payment device 2. As shown in FIG. Since the reader/writer 21 provided in the gate-type checkout device 2 emits radio waves toward the transport passage 2a, the shopper 6 cannot move the shopping basket 5 out of the upper part of the gate-type checkout device 2 while moving through the transport passage. It becomes necessary to move the shopping basket 5 along 2a. In order to make it easier for the shopper 6 to move the shopping basket 5 along the transport path 2a without the shopping basket 5 coming out from the top of the gate-type checkout device 2, the height of the gate-type checkout device 2 is standard. It is about the height of an adult's abdomen. Further, in order to facilitate detection of the RF tags 3 of all the products 4 contained in the shopping basket 5, the size of the antenna surface of the reader/writer 21 provided in the gate-type checkout device 2 is made larger than the size of the shopping basket 5. there is

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the structure of the gate-type settlement device 2. As shown in FIG. As described above, each of the gate bodies 20 included in the gate-type payment device 2 has a radio wave shielding function. As for the performance of the radio wave shielding function, it is desirable that the radio wave attenuation rate is 10dbi or more. It is desirable to configure the surface of the formula checkout device 2 .

Also, if at least the surface of the gate-type payment device 2 is made of a material with a surface resistance value of 1 KΩ/sp (square) or less, the surface of the gate-type payment device 2 will reflect radio waves. At least the inner wall of the gate body 20 is curved inward (toward the transport path 2a) on the entrance/exit side of the transport path 2a, and the radio wave emitted by the reader/writer 21 is reflected toward the center of the transport path 2a at the curved portion. , the detection range of the RF tag 3 is further expanded.

The collision member 24 is arranged on the conveying passage 2a so that the shopping basket 5 conveyed along the conveying passage 2a collides and the inclination angle θ of the shopping basket 5 that collides with the collision member 24 is 1 degree or more and 45 degrees or less. It is attached to the gate body 20 in a projected state. The reason why the inclination angle θ of the shopping basket 5 that collides with the collision member 24 is set to 1 degree or more and 45 degrees or less is to prevent the collision member 24 from preventing the shopping basket 5 from being transported. Although the collision member 24 can be installed on the exit side of the conveying path 2a, in this embodiment, the collision member 24 and the impact sensor 25 are provided at a location directly downstream of the reader/writer 21 in the conveying path 2a.

Even if there is an RF tag 3 that is difficult to detect by the reader/writer 21, such as when the RF tag 3 attached to the product 4 is in contact with another metal product, by providing the collision member 24 in the gate-type checkout device 2, The product 4 attached with the RF tag 3 moves due to the impact of the shopping basket 5 colliding with the collision member 24, and the RF tag 3 attached to the product 4 moves away from other metal products, making it easy to detect the RF tag 3. state can be created.

An impact sensor 25 for detecting impact when the shopping basket 5 collides with the impact member 24 is attached to the base of the impact member 24 . The impact sensor 25 can be selected arbitrarily, but in this embodiment, it is a sensor that detects the tensile force when the impact member 24 falls toward the exit side of the conveying path 2a as an impact.

The control unit 23 of the gate-type settlement device 2 is a function implemented using computer equipment such as a PLC (programmable logic controller). A control unit 23 of the gate-type settlement device 2 is connected to a reader/writer 21, a human body sensor 22, an impact sensor 25, and the like, and detects RF tags attached to the products 4 contained in the shopping basket 5 moving along the transport path 2a. At least the process of automatically recognizing 3 is executed.

From here, while explaining the operation of the gate-type settlement system 1 according to the present embodiment, the operation of the gate-type settlement apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment will be described.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the gate-type payment apparatus 2 according to this embodiment. When a shopper 6 carrying a shopping basket 5 containing products 4 to be purchased passes by the side of the gate body 20 on which the human body sensor 22 is installed, the human body sensor 22 of the gate-type checkout device 2 detects the shopper 6. Then, the human body sensor 22 of the gate type settlement device 2 outputs a human body detection signal indicating that a human body has been detected to the control section 23 of the gate type settlement device 2 (S1).

When the human body detection signal is output from the human sensor 22, the control unit 23 of the gate-type settlement device 2 instructs the reader/writer 21 to start detecting the RF tag 3 (S2). The operation of detecting the tag 3 is performed, and the tag identifier and the like obtained by the operation of detecting the RF tag 3 are output to the control unit 23 (S3).

When the reader/writer 21 of the gate-type settlement device 2 performs an operation to detect the RF tag 3, the reader/writer 21 transmits radio waves carrying a polling command, which is a command used to detect the RF tag 3, By receiving the tag identifier from the RF tag 3 existing within the detectable range of the reader/writer 21, the RF tag 3 existing within the detectable range of the reader/writer 21 is detected. When reading product data from the RF tag 3 in addition to the tag identifier, the reader/writer 21 transmits radio waves carrying a command to read data from the RF tag 3, and reads the product from each RF tag 3 whose tag identifier has been read. Read data. Since a plurality of products 4 are often placed in the shopping basket 5, the reader/writer 21 must be compatible with anti-collision, which is a function of detecting a plurality of RF tags 3 at the same time.

The shopper 6 moves the shopping basket 5 along the conveying path 2a formed by the pair of gate bodies 20 in a state where the shopping basket 5 does not come out from the upper part of the gate-type checkout device 2, and the shopper 6 moves the shopping basket 5. When the shopping basket 5 on the floor collides with the collision member 24, the impact sensor 25 detects the impact when the shopping basket 5 collides with the collision member 24, and sends an impact detection signal indicating that the impact has been detected to the control unit 23. Output (S4).

When the impact detection signal is output from the impact sensor 25, the control unit 23 of the gate-type settlement device 2 instructs the reader/writer 21 again to start detecting the RF tag 3 (S5), and the reader/writer 21 The operation of detecting the RF tag 3 is performed, and the tag identifier and the like obtained by the operation of detecting the RF tag 3 are output to the control unit 23 (S6). The operation of the reader/writer 21 to detect the RF tag 3 has been described above.

The RF tag 3 is detected by the reader/writer 21 when the impact sensor 25 detects the impact when the shopping basket 5 collides with the collision member 24. This is because the shopping basket 5 enters the transport passage 2a. At that time, even if the RF tag 3 is in a state that is difficult to detect, such as being in contact with another metal product, the product 4 attached with the RF tag 3 moves due to the impact of the shopping basket 5 colliding with the collision member 24. , the RF tag 3 attached to the product 4 can be separated from other metal products, thereby creating a state in which the RF tag 3 can be easily detected.

When the human body detection signal is output from the human body sensor 22 and when the impact detection signal is output from the impact sensor 25, the tag identifier and the like are output from the reader/writer 21 to the control unit 23. When the tag identifier or the like is output from the reader/writer 21 after the impact detection signal is output from the impact sensor 25, the control unit 23 confirms duplication of the tag identifier output from the reader/writer 21 of the gate-type settlement device 2. (S7).

Next, the control unit 23 of the gate-type checkout device 2 generates a checkout product list, which is a list of the products 4 contained in the shopping basket 5, from the list of tag identifiers that are not duplicated (S8). procedure ends. When the product data is stored in the RF tag 3, the product data read from the RF tag 3 can be used to generate the checkout product list. When the product data is not stored in the RF tag 3, the control unit 23 of the gate-type payment device 2 acquires the product data from the server that stores the product data in association with the tag identifier, and generates a checkout product list. do.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an example of the settlement method for the product 4. As shown in FIG. Although any method may be used to settle the product 4 using the checkout product list generated by the control unit 23 of the gate checkout device 2, in FIG. A printed receipt 230 is issued, and the shopper 6 can use this receipt 230 to pay for the product 4 with the automatic checkout machine 7 .

As described above, the shopper 6 who uses the gate-type checkout system 1 according to the present embodiment moves the shopping basket 5 along the transport path 2a in a state where the shopping basket 5 does not come out from the top of the gate-type checkout device 2. Although it is necessary to move the shopping basket 5, it is possible to move the shopping basket 5 along the conveying path 2a in a state where the shopping basket 5 does not come out from the upper part of the gate-type checkout device 2. It is desirable that a store clerk can easily visually recognize the shopping basket 5 protruding from the top of the shopping basket.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a gate-type payment device 8 according to a modification. The gate-type checkout device 8 according to the modification shown in FIG. A ceiling member 80 having a slit 80a along the line is installed on the upper surface of the gate-type checkout apparatus 8 according to the modification. Depending on whether or not the shopping basket 5 is protruding from the ceiling member 80 formed with the slit 80a along the center line of the transport passage 2a, the shopping basket 5 is protruded from the upper part of the gate-type checkout device 8 according to the modification along the transport passage 2a. The moving shopping basket 5 can be easily visually recognized. A radio wave shielding sheet can be used for the ceiling member 80 in which a slit 80a is formed along the center line of the transport passage 2a.

In order to prevent radio waves from entering through the ceiling from the outside, it is desirable that the ceiling member 80 having a slit 80a formed along the center line of the conveying path 2a also has a radio wave shielding function. It is also desirable to prevent radio waves from entering via the entrance of the gate-type payment device 8 according to the modification, and the gate-type payment device 8 according to the modification shown in FIG. A door 81 having a radio wave shielding function is provided at the entrance/exit of the type payment device 8. - 特許庁The door 81 is desirably formed of a plate-like member, but may be of a curtain shape.

1 Gate-type checkout system 2 Gate-type checkout device 2a Transport passage 20 Gate body 21 Reader/writer 22 Human body sensor 23 Control unit 24 Collision member 25 Impact sensor 3 RF tag 4 Merchandise 5 Shopping basket 6 Shopper 8 Gate-type checkout according to a modification Device 80 Ceiling member 80a Slit 81 Door

Claims (5)

Comprising at least a product with an RF tag and a gate-type checkout device that automatically recognizes the RF tag attached to the product,
The gate-type checkout device includes a pair of gate main bodies and a control unit that form a passage for the shopping basket containing the products and have a radio wave shielding function,
At least one of the gate bodies includes a human body sensor for detecting shoppers using the gate-type checkout device, a reader/writer for transmitting radio waves for wireless communication with the RF tag toward the transport passage , and It is attached in a protruded state to the conveying passage so that the shopping basket conveyed along the conveying passage collides, and the front of the collided shopping basket is 1 right or left with respect to the direction parallel to the conveying passage. Provide a collision member for tilting at 45 degrees or more ,
The control unit causes the reader/writer to perform an operation of detecting the RF tag when the human body sensor detects the human body of the shopper.
A gate-type payment system characterized by: A slit is formed along the center of the transport passage in the upper part of the gate body, and a ceiling member having a radio wave shielding function is provided.
The gate-type checkout system according to claim 1 . The inner wall of the gate body is curved inward on the entrance/exit side of the transfer passage,
The gate-type payment system according to claim 1 or claim 2 . A door having a radio wave shielding function is provided on the entrance/exit side of the transport passage,
The gate-type payment system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . A gate-type checkout apparatus constituting the gate-type checkout system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 .

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