JPH0546636A - Bought commodity carrier with information terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a bought commodity carrier provided with an information terminal which facilitates the looking-for of a commodity in a large-scale store and can shorten the time required for shopping of a customer in respect of the bought commodity carrier with the information terminal to be used in the store where many kinds of merchandise are exhibited over a wide saleroom floor area. CONSTITUTION:In the bought commodity carrier, it is characterized by being provided with the information terminal consisting of the storage device 12 of commodity information to be inputted by the operation of a store side, a processor 14 for processing the data of the storage device 12, an operating device 16 for inputting required information and/or the data to processor 14, and an output device 18 for outputting the retrieved result of the corresponding commodity in response to the selecting operation of the customer inputted from the operating device 16, and informing the customer of it.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

The present invention relates to a supermarket,
The present invention relates to a purchased product carrier with an information terminal used in department stores, convenience stores, large-scale gardening centers, various mass retailers, and other stores that display a large number of products in a large sales floor area.

[0002] In a store that handles a wide variety of products in a relatively large sales floor area, a customer is often confused about whether there is a product that he or she needs, and where the display position in the store is. The larger the sales floor area, the longer the shopping time tends to be.

Not only when such a large store opens a new store or when the sales floor is renovated, but also elderly people and customers who rarely come to the store feel inconvenience because they cannot obtain information on desired products. Often Such a situation is not only annoying to the customer, but also causes inconvenience to the store side such that the sales are not increased due to the congestion in the store.

[0004]

2. Description of the Related Art When searching for a desired product at the sales floor of a large store, the customer's own efforts are made to search for information signs, shelf numbers, etc., or to ask a clerk for an approximate location. Was there. Especially in the former case, it takes a long time to search around the store, and if the product is not handled or the product is out of stock, it will be wasteful. Of course, it may not be possible to find it due to a customer's oversight.

Even when relying on the knowledge of the store clerk, not all the store clerk are fully familiar with the enormous product knowledge, and it is not always possible to obtain an immediate answer. In addition, when the display location of the product is changed or when the customer enters an unfamiliar store, and for a customer who does not understand the Japanese language display and conversation, both the clerk and the customer need a long time.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a purchased product carrier with an information terminal, which makes it easy to search for products in a large-scale store and shortens the time required for customers to shop. To do. The purchased product carrier refers to a shopping basket, a shopping cart, a shopping cart, a product box, and the like.

[0007]

FIG. 1 shows an information terminal 1 in a purchased goods carrier with an information terminal according to the present invention.
It is a block diagram which shows the basic composition of 0. Reference numeral 12
Is a storage device for storing data on products handled at the store.

Reference numeral 14 denotes a processing device, which controls the processing operations required as an information terminal. The customer inputs a required request or command to the processing device 14 from 16 operating devices. Reference numeral 18 denotes an output device, which is a processing device 14
The contents of the processing result are transmitted to the customer under the control of.

A commodity (special sale) information input means 20 is connected to the storage device 12, and functions to store the commodity (special sale) data based on the customer's selection in the storage device 12.

The information terminal 10 composed of these elements is attached to a shopping cart, a shopping cart, etc. (not shown) serving as a purchased goods carrier by appropriate means.

[0011]

The information terminal 10 attached to the purchased product carrier according to the present invention operates as follows. The product information, the product display position, the price, the grade, the color, the size, and other information for the storage device 12 are input in advance before opening the store.

This input means may be a communication device utilizing RS232C, for example, and is input by the store manager via an appropriate wired or wireless line. The storage device 12 may be a known storage device having an appropriate capacity.

The commodity (special sale) information input means 20 and the storage device 12 may be a removable memory card, a floppy disk, or other memory medium. In this case, it is possible to perform the same function by setting a medium in which various media are simultaneously stored by an external device in the reading unit.

The storage device 12 transmits / receives signals to / from the processing device 14 such as transmission of instructions and reading of data. Further, the contents of processing and conditions required by the customer are input to the processing device 14 from the operation device 16.

When the display position of a desired product is searched, data such as a product name, a manufacturer's name, and a size, which are data for identifying the product, are input. As the operation device 16, a means such as a full keyboard, a menu selection keyboard, a mouse, or a touch panel capable of performing an appropriate input operation can be used.

Data stored in the storage device 12, the operating device 16
The processing conditions of the processing device 14 based on the instruction from the command or the selection signal, the product display shelf number or the display place address, the color, the stock number, and the like are displayed on the output device 18. Note that a sound output device such as a chime or a loudspeaker with synthetic voice may be used instead of the visual output device 18 such as a CRT or a liquid crystal display, or in addition to the display device.

By confirming on the display device the product information that matches the conditions input by the customer from the operation device 16, the time for searching for the product is shortened, which not only helps increase the sales but also alleviates the congestion in the store. It becomes possible.

In the present invention, in addition to displaying the product information that matches the condition input by the customer from the operation device 16 on the display device as described above, the product message from the store, the sale information, the event information, etc. are output. Can be configured as.

Such a display can be configured to be selectively displayed in response to a call operation by the customer, and in addition, when the above-described product search operation is not performed or a series of processing is completed. , Repeated display,
It can also be configured to enhance advertising effectiveness.

In the information terminal according to the present invention, various kinds of information as described above are transmitted in a language other than Japanese, such as English, Chinese,
It is stored in a language such as French and configured as a dedicated device according to the customer's choice or for each language, so that it is possible to search and display in a language other than Japanese according to the customer's request. Can be

[0021] Such a configuration is extremely useful in a situation where internationalization is progressing more and more. It becomes more important for foreigners who have difficulty communicating with Japanese store employees.

[0022]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to an explanatory view showing a main configuration of an information terminal attached to a purchased product carrier. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the operating device 16 and the output device 18 of the information terminal.

The operating device 16 is constructed as a full keyboard on which all English characters are mounted. Further, it is convenient if numeric keys 0 to 9 are also added. This operating device 16
Enter the desired product name in Roman alphabet or in a predetermined code.

When a language other than Japanese is used, input, display and subsequent selection are also performed in the corresponding language. The same applies to the following methods, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In the embodiment of the display screen such as a CRT or a liquid crystal as the output device 18, before the customer operates, the blanks of the display columns 18a and 18b of the product name and the display place,
Display column 18 for information to be notified from the device side to the customer
with c and.

Assuming that the customer inputs the required product name, here "salad oil", in accordance with such a message, as shown in FIG. 3, message information to the customer such as ... Now searching for product information is displayed. To be done.

When the corresponding product is retrieved, the display place number "38" and "the product you are looking for are in the position shown in the figure below, as shown in FIG. ], And flicker can be displayed at the corresponding position in the schematic diagram of the in-store layout. In addition, for example, "Please enjoy your shopping slowly. ], An additional display such as

When the corresponding product is not found by the search, the display place is left blank as shown in FIG. 5, and "the data of this product cannot be found. We are sorry, but this product is not available in our shop. ] Or "I'm out of stock now. Please wait until ○○ ”etc. To return to the initial screen from FIGS. 4 and 5, the "Cancel" key is operated.

If special sale information or time service information is required, "TOKUBAI" or "TIME" is input as shown in FIG. In response to the input, "I am currently searching. Please wait. ] Is displayed,
According to the end of the search, the corresponding product name is displayed as shown in FIG.

When there are many displayed product names, the target product can be searched for while selecting the next screen or the previous screen. In addition, it is possible to simultaneously display the place where the special sale area and the time service are performed in the store.

FIG. 8 shows an embodiment in which a part of the screen of the display device 18 is used as a so-called touch key type operation device 16. Input is performed while touching the corresponding position with fingers, and the screen changes as shown in FIG. When the corresponding product is confirmed by the search, the position or address of the display shelf is displayed as in the seventh display example of FIG. 10.

If the corresponding product does not exist, it is displayed as in the eighth display example of FIG. 11 and the result is transmitted to the customer.
In either case, only the "cancel" input portion 26a for instructing the return to the initial state can be operated.

FIG. 12 is a ninth display example in the case where the customer gives an instruction to display the sale information or time service information using the touch keys. In addition to "Cancel" which gives an instruction to return to the initial state, the screen is changed. The "next screen" and "previous screen" can be instructed.

FIG. 13 shows a combination with the output device 18 when a cursor key 36 is used as the operating device 16 instead of the above-mentioned full keyboard. Since many customers are unfamiliar with full keyboard input, it is possible to select and specify products by menu selection.

In this case, the storage device 12 and the processing device 14 are provided with a menu that sequentially develops in a tree shape, and are controlled so that required products can be sequentially reached according to selection by the cursor key 36. ..

The output device 18 of FIG. 13 shows an example of the initial screen. The up / down cursor keys are used to select either product information or bargain information, and the execute key is operated to display the next menu. Is displayed.

As an example, when product information is selected, first, a menu corresponding to a large classification of products, for example, food items, daily sundries, ...
... Displays cosmetics. If the food item is selected here, then a selection screen for the food item classification, for example, fresh food item, processed food item, seasoning, drinking water, rice grains, bread and confectionery, etc. Become.

Next, if processed food products are selected, processed fish products, processed meat products, processed vegetables and fruits, ...
・ The operation is performed so that each product is finally reached by subdivision such as. This method is easy to operate even for customers who are unfamiliar with keyboard operation, and even if the official name of the target product is not clear, the position of the target product can be estimated by analogy from the position of the product in the same system. There is.

When the bargain information is selected, the product name is displayed as described above. Further, by operating the cursor key, the display can be changed to the next screen or the previous screen. The return to the initial screen is performed by operating the "Cancel" key.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of the operating state of the information terminal in the purchased goods carrier with the information terminal according to the present invention. Step S1 shows an operation in which the store inputs required product information and the like into the storage device as pre-operation preparation.

This input can be performed, for example, by communication with the host device via RS232C or the like. It is also possible to store product information and the like in a removable memory medium and load the medium for input.

Step S2 shows a state of waiting for customer selection / input. The customer makes a selection in step S3. In step S4, it is determined whether or not the customer's selection is the sale information display. Here, when it is determined that the sale information display is selected, the processing device searches the sale information from the storage device as in step S5.

The search result of step S5 is the result of step S6.
Is displayed on the output device. According to the display result, after the customer operates the cancel key or a predetermined time elapses without any operation, the process returns to the state of waiting for the selection operation in step S2.

If it is determined in step S4 that the sale information is not displayed, the product information is retrieved from the storage device as in step S7. Next, as in step S8, it is determined whether or not the corresponding information exists.

If the target product exists, the information of the target product is displayed on the output device as in step S9. If the target product does not exist, the fact that the target product does not exist is displayed on the output device as in step S10. After step S9 or step S10, after the customer operates the cancel key or a predetermined time elapses without any operation, the process returns to the state of waiting for the selection operation of step S2.

[0046]

According to the present invention, it is possible to quickly and surely display information such as the presence or absence of a product targeted by a customer, a display place, and special sale information, thereby shortening the time required for shopping. As a result, unnecessary congestion in the store is avoided, favorable results are obtained for both the customer and the store, and differentiation from other stores can be achieved.

In addition, it is possible to accurately transmit information such as bargain information, limited-time service, and other in-store events that change according to the date and time. Furthermore, it is expected that a foreigner's shoppers will be provided with great convenience by being configured to be able to use another language by using a dedicated device in a language other than Japanese or a selection operation.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a principle configuration block diagram of an information terminal of a purchased product carrier with an information terminal according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a first configuration example of a display device and an operating device of an information terminal of a purchased product carrier with an information terminal according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a first display example of the display device of the information terminal of the purchased product carrier with the information terminal according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a second display example of the display device of the information terminal of the purchased product carrier with the information terminal according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a third display example of the display device of the information terminal of the purchased product carrier with the information terminal according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a fourth display example of the display device of the information terminal of the purchased product carrier with the information terminal according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a fifth display example of the display device of the information terminal of the purchased product carrier with the information terminal according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a second configuration example explanatory diagram of a display device and an operating device of the information terminal of the purchased product carrier with the information terminal according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a sixth display example of the display device of the information terminal of the purchased product carrier with the information terminal according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a seventh display example of the display device of the information terminal of the purchased product carrier with the information terminal according to the present invention.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of an eighth display example of the display device of the information terminal of the purchased product carrier with the information terminal according to the present invention.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of a ninth display example of the display device of the information terminal of the purchased product carrier with the information terminal according to the present invention.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a third configuration example of the display device and the operation device of the information terminal of the purchased product carrier with the information terminal according to the present invention.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of a tenth display example of the information terminal of the purchased product carrier with the information terminal according to the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the information terminal of the purchased product carrier with the information terminal according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 information terminal 12 storage device 14 processing device 16 operating device 18 output device (display device) 20 information input means

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A storage device (12) for storing information about a product by operation of a store, a processing device (14) for processing data of the storage device (12), and the processing device (14). An operating device for inputting required instructions and / or data to
(16) and an output device (18) for outputting required data such as presence / absence of a corresponding product, a display position, and a selling price according to a customer's selection operation input through the operation device (16) A purchased product carrier with an information terminal, comprising: 2. The purchased product carrier with an information terminal according to claim 1, wherein the information terminal has a communication function, and information can be stored, erased, rewritten, or the like under the control of the store. 3. The transportation of purchased merchandise with an information terminal according to claim 1, wherein the information terminal includes a removable storage medium, and the stored medium can be replaced and mounted under the control of the store. body. 4. The information terminal has a language selection function, and can operate and display in a selected language.
The purchased product carrier with an information terminal according to claim 1.