JP7320040B2 - Information control device, information control method and information control program - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to an information control device, an information control method, and an information control program for controlling display modes of product information displayed on electronic display devices on product shelves.

An electronic display device called an electronic shelf label (ESL) or a touch panel signage is provided on the product shelf of the store. Techniques for displaying product information are widespread. An example of an electronic shelf label system having such an electronic display device is described in Patent Document 1. The electronic shelf label system described in Patent Document 1 includes a display device that displays a shelf label image containing product information related to products displayed on a display shelf, and a terminal that is operated separately from the display device. A user terminal having a display that can be displayed, a touch panel that can detect the contact position of an object, and a communication unit for communicably connecting to another device, and an image of the shelf label image displayed on the display device. and a server device having a storage unit for storing data.

Further, the user terminal described in Patent Document 1 includes acquisition means for acquiring image data representing the shelf label image displayed on the display device, and displaying the shelf label image represented by the acquired image data on the display. and a first transmitting means for transmitting position information indicating the contact position of the object detected by the touch panel in the state where the object is touched to the server device. Further, the server device includes receiving means for receiving position information transmitted from the user terminal, detecting means for detecting the type of user's action on the user terminal based on the received position information, and detected Editing means for editing the shelf label image indicated by the image data stored in the storage unit in accordance with the type of user's action; and second transmitting means for transmitting.

JP 2019-109581 A

The inventors of the present application have recognized the problem that there is room for improvement in terms of changing the display mode of product information displayed on the electronic display device according to circumstances of the store.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide an information control device, an information control method, and an information control program capable of changing the display mode of product information displayed on an electronic display device according to circumstances of the store.

The present disclosure provides an information control device for controlling display contents of an electronic display device provided on a product shelf in a store, wherein an acquisition unit for acquiring information of the store from the operated business terminal; and when the acquisition unit acquires first information indicating that it is time to change the display content, the display content is changed based on the reference information. After the first change unit changes the display content, the acquisition unit acquires second information including a desire to further change the display content due to circumstances of the store, the request and a judgment unit for judging whether to approve or not.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to change the display mode of product information displayed on the electronic display device according to the circumstances of the store.

1 is a schematic diagram of an overall configuration including an information control device of this embodiment; FIG. (A) is a schematic front view of a product shelf placed in a store, and (B) is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 2(A). 4 is a flow chart showing an example of an information control method performed in the present disclosure; (A) is a schematic front view in which three pieces of small product information corresponding to three products are displayed, and (B) is a schematic front view in which one large piece of product information corresponding to three products is displayed. It is a diagram.

An example of a preferred embodiment for carrying out the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that this is just an example, and the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to this.

(overall structure)
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a product management system (information control system) 10 according to this embodiment. The merchandise management system 10 has at least one store 11 and a cloud server 19 that manages the store 11 . In the example shown in FIG. 1, a headquarters computer 12 is provided for convenience. Devices in the store 11 , the head office computer 12 and the cloud server 19 are connected via a network 20 so as to be able to communicate with each other. The headquarters computer 12 and the cloud server 19 shown in FIG. 1 are provided outside the store 11 . The headquarters computer 12 is managed and operated by the headquarters 90 as an organization.

The store 11 may be any of supermarkets, convenience stores, drug stores, and the like. In addition to a plurality of product shelves 13, the store 11 is provided with devices such as connectors 14, business terminals 15, electronic display devices 16, product sensors 17, accounting terminals (payment terminals) 18, and the like. The connector 14 is configured by, for example, a hub, an access point, etc. The connector 14 is capable of mutual communication with each device provided in the store 11 and is connected to the network 20. . The network 20 is constructed by at least one of wireless communication and wired communication. There may be a single store 11 or a plurality of stores 11, and for the sake of convenience, only one store 11 is shown in FIG.

(Store configuration)
The product shelf 13 is a device for placing (displaying) products 21 to be sold at the store 11, as shown in FIG. 2(A). The product shelf 13 has a plurality of shelves 63 arranged in the height direction. The multiple shelves 63 include, for example, shelves 63A, 63B, and 63C. Shelf 63B is located above shelf 63C and below shelf 63A. The shelves 63 are plate members provided substantially horizontally, and the products 21 are displayed on the upper surface of each shelf 63 . An identification symbol such as a bar code, QR code (registered trademark), or the like is attached to the product 21 . The identification symbol indicates product information of the product 21 . The product information includes the name and type of the product 21, the price of each product 21, the expiration date (best before date) of the product 21, and the like.

The type of products 21 to be placed on the product shelf 13, the number of each product 21, the position to place the product 21 on the product shelf 13, and the like are obtained from planogram information transmitted from the cloud server 19 to the device of the store 11, or Circumstances, for example, the location of the store 11, the characteristics of the customer 53 in the store 11, the popularity and sales status of the product 21 in the store 11, the season, the weather, the time zone during the business hours of the store 11, etc. can be determined or changed by

The business terminal 15 is a computer operated and used by the store clerk 52 of the store 11, that is, the merchandise manager. The number of business terminals 15 used in the store 11 may be singular or plural. The planogram information of the product 21 is transmitted from the cloud server 19 to the business terminal 15 and the electronic display device 16 . The planogram information of the products 21 includes the names and types of the products 21 displayed on each shelf 63, the sales price of each product 21, the number of each product 21, the position of each product 21 on each shelf 63, and the product 21 on each shelf 63. Including the positional relationship between them. Based on the planogram information, the store clerk 52 changes the type and number of products 21 to be displayed on each shelf 63 of the product shelf 13, replaces the product 21 to be displayed on the shelf 63 of the product shelf 13, and changes the products on the shelf 63 of the product shelf 13. Work such as determination and change of the display position every 21 is performed.

The store clerk 52 can carry the business terminal 15 , stop (stop) in the store 11 , and walk (move) in the store 11 . The business terminal 15 has a control unit 25, a storage unit 26, a display unit 27, operation buttons 28, and a communication unit 29, as shown in FIG. The control unit 25 has an input port, an output port, an arithmetic processing unit, a timer, and the like. The storage unit 26 stores programs, data, and the like used for various judgments, processes, controls, and the like performed by the control unit 25 . The communication unit 29 is communicably connected to the cloud server 19 , the electronic display device 16 and the accounting terminal 18 .

The store clerk 52 operates the operation button 28 to indicate that it is time to start and stop the business terminal 15, select and change processing performed by the business terminal 15, and change the display mode of the display section 33 of the electronic display device 16. It is possible to output a change signal indicating the change, etc. In the business terminal 15, the display unit 27 and the operation buttons 28 may be integrated with a touch panel.

The business terminal 15 can output a change signal indicating when to change the product information 64 displayed on the display unit 33 of the electronic display device 16 shown in FIG. 2(B). In addition, the store clerk 52 operates the business terminal 15 to control the name and number of the products 21 sold to the customer 53, the price of each product 21 sold, the sales management at the store 11, and the products 21 placed on the product shelf 13. , management of expiration dates (best-before dates) of the products 21, and management of replacement timings and replenishment timings of the products 21 placed on the product shelf 13, and the like. Also, signals including information and data obtained by devices in the store 11 are transmitted to the cloud server 19 or the headquarters computer 12 via the connector 14 and the network 20 .

The electronic display device 16 is provided in front of each shelf 63 of the product shelf 13 . The front of each shelf 63 means a position where customers 53 who come to the store 11 can easily see it. The electronic display device 16 has a display section 33, a detection section 30, a control section 31, a storage section 32, a communication section 34, and the like. The control unit 31 has an input port, an output port, an arithmetic processing unit, a timer, and the like. The storage unit 32 stores programs, information, data, and the like used for various judgments, processes, controls, and the like performed by the control unit 31 . Mutual communication is possible between the electronic display device 16 and the cloud server 19 .

As shown in FIG. 2B, the display section 33 and the detection section 30 extend in a belt shape (horizontally elongated shape) along a substantially horizontal direction (horizontal direction). The display unit 33 is, for example, a liquid crystal display or an electronic paper type display having an electrophoresis element or the like. In addition, the detection unit 30 is, for example, a projected electrostatic capacitance method (self-capacitance method, mutual capacitance method), a surface electrostatic capacitance method, a resistive film method, an ultrasonic surface acoustic wave method, an optical method, or the like. It is a touch panel using either method. Moreover, the detection unit 30 is provided so as to overlap the surface of the display unit 33 . The surface of the detection unit 30 is flat, and when the finger of the clerk 52 touches the surface of the detection unit 30 and moves along the surface of the detection unit 30, the detection unit 30 detects the movement of the finger. Detects the type and outputs a signal. Note that the specific configurations and functions of the display unit 33 and the detection unit 30 are publicly known as described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2019-109581.

The display unit 33 displays product information 64 of the products 21 displayed on the shelf 63 . The product information 64 includes the name and type of the product 21, the price of each product 21, the expiration date (best before date) of the product 21, and the like. These product information 64 are displayed by characters and identification symbols. The identification symbol includes, for example, a bar code, a QR code (registered trademark), and the like. Further, different product information 64 (64A, 64B) is separately displayed for each type of product 21 displayed on the shelf 63. FIG. As for the products 21 shown in FIG. 2B, PET bottle products 21A containing beverages and aluminum can products 21B containing beverages are displayed on the shelf 63A. Product information 64A is displayed in front of the product 21A, and product information 64B is displayed in front of the product 21B.

When the product information 64A and 64B are displayed on the display unit 33 of the electronic display device 16, the product information 64A and the product information 64B are displayed side by side in the horizontal direction. Either a display mode in which there is a distance between the product information 64A and the product information 64B or a display mode in which there is no distance between the product information 64A and the product information 64B may be used. The product information 64A and the product information 64B are displayed without overlapping. The store clerk 52 can change the contents of the product information 64 and change the position and size of the product information 64 by touching the display unit 33 with a finger.

The electronic display device 16 can control the display section 33 based on control signals transmitted from the business terminal 15 or the cloud server 19 . Furthermore, the electronic display device 16 can also control the display unit 33 independently without receiving a control signal from the business terminal 15 or the cloud server 19 . A power supply 22 is provided for powering the electronic display device 16 . Power supply 22 may be either an AC power supply or a DC power supply. Each element constituting the electronic display device 16 starts up and functions when power is supplied from the power supply 22, and stops when the power is cut off. The display unit 33 lights and blinks when power is supplied from the power source 22, and turns off when the power supply is stopped.

Further, on the ceiling in the store 11, a plurality of position detection sensors 50 for detecting the positional information of people in the store 11, such as the positional information of the store clerk 52 and the positional information of the customer 53, and outputting a signal are provided. there is The position detection sensor 50 is provided, for example, directly above between the product shelves 13, directly above a position away from the product shelves 13, or the like. The position detection sensor 50 includes a laser distance sensor or the like. A signal output from the position detection sensor 50 is input to the business terminal 15 and the cloud server 19 respectively.

The business terminal 15 and the cloud server 19, based on the signal of the position detection sensor 50 and the pre-stored map of the store 11, the position information of the person in the store 11, specifically, the It is possible to determine the positions of the store clerk 52 and the customer 53, and the movement trajectories and flow lines of the store clerk 52 and the customer 53 in the store 11. FIG.

Furthermore, a human information detection sensor 51 shown in FIG. The human information detection sensor 51 includes an AI (Artificial Intelligence) camera 51A, a touch-type terminal authentication device 51B, a receiver 51C, and the like. The AI camera 51A is a camera equipped with an AI algorithm, and captures an image of a person and outputs a signal. Images of people include images of faces, images of clothes, and the like.

The business terminal 15, the electronic display device 16, and the cloud server 19 can process the signal output from the AI camera 51A to determine the person's sex, the person's clothes, and the like. The terminal authentication device 51B can receive signals output from the business terminal 15 owned by the store clerk 52 and the customer terminal 54 owned by the customer 53, and transmit the signals to the business terminal 15, the electronic display device 16, and the cloud server 19. can. The signal output from the customer terminal 54 possessed by the customer 53 includes age, sex, membership number at the store 11, and the like.

The customer terminal 54 is a computer having a control unit, a communication unit, a storage unit, etc. The customer terminal 54 includes a smart phone, a tablet terminal, and the like. The storage unit of the customer terminal 54 stores information on the customer 53, such as age, sex, membership number at the store 11, and the like. The business terminal 15, the electronic display device 16, and the cloud server 19 process the signal output from the human information detection sensor 51 to determine human information, such as whether the clerk 52 or the customer 53, whether the customer 53 is a member of the store 11, or the like. It is possible to determine whether or not there is, the member number, sex, age, purchase history, etc. of the customer 53 at the store 11 . With the above configuration, the business terminal 15, the electronic display device 16, and the cloud server 19 can determine whether it is the store clerk 52 or the customer 53, and determine the positions and movement trajectories of the store clerk 52 and the customer 53 in the store 11. can be done.

The product sensor 17 is provided on the product shelf 13 and has a function of detecting whether or not the number of products 21 placed on the product shelf 13 is equal to or less than a predetermined number and outputting a signal. The product sensor 17 also has a function of detecting the type of the product 21 and outputting a signal. A signal output from the commodity sensor 17 is transmitted to the business terminal 15 , the cloud server 19 and the electronic display device 16 . The product sensor 17 includes a contact sensor that outputs a signal upon contact with the product 21 and a non-contact sensor that outputs a signal without contacting the product 21 . As the contact sensor, for example, a smart mat equipped with a weight sensor that detects the weight of the product 21 and outputs a signal can be used. For example, an infrared camera, an ultrasonic sensor, a photoelectric sensor, or the like can be used as the non-contact sensor.

The checkout terminal 18 is provided at a checkout corner in the store 11 and is operated by the store clerk 52 . The accounting terminal 18 performs settlement when the product 21 is sold to the customer 53 at the store 11, detects the name of the product 21 sold, the number of the product 21, and the price of the product 21, and detects the price of the product 21. Outputs a signal according to the result. The checkout terminal 18 has a reading device for reading identification symbols attached to the products 21, a control section for processing information read by the reading device, a storage section and a communication section connected to the control section, and the like. The storage unit stores programs, data, and the like used for processing, judgment, control, and the like performed by the control unit. Signals output from the communication unit of accounting terminal 18 can be sent to business terminal 15 , electronic display device 16 and cloud server 19 . Note that the checkout terminal 18 may be an unmanned terminal that does not require operation by the store clerk 52 or a customer terminal 54 .

(Description of cloud server)
The cloud server 19 manages and controls the business terminal 15, the electronic display device 16, the accounting terminal 18, etc., manages sales at the store 11, manages the names of the products 21 sold to customers, the number of each product 21, Management of products 21 stored in warehouses or stock departments, selection and management of products 21 to be placed on product shelves 13, management of expiry dates (best before dates) of products 21, replacement timing and replenishment of products 21 placed on product shelves 13 It is a computer having a function of managing timing and the like.

The cloud server 19 has a control section 35 , a communication section 36 and a storage section 38 . The control unit 35 has an acquisition unit 70, a determination unit 71, a first change unit 72 and a second change unit 73, and also has an input port, an output port, an arithmetic processing unit, a timer, and the like. The acquisition unit 70 has a function of acquiring information and data contained in the signal input to the communication unit 36 and information and data stored in the storage unit 38 . The judging section 71 has a function of judging whether or not to approve the request to change the display contents of the electronic display device 16 depending on the circumstances of the store 11 . The first changing section 72 has a function of changing the display content of the electronic display device 16 based on the reference information. Reference information will be described later. The second changing section 73 has a function of changing the display contents of the electronic display device 16 based on the circumstances of the store 11 .

The storage unit 38 stores programs, data, and the like used for various judgments, processes, controls, and the like performed by the control unit 35 . The control unit 35 is connected to the storage unit 38 and the communication unit 36, and the control unit 35 performs various judgments, processes, control, etc. In addition, the storage unit 38 stores information such as the member number, gender, age, purchase history, etc. of the customer 53 in each store 11, and the signal including the information is sent from the cloud server 19 to the business terminal via the network 20. 15.

The control unit 35 is connected to the communication unit 36 , and the communication unit 36 is communicably connected to each device in the store 11 and the head office computer 12 via the network 20 . The cloud server 19 is a computer that controls, manages, and monitors each device provided in the store 11 , and control signals output from the cloud server 19 are input to each device provided in the store 11 . Signals including information and data obtained by each device in the store 11 are input to the cloud server 19 via the network 20 .

(Description of headquarters computer)
The headquarters computer 12 constructs a system that integrates the devices provided in the cloud server 19 and the store 11 . The headquarters computer 12 has a control section 60 , a storage section 61 and a communication section 62 . The control unit 60 has an input port, an output port, an arithmetic processing unit, and the like. The storage unit 61 stores programs, data, and the like used for various judgments, processes, controls, and the like performed by the control unit 60 . The control unit 60 is connected to the storage unit 61 and the communication unit 62, and based on the programs and data stored in the storage unit 61, signals input from the communication unit 62, and the like, performs various judgments, processes, control, etc.

The control unit 60 is connected to a communication unit 62 , and the communication unit 62 is communicably connected to each device of the cloud server 19 and the store 11 via the network 20 . The headquarters computer 12 has a function of processing signals input via the network 20 and managing point-of-sale information of each store 11 . The point-of-sale information management includes the name of the product 21 sold at each store 11, the price of the product, the time zone in which the product 21 was sold, sales, inventory management of the product 21, and the like.

The head office computer 12 manages point-of-sale information and stores data, information, etc. stored in advance in the storage unit 61 as reference information used for changing the display contents of the electronic display device 16 at the store 11 outside business hours. Generate based on The reference information generated by the headquarters computer 12 is transmitted from the headquarters computer 12 to the cloud server 19 . The reference information includes planogram information, product information, and display mode of the product information.

(Summary of store operation)
An operation outline of the product management system 10 in the present disclosure will be described. The cloud server 19 sends a signal containing information such as the name of the product 21 placed on each shelf 63 of the product shelf 13, the number of products 21, the position of the product 21 on each shelf 63, and the expiration date (best before date) of the product 21. , to each device in the store 11 . The electronic display device 16 displays product information 64 on the display section 33 based on the information transmitted from the cloud server 19 .

A customer 53 who comes to the store 11 picks up the product 21 from the shelf 63 and goes to the checkout corner. At the checkout corner, payment for the product 21 is made at the checkout terminal 18, and the purchase of the product 21 is completed. The accounting terminal 18 transmits a signal containing information such as the name of the product 21 sold to the customer 53 , the number of the product 21 , the price of the product 21 , and the like to the business terminal 15 and the cloud server 19 . Therefore, the business terminal 15 and the cloud server 19 store the number (remaining number) of each product 21 placed on each shelf 63 of the product shelf 13, the price of each product 21, the price of each product 21 placed on each shelf 63, Each expiration date (best before date) can be determined in real time.

The headquarters computer 12 also has a function of processing signals input via the network 20 and managing point-of-sale information for each store 11 . The point-of-sale information management includes the product name of the product 21 sold at each store 11, the price of the product 21, the time zone in which the product 21 was sold, sales, inventory management of the product 21, and the like.

(Example of control for changing the display of an electronic display device)
An example of an information control method for changing the display of the electronic display device 16 will be described with reference to the flow chart of FIG. The headquarters computer 12 manages point-of-sale information, and in step S10, determines the display mode of the planogram information of the product shelf 13 and the product information 64, and generates an instruction signal according to the determined contents. The instruction signal includes information on the planogram of the products 21 displayed on the product shelf 13, that is, the planogram information on each shelf 63, and the display mode of the product information 64 to be displayed on the display unit 33 of each shelf 63. included. The planogram information of the products 21 includes the names and types of the products 21 displayed on each shelf 63, the sales price of each product 21, the number of each product 21, the position of each product 21 on each shelf 63, and the product 21 on each shelf 63. Including the positional relationship between them. The display mode of the product information 64 includes the individual size (size) of the product information 64, the position of the product information 64 with respect to the display unit 33, the positional (layout) relationship between the product information 64, the presence/absence of the product information 64, and the product information 64. , the lighting, blinking, and turning off of the display unit 33.

The headquarters computer 12 transmits an instruction signal to the cloud server 19 in step S11, and the cloud server 19 retains, that is, stores the planogram information and the like included in the received instruction signal in the storage unit 38 . The cloud server 19 determines whether or not it is outside the business hours of the store 11 in step S12. If the cloud server 19 determines Yes in step S12, it determines in step S13 whether or not a change signal indicating that it is time to change the display content of the electronic display device 16 has been received from the business terminal 15 . The display contents of the electronic display device 16 include the product information 64 of the electronic display device 16 and the display mode of the electronic display device 16 .

When the cloud server 19 determines Yes in step S13, the cloud server 19 changes the content of the product information 64 displayed on the display unit 33 of the electronic display device 16 based on the reference information stored in the storage unit 38. A signal for changing the planogram information on the display unit 33, and the like are transmitted to the business terminal 15 and the electronic display device 16 in step S14. Therefore, the electronic display device 16 performs a process of changing the display content according to the information instructed from the cloud server 19 in step S14.

After step S14 is performed, the store clerk 52 confirms the display contents of the electronic display device 16 instructed by the cloud server 19 using at least one of the business terminal 15 and the electronic display device 16 in step S15. Further, in step S16, the store clerk 52 touches the electronic display device 16 to correct the display content, and also operates the business terminal 15 so that the cloud server 19 is passed through the headquarters 90 (specifically, the headquarters Ask the computer 12) for approval of the revision proposal. A correction plan for the display contents of the electronic display device 16 is formulated according to the circumstances of the store 11 .

The circumstances of the store 11 include location conditions of the store 11, characteristics of customers 53 in the store 11, total number of customers 53 during business hours of the store 11, sales performance of the product 21 in the store 11, and the like. For example, since the actual sales of the product 21 differ depending on the location of the store 11 , it is possible to formulate a correction plan for the sales price of the product 21 and the display mode of the display section 33 according to the location of the store 11 . Also, the characteristics of the customer 53 in the store 11 differ for each store 11 . The characteristics of the customer 53 include the customer's 53 age group, gender, and the like. If the characteristics of the customer 53 in the store 11 are different, the sales performance of the product 21 will be different. Therefore, it is possible to formulate a correction proposal for the sales price of the product 21 and the display mode of the display unit 33 according to the characteristics of the customer 53 of the store 11 . Further, the actual sales performance of the product 21 at the store 11 differs according to the total number of customers 53 during the business hours of each store 11 . Therefore, it is possible to formulate a correction plan for the sales price of the product 21 and the display mode of the display unit 33 according to the total number of customers 53 during the business hours of the store 11 and the like.

When the head office computer 12 acquires the revision proposal in step S16, it determines whether or not to approve the revision proposal in step S17. For example, in the case of a revision plan to change the product 21 placed at a predetermined position on the shelf 63 to another product 21 of a different type, the product 21 in the revision plan is the product 21 that is being advertised in the campaign during the period. If both the first condition that there is no deviation from the group and the second condition that the product 21 of the revision proposal is in a sellable state are satisfied, it is determined Yes in step S17. The state in which the product 21 is available for sale means that the sale of the product 21 has not ended, that the product 21 is in stock, and the like. On the other hand, if at least one of the first condition and the second condition is not satisfied, it is determined No in step S17.

In addition, in the case of a revision proposal for changing the position or size of each piece of product information 64, the first requirement is that the revision proposal does not deviate from "the display position of the product information 64 set by the headquarters 90 with a specific intention." If all of the three conditions and the fourth condition that "the display size of the correction proposal product information 64 does not deviate from the size of the actual product 21" are satisfied, it is determined Yes in step S17. The display position of the product information 64 that is set with a specific intention means, for example, the display position of the product information 64 that is arranged in order of the best-selling products 21 . "The display size of the proposed revision product information 64 does not deviate from the actual size of the product 21" is, for example, the size of the actual product 21 (horizontal width) and the size of the proposed revision product information 64. It means that the difference from the display size is within a predetermined range, that is, there is no size oversize and no size shortage.

Furthermore, in the following cases, the approval of the head office 90 is not required, and it is uniformly determined as Yes in step S17. For example, in the store 11, the inventory status of the product 21 is changed. Specifically, when the store 11 detects that the product 21 is out of stock, the product information 64 of the product 21 is displayed as a correction such as "backordered", "limited stock", "sold out", or the like. That is. Also, when changing the sales promotion message of the product 21 displayed in the product information 64, the approval of the head office 90 is not required, and the determination at step S17 is uniformly Yes. Sales promotion messages displayed in the product information 64 include "recommendation by the store manager" and "ask the store clerk for the price" which can be judged by the store 11 side. In addition, in cases where the approval of the headquarters 90 is not required and it is uniformly determined as Yes in step S17, it is assumed that the workflow that does not require the approval of the headquarters 90 is issued and automatically approved. Here, the history of automatic approval in step S17 remains in the storage unit 61 of the head office computer 12. FIG. The above correction proposal is arbitrarily selected from options prepared in advance by the store clerk 52 touching the display section 33 of the electronic display device 16 with a finger or tapping the display section 27 of the business terminal 15 .

When the head office computer 12 determines Yes in step S17, it confirms the revision proposal in step S18 and transmits the fact that the revision proposal has been approved to the business terminal 15 via the cloud server 19, and performs the control shown in FIG. finish. If the head office computer 12 determines No in step S17, it proceeds to step S19, transmits to the business terminal 15 that the proposed revision proposal is not approved, and changes the display contents of the electronic display device 16 to the is sent to the electronic display device 16, and the control example of FIG. 3 ends. Note that if it is determined No in either step S12 or step S13, the control in FIG. 3 is terminated without performing the processing of step S14. As described above, when the control shown in FIG. 3 is performed, the display contents of the electronic display device 16 can be changed according to the circumstances of the store 11 .

Further, in step S14, the cloud server 19 can turn on or blink the electronic display devices 16 that change the display mode of the product information 64, and turn off the electronic display devices 16 that do not change the display mode of the product information 64. . In this way, the power consumed by the electronic display device 16 can be reduced. Further, the store clerk 52 can easily visually distinguish between the electronic display device 16 that is lit or blinking and the electronic display device 16 that is extinguished, thereby improving workability.

Furthermore, the signal of the product sensor 17 is sent to the cloud server 19 . Therefore, the cloud server 19 can determine the number of products 21 for each shelf 63 . Therefore, the cloud server 19 can send a signal to the electronic display device 16 to turn off the electronic display device 16 provided on the shelf 63 where the number of products 21 has reached a predetermined number or more due to the replenishment of the products 21 . In this way, the power consumed by the electronic display device 16 can be reduced.

When the cloud server 19 determines No in step S12 or determines No in step S13, the cloud server 19 ends the control example of FIG. 3 without performing the process of step S14. In addition, in the control example of FIG. 3, the cloud server 19 may make the determinations of steps S12 and S13 at the same time. Furthermore, the cloud server 19 may make a determination in step S13 after step S11, and may make a determination in step S12 when it determines Yes in step S13. In this case, if the cloud server 19 determines Yes in step S12, it proceeds to step S14. Further, the determination in step S17 may be performed by the cloud server 19 .

In this way, when the cloud server 19 determines Yes in both steps S12 and S13 of FIG. be done. Further, when the process proceeds to step S18 through steps S16 and S17, the display contents of the electronic display device 16 are changed to match the circumstances of the store 11. FIG. Then, in either step S14 or step S18, the display contents of the display unit 33 of the electronic display device 16 are changed outside the business hours of the store 11. FIG. The customer 53 is in the store 11 during the business hours of the store 11, and the customer 53 is not in the store 11 outside the business hours of the store 11. - 特許庁Therefore, it is possible to prevent the customer 53 who is in the store 11 from feeling uncomfortable during business hours.

The store clerk 52 selects the products 21 whose quantity is equal to or less than a predetermined number so that the planogram on each shelf 63 of the product shelf 13 is in accordance with the instruction of the headquarters computer 12 or in accordance with the circumstances of the store 11. replenishment, replacement of products 21 whose expiration date (expiration date) is less than a predetermined number of days, and replacement of products 21 for seasonal campaigns. Furthermore, the cloud server 19 may perform the process of step S14 so as to display a bargain price lower than the regular price as the product information 64 for the product 21 whose expiration date (expiration date) is a predetermined number of days or less. can

The display content of the electronic display device 16 can be changed by changing the size of each piece of product information 64, changing the position of each piece of product information 64 in the horizontal direction of the shelf 63, and changing the position of each piece of product information 64 in the horizontal direction of the shelf 63. , change of the position of the shelf 63 displaying the product information 64, and the like. The change of the position of the product information 64 and the change of the size of the product information 64 are performed for the purpose of strengthening sales promotion of hot-selling products according to the actual sales results. The height of the shelf 63 for displaying the product information 64 is set and the size of the product information 64 is changed so that the best-selling products are easily seen by the customer 53 .

The sales results include the number of products 21 sold alone, the sales amount of products 21 alone, the ratio of sales of products 21 to the total number of customers 53 during business hours, the sales amount of products 21 to the total number of customers 53, etc. can be determined based on The total number of customers 53 during business hours is determined by the cloud server 19 processing the signal from the human information detection sensor 51 . Furthermore, based on whether the product 21 popular with the customer 53 is displayed on the product shelf 13, the cloud server 19 stores the position and size of the product information 64, the position of the shelf 63, etc. in step S14. can also be changed. Whether the product 21 popular with the customer 53 is displayed on the product shelf 13 can be determined by processing the signal of the position detection sensor 50 with the cloud server 19 .

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 2, the product information 64 displayed on the electronic display device 16 can be changed for each of the shelves 63A, 63B, and 63C having different heights. Also, during the campaign period for the specific product, the product information 64A is arranged such that the products 21 arranged in the depth direction from the front of one shelf 63 are arranged in one row, and the products 21A are arranged in three rows as shown in FIG. can be displayed side by side in the horizontal direction, or one product information 64A can be displayed as shown in FIG. 4B. The horizontal size of the product information 64A shown in FIG. 4B exceeds the horizontal size of the product information 64A shown in FIG. 4A.

(Change example)
A part of the control example in FIG. 3 can be changed as follows. After step S11, the cloud server 19 may transmit an instruction signal including planogram information and the like to each device in the store 11, particularly the business terminal 15 and the electronic display device 16. FIG. Then, the business terminal 15 and the electronic display device 16 each store the planogram information and the like included in the instruction signal from the cloud server 19 . Thereafter, the business terminal 15 makes judgments in steps S12 and S13. When the electronic display device 16 receives a signal indicating that the operation button 28 has been operated from the business terminal 15, the electronic display device 16 performs the processing of step S14.

Alternatively, the electronic display device 16 may make the determination in step S12 and determine in step S13 whether or not the customer 53 has operated the display section 33 with a finger. Whether or not the finger touches the display section 33 can be determined from the signal of the detection section 30 . Also, the type of finger movement can be determined from the signal from the detection unit 30 .

When the electronic display device 16 determines Yes in step S13, in step S14, the display mode of the product information 64 on the display unit 33 is changed according to the type of finger motion. In other words, the electronic display device 16 can change the display on the display unit 33 without an instruction from the cloud server 19 and without operating the business terminal 15 in step S14. The change in the display mode of the display unit 33 performed by the electronic display device 16 in step S<b>14 is transmitted from the electronic display device 16 to the cloud server 19 . Furthermore, in step S16, only a proposal for correction may be sounded out without correcting the display contents of the electronic display device 16. FIG. In this case, if it is determined Yes in step S17 and the process proceeds to step S18, the display content of the electronic display device 16 is changed to the approved display content.

In step S14 of FIG. 3, the display color of the product information 64 may be changed according to the sales record, the presence or absence of a campaign, the presence or absence of a bargain price, and the like. Furthermore, in step S14 of FIG. 3, the merchandise information 64 corresponding to the position where the merchandise 21 is not displayed is hidden. Furthermore, the business terminal 15 is set with a timer so as to output a change signal for changing the display mode of the display section 33 of the electronic display device 16 outside business hours even if the operation button 28 is not operated. may be The setting of the timer is performed by the store clerk 52 operating the business terminal 15 .

(supplementary explanation)
An example of the technical meaning of the matters disclosed in the present embodiment is as follows. Electronic display device 16 is an example of an electronic display device. The cloud server 19 is an example of an information control device and a computer. The acquisition unit 70 is an example of an acquisition unit, and the storage unit 38 is an example of a holding unit. The determination unit 71 is an example of a determination unit, the first change unit 72 is an example of a first change unit, and the second change unit 73 is an example of a second change unit. The planogram information, the product information, and the display mode of the product information sent from the headquarters computer 12 are examples of the reference information held by the storage unit 38 of the cloud server 19 . At least one of the characteristics of the customer 53 in the store 11 and the sales record of the product 21 in the store 11 is an example of the "store circumstances".

The non-business hours of the store 11 determined in step S12 of FIG. 3 is an example of "timing to change display content". The "change signal indicating that it is time to change the display content of the electronic display device 16" determined in step S13 is an example of the first information. An example of the second information is the "correction proposal sounded from the business terminal 15" in step S16. "At least one of the position and size of the product information 64 of the product 21 placed on the product shelf 13" and "display mode of the display unit 33" are examples of "display contents of the electronic display device". In FIG. 3, step S11 is an example of the first step and the first means. A routine determined as Yes in step S13 is an example of the second step and the second means. Step S14 is an example of the third step and the third means. Step S17 is an example of the fourth step and fourth means.

In this embodiment, there are a plurality of modes of grasping by the information control device. For example, it is possible to grasp the cloud server 19 as an information control device. It is also possible to grasp the cloud server 19 and the business terminal 15 as information control devices. Furthermore, the cloud server 19, the business terminal 15, and the electronic display device 16 can be understood as product information management devices. Also, the computer that controls the product information of the product displayed by the electronic display device may be grasped as the cloud server 19 or may be grasped as the cloud server 19 and the business terminal 15 .

As described above, the present embodiment has been described based on the drawings, but the present embodiment is not limited to what is shown in the drawings. For example, the business terminal 15 may be a tablet terminal, a smart phone, or the like. Cloud server 19 may be any of a server, workstation, mainframe, supercomputer, or the like. Furthermore, the operation button 28 of the business terminal 15 may be a touch panel. The cloud server 19 and the headquarters computer 12 may be provided inside the store 11 . The cloud server 19 may also have the configuration and functions of the headquarters computer 12 .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 15... Business terminal, 16... Electronic display device, 19... Cloud server, 31, 35... Control part, 32, 38... Storage part, 33... Display part, 70... Acquisition part, 71... Judgment part, 72... First change Part, 73 ... second change part

Claims (5)

In an information control device that controls the display contents of an electronic display device provided on a product shelf in a store,
a holding unit that holds reference information that serves as a basis for changing the display content;
an acquisition unit that acquires information of the store from a business terminal operated by a store clerk;
a first change unit that changes the display content based on the reference information when the acquisition unit acquires first information indicating that it is time to change the display content;
After the first change unit changes the display content, when the acquisition unit acquires the second information including the desire to further change the display content due to circumstances of the store, the request is made available for sale. a decision unit that approves in some cases ;
has
The circumstances of the store included in the second information include at least one of customer characteristics at the store and product sales performance at the store.
Information controller. In the information control device according to claim 1 ,
The information control device, wherein a timing for changing the display content is outside business hours of the store. In the information control device according to claim 1 ,
The information control device, wherein the display content includes at least one of position and size of product information of products placed on the product shelf. In an information control method for controlling display contents of an electronic display device provided on a product shelf in a store,
a first step in which a holding unit holds reference information based on which the display content is changed;
a second step in which an acquisition unit acquires information of the store from a business terminal operated by a store clerk;
a third step of changing the display content based on the reference information when the first changing unit acquires the first information indicating that it is time to change the display content;
When the determination unit acquires second information including a request to further change the display content due to circumstances of the store after the display content has been changed, the request is approved when the merchandise is in a sellable state. a fourth step of
has
The circumstances of the store included in the second information include at least one of customer characteristics at the store and product sales performance at the store.
Information control method. A computer that controls the display contents of the electronic display device installed on the product shelf of the store,
a first means for holding reference information based on which the display content is changed;
a second means for acquiring information of the store from a business terminal operated by a store clerk;
third means for changing the display content based on the reference information when acquiring first information indicating that it is time to change the display content;
A fourth means for approving the request when the commodity is in a sellable state when acquiring second information including a request to further change the display content due to circumstances of the store after the display content has been changed. ,
function as
The circumstances of the store included in the second information include at least one of customer characteristics at the store and product sales performance at the store.
Information control program.