JP7588896B2 - PET bottle volume reduction device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a PET bottle volume reduction device.

There is a known empty bottle recovery device that issues a receipt corresponding to the payment of a return deposit for the stored bottle in response to accepting the stored bottle (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Special Publication No. 2000-515801

When collecting items, if the item storage section becomes almost full, a store clerk performs maintenance work by removing the items from the item storage section to empty it, but there has been a problem in that the store clerk forgets to put in new storage bags.

The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to provide a device that prevents the user from forgetting to insert a new storage bag during maintenance work.

One aspect of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a PET bottle volume reduction device that includes a volume reduction means for reducing the volume of an input PET bottle, a storage section for storing the reduced PET bottle, an operation reception means, and a display means for displaying the state of the device and instruction information for the operator, the PET bottle volume reduction device having a normal mode in which the operation reception means and the display means execute a process associated with the input of a PET bottle, and a maintenance mode in which the operation reception means and the display means execute a process associated with the collection of a PET bottle stored in the storage section, and the normal mode and the maintenance mode can be switched, and in the maintenance mode, when the operation reception means receives an instruction to replace a bag, an external image of the PET bottle volume reduction device and text information regarding the bag replacement are displayed on the display means.

1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a PET bottle collection system according to a first embodiment. 1 is a front view and a side view of a plastic bottle recovery device according to a first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of a collection history information table in the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a collection history web page in the first embodiment. 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating an example of an operation performed by a store clerk on a PET bottle recovery device when replacing a storage bag in the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a member group rank information table in the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an individual member rank information table in the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display form of a guide screen in the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a PET bottle recovery device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a collection management server in the second embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure executed by a PET bottle collection device and a collection management server in the second embodiment in response to one collection operation. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure executed by a PET bottle recovery device and a recovery management server in the second embodiment in response to one stored item recovery operation. 13A to 13C are diagrams showing examples of the main body of a PET bottle recovery device according to a third embodiment.

First Embodiment
FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a PET bottle recovery system (an example of an article recovery device) according to this embodiment.
In this embodiment, a plastic bottle recovery device 100 is installed for each of a plurality of stores ST. The plastic bottle recovery device 100 may be installed inside the building of the store ST, or may be installed in a location facing the outdoors, such as under the eaves, within the premises of the store ST.

The store ST in the figure is, for example, a store in the same chain. As a specific example, the store ST in the figure is a convenience store in the same chain.

The PET bottle recovery device 100 functions as a collection facility for PET bottles as recyclable items. A customer C who visits a store ST inserts an empty PET bottle, for example, after drinking a beverage, into the PET bottle recovery device 100. The PET bottle recovery device 100 of this embodiment reduces the volume of the inserted PET bottle before storing it.

The PET bottle collection device 100 is also connected so as to be able to communicate with the collection management server 200 via the network NT. The PET bottle collection device 100 may be configured to communicate with the network NT via, for example, a mobile phone communication network. This allows the PET bottle collection device 100 to communicate wirelessly, eliminating the need to connect a network cable, which increases the freedom of installation, for example.
In addition, while the figure shows an example in which one PET bottle recovery apparatus 100 is installed in one store ST, the number of PET bottle recovery apparatuses 100 installed in one store ST is not particularly limited.

The collection management server 200 is a server that processes information about the collection of PET bottles by the PET bottle collection device 100. The collection management server 200 is operated by a company that provides the PET bottle collection device 100, for example.
Specifically, the collection management server 200 manages collection history information indicating the history of collection of PET bottles in the PET bottle collection device 100 of each store ST. Then, the collection management server 200 derives the performance (collection performance) of the customer C regarding cooperation in collecting PET bottles using the PET bottle collection device 100, and notifies the derived collection performance to the customer C. The collection performance is notified to the customer C by displaying information regarding the collection performance on the customer terminal device 300 of the customer C.

The customer terminal device 300 is a terminal device owned by the customer C. The customer terminal device 300 may be, for example, a desktop or notebook personal computer, or may be a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a mobile phone.
The customer terminal device 300 can communicate with the collection management server 200 via the network NT.

Also, customer C in the figure is registered as a member of store ST. Customer C, who is a member of store ST, possesses a membership card CD.
The card information recorded on the membership card CD includes a membership identifier. The membership identifier is also a card identifier that is assigned to be unique to each membership card CD. Since one membership card CD is provided for each customer C who is a member, the card identifier that is unique to each membership card CD is treated as a membership identifier that uniquely identifies customer C who is the owner of the membership card CD and is a member.

The membership card CD can be used as a prepaid card when making a payment at the store ST. The membership card CD can also be used as a points card. For example, when making a payment at the store ST, a customer who is a member presents the membership card CD to a store clerk.
When a store clerk operates the POS register 400 installed in the store ST to carry out a transaction according to the product purchased by a customer, the clerk operates the card reader of the POS register 400 to read the card information recorded on the member card CD.

The POS register 400 executes transaction processing including a product registration process for registering products purchased by a customer and a settlement process according to the registered products.
When the POS register 400 reads card information from the membership card CD during transaction processing, it transmits the read card information to the store management server 500. As a result, the store management server 500 performs processing such as payment from the prepaid balance, addition of points according to the payment amount, conversion of points to the prepaid balance, and charging of the prepaid amount.
Although the figure shows an example in which one POS register 400 is installed in one store ST, the number of POS registers 400 installed in one store ST is not particularly limited.

The store management server 500 is a server that comprehensively manages the store ST. The store management server 500 is operated by the store ST.
Specifically, the store management server 500 manages the prepaid balance, point balance, etc. for each member identifier. The store management server 500 may also manage information relating to products for each store ST, for example.

Next, an overview of the operation of the PET bottle recovery device 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2(a) is a front view of the PET bottle recovery device 100. FIG. 2(b) is a side view of the PET bottle recovery device 100.

In the PET bottle recovery device 100 in the standby state, the outer door of the article insertion section is in a closed state, and the inner door provided between the article insertion section and the storage section so as to be freely opened and closed is also in a closed state.
On the other hand, when collecting items, the PET bottle recovery device 100 opens the outer door of the item input section and determines whether the item placed on the loading section of the item input section is recoverable. That is, the PET bottle recovery device 100 determines whether the inserted item is a resin container such as a PET bottle, and whether the container is empty. If it is determined that the container is recoverable, the outer door is closed, and the inner door provided between the item input section and the storage section is opened, and the container is recovered by the storage section.
The PET bottle recovery device 100 of this embodiment is also provided with a volume reduction mechanism. The PET bottle recovery device 100 reduces the volume of the containers using the volume reduction mechanism, and can recover a large amount of reduced empty containers in a recovery section with a specified capacity.

2, the PET bottle recovery device 100 has a container insertion section 110 provided at the top of the device main body 100B, and an outer door 111 provided on the outside of the opening of the container insertion section 110. The device main body 100B has a touch panel display section 1400 and a card reader 1500 provided on the front side near the top of the outer door 111. In addition, a baggage hook 100f is provided on the front side of the device main body 100B.
The container insertion section 110 is provided with various sensors for determining whether the inserted item is recoverable or not. Examples of the sensors include an optical sensor, a metal sensor, a weighing device, and an imaging device. The PET bottle recovery device 100 determines whether the inserted item is recoverable or not, for example, using the output of these sensors. If it is determined that the inserted item is recoverable, the inserted PET bottle is reduced in volume by a volume reduction mechanism and then stored. On the other hand, if it is determined that the inserted item is not recoverable, the inserted item is not reduced in volume and stored, and a notification is issued to the customer, who is prompted to remove the inserted item from the container insertion section 110.

In addition, below the container insertion section 110, a passage 71 that communicates with the container storage section 140 is provided. In addition, an inner door 112 is provided at a position on the passage 71 that communicates from the placement section 116 of the container insertion section 110 to the container storage section 140.

The PET bottle recovery device 100 is also provided with a volume reduction section 120 (volume reduction mechanism) between the inner door 112 and the container storage section 140. When the inner door 112 is open, the volume reduction section 120 crushes the empty container A from the container input section 110 to reduce its volume, and outputs the reduced container RA to the container storage section 140 below.
In addition, the device main body 100B of the PET bottle recovery device 100 has a drawer 100C on which the container storage section 140 is placed, and is provided with a drawer handle 100e and a keyhole 100r on the front side, and is configured to be able to lock and unlock by inserting a key into the keyhole 100r.

In addition, a light-transmitting section 100A (light-transmitting window) is provided on the front side of the device main body 100B, specifically, on the front side of the drawer 100C, and is configured to allow the empty containers stored in the container storage section 140 to be viewed from the outside.

The side of the device main body 100B is provided with a carrying handle 100g for use during transportation.

The device main body 100B also has a cap insertion section 108 on the front side, and a cap passage 72 is provided from the cap insertion section 108 downward within the device main body, and the cap inserted into the cap insertion section 108 is configured to be stored in the cap storage section 145 via the cap passage 72.

The PET bottle recovery device 100 of this embodiment is also provided with a card reader 1500 capable of reading card information recorded on the membership card CD.

When a customer who is a member starts using PET bottle recovery machine 100, the customer operates to have his/her membership card CD read by card reader 1500. In response to the membership card CD being read by card reader 1500, operation of PET bottle recovery machine 100 corresponding to one recovery operation is started. A recovery operation refers to having PET bottle recovery machine 100 recover one or more PET bottles brought by the customer. Note that in the case of a customer who does not have a membership card CD, one recovery operation may be started in response to, for example, an operation to instruct touch panel display unit 1400 to start the operation.
In one collection operation, a customer inserts one PET bottle into the container insertion section 110 of the PET bottle collection device 100, and when the inserted PET bottle is reduced in volume and stored, the customer inserts the next PET bottle, and in this manner, PET bottles are stored one by one in the PET bottle collection device 100.
Then, when the customer has finished storing all the PET bottles he or she brought this time in the PET bottle recovery device 100, the customer may perform, for example, an operation for ending the process on the touch panel display unit 1400. This ends one cycle of recovery operation.

In response to the completion of one collection operation as described above, the PET bottle collection device 100 generates collection history information reflecting the results of the collection operation, and transmits the generated collection history information to the collection management server 200. In other words, the collection history information is transmitted from the PET bottle collection device 100 to the collection management server 200 in response to each collection operation.
The collection management server 200 stores the collection history information received from each PET bottle collection device 100, for example, in a collection history information table.

In addition, the PET bottle recovery device 100 stores recovery history information generated every time a recovery operation is completed. As a result, the PET bottle recovery device 100 accumulates recovery history information every time a recovery operation is performed.
Then, the PET bottle recovery device 100 may transmit the recovery history information accumulated since the previous transmission of the recovery history information to the store management server 500 at a predetermined timing for transmitting the recovery history information. That is, the transmission of the recovery history information from the PET bottle recovery device 100 to the store management server 500 may be performed at a predetermined timing, not for each recovery operation. Since the store management server 500 frequently communicates with, for example, the POS register 400 of the store ST, the communication load may become heavy depending on the time period and situation. Therefore, the transmission of the recovery history information from the PET bottle recovery device 100 to the store management server 500 may be performed at a timing such as a time period when the amount of communication with the POS register 400 is relatively low, so that the communication load of the store management server 500 can be leveled.
Alternatively, the collection history information may be transmitted from the PET bottle collection device 100 to the store management server 500 for each collection operation. In this case, the PET bottle collection device 100 can acquire the collection history information each time a collection operation is performed. In other words, in this case, the real-time nature of the collection of the collection history information by the PET bottle collection device 100 can be improved.

3 shows an example of the contents of the collection history information table, in which one record (one row) represents collection history information transmitted from the PET bottle collection device 100 in response to one collection operation.
Each piece of collection history information includes fields for a device identifier, a store identifier, a member identifier, collection date and time, the number of collected items (an example of the amount of collected items), and the weight of collected items (an example of the amount of collected items).

The device identifier field stores a device identifier that uniquely identifies the PET bottle collection device 100 that sent the collection history information. The device identifier is information stored in the PET bottle collection device 100.

The store identifier field stores a store identifier that uniquely identifies the store ST in which the PET bottle collection device 100 that transmitted the collection history information is installed. The device identifier is information stored in the PET bottle collection device 100. For example, in response to the determination of the store ST in which the PET bottle collection device 100 should be installed, the store identifier that identifies the store ST in which the PET bottle collection device 100 will be installed is written to the PET bottle collection device 100.

The member identifier area stores the member identifier contained in the card information read from the member card CD by the PET bottle recovery device 100 that transmitted the recovery history information using a card reader when the corresponding recovery operation begins.
In addition, in the case of collection history information corresponding to collection operations performed by customers who are not members, the member identifier field may store, for example, a predetermined value (null value) indicating that a significant value as a member identifier has not been stored.

The collection date and time field stores the collection date and time, which is the date and time when the corresponding collection operation was performed. The collection date and time may be, for example, the time when the collection operation started or the time when the collection operation ended. Alternatively, the collection date and time may include both the time when the collection operation started and the time when it ended. The collection date and time may be set, for example, by the PET bottle collection device 100, and then be included in the collection history information transmitted by the PET bottle collection device 100.
Alternatively, for example, the collection management server 200 may set the date and time corresponding to the receipt of the collection history information as the collection date and time. When the collection management server 200 sets the collection date and time in this manner, the collection history information transmitted by the PET bottle collection device 100 does not need to include the collection date and time.

The field for the number of collected bottles stores the number of PET bottles (recovered bottle count) collected by the PET bottle collection device 100 during the corresponding collection operation. The number of collected bottles is obtained by counting the number of PET bottles that have been reduced in volume and stored by the PET bottle collection device 100 during the collection operation.
The collected weight field stores the total weight (collected weight) of the PET bottles collected by the PET bottle collection device 100 during the corresponding collection operation. The collected weight is obtained by measuring the weight of each PET bottle that has been reduced in volume and stored by the PET bottle collection device 100 during the collection operation, and accumulating the measured weights.

In addition, like the collection management server 200, the store management server 500 may also store the collection history information received from each PET bottle collection device 100 using the collection history information table structure shown in the same figure.

Returning to Fig. 1 for explanation, the PET bottle recovery system of this embodiment provides a service (points addition service) for adding points to a member card of a customer C who uses the PET bottle recovery machine 100, with the aim of providing a special reward for helping to recover PET bottles. Such a points addition service for use of the PET bottle recovery machine 100 is realized by a store management server 500 that manages the points of members.
The store management server 500 executes the following process for each member as a points-adding service. The store management server 500 uses the collection history information for each member sent from each PET bottle collection device 100 from among the collection history information stored in the store management server 500, and processes to add a predetermined number of points each time a predetermined number of PET bottles are collected by the member (for example, adding 1 point for every 5 PET bottles).
In this way, points are added to the member card CD in accordance with the use of the PET bottle recovery machine 100 by the member customer C, which provides practical benefits to the member customer C, thereby encouraging increased use (recovery operation) of the PET bottle recovery machine 100 by customers.

The PET bottle collection system of this embodiment can notify customer C, who is a member and has used the PET bottle collection device 100, of the collection record. The manner in which customer C is notified of the collection record is, for example, as follows.

A customer C, who is a member and uses the PET bottle recovery device 100, uses, for example, the network connection function of the customer terminal device 300 to access a recovery record notification web page (recovery record web page) through the customer terminal device 300.
In the following description, an example will be given in which the collection management server 200 has a function as a web server that provides a collection record web page.

FIG. 4A shows an example of an initial display form of the collection history web page that is first displayed on the customer terminal device 300 when the customer terminal device 300 is caused to access the collection history web page.
The web page in the figure has an input box BX for inputting a member identifier and a search button BT. Customer C operates the input box BX to input his/her own member identifier. In this embodiment, the member identifier is, for example, a numeric string of a predetermined number of digits. Customer C can confirm his/her own member identifier by the numeric string of the member identifier printed on the member card CD that he/she owns.

Customer C inputs the member identifier in the input box BX and then operates the search button BT. In response to the operation of the search button BT, the customer terminal device 300 transmits a collection record request including the member identifier input in the input box BX to the collection management server 200.
In response to receiving the collection record request, the collection management server 200 uses the collection history information stored in the collection history information table to derive the collection record for the member indicated by the member identifier included in the collection record request.
In this case, the collection record includes, for example, the total number of collected items (cumulative number of collected items) for the member identified by the member identifier whose collection history information is stored in the collection history information table, and a ranking based on the cumulative number of collected items.
When the collection management server 200 derives the collection record for customer C, it transmits collection record information indicating the derived collection record to the customer terminal device 300 that is the source of the collection record request.
The customer terminal device 300 that has received the collection history information updates and displays the collection history web page so that the contents of the received collection history information are reflected, in accordance with the description of the collection history web page.

FIG. 4B shows an example of the display form of the updated web page for customer C on the customer terminal device 300.
In the web page of the same figure, the cumulative number of collected tickets by customer C is shown in a cumulative collected ticket number area AR1.
Furthermore, the ranking of customer C is shown in ranking area AR2. In the ranking area AR2 in the figure, the number of all members who have a history of using PET bottle recovery machine 100 is shown in the denominator, and the ranking of customer C is shown in the numerator. In other words, the ranking area AR2 shows the rank of customer C among all members who have a history of using PET bottle recovery machine 100.
To display the ranking in the manner shown in the figure, for example, the collection record information may include the total number of members who have used the PET bottle collection device 100 in addition to the ranking of customer C.

By looking at the web page screen displayed in this way, customer C can know how many PET bottles he or she has collected so far by the PET bottle collection device 100. Customer C can also know his or her own ranking based on the cumulative number of collected PET bottles.
In this way, by enabling customer C, who is a member using PET bottle recovery machine 100, to understand his/her own performance regarding PET bottle recovery, customer C can use PET bottle recovery machine 100 while being conscious of the ranking. In this case, customer C is more likely to be conscious of trying to improve his/her ranking, and it is expected that customer C will become more proactive in using PET bottle recovery machine 100.

In the above-mentioned embodiment of the collection record notification, the customer C operates the web browser of the customer terminal device 300 to access the collection record web page and then inputs the member identifier. Some customers may find this operation troublesome. Considering this, it is preferable to notify the collection record to the customer C more easily.
Therefore, in this embodiment, the customer C is notified of the collection record in the following manner.

For example, when one collection operation is completed, the PET bottle collection device 100 displays a two-dimensional code used to access a collection history webpage on the touch panel display unit 1400. The displayed two-dimensional code includes the URL (Uniform Resource Locator: an example of a notification location) of the collection history webpage and a member identifier obtained from the member information on the member card CD that customer C had card reader 1500 read when the collection operation began. Obtaining the member identifier from the member information on the member card CD is an example of specifying identification information.

When a customer wishes to check his/her own collection record on the spot, he/she has the customer terminal device 300 carry with him/her read the two-dimensional code displayed on the touch panel display unit 1400 using the code reader function of the customer terminal device 300.
The customer terminal device 300, which has read the two-dimensional code, analyzes the read two-dimensional code and obtains a URL and a member identifier. The customer terminal device 300 accesses the obtained URL. The accessed web page is, for example, the initial display collection history web page shown in Fig. 4(a). The customer terminal device 300 inputs the member identifier obtained from the two-dimensional code into the accessed web page, and generates an operation (click) on the search button BT.
In response to an operation on the search button BT, a collection history request is sent from the customer terminal device 300 to the collection management server 200. In response to the collection history request, the collection management server 200 derives the collection history and sends the collection history information. The customer terminal device 300 updates the collection history web page so that the received contents of the collection history are reflected, and displays the updated collection history web page.
As a result, in the customer terminal device 300, in response to reading the two-dimensional code, an operation is obtained in which a collection history web page showing customer C's collection history to date is displayed as shown in FIG. 4(b).
In this case, customer C can simply perform the simple operation of having the customer terminal device 300 read the two-dimensional code at the spot where the collection operation is performed, and the collection results can be displayed and confirmed on the customer terminal device 300.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment will be described. When collecting PET bottles, a certain quality level is required for the collected items (collected items). Specifically, it is required that there is no residue in the PET bottle and that the cap and label are removed.
However, not all customers will necessarily insert PET bottles that meet the above-mentioned quality standards into the PET bottle recovery device 100. PET bottles that do not maintain the quality standards are undesirable, for example, because they require a lot of work before they can be recycled. For this reason, it is necessary to ensure that as many customers as possible maintain the quality standards.
Therefore, in this embodiment, as described below, an attempt is made to increase the number of customers who deposit PET bottles into the PET bottle recovery device 100 while maintaining the quality standards of the PET bottles.

For example, when the plastic bottles stored in container storage section 140 are almost full, a store clerk will remove the plastic bottles from container storage section 140 and empty container storage section 140 (stored item recovery work).
Specifically, the collection of stored items is carried out, for example, as follows.
When the PET bottle recovery device 100 detects that the container storage section 140 is full of PET bottles, it notifies the user that the container storage section 140 is full.
The PET bottle recovery device 100 may, for example, count the number of bottles stored in the container storage section 140, and determine that the container storage section 140 is full of PET bottles when the counted number reaches a certain value.
Alternatively, the PET bottle recovery device 100 may detect the state in which the container housing unit 140 is full of PET bottles, for example, based on the output of a sensor provided corresponding to the container housing unit 140. The sensor may be configured to detect the presence of a PET bottle using a photocoupler at a position where the PET bottle will be present when the container housing unit 140 is full (if a PET bottle is present, the amount of received light decreases due to diffuse reflection by the PET bottle). Alternatively, the sensor may be something like a switch that detects contact with a PET bottle at a position where the PET bottle will be present corresponding to the container housing unit 140 being full.

The PET bottle recovery device 100 may detect when the container storage unit 140 reaches a predetermined state where it is considered to be close to being full, and may provide an indication that the container storage unit 140 is close to being full.

When detecting that the container storage unit 140 is full or nearly full as described above, the PET bottle recovery device 100 may be configured to detect the volume of the inserted PET bottle (i.e., the size of the PET bottle). To achieve such a configuration, for example, a sensor may be provided to detect the size of the inserted PET bottle. Alternatively, the PET bottle recovery device 100 may be configured to measure the weight of the inserted PET bottle. The size of the PET bottle can be estimated based on the weight of the inserted PET bottle. Alternatively, the PET bottle recovery device 100 may detect the size based on an image obtained by capturing an image of the inserted PET bottle with an imaging device. The PET bottle recovery device 100 can improve the accuracy of detecting that the container storage unit 140 is full by, for example, using the number of bottles stored in the container storage unit 140 together with information on the size of the PET bottle.

The plastic bottle recovery device 100 may also be configured to issue an alert when it detects that a certain number of plastic bottles or more corresponding to a large amount of plastic bottles have been input during one collection operation. Even when a large number of plastic bottles are input into the plastic bottle recovery device 100 at once in this manner, the plastic bottles may become full.
In addition, the notification that a large number of PET bottles have been inserted may be made, for example, via the touch panel display unit 1400 of the PET bottle recovery device 100.
Alternatively, the notification that a large number of PET bottles have been inserted may be made by lighting or a lighting device provided in the PET bottle recovery device 100 in a predetermined pattern.
Alternatively, the notification of the large amount of PET bottles being inserted may be made to a store clerk by the POS register 400 through communication between the PET bottle recovery device 100 and a POS register 400 or a higher-level device installed in the store ST. Alternatively, the notification of the large amount of PET bottles being inserted may be made to a terminal carried by the store clerk through communication between the PET bottle recovery device 100 and a terminal carried by the store clerk. If the notification is made by the POS register 400 or a terminal carried by the store clerk, the store clerk can know when to perform the stored item recovery work without having to go to the PET bottle recovery device 100.

In response to receiving the above-described notification, the staff of the store ST removes the storage bag containing the PET bottles from the container storage unit 140 and sets a new empty storage bag in the container storage unit 140. This work constitutes the stored item recovery work. A recovery company (recycling company) periodically comes to the store ST in a transport vehicle to pick up the PET bottles placed in the removed storage bag.
In this way, the store staff of the store ST appropriately performs the stored article collection work as part of their work. Therefore, when performing the stored article collection work, the store staff can personally check the quality of the PET bottles in the storage bag.
Therefore, the PET bottle recovery device 100 of this embodiment is configured to require the store clerk to input the quality rank of the PET bottle (an example of quality-related information) when the clerk is performing the stored item recovery work. Inputting the quality rank corresponds to classifying the quality.

An example of an operation performed by a store clerk on the PET bottle recovery device 100 when replacing the storage bag will be described with reference to FIG.
A store clerk who wishes to replace the storage bag performs a predetermined operation on the touch panel display unit 1400 of the PET bottle recovery device 100 to display a work start confirmation screen as shown in FIG. 5(A).
The work start confirmation screen in the figure displays a dialogue message that asks the store clerk whether or not they want to start the stored item retrieval work now, and also displays a "Yes" button BT11 and a "No" button BT12.
If the store clerk wishes to carry out the stored item retrieval work, he or she operates the "Yes" button BT11. Note that if, for example, the store clerk did not intend to carry out the stored item retrieval work but unintentionally displayed the work start confirmation screen due to an operational mistake, the store clerk may operate the "No" button BT12.

In response to the operation of the "Yes" button BT11 on the work start confirmation screen, the display on the touch panel display unit 1400 transitions from the work start confirmation screen of FIG. 5(A) to the opening/closing operation screen of FIG. 5(B). The store clerk can open the door (drawer 100C) of the container storage unit 140 by operating the opening/closing operation screen. Note that FIG. 2 shows an example in which the drawer 100C is locked and unlocked by inserting a key into the keyhole 100r. In a configuration in which the lock is released and the drawer 100C is opened by operating the opening/closing operation screen as in the same figure, for example, the mechanism for locking and unlocking using the keyhole 100r may be omitted.

When the door of the container storage section 140 is opened by operating the opening/closing operation screen, the display on the touch panel display section 1400 transitions from the opening/closing operation screen of Figure 5 (B) to the rank input screen of Figure 5 (C).
The rank input screen in the figure has an A rank selection button BT21-1, a B rank selection button BT21-2, and a C rank selection button BT22-3 arranged thereon. In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between the A rank selection button BT21-1, the B rank selection button BT21-2, and the C rank selection button BT22-3, they will be referred to as the rank selection button BT21.
In this embodiment, a case where three grades, A grade, B grade, and C grade, are set as the quality of the PET bottles will be taken as an example. Grade A corresponds to a state where, for example, the quality standard is maintained as the quality of all the PET bottles in the storage bag. Grade B corresponds to a state where, for example, labels, caps, etc. are not removed from at least some of the PET bottles in the storage bag. Grade C corresponds to a state where, for example, residual substances such as leftover liquid, cigarette butts, and other garbage remain on at least some of the PET bottles in the storage bag. Note that such three-grade ranking is just an example, and the number of grades is not particularly limited.
The store clerk opens drawer 100C of PET bottle recovery device 100, removes the storage bag from container storage section 140, checks the condition of the PET bottle in the storage bag, and determines whether it is rank A, B, or C. The store clerk operates rank selection button BT21 according to the determined rank.

In response to an operation on rank selection button BT21, the display on touch panel display unit 1400 transitions from the rank input screen of FIG. 5(C) to a work completion confirmation screen of FIG. 5(D).
The work completion confirmation screen in the figure displays a dialogue message that asks the store clerk whether or not it is OK to end the stored item retrieval work, and also displays a "Yes" button BT31 and a "No" button BT32.
If the store clerk wishes to end the stored article recovery operation, he or she operates the "Yes" button BT31. This causes the PET bottle recovery device 100 to return to the normal operation mode from, for example, the maintenance mode corresponding to the previous stored article recovery.
Furthermore, if the store clerk should not end the item collection process because, for example, a new storage bag has been forgotten to be inserted, he or she can operate the "No" button BT12 to maintain the maintenance mode and then carry out the necessary work.

Once the stored item recovery work has been completed as described above, the PET bottle recovery device 100 generates member group rank information (an example of user group corresponding information) corresponding to this stored item recovery work, and transmits the generated member group rank information to the recovery management server 200.
The member group rank information includes the member identifier of the member who deposited the PET bottle as a recovery item that was contained in the storage bag removed from the container storage section 140 during this stored item recovery operation, and information indicating the rank entered by operating the rank input screen during this stored item recovery operation.

When the collection management server 200 receives member group rank information transmitted from the PET bottle collection device 100 of each store ST, it stores the received member group rank information by adding it to the member group rank information table.

6 shows an example of a member group rank information table stored in the collection management server 200. One record in the member group rank information table is member group rank information corresponding to one stored item collection operation.
One piece of member group rank information includes the following fields: device identifier, store identifier, operation date and time, list of members in the group, and rank.

The device identifier field stores a device identifier that uniquely identifies the plastic bottle recovery device 100 that transmitted the member group rank information.
The store identifier field stores a store identifier that uniquely identifies the store ST in which the plastic bottle recovery device 100 that transmitted the member group rank information is installed.

The work date and time field stores the date and time when the current stored item recovery work was performed (work date and time). The work date and time may be, for example, the date and time when the PET bottle recovery device 100 transitioned to maintenance mode in response to operation of the "Yes" button BT11 on the work start confirmation screen (Figure 5 (A)). Alternatively, the work date and time may be the date and time when the PET bottle recovery device 100 inputs a rank in response to operation of the rank selection button BT21 on the rank input screen (Figure 5 (C)) during the current stored item recovery work.

The group member list area stores the member identifier (member list) for each member belonging to the user member group. In this embodiment, a group of members who have put in the PET bottles contained in the storage bag removed from the container storage unit 140 in response to the current stored item recovery work (i.e., members who have used the PET bottle recovery device 100) is treated as one user member group.
The PET bottle recovery device 100 stores, as user member information, the member identifier read from the member card CD for each recovery operation performed by the PET bottle recovery device 100 during the period from the end of the previous stored article recovery operation to the start of the current stored article recovery operation. In response to the performance of the current stored article recovery operation, the PET bottle recovery device 100 generates a group member list using the member identifier stored since the end of the previous stored article recovery operation.

The rank area shows the rank entered by operating the rank selection button BT21 on the rank input screen (Figure 5 (C)) during the current stored item retrieval operation.

Such member group rank information is information that associates the rank of the condition of the PET bottles contained in the storage bag taken out in the current stored item recovery operation with the using member group.
In addition, such member group rank information also indicates, when viewed as a group unit corresponding to one collection bag for members who have used the PET bottle recovery device 100, which rank corresponds to the state of the PET bottles that the group unit tends to deposit. In other words, the member group rank information also indicates the evaluation result of the excellence as users of the PET bottle recovery device 100 of the group unit of members corresponding to one collection bag.

Each time a stored item recovery operation is performed by the PET bottle recovery device 100 in each store ST, the recovery management server 200 accumulates member group rank information corresponding to the storage bag taken out in the stored item recovery operation.
Therefore, the collection management server 200 determines the rank corresponding to each member based on the accumulated member group rank information. To this end, the collection management server 200 extracts the rank associated with the same member identifier from the accumulated member group rank information. Based on the extracted rank, the collection management server 200 determines one of the three ranks as the rank of the member indicated by the corresponding member identifier. In determining the rank, for example, the results of statistical analysis of the extracted rank according to a specified statistical method may be used.

In addition, in the PET bottle collection device 100, there are cases where the same member places PET bottles multiple times into one collection bag. In such cases, the same member identifier will be included multiple times in the in-group member list of the member group rank information. In such cases, when determining the rank of a member, the collection management server 200 may extract from one member group rank information the same number of ranks as the number of member identifiers included in the in-group member list.
As a specific example, if the member identifier of a certain member is included three times in the member list within a group of member group rank information that stores "B" in the rank field, the collection management server 200 extracts three B ranks from this member group rank information corresponding to the single member identifier.
Alternatively, multiple identical member identifiers included in the in-group member list of the member group rank information may be treated as one, and one rank may be extracted from the member group rank information.
In this way, when the same multiple member identifiers are included in the group member list of the member group rank information, whether to extract multiple ranks according to the number of member identifiers or to extract one rank may be determined taking into consideration the accuracy of determining the member's rank, the processing load, etc.

The member group rank information may include information regarding the number of bottles collected. For example, the member group rank information may include information indicating the total number of PET bottles collected by the corresponding stored item collection work. The member group rank information may also include information indicating, for example, the number of PET bottles collected by each member by the corresponding stored item collection work.

The collection management server 200 manages individual member rank information (an example of individual user correspondence information) that associates the determined rank with each member identifier based on the result of the rank determination corresponding to each member. The collection management server 200 stores the individual member rank information according to the structure of an individual member rank information table that includes one or more pieces of individual member rank information for each member.

7 shows an example of an individual member rank information table stored in the collection management server 200. As shown in the figure, one piece of individual member rank information is information in which a rank is associated with each member identifier.
As shown in the figure, the rank may be "unset" in addition to rank A, B, and C. For example, in the case of a member who has used the PET bottle recovery device 100 less than a certain number of times, the number of extracted ranks is small, and it may be difficult to obtain an appropriate rank determination result. Therefore, in the case of a member for whom the number of extracted ranks is less than a certain number, the rank determination process is not performed and the rank in the individual member rank information is set to "unset."

The collection management server 200 updates the individual member rank information table at a predetermined timing. For example, the collection management server 200 may update the individual member rank information using the member group rank information currently stored each time member group rank information is received from a PET bottle collection device 100 at a certain store ST. The update changes the rank in the individual member rank information of a certain member. Furthermore, the update generates new individual member rank information corresponding to the new member in response to the first use of the PET bottle collection device 100, and adds it to the individual member rank information table.

In this manner, the individual member rank information managed by the collection management server 200 indicates the excellence of each member as a user of the PET bottle collection device 100 .
In other words, when the individual member rank information indicates that the member is ranked A, the corresponding member is a most excellent user who deposits PET bottles that meet the quality standard into the PET bottle recovery device 100 .
Also, when the individual member rank information indicates a rank of B, the corresponding member is a user who is of medium quality, for example, who tends not to remove caps or labels.
Furthermore, if the individual member rank information indicates a C rank, the corresponding member is a non-good user who, for example, throws in PET bottles with residue still inside.

The PET bottle collection system of this embodiment utilizes the individual member rank information managed by the collection management server 200 as described above to implement measures to encourage members who use the PET bottle collection device 100 to become good users (i.e., to encourage them to deposit PET bottles that meet as many quality standards as possible), as follows.
As described above, when a member starts using the PET bottle recovery machine 100, the member performs an operation to have the card reader 1500 read the member's membership card CD, thereby causing the PET bottle recovery machine 100 to obtain a member identifier.
Then, the plastic bottle recovery device 100, which has acquired the member identifier, transmits an inquiry about the rank associated with the member identifier acquired from the member card CD to the recovery management server 200. The inquiry transmitted by the plastic bottle recovery device 100 includes the member identifier acquired from the member card CD. The recovery management server 200 acquires the rank associated with the member identifier included in the received inquiry from the individual member rank information, and transmits a rank notification indicating the acquired rank to the plastic bottle recovery device 100.

When the PET bottle collection device 100 of this embodiment starts collection operation, it displays a guide screen on the touch panel display unit 1400 that guides the member through the usage procedure. Then, the PET bottle collection device 100 changes the content of the guide screen displayed on the touch panel display unit 1400 according to the rank indicated in the received rank notification.

An example of a display mode of a guide screen in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
The PET bottle recovery machine 100 displays a first guide screen as shown in Fig. 8(A) when recovery operation starts in response to reading the member identifier from the member card CD. The first guide screen is an initial guide screen that is first displayed to the member who is the user of the PET bottle recovery machine 100.
If the rank indicated by the rank notification received in response to the current collection operation is rank A, the member using the PET bottle collection machine 100 in response to the current collection operation is the most excellent member. It is presumed that such a member will voluntarily input PET bottles that meet the quality standard without any special prompting to check the quality level of the PET bottles. Therefore, in this case, the PET bottle collection machine 100 opens the outer door 111 and makes the container input section 110 ready for input of PET bottles without transitioning to the guidance screens of Figures 8(B) and 8(C) described below.

In addition, if the rank indicated by the rank notification received in response to the current collection operation is rank B, the member who uses the PET bottle collection machine 100 in response to the current collection operation is a member who tends to insert PET bottles without removing the labels and caps. Therefore, the PET bottle collection machine 100 in this case displays the first guide screen in Fig. 8(A) for a certain period of time, and then displays the second guide screen including a message encouraging the user to meet the quality standard as shown in Fig. 8(B).
A "Next" button BT41 is arranged on the second guide screen in the figure. When the second guide screen is displayed, unless the "Next" button BT41 is operated, the second guide screen will not be cleared and the outer door 111 will not open. Therefore, in order to insert a PET bottle, the member must operate the "Next" button BT41. When operating the "Next" button BT41, the member will see a message displayed on the second guide screen. This will make the member aware that he or she should insert PET bottles that meet the quality standards, and it is expected that the member's quality as a user of the PET bottle recovery device 100 will be improved.

In addition, if the rank indicated by the rank notification received in response to the current collection operation is rank C, the member using the PET bottle collection machine 100 in response to the current collection operation is a member of poor quality who inserts PET bottles with residue in them. In this case, the PET bottle collection machine 100 displays the first guide screen in Fig. 8(A) for a certain period of time, and then displays the third guide screen in Fig. 8(C) including a message giving specific instructions for making the PET bottles meet the quality standards.
The third guide screen in the figure has a "Next" button BT42 arranged thereon. Even when the third guide screen is displayed, unless the "Next" button BT42 is operated, the third guide screen is not cleared and the outer door 111 is not opened.
Therefore, in order to insert a PET bottle, the member operates the "Next" button BT42, and sees the message displayed on the third guide screen. This shows the member what is required to meet the quality standards for PET bottles, and is expected to improve the quality of the member as a user of the PET bottle recovery device 100.

An example of the functional configuration of the PET bottle recovery device 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 9. The PET bottle recovery device 100 in the figure includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 1100, a storage unit 1200, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 1300, a touch panel display unit 1400, a card reader 1500, a communication unit 1600, and a recovery mechanism unit 1700. These components are connected to each other via an internal bus.

The CPU 1100 executes a program to perform various processes in the PET bottle recovery device 100. The various functions of the PET bottle recovery device 100 are realized by the processing of the CPU 1100.

The storage unit 1200 is an auxiliary storage device that stores various data used by the CPU 1100. For example, the storage unit 1200 stores programs to be executed by the CPU 1100 and image data to be displayed on the touch panel display unit 1400.

RAM 1300 is the main memory device in which programs and data read from memory unit 1200 are expanded.

As shown in FIG. 2, the touch panel display unit 1400 has a display surface exposed on the device main body 100B. The touch panel display unit 1400 displays images under the control of the CPU 1100. The touch panel display unit 1400 accepts operations performed on the display surface by an operating object such as a finger.

The card reader 1500 is provided in the device main body 100B as shown in FIG. 2. The card reader 1500 communicates with a member card CD within its communication range, for example by a predetermined non-contact communication method, and reads member information from the member card CD of the communication destination.

The communication unit 1600 communicates via the network NT. As described above, in this embodiment, the communication unit 1600 communicates by being connected to the network NT wirelessly.

The recovery mechanism 1700 is a mechanism that performs operations related to reducing the volume of PET bottles, storing them, and the like as part of the recovery of PET bottles, under the control of the CPU 1100. In correspondence with FIG. 2, the recovery mechanism 1700 includes a container insertion section 110, an outer door 111, an inner door 112, a volume reduction section 120, a container storage section 140, and the like.

An example of the configuration of the collection management server 200 will be described with reference to FIG. 10. The collection management server 200 in the figure includes a communication unit 201, a control unit 202, and a memory unit 203.

The communication unit 201 performs communication via the network NT.
The control unit 202 executes various controls in the collection management server 200. The functions of the control unit 202 are realized by a CPU included in the collection management server 200 executing a program.

The storage unit 203 stores various types of information used by the control unit 202. The storage unit 203 in the figure stores a collection history information table 231, a member group rank information table 232, and an individual member rank information table 233.
The collection history information table 231 has a structure exemplified in Fig. 3. The member group rank information table 232 has a structure exemplified in Fig. 6. The individual member rank information table 233 has a structure exemplified in Fig. 7.

An example of a processing procedure executed by the PET bottle recovery device 100 and the recovery management server 200 of this embodiment in response to one recovery operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
First, an example of a process performed by the PET bottle recovery device 100 will be described.
Step S101: The PET bottle recovery device 100 waits for a recovery operation instruction operation to be performed. The recovery operation instruction operation is an operation in which a member causes the card reader 1500 to read the member identifier recorded on the member card CD when starting a recovery operation.

Step S102: In response to the collection operation instruction operation being performed, the PET bottle collection device 100 acquires the member identifier read from the member card CD by the card reader 1500.

Step S103: The PET bottle recovery device 100 transmits a rank inquiry including the member identifier acquired in step S102 to the recovery management server 200.
Step S104: The PET bottle collection device 100 receives the rank notification sent from the collection management server 200 as a response to the rank inquiry sent in step S103. As described in FIG. 8, the PET bottle collection device 100 displays a guide screen according to the rank indicated in the received rank notification.

Step S105: As described above, when the PET bottle recovery device 100 displays the first guide screen in response to the A rank, the PET bottle recovery device 100 opens the outer door 111 at a predetermined timing, for example, together with the display of the first guide screen. By opening the outer door 111, the PET bottle recovery device 100 starts an operation corresponding to the current recovery operation.
In addition, when the PET bottle recovery device 100 displays the second or third guidance screen depending on the B or C rank, it waits for operation of the ``Next'' button BT41 on the second guidance screen or the ``Next'' button BT42 on the third guidance screen, and in response to operation of the ``Next'' button BT41 or the ``Next'' button BT42, the PET bottle recovery device 100 opens the outer door 111 and starts operation corresponding to the current recovery operation.

Step S106: The PET bottle recovery device 100 waits for the operation corresponding to the recovery operation started in step S105 to be completed. For example, when the customer has stored all of the PET bottles he or she brought into the PET bottle recovery device 100, the customer operates the end button displayed on the touch panel display unit 1400 in accordance with the guidance shown on the subsequent guidance screen displayed on the touch panel display unit 1400. In response to the operation of the end button, the operation corresponding to the one recovery operation that has been performed so far is terminated.

Step S107: In response to the completion of the operation corresponding to the collection operation, the PET bottle collection device 100 adds the member identifier acquired in step S102 to the member information stored in the memory unit 1200. The member information is information indicating the member identifier read from the member card CD for each collection operation performed by the PET bottle collection device 100 from the end of the last stored item collection operation to the start of the next stored item collection operation.

Although not shown in the figure, in correspondence with the first embodiment, in response to the end of the operation corresponding to the collection operation, the PET bottle collection device 100 may transmit collection history information including a member identifier acquired from the read card information to the collection management server 200. As described above, the collection history information has contents that reflect the results of the collection operation, and includes information such as a device identifier, a store identifier, collection date and time, the number of bottles collected, and the weight of collected bottles in addition to the member identifier.
In addition, in correspondence with the first embodiment, the PET bottle recovery device 100 may display on the touch panel display unit 1400 a two-dimensional code that encodes a member identifier obtained from the read card information and the URL of a recovery history web page.

Next, an example of a processing procedure executed by the collection management server 200 will be described with reference to the same figure.
Step S201: When the collection management server 200 receives a rank inquiry sent from the PET bottle collection device 100, it searches the individual member rank information table 233 for a rank associated with the member identifier included in the received rank inquiry.
Step S202: The collection management server 200 transmits a rank notification indicating the rank found in step S201 to the PET bottle collection device 100 that is the sender of the rank inquiry.

An example of a processing procedure executed by the PET bottle recovery device 100 and the recovery management server 200 in response to one stored item recovery operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
First, an example of a process performed by the PET bottle recovery device 100 will be described.
Step S301: The PET bottle recovery device 100 waits for a stored item recovery declaration operation to be performed. The stored item recovery declaration operation is, for example, an operation on the “Yes” button BT11 on the work start confirmation screen (FIG. 5A) described in FIG. 5A.

Step S302: In response to the operation to declare collection of stored items, the PET bottle recovery device 100 displays an opening/closing operation screen (FIG. 5(B)) on the touch panel display unit 1400. In response to an operation on the opening/closing operation screen, the PET bottle recovery device 100 controls the opening of the door (drawer 100C) of the container storage unit 140.

Step S303: After the process of step S302, the PET bottle recovery device 100 displays a rank input screen (FIG. 5C) on the touch panel display unit 1400.
Step S304: The PET bottle recovery device 100 accepts a rank input operation performed on the rank input screen, and inputs a rank according to the operated rank selection button BT21.

Step S305: In response to the rank input operation, the plastic bottle recovery device 100 displays a work completion confirmation screen (FIG. 5(D)) on the touch panel display unit 1400.
Step S306: The PET bottle recovery device 100 accepts an operation to declare the end of work performed on the work end confirmation screen (operation of the "Yes" button BT31).
Step S307: In response to the operation of declaring the end of work on the work end confirmation screen, the PET bottle recovery machine 100 transmits member group rank information corresponding to the current stored item recovery to the recovery management server 200. The member group rank information is information that associates the rank input in step S304 with the user member information stored in the PET bottle recovery machine 100 at the stage when the current stored item recovery work is started.
Step S308: The plastic bottle recovery device 100 clears the member information stored up to that point. Note that the member information stored up to that point may not be cleared and may instead be stored as a history of users of the plastic bottle recovery device 100.
After step S308, for example, the mode returns from the maintenance mode corresponding to the collection of stored items to the normal operation mode.

Next, an example of a processing procedure executed by the collection management server 200 will be described with reference to the same figure.
Step S401: When the collection management server 200 receives the member group rank information transmitted from the PET bottle collection device 100, the collection management server 200 stores the received member group rank information in the member group rank information table 232 so as to add it thereto.

Step S402: The collection management server 200 uses the member group rank information table 232, which includes the member group rank information added in step S401, to update the individual member rank information stored in the individual member rank information table 233.

The process in this figure is configured to update individual member rank information each time member group rank information transmitted from the PET bottle recovery device 100 is received, i.e., each time a stored item recovery operation is performed by the PET bottle recovery device 100.
However, the collection management server 200 may be configured to update the individual member rank information at regular intervals. In this case, when member group rank information is received while the collection management server 200 is waiting for the timing at which a fixed period has elapsed since the previous update of the individual member rank information, the collection management server 200 stores the received member group rank information in the member group rank information table 232. Then, when the fixed period has elapsed, the collection management server 200 updates the individual member rank information using the member group rank information stored in the member group rank information table 232 at that time.
Alternatively, the collection management server 200 may update the individual member rank information each time the number of pieces of member group rank information added to the member group rank information table 232 reaches a predetermined number.

Third Embodiment
Next, a third embodiment will be described.
For example, low-quality plastic bottles that contain leftover drinks or foreign objects are a major hindrance to recycling. Members with low ranks are more likely to donate such low-quality plastic bottles.
From this perspective, it may be acceptable to refuse use of the PET bottle recovery machine 100 to members whose rank is below a certain level.

Therefore, the plastic bottle recovery machine 100 of this embodiment is configured to deny use to members whose rank is below a certain level.
As a specific example, the PET bottle recovery machine 100 of this embodiment executes the process as follows, as step S104 in FIG. 11. That is, when the rank indicated by the received rank notification is A rank or B rank, the PET bottle recovery machine 100 displays a guide screen corresponding to the respective rank. On the other hand, when the rank indicated by the received rank notification is C rank, for example, a guide screen including a message that the insertion of a PET bottle is not acceptable is displayed, so that the member is prevented from inserting a PET bottle. In this case, the operation corresponding to the recovery operation from step S105 onwards is not executed.
In the second embodiment described above, the rank input operation by the store clerk during the stored item retrieval work was performed by operating the rank selection button BT21 located on the rank input screen (Figure 5 (C)) displayed on the touch panel display unit 1400.
In contrast to this, in this embodiment, the rank input operation is not performed as an operation on a button displayed on the touch panel display unit 1400, for example, but as an operation on a predetermined key (button) physically provided on the PET bottle recovery device 100.

13 shows an example of the device body 100B of the PET bottle recovery device 100 corresponding to this embodiment. In the figure, an example is shown in which rank input keys KY1-1, KY1-2, KY1-3 and a confirmation key KY2 are arranged above the position where the drawer 100C and the drawer handle 100e are arranged on the front side of the device body 100B.
The rank input keys KY1-1, KY1-2, and KY1-3 are keys for selecting rank A, rank B, and rank C, respectively. For example, predetermined colors assigned according to the corresponding ranks may be arranged on the rank input keys KY1-1, KY1-2, and KY1-3 themselves, or at positions corresponding to the rank input keys KY1-1, KY1-2, and KY1-3.
When there is no particular need to distinguish between the rank input keys KY1-1, KY1-2, and KY1-3, they will be referred to as rank input key KY1.
The confirmation key KY2 is a key for confirming the rank selected by operating the rank input key KY1.

In this case, the store clerk first checks the condition of the plastic bottles in the bag to determine their rank, and then operates the rank input key KY1 corresponding to the determined rank to select the rank. Next, the store clerk operates the confirmation key KY2 to confirm the rank selection. Until the confirmation key KY2 is operated, the rank input operation KY can be operated any number of times, and the selected rank can be changed.
In the case of such an operation, it is preferable that the currently selected rank is displayed in a predetermined manner from when the rank is first determined by operating any of the rank input keys KY1 until the selection of the rank is determined by operating the determination key KY2. For example, the operated rank input key KY1 itself or an emitter arranged corresponding to the rank input key KY1 may emit light to indicate the selected rank. Alternatively, a display indicating what the selected rank is may be displayed on the touch panel display unit 1400.

In this way, if a key related to the rank input operation is physically provided, there is a possibility that the store clerk performing the stored item recovery work will forget to input the rank. Therefore, in the case of this embodiment, the PET bottle recovery device 100 may be configured not to end the maintenance mode corresponding to the recovery of stored items unless the rank input operation is performed. In this case, the PET bottle recovery device 100 may have a controllable configuration so that the door (drawer 100C) of the container storage section 140 cannot be closed unless the rank input operation is performed.

In addition, even when a rank input operation is performed on the screen displayed on the touch panel display unit 1400 as in the second embodiment, the PET bottle recovery device 100 may be controlled so that the door (drawer 100C) of the container storage unit 140 cannot be closed unless a rank input operation is performed.

Fourth Embodiment
In the previous second embodiment, the rank input operation by the store clerk during the stored item retrieval work was performed by operating the rank selection button BT21 located on the rank input screen (Figure 5 (C)) displayed on the touch panel display unit 1400.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the rank input operation is performed not as an operation on a button displayed on the touch panel display unit 1400, but as an operation on a predetermined key (button) physically provided on the PET bottle recovery device 100.

13 shows an example of the device body 100B of the PET bottle recovery device 100 corresponding to this embodiment. In the figure, an example is shown in which rank input keys KY1-1, KY1-2, KY1-3 and a confirmation key KY2 are arranged above the position where the drawer 100C and the drawer handle 100e are arranged on the front side of the device body 100B.
The rank input keys KY1-1, KY1-2, and KY1-3 are keys for selecting rank A, rank B, and rank C, respectively. For example, predetermined colors assigned according to the corresponding ranks may be arranged on the rank input keys KY1-1, KY1-2, and KY1-3 themselves, or at positions corresponding to the rank input keys KY1-1, KY1-2, and KY1-3.
When there is no particular need to distinguish between the rank input keys KY1-1, KY1-2, and KY1-3, they will be referred to as rank input key KY1.
The confirmation key KY2 is a key for confirming the rank selected by operating the rank input key KY1.

In this case, the store clerk first checks the condition of the plastic bottles in the bag to determine their rank, and then operates the rank input key KY1 that corresponds to the determined rank to select the rank. Next, the store clerk operates the confirmation key KY2 to confirm the rank selection. Until the confirmation key KY2 is operated, the rank input operation KY can be operated any number of times, and the selected rank can be changed.

In the case of such an operation, it is preferable that the currently selected rank is indicated in a predetermined manner from the time when the rank is first confirmed by operating any of the rank input keys KY1 until the selection of the rank is confirmed by operating the confirmation key KY2. For example, the operated rank input key KY1 itself, or an emitter arranged corresponding to the rank input key KY1, may emit light to indicate the selected rank. Alternatively, a display indicating which rank is selected may be displayed on the touch panel display unit 1400.

In this way, if a key related to the rank input operation is physically provided, there is a possibility that the store clerk performing the stored item recovery work will forget to input the rank. Therefore, in the case of this embodiment, the PET bottle recovery device 100 may be configured not to end the maintenance mode corresponding to the recovery of stored items unless the rank input operation is performed. In this case, the PET bottle recovery device 100 may have a controllable configuration so that the door (drawer 100C) of the container storage section 140 cannot be closed unless the rank input operation is performed.

In addition, even when a rank input operation is performed as an operation on the screen displayed on the touch panel display unit 1400 as in the second embodiment, the PET bottle recovery device 100 may be controlled so that the door (drawer 100C) of the container storage unit 140 cannot be closed unless the rank input operation is performed.
That is, in both the fourth embodiment and the second embodiment, in a state where a rank input operation is not performed, the process following the rank input operation may not be started.

<Modification>
Next, a modification of this embodiment will be described.
[First Modification]
In the above-mentioned second embodiment, the rank input operation by the store clerk is performed during the stored item recovery work. In this modified example, the rank input operation by the store clerk is not limited to the stored item recovery work. The PET bottle recovery device 100 may accept a rank input operation performed at any timing, for example. A light-transmitting section 100A (light-transmitting window) is provided on the front side of the drawer 100C of the PET bottle recovery device 100, so that the state of the PET bottles in the storage bag can be visually confirmed from the outside without opening the drawer 100C.
In addition, the PET bottle recovery device 100 can notify the store clerk when it detects that a certain number of PET bottles or more have been inserted in one recovery operation, which is considered to be a large amount of PET bottles. In response to receiving the notification about the large amount of PET bottles, the store clerk can perform a rank input operation after the end of the recovery operation corresponding to the large amount of PET bottles (in this case, if there is room in the container storage unit 140, it is not necessary to perform the stored item recovery work).
When rank input is performed at such a time, a significant proportion of the collected plastic bottles will be those put in large quantities by a single member, and the store clerk's ranking judgment will likely reflect the quality of the plastic bottles put in large quantities. This makes it possible to increase the accuracy of ranking settings for member groups.

In this modified example, at the time a rank input operation is performed, the PET bottle recovery device 100 transmits member group rank information to the recovery management server 200 based on member information indicating the members who have used the PET bottle recovery device 100 from the time the previous rank input operation was performed to the present time.
With such a configuration, it is possible to operate the system such that, for example, a rank input operation is performed each time a member uses the PET bottle recovery machine 100 to perform a recovery operation.

If rank input were possible at any time, the number of times member group rank information was sent and received would be greater than necessary, which could lead to increased traffic on the communications network and increased processing load on the PET bottle collection device 100 and collection management server 200. Therefore, the PET bottle collection device 100 may be configured to accept rank input operations only in specified situations, such as when the container storage section 140 is full and a stored item collection operation is performed, or when a large amount of PET bottles are input.

[Second Modification]
In the above embodiment, when performing the stored article recovery operation, the store clerk visually checks the plastic bottles in the storage bag and performs a rank input operation to input the rank.
In this modified example, at least one of a sensor using an imaging device that captures an image of the storage bag in the container storage unit 140 and a sensor that detects odors is provided. In addition, the PET bottle recovery device 100 may be configured to determine the quality of the PET bottles contained in the storage bag based on the output of the sensor before the storage bag is removed from the container storage unit 140 during a maintenance mode corresponding to a stored item recovery operation, for example, and to perform a process of inputting a rank according to the determined quality. In this case, the rank input operation by the store clerk can be omitted.

[Third Modification]
In this modification, at least one of a sensor using an imaging device that captures an image of a PET bottle inserted into container insertion section 110, a sensor that detects odor, etc. is provided in PET bottle recovery device 100. PET bottle recovery device 100 judges the quality of the PET bottle inserted into container insertion section 110 based on the output of the sensor, and does not recover PET bottles that are judged to be of a certain level or lower in quality.
In addition, the plastic bottle recovery device 100 of this modified example may also display a guide screen during the plastic bottle recovery operation according to the member's rank. As described above, when it is determined that the quality of the plastic bottle is below a certain level, the plastic bottle recovery device 100 displays on the touch panel display unit 1400 a guide screen including a message that the plastic bottle cannot be recovered this time because the quality of the plastic bottle is not good.

[Fourth Modification]
For example, if a customer who has started using PET bottle collection machine 100 is C rank, and if there is a store clerk near PET bottle collection machine 100, the store clerk can understand that the member is C rank from the guidance screen displayed on touch panel display unit 1400. In this case, if the store clerk has free time, he or she can instruct the member to insert a PET bottle that meets the quality standard.
Furthermore, as a result of the store clerk's guidance as described above, a plastic bottle that corresponds to rank A is inserted, whereas a plastic bottle that corresponds to rank C would have been inserted instead. If a stored item recovery operation is performed in response to such a situation, there is a possibility that a rank higher than rank C, such as rank A, will be entered, even though the member is actually rank C.
For example, if a C-rank member happens to receive guidance from a store clerk, it is unlikely that he or she will subsequently become an A-rank member. In this respect, there is a discrepancy between the quality of the member who deposited the PET bottle and the rank managed in the member group rank information.
Therefore, in such a case, for example, the store clerk may be able to operate the PET bottle recovery machine 100 to correct the rank of the member group rank information, for example, to C rank or B rank.
In other words, in response to a case where it is clear that, for some reason, a discrepancy has arisen between the quality of the PET bottles placed in the storage bag and the quality of the member who put the PET bottles in, the rank in the member group rank information may be corrected by an operation of a store clerk. Such correction of the rank in the member group rank information may also be made by an operation of the POS register 400 in the store ST, a higher-level device, a terminal carried by the store clerk, etc.

[Fifth Modification]
The PET bottle recovery machine 100 of this modification may measure the time required for recovery operation for each use by a member, and store the member identifier and the required time as the member information. The recovery management server 200 determines the user's level of proficiency in operating the PET bottle recovery machine 100 based on the required time included in the received member information, and includes the determined proficiency level in the member's individual member rank information.
During collection operation, the PET bottle collection device 100 may present a guide screen with contents according to the rank of the member, and may display different guide screens according to the level of proficiency. For example, for a member with a low level of proficiency, a guide screen with contents that provide a detailed explanation of how to operate the PET bottle collection device 100 may be displayed.

[Sixth Modification]
As described in the first embodiment, a points-adding service is provided in which points are added to members according to the number of PET bottles collected using the PET bottle collection device 100, etc.
In this modified example, in such a point-adding service, the rank of the member indicated by the individual member rank information in the second embodiment is reflected in the points added.
As a specific example, while one point would normally be awarded for every five plastic bottles collected, the conditions for adding points may be relaxed for users with a certain rank or above, such as adding one point for every three bottles.
Alternatively, while one point would normally be awarded for every five plastic bottles collected, the conditions for adding points may be relaxed so that, for example, two points are awarded for every five bottles for users with a certain rank or higher.
In addition, for users whose rank is below a certain level, the conditions for adding points in response to the use of the PET bottle recovery device 100 may be made stricter so that points are less likely to be added (or not at all).

[Seventh Modification]
In the configuration of the second embodiment described above, the setting of the rank for each member and the management of the individual member rank information indicating the set rank were performed by the collection management server 200. However, the configuration of the second embodiment may be configured so that the setting of the rank for each member and the management of the individual member rank information indicating the set rank are completed by one PET bottle collection device 100. Alternatively, the configuration of the second embodiment may be completed by multiple PET bottle collection devices 100 through communication between multiple PET bottle collection devices 100 installed, for example, in one store (or, for example, in each of multiple stores in a certain area).

[Eighth Modification]
The configuration of this embodiment may be applied to systems, devices, etc. that collect items that require quality improvement as collected items, such as bottles, cans, plastic (Styrofoam) food trays, and paper containers such as milk cartons.

<Overview of the embodiment>
(1) As described above, one aspect of this embodiment is an item recovery system that includes a quality-related information input means for inputting quality-related information (e.g., information indicating rank, classification, etc.) corresponding to the quality of the recovered items contained in an item recovery device (e.g., PET bottle recovery device 100) that recovers items (e.g., PET bottles).
According to the above configuration, a quality rank can be set for each PET bottle collected by the PET bottle collection device 100 of this embodiment and placed in a storage bag by the PET bottle collection device 100. That is, it becomes possible to evaluate the quality of the PET bottles collected by the PET bottle collection device 100. By effectively using the results of such evaluation, for example, using the results of setting the rank, it is possible to improve the quality of the PET bottles collected by the PET bottle collection device 100.

(2) One aspect of this embodiment is the item recovery system described in (1), in which the quality-related information input means is configured to input quality-related information at the timing when the recovered items are removed from the item recovery device.
According to the above configuration, for example, when the PET bottles stored in the storage bag of the PET bottle recovery device 100 become full, it becomes possible to efficiently input the rank in accordance with the timing of the operation of removing the PET bottles from the PET bottle recovery device 100.

(3) One aspect of this embodiment is an item recovery system as described in (1) or (2), which is configured such that when quality-related information is not input by the quality-related information input means, processing corresponding to the next step in inputting the quality-related information is not started.
According to the above configuration, it is possible to prevent the store clerk from proceeding to the next step unless the rank input operation is performed, thereby preventing the store clerk from forgetting to input the rank.

(4) One aspect of this embodiment is an item recovery system described in any one of (1) to (3), in which the quality-related information means inputs one piece of quality-related information from a plurality of quality-related information candidates.
According to the above configuration, for example, when performing an operation to input a rank, the store clerk only needs to select one level from a plurality of predetermined levels and perform the operation, so the operation can be performed easily.

(5) One aspect of this embodiment is an item recovery system described in any one of (1) to (4), wherein the quality-related information input means inputs quality-related information in response to an operation for inputting quality-related information performed on a touch panel.
According to the above configuration, since the rank is input by operating the display on the touch panel, it is possible to improve the operability of inputting the rank. Also, since an operation screen according to the input of the rank can be displayed in the flow of the guidance display for the work of retrieving the stored items from the storage bag, it is possible to appropriately guide the operation of inputting the rank according to the procedure of the work of retrieving the stored items.

(6) One aspect of this embodiment is an item recovery system described in any one of (1) to (5), further comprising a user identifier acquisition means for acquiring a user identifier (e.g., a membership identifier) indicating a user who has had an item recovered by the item recovery device, a user group correspondence information output unit for outputting user group correspondence information that matches the quality-related information input by the quality-related information input means with the user identifiers of one or more users who have input the recovered item corresponding to the quality-related information input by the quality-related information input means, and an individual user correspondence information management means for determining quality-related information corresponding to each user based on one or more of the user group correspondence information, and managing individual user correspondence information that matches the user identifier of the user being determined with the determined quality-related information.
According to the above configuration, a rank indicating the individual quality of each member who is a user of the PET bottle recovery device 100 can be set based on the input results of a rank corresponding to the quality of the PET bottles recovered by the PET bottle recovery device 100.

(7) One aspect of this embodiment is the item recovery system described in (6), further comprising an alarm means for alarming, when a user deposits an item into the item recovery device, instructions regarding the deposit of an item corresponding to quality-related information indicated by the individual user response information of the user depositing the item.
According to the above configuration, it is possible to provide appropriate guidance to members according to their rank regarding the insertion of PET bottles into the PET bottle recovery machine 100. As a result, it is expected that the quality of the PET bottles recovered by the PET bottle recovery machine 100 will improve.

(8) One aspect of this embodiment is an item recovery system as described in (6) or (7), further comprising a usage refusal means for controlling a user who is associated with specified quality-related information in the individual user correspondence information to be unable to use the item recovery device.
According to the above configuration, members whose quality as users of the PET bottle recovery device 100 is below a certain level are prevented from using the PET bottle recovery device 100, thereby improving the quality of the PET bottles recovered by the PET bottle recovery device 100.

(9) One aspect of this embodiment is an item recovery device that includes a quality-related information input means for inputting quality-related information corresponding to the quality of the recovered items stored in the item recovery device that recovers the items.

(10) One aspect of this embodiment is a program for causing a computer provided in an item recovery system to function as quality-related information input means for inputting quality-related information corresponding to the quality of the recovered items contained in an item recovery device that recovers the items.

In addition, a program for realizing the functions of the above-mentioned PET bottle collection device 100, collection management server 200, customer terminal device 300, POS register 400, store management server 500, etc. may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on the recording medium may be read into a computer system and executed to perform processing as the above-mentioned PET bottle collection device 100, collection management server 200, customer terminal device 300, POS register 400, store management server 500, etc. Here, "reading a program recorded on a recording medium into a computer system and executing it" includes installing the program into the computer system. The "computer system" here includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices. In addition, the "computer system" may include multiple computer devices connected via a network including a communication line such as the Internet, a WAN, a LAN, or a dedicated line. In addition, the "computer-readable recording medium" refers to a portable medium such as a flexible disk, an optical magnetic disk, a ROM, a CD-ROM, etc., and a storage device such as a hard disk built into a computer system. In this way, the recording medium storing the program may be a non-transient recording medium such as a CD-ROM. The recording medium also includes a recording medium provided inside or outside the distribution server that can be accessed in order to distribute the program. The code of the program stored in the recording medium of the distribution server may be different from the code of the program in a format executable by the terminal device. In other words, as long as it can be downloaded from the distribution server and installed in a format executable by the terminal device, the format in which it is stored in the distribution server does not matter. Note that the program may be divided into multiple parts, downloaded at different times, and then combined in the terminal device, or the distribution servers that distribute each of the divided programs may be different. Furthermore, the "computer-readable recording medium" includes a memory that holds a program for a certain period of time, such as a volatile memory (RAM) inside a computer system that becomes a server or a client when a program is transmitted via a network. The above program may also be a memory for realizing part of the above-mentioned functions. Furthermore, the above-mentioned functions may be realized in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system, that is, a so-called difference file (difference program).

100 PET bottle collection device, 110 container insertion section, 111 outer door, 112 inner door, 116 placement section, 120 volume reduction section, 140 container storage section, 145 cap storage section, 200 collection management server, 231 collection history information table, 232 member group rank information table, 233 individual member rank information table, 300 customer terminal device, 301 CPU, 302 storage section, 303 RAM, 304 display section, 305 operation section, 306 imaging section, 307 communication section, 400 POS register, 500 store management server, 1100 CPU, 1200 storage section, 1300 RAM, 1400 touch panel display section, 1500 card reader, 1600 communication section, 1700 collection mechanism section

Claims (2)

A PET bottle volume reduction device comprising: a volume reduction means for reducing the volume of an input PET bottle; a storage section for storing the PET bottle after volume reduction; an operation reception means; and a display means for displaying the state of the device and instruction information for an operator,
The PET bottle volume reducing device has a normal mode in which the operation receiving means and the display means execute a process associated with the introduction of PET bottles, and a maintenance mode in which the operation receiving means and the display means execute a process associated with the collection of PET bottles stored in the storage section, and is capable of switching between the normal mode and the maintenance mode;
In the maintenance mode,
When the operation receiving means receives a bag replacement instruction,
A PET bottle volume reduction device, characterized in that an external image of the PET bottle volume reduction device and text information regarding bag replacement are displayed on the display means. The PET bottle volume reducing device according to claim 1, characterized in that in the normal mode, information to remove the label or cap is displayed on the display means.

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