JP7673151B2 - Transaction data processing device and program - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a transaction data processing device and a program.

Conventionally, there is a known system known as an electronic receipt, in which a receipt or invoice given to a shopper by a store when paying for a product is electronically transferred to the shopper's mobile terminal, etc.

By converting receipts into electronic data in this way, household accounts can be automatically recorded electronically, which is beneficial for shoppers. In addition, the introduction of electronic receipts is also beneficial for the stores that introduce them, as it reduces the consumption of receipt paper.

In addition, a technology has been proposed for devices capable of printing out data on paper and outputting electronic receipts, in which the output destination is determined based on necessity information indicating whether or not printing out is required and set in advance for each customer.

Incidentally, receipt data for printing is generally created in an unstructured format such as text data, but when this receipt data is provided as an electronic receipt, there is a problem in that it is inconvenient in terms of data management. For this reason, technology that can improve the convenience of electronic receipts is desired.

A transaction data processing device according to an embodiment includes a generating means, a converting means, a display control means, and an outputting means. The generating means generates receipt data including at least details of a transaction in an unstructured format. The converting means converts the receipt data into a structured format different from the unstructured format when the receipt data includes a customer code for identifying a customer. The display control means displays, on a display unit, an output destination selection screen in which either one or both of a printing device and an electronic receipt management server can be selected as an output destination of the receipt data when the receipt data includes the customer code , during a product sales data process in which product data specified by a product code of a product purchased by the customer is read from a product data file and a payment amount is calculated based on a unit price included in the product data . When the selected output destination includes an electronic receipt management server, the outputting means outputs the receipt data converted into the structured format by the converting means to the electronic receipt management server, and when the selected output destination includes a printing device, outputs the receipt data in the unstructured format generated by the generating means to the printing device. The display unit has at least a customer display facing the customer conducting a transaction, and the display control means causes the output destination selection screen to be displayed on the customer display.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an electronic receipt system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a transition diagram showing an example of screen transition during customer membership registration. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the main parts of the POS terminal. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of the electronic receipt server. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of the electronic receipt management server. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of a mobile terminal. FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram relating to electronic receipt processing in the POS terminal. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of receipt data. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of an electronic receipt. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of electronic receipt processing in the POS terminal. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an output destination selection screen displayed on the display unit of the POS terminal. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of the electronic receipt management process and the information transmission process in the electronic receipt server. FIG. 13 is a functional block diagram relating to the electronic receipt management process and the product information transmission process in the electronic receipt management server. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the flow of the electronic receipt management process and the product information transmission process in the electronic receipt management server. FIG. 15 is a functional block diagram relating to an electronic receipt receiving process and an electronic receipt viewing process in a mobile terminal. FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the flow of an electronic receipt receiving process and an electronic receipt viewing process in the mobile terminal. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of an electronic receipt displayed on the display unit of the mobile terminal.

One embodiment of this invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an electronic receipt system according to an embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the electronic receipt system has a POS (Point of Sales) terminal 1, a store server 2, an electronic receipt server 3, an electronic receipt management server 4, a promotion setting terminal 5, a promotion management server 6, and a mobile terminal 7.

The POS terminal 1 and store server 2 are provided in the store P1. The POS terminal 1 and store server 2 are connected to be able to communicate with each other via an in-store network N1 such as a LAN (Local Area Network). The POS terminal 1 and store server 2 can also be connected to a network N2 that connects the store P1 and the headquarters P2 via a network device (not shown) such as a router connected to the in-store network N1. Here, the network N2 is, for example, a dedicated line such as the Internet or a VPN (Virtual Private Network).

The POS terminal 1 is a product sales data processing device that executes product sales data processing. The POS terminal 1 generates receipt data including transaction details of the product to be paid for, and outputs a paper receipt by printing the receipt data with a printer 13 described below. The POS terminal 1 also outputs (transmits) an electronic receipt in which the data format of the receipt data has been converted to the electronic receipt server 3 via the network N2. There is no particular restriction on the method of transmitting the electronic receipt, and general-purpose protocols such as HTTP and HTTPS may be used. There is no particular restriction on the number of POS terminals 1 provided in the store P1, and there may be more than one.

The store server 2 performs overall management of the product sales data processing performed by the POS terminal 1. For example, the store server 2 stores and manages the product sales data generated by the product sales data processing of the POS terminal 1, and stores and manages product data files used in the product sales data processing.

The number of POS terminals 1 placed in store P1 is not limited, and may be more than one. In this embodiment, the POS terminal 1 outputs an electronic receipt, but the present invention is not limited to this. The receipt data generated by the POS terminal 1 may be converted in data format by the store server 2 or a conversion device (not shown) and output to the electronic receipt server 3 as an electronic receipt.

The electronic receipt server 3 is installed in the headquarters P2 of a company that operates a store or chain store (hereinafter referred to as a store), and functions as a receipt management server for the company that manages receipt data for each company that operates the store. The electronic receipt server 3 has functions such as sales management, sales analysis, and inventory management for the company that operates the store.

The electronic receipt server 3 also receives the electronic receipt sent from the POS terminal 1 via the network N2. The electronic receipt server 3 also sends the received electronic receipt to the electronic receipt management server 4 via the network N3 that connects the headquarters P2 and the electronic receipt center P3.

Here, the network N3 is, for example, a dedicated line such as the Internet or a VPN. In addition, there is no particular restriction on the method for transmitting the electronic receipt, and a general-purpose protocol such as HTTP or HTTPS may be used.

The electronic receipt management server 4 is provided in the electronic receipt center P3. The electronic receipt center P3 is, for example, a third-party organization other than a company that manages receipt data in the electronic receipt server 3. The electronic receipt server 3 may also be managed by a third-party organization, etc.

The electronic receipt management server 4 functions as a customer receipt management server that collectively manages receipt data from various companies that operate stores. The electronic receipt management server 4 stores and manages member data, such as the name and member code of each customer (member) who has registered as a member using the procedure described below, and destination information (e.g., email address) of the mobile terminal 7 to which electronic receipts are sent, in a member master stored in the database DB. Note that a member management server that stores and manages member data may be provided separately from the electronic receipt management server 4.

The electronic receipt management server 4 also receives the electronic receipt sent from the electronic receipt server 3 via the network N3, and stores and manages this electronic receipt in an electronic receipt management area 43a (described later) held in the database DB. In more detail, the electronic receipt includes elements such as the transaction details of the product (product sales data) as well as a membership code, and is managed in association with the membership data of the corresponding member.

The electronic receipt management server 4 also receives additional information such as campaign information related to a campaign for a specific product from a promotion setting terminal 5 connected via a network N4 described later, and stores and manages this additional information in an additional information management area 43b described later that is held in the database DB. More specifically, the additional information is managed in association with elements that meet certain conditions among the elements contained in the electronic receipt stored in the database DB.

When the electronic receipt management server 4 stores the electronic receipt in the database DB, it identifies the destination (mobile terminal 7) by referencing the destination information associated with the membership code of the electronic receipt. The electronic receipt management server 4 then transmits the electronic receipt stored in the database DB to the destination via the network N5, which will be described later. Note that if additional information is associated with the electronic receipt, the additional information is also transmitted to the destination.

When the electronic receipt management server 4 receives an electronic receipt inquiry specifying a membership code from a mobile terminal 7 connected via a network N5 (described later), the electronic receipt management server 4 extracts an electronic receipt corresponding to the membership code from the database DB and transmits it to the mobile terminal 7. Note that if additional information is associated with the electronic receipt, this additional information is also transmitted to the mobile terminal 7 that made the inquiry.

The promotion setting terminal 5 and the promotion management server 6 are provided at a consumer goods manufacturer P4 or the like. The promotion setting terminal 5 is a terminal device such as a PC (Personal Computer) and transmits additional information to the electronic receipt management server 4 via a network N4. Here, the network N4 is, for example, a dedicated line such as the Internet or a VPN. In addition, there is no particular restriction on the method of transmitting the additional information, and a general-purpose protocol such as HTTP or HTTPS may be used.

The mobile terminal 7 is a terminal device used by a user (customer) of the system, such as a smartphone, a mobile phone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), or a tablet computer. The mobile terminal 7 is equipped with an application such as a web browser for viewing various information provided on the network N5. Note that a terminal device such as a PC may be used instead of the mobile terminal 7.

The mobile terminal 7 accesses the electronic receipt management server 4 via the network N5 to register as a member of the system. Here, the network N5 is the Internet or any of various public networks.

In this system, a customer's membership registration is performed, for example, in the following procedure. The customer sends a blank email from the mobile terminal 7 to the electronic receipt management server 4 via the network N5. The electronic receipt management server 4 sends a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) indicating a page for membership registration to the received email address. The customer accesses the URL indicating the page for membership registration from the mobile terminal 7 and displays an input screen for inputting the information required for membership registration (name, destination information, etc.). After the customer has finished inputting the necessary information, the electronic receipt management server 4 executes the membership registration in the membership master. After that, the electronic receipt management server 4 delivers a membership registration completion email including a membership code (customer code) and password to the mobile terminal 7. This completes the membership registration.

After the member registration as described above, the mobile terminal 7 displays the customer's membership code as a code symbol CS, such as a barcode or two-dimensional code, on the display unit 73, as shown in FIG. 2. When settling a transaction at store P1, the customer presents the code symbol CS displayed on the mobile terminal 7 to a store clerk. The store clerk reads the code symbol CS displayed on the mobile terminal 7 with a code scanner 15 (see FIG. 3) connected to the POS terminal 1. This makes it possible to associate the customer's membership code with receipt data generated after settlement through product sales data processing in the POS terminal 1.

After a payment (transaction) is made at the POS terminal 1, the mobile terminal 7 receives an electronic receipt for the transaction sent from the electronic receipt management server 4 via the network N5. By sending an electronic receipt inquiry specifying a membership code to the electronic receipt management server 4 via the network N5, the mobile terminal 7 receives an electronic receipt for the member from the electronic receipt management server 4. The mobile terminal 7 displays the received electronic receipt on the display unit 73 (described later) (see FIG. 17).

Furthermore, if additional information is associated with the received electronic receipt, the mobile terminal 7 displays an icon or the like that instructs the user to apply for a plan related to the campaign based on this additional information (see FIG. 17). For example, the icon can be set with connection destination information (such as a URL) that indicates the destination to apply for the plan (e.g., the promotion management server 6). In this case, when the mobile terminal 7 accepts an operation on the icon, it accesses the promotion management server 6 via the network N5 and executes the process related to the application.

The promotion management server 6 is a server device that accepts access from the mobile terminal 7 connected via the network N5. The promotion management server 6 has an entry master that manages the application history for each campaign type in association with a membership code for identifying each member. When the promotion management server 6 receives an application for a campaign from the mobile terminal 7 via the network N5, it manages the application history for each campaign type in association with the membership code. When the mobile terminal 7 accesses the promotion management server 6, it transmits the membership code related to the user (member) of its own device that is stored in receipt data or the like.

In the electronic receipt system configured as above, an electronic receipt (receipt data) indicating the details of a transaction (payment) generated by processing product sales data at the POS terminal 1 in store P1 is transmitted to the electronic receipt management server 4 via the electronic receipt server 3 and published on the Web. Therefore, a mobile terminal 7 equipped with a Web browser can download the receipt data published on the Web to the mobile terminal 7 and view it on the Web browser by specifying a URL (Uniform Resource Locator). Note that an application for viewing receipt data may be installed on the mobile terminal 7 to view the data.

Next, we will explain the configuration of the main devices that make up the electronic receipt system of this embodiment.

First, the POS terminal 1, which is a product sales data processing device, will be described. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the POS terminal 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the POS terminal 1 has a control unit 11 that performs various calculations and controls each unit of the POS terminal 1. The control unit 11 is a computer made up of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores various programs and data, a RAM (Random Access Memory) that temporarily stores various programs and rewrites various data, and an RTC (Real Time Clock) that keeps track of the current date and time.

The control unit 11 is connected to the operation unit 12, printer 13, display unit 14, and code scanner 15 via a bus 18.

The operation unit 12 has various operation keys that allow the operator to perform operation input. Examples of operation keys include number keys for inputting numerical values, cursor keys and selection confirmation keys for selecting a specific item, a subtotal key for instructing the output of the total of products for which sales are registered in a transaction, and a closing key for declaring that a transaction has been closed and the price has been settled.

The printer 13 is a printer device that prints receipts, journals, etc. The printer 13 is equipped with a cutting mechanism (not shown) that cuts the paper, such as roll paper, that is the subject of printing, and cuts the paper according to a cut command, which will be described later.

The display unit 14 is, for example, an LCD display, and displays various information such as the name and price of the product registered for sale, the total amount of a transaction for which payment has been declared, and the amount of change. The display unit 14 is equipped with an operator display 14a that displays various information to the cashier, and a customer display 14b that displays various information to the customer. The display unit 14 may also be configured as a touch panel, in which case the touch panel functions as the operation unit 12.

The code scanner 15 is a scanner device that optically reads code symbols such as barcodes and two-dimensional codes. The code scanner 15 reads, for example, a code symbol attached to a product or a code symbol displayed on the mobile terminal 7, and outputs the information stored in the code symbol to the control unit 11. It is assumed that the code symbol attached to the product holds a product code or the like for identifying the product. It is also assumed that the code symbol displayed on the mobile terminal 7 holds a membership code (customer code) or the like for identifying the customer carrying the mobile terminal 7.

The control unit 11 is also connected to a communication I/F (interface) 16 via a bus 18, and can connect to an in-store network N1 and network N2 via this communication I/F 16.

The control unit 11 is also connected to the storage unit 17 via the bus 18. The storage unit 17 is an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD). The storage unit 17 stores programs for executing various POS operations including product sales data processing. The storage unit 17 also stores various data files related to product sales data processing, such as product data files that store product data such as the product name, product code, and unit price of each product. The storage unit 17 also stores a receipt data processing program 17a for performing product sales data processing and processing related to receipt data.

The storage unit 17 also stores in the identification code management area 17b a POS number for distinguishing the POS terminal 1 from other POS terminals 1, a company code (identification code of the company that operates the store), an industry/business type code, a store code indicating the store P1 in which the POS terminal 1 is installed, and the like. Here, the industry/business type code is a code (classification code) that distinguishes the industry/business type of the store, such as a convenience store, supermarket, department store, pharmacy, restaurant, or eating and drinking establishment. Note that such industry/business type can be changed at the user's discretion. The company code (identification code of the company that operates the store) and industry/business type code may be registered in the electronic receipt server 3.

The memory unit 17 also stores a receipt data schema 17c that describes the conversion rules for converting unstructured receipt data into structured receipt data (hereinafter referred to as an electronic receipt).

Next, the configuration of the electronic receipt server 3 that functions as a receipt management server for a company will be explained using the block diagram in FIG. 4. The electronic receipt server 3 has a control unit 31 that performs various calculations and controls each unit of the electronic receipt server 3. The control unit 31 is a computer that is made up of a CPU, a ROM that stores various programs and data, a RAM that temporarily stores various programs and rewrites various data, an RTC unit that keeps track of the current date and time, etc.

The control unit 31 can be connected to the network N2 and the network N3 via the communication I/F 32 connected to the bus 34. The control unit 31 is also connected to the memory unit 33 via the bus 34.

The memory unit 33 stores electronic receipts for each company that operates a store in the electronic receipt management area 33a. The electronic receipt includes a company code (an identification code for the company that operates the store), an industry/business type code, a store code, a customer's membership code, the POS number of the POS terminal 1, a receipt number, product sales data, etc.

The storage unit 33 also stores an electronic receipt management program 33b for managing electronic receipts in the electronic receipt management area 33a. The storage unit 33 also stores an information transmission program 33c for transmitting receipt data managed in the electronic receipt management area 33a to the electronic receipt management server 4.

Next, the configuration of the electronic receipt management server 4 that functions as a customer receipt management server will be described using the block diagram in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 5, the electronic receipt management server 4 has a control unit 41 that performs various calculations and controls each unit of the electronic receipt management server 4. The control unit 41 is a computer that is composed of a CPU, a ROM that stores various programs and data, a RAM that temporarily stores various programs and rewrites various data, an RTC unit that keeps track of the current date and time, etc.

The control unit 41 can be connected to the networks N3, N4, and N5 via the communication I/F 42 connected to the bus 44. The control unit 41 is also connected to the memory unit 43 via the bus 44.

The memory unit 43 has a member master management area (not shown) for storing and managing member master data, as well as an electronic receipt management area 43a for collectively storing electronic receipts from various companies that operate stores. More specifically, the electronic receipt management area 43a manages electronic receipts from various companies that operate stores for each member.

The electronic receipt includes a membership code, a company code (an identification code for the company that operates the store), a store code, the POS number of the POS terminal 1, a receipt number, product sales data (including date and time data), etc. Therefore, for example, a consumer goods manufacturer can obtain unique proof information for purchased products related to that manufacturer from this electronic receipt under specific conditions (for example, limited to a specific company that operates a store, limited to a specific region, limited to a specific time, etc.). Consumer goods manufacturers are manufacturers of food, beverages, clothing, cosmetics, medicines, household goods, etc.

The memory unit 43 also stores various additional information in the additional information management area 43b in association with the desired product (product code), member (member code), company (company code), and store (store code). Here, the additional information is, for example, the desired product information and campaign information related to a campaign associated with specific conditions (for example, a specific company that operates a store, a specific area, a specific store, a specific time, etc.). The additional information includes access information such as a URL that links to a homepage associated with a company's campaign, a URL that links to a homepage associated with a company's commercial, and a URL that links to a company's coupon.

The storage unit 43 also stores a member management program (not shown) for managing the member master in the member master area, as well as an electronic receipt management program 43c for managing each company's electronic receipt and additional information in the electronic receipt management area 43a and additional information management area 43b. The storage unit 43 also stores an information transmission program 43d for transmitting electronic receipts and additional information of desired products to the mobile terminal 7. The member master management area, electronic receipt management area 43a, and additional information management area 43b correspond to the database DB shown in FIG. 1.

Next, the configuration of the mobile terminal 7 will be described using the block diagram of FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 6, the mobile terminal 7 has a control unit 71 that performs overall control of various calculations and each unit of the mobile terminal 7. The control unit 71 is a computer that is composed of a CPU, a ROM that stores various programs and data, a RAM that temporarily stores various programs and rewrites various data, an RTC unit that keeps track of the current date and time, etc.

The operation unit 72 is connected to the operation unit 72 and the display unit 73 via the bus 76. The operation unit 72 has various operation keys and a pointing device for the user (customer) to input operations. The display unit 73 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and displays various information such as an electronic receipt, which will be described later. The display unit 73 may be configured as a touch panel, in which case the touch panel functions as the operation unit 72.

The control unit 71 is also connected to a communication I/F 74 via a bus 76, and can be connected to a network N5 via this communication I/F 74. Note that the control unit 71 may also be configured to be connectable to an in-store network N1 via the communication I/F 74.

The control unit 71 is also connected to the storage unit 75 via the bus 76. The storage unit 75 stores a web browser for viewing various information (content) published on the web, as well as an electronic receipt compatible program 75a for receiving electronic receipts from the electronic receipt management server 4 and an electronic receipt viewing program 75b for viewing the received receipt data.

Next, we will explain the operation of each part that makes up the system of this embodiment.

First, the electronic receipt processing executed by the control unit 11 of the POS terminal 1 operating in accordance with the receipt data processing program 17a will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 11.

As shown in FIG. 7, the receipt data processing program 17a executed by the POS terminal 1 has a modular configuration including a receipt data generation unit 111 that functions as a receipt data generation means and a customer code acquisition means, and a receipt data output unit 112 that functions as an output means and a conversion means. In terms of actual hardware, the CPU of the control unit 11 reads and executes the receipt data processing program 17a from the storage unit 17, loading the above-mentioned units onto the RAM, and generating the receipt data generation unit 111 and receipt data output unit 112 on the RAM.

The receipt data generation unit 111 is a functional unit corresponding to an existing application that mainly processes product sales data and generates data for printing receipts (receipt data). When the receipt data generation unit 111 acquires a product code that identifies a product via the code scanner 15, it executes product sales data processing to read product data corresponding to the product code from a product data file and calculate the payment amount based on the unit price contained in this product data. The receipt data generation unit 111 then generates the product sales data processed during the product sales data processing, i.e., receipt data including the transaction details for that product.

In addition, when the receipt data generation unit 111 acquires a membership code that identifies a customer via the code scanner 15 at any time during a transaction, it generates receipt data that includes the membership code.

Figure 8 is a diagram showing a schematic example of receipt data. Here, receipt data is unstructured text data or the like, and is used for printing by the printer 13. As shown in Figure 8, receipt data includes the above-mentioned product sales data D1 and membership code D2. Here, product sales data D1 includes the product names (product codes) of the products that were the subject of payment and their prices, the total price of each product, the amount deposited by the customer, the amount of change, etc.

The receipt data also includes elements such as a company code (company name) D3 indicating the company that operates the store, a store code (store name) D4, the store's telephone number D5, address D6, transaction date and time D7, transaction number (receipt number) D8, register number D9, and person in charge D10. Note that the elements included in the receipt data are not limited to the example in FIG. 8, and may include other elements such as industry/business type codes, or elements such as the telephone number D5 and address D6 may be removed.

When the receipt data generation unit 111 receives a press of the closing key, it determines that the product sales data processing for one transaction is complete, and outputs (issues) the generated receipt data together with a cut command to the receipt data output unit 112. The cut command is one of the commonly used printer control commands, and is instruction information that instructs the cutting of the paper on which the receipt data is printed. Note that receipt data may be generated all at once when the closing key is pressed, or may be generated sequentially each time a product code or customer code is obtained.

The receipt data output unit 112 determines the output destination of receipt data for one transaction each time the receipt data generation unit 111 generates that receipt data. More specifically, when a cut command is issued by the receipt data generation unit 111, the receipt data output unit 112 determines that receipt data for one transaction has been generated. The receipt data output unit 112 then determines whether or not a membership code is included in the generated receipt data, and outputs the receipt data to an output destination determined according to the result of that determination.

Specifically, if the receipt data output unit 112 determines that the receipt data does not include a membership code, it outputs the receipt data to the printer 13 along with a cut command. The printer 13 then prints the receipt data on paper and then cuts the paper in accordance with the cut command, thereby printing out a paper receipt for one transaction. Note that when printing out the receipt data, all of the elements that make up the receipt data may be printed out, or the membership code may be removed, or other information such as advertising may be added.

If the receipt data output unit 112 determines that the receipt data contains a membership code, it converts the receipt data into a specified data format in accordance with the conversion rules of the receipt data schema 17c. The receipt data output unit 112 then transmits (outputs) the receipt data with the converted data format, i.e., the electronic receipt, to the electronic receipt server 3, which is managed on a company basis according to the company code.

Here, FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a schematic example of an electronic receipt. As shown in FIG. 9, an electronic receipt is composed of data (structured document) in a structured format such as XML or CSV. Note that FIG. 9 shows an example in which each element (D1 to D10) of the receipt data shown in FIG. 8 has been converted into XML format.

The receipt data is converted into an electronic receipt based on the conversion rules described in the receipt data schema 17c. Specifically, the receipt data schema 17c defines the specific elements that make up the receipt data and attribute information (tags, etc.) that indicates the attributes of those elements. The receipt data output unit 112 generates an electronic receipt in a structured format as shown in FIG. 9 by structuring each element of the receipt data using the corresponding attribute information. By creating an electronic receipt in such a structured format, the elements included in the electronic receipt can be used efficiently, providing various advantages in terms of data management.

In this way, the receipt data output unit 112 determines that receipt data for one transaction has been generated by the receipt data generation unit 111 issuing a cut command, and begins outputting that receipt data. This eliminates the need for the receipt data generation unit 111 to send a dedicated signal to the receipt data output unit 112 to instruct the end of one transaction, so receipt data output unit 112 can output receipt data for one transaction without making any particular changes to the receipt data generation unit 111 that is compatible with existing applications. Furthermore, because the changes to the receipt data generation unit 111 can be kept to a minimum, it is possible to realize the function of outputting electronic receipts while efficiently reusing existing applications.

The receipt data output unit 112 also determines the output destination of the receipt data depending on whether or not the receipt data includes a membership code. This makes it possible to output a paper receipt or an electronic receipt without having to prepare information on whether a paper receipt is required for each customer, making it possible to efficiently determine the output destination of the receipt data. Also, for example, a customer (member) can select whether to output a paper receipt or an electronic receipt by inputting or not inputting a membership code for each transaction, thereby improving customer convenience.

Furthermore, when the receipt data output unit 112 outputs receipt data to the electronic receipt server 3, it converts the elements included in the receipt data into a structured electronic receipt and outputs the electronic receipt. This allows the elements included in the electronic receipt to be used efficiently, improving the convenience of the electronic receipt in the electronic receipt server 3 and electronic receipt management server 4 that manage the electronic receipt, and in the mobile terminal 7 that displays the electronic receipt.

Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of electronic receipt processing in the POS terminal 1. First, the receipt data generation unit 111 of the POS terminal 1 determines whether the code symbol (product code) attached to the product or the code symbol (membership code) displayed on the mobile terminal 7 has been read by the code scanner 15 (step S11). If the code symbol has not been read (step S11; No), the receipt data generation unit 111 proceeds to step S16.

On the other hand, when the receipt data generation unit 111 determines that the code symbol has been read (step S11; Yes), it determines whether the information obtained by the reading is a product code or a membership code (step S12).

If a product code is acquired in step S12 (step S12; product code), the receipt data generation unit 111 reads product data for the product identified by the product code from the product data file, and executes product sales data processing to calculate the payment amount based on the unit price contained in this product data (step S13). Next, the receipt data generation unit 111 generates receipt data including the product sales data processed during the product sales data processing (step S14).

Also, if a membership code is obtained in step S12 (step S12; membership code), the receipt data generation unit 111 generates receipt data including the membership code (step S15).

To input the membership code into the POS terminal 1, for example, the customer who is a member displays a code symbol including the membership code on the display unit 73 of the mobile terminal 7, and a store clerk or the customer who is a member reads it with the code scanner 15 of the POS terminal 1. The receipt data generation unit 111 may be configured to perform an exclusive process so that the membership code input during one transaction is unique.

In the next step S16, the receipt data generation unit 111 determines whether or not the start of closing processing has been instructed by pressing the closing key, etc. (step S16). If the start of closing processing has not been instructed (step S16; No), the process returns to step S11. If the start of closing processing has been instructed (step S16; Yes), the receipt data generation unit 111 issues (outputs) a cut command to the receipt data output unit 112 (step S17).

When the receipt data output unit 112 receives a cut command from the receipt data generation unit 111, it determines that receipt data for one transaction has been generated and determines whether the receipt data includes a membership code (step S18).

If the receipt data does not include a membership code (step S18: No), the receipt data output unit 112 outputs the receipt data for one transaction along with a cut command to the printer 13, prints out the receipt data (step S19), and ends this process. As a result, the printer 13 prints the receipt data on paper, and then cuts the paper in accordance with the cut command, printing out a paper receipt for one transaction.

On the other hand, if the receipt data includes a membership code (step S18: Yes), the receipt data output unit 112 generates an electronic receipt by converting the unstructured data format of the receipt data into a structured format (step S20). The receipt data output unit 112 then transmits the generated electronic receipt to the electronic receipt server 3 via the communication I/F 16 (step S21), and ends this process.

In the above process, if the receipt data contains a membership code, the receipt data is output to the electronic receipt server 3, but this is not limited to the above, and the receipt data may be output to both the printer 13 and the electronic receipt server 3.

In addition, if the receipt data includes a membership code, the output destination of the receipt data may be selectable. For example, the mobile terminal 7 may store output category information specifying the output destination of the receipt data in the displayed code symbol CS, and select the output destination based on this output category information. In this case, the receipt data generation unit 111 includes the output category information read by the code scanner 15 in the receipt data together with the membership code. Then, if the receipt data output unit 112 determines that the receipt data includes a membership code and that output category information exists, it determines the output destination of the receipt data based on the output category information. Note that the output category information can specify either the printer 13 or the electronic receipt server 3, or both.

It is also possible to have the user select the output destination of the receipt data each time a product is paid for. When using this configuration, for example, if the receipt data output unit 112 determines that the receipt data contains a membership code, it displays an output destination selection screen on the display unit 14 to select the output destination of the receipt data.

Here, FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the output destination selection screen G1 displayed on the display unit 14. As shown in the figure, the output destination selection screen G1 includes, as operators for specifying the output destination of the receipt data, a first button B1 for specifying the printer 13, a second button B2 for specifying the electronic receipt server 3, and a third button B3 for specifying both the printer 13 and the electronic receipt server 3. When using this output destination selection screen G1, the operator of the POS terminal 1 confirms with the customer the output destination of the receipt data and operates the operator for the output destination selected by the customer. Then, when the receipt data output unit 112 accepts the operation of the operator, it outputs the receipt data to the output destination corresponding to that operator.

The selection screen may be displayed not only on the operator display 14a but also on the customer display 14b. If the customer display 14b is a touch panel, the customer may select the output destination.

In addition, during product sales data processing, the output destination of the receipt data may be confirmed with the customer. When this form is used, the receipt data generation unit 111 displays an output destination selection screen G1 or the like on the display unit 14, and includes the output destination corresponding to the operated operator as output category information in the receipt data. Then, when the receipt data includes a membership code and output category information, the receipt data output unit 112 determines the output destination of the receipt data based on the output category information.

In this way, when receipt data contains a membership code, the receipt data output unit 112 automatically selects the output destination of the receipt data, or accepts manual selection of the output destination. This allows for flexible switching of the method for determining the output destination, making it possible to efficiently determine the output destination of the receipt data.

Next, the flow of the electronic receipt management process executed by the control unit 31 of the electronic receipt server 3 operating according to the electronic receipt management program 33b and the information transmission process executed by the control unit 31 operating according to the information transmission program 33c will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 12.

When the control unit 31 of the electronic receipt server 3 receives the electronic receipt transmitted from the POS terminal 1 via the communication I/F 32 (step S31; Yes), it stores the electronic receipt in the electronic receipt management area 33a of the storage unit 33 as an electronic receipt for each company (step S32). Then, the control unit 31 of the electronic receipt server 3 transmits the electronic receipt stored in step S32 to the electronic receipt management server 4 (step S33) and returns to step S31.

When the preset transmission timing arrives (step S31; No → step S34; Yes), the control unit 31 of the electronic receipt server 3 transmits the electronic receipt stored and managed in the electronic receipt management area 33a to the electronic receipt management server 4 (step S35) and returns to step S31. By transmitting in step S35, for example, electronic receipts that were not selected as targets for transmission in step S33 can be transmitted to the electronic receipt management server 4. Note that in step S35, control may be performed so that only untransmitted electronic receipts are transmitted.

Next, the flow of the electronic receipt management process executed by the control unit 41 of the electronic receipt management server 4 operating according to the electronic receipt management program 43c and the product information transmission process executed by the control unit 41 operating according to the information transmission program 43d will be described with reference to the functional block diagram shown in FIG. 13 and the flowchart shown in FIG. 14.

As shown in FIG. 13, the electronic receipt management program 43c and the information transmission program 43d executed by the electronic receipt management server 4 are modularized to include a receiving unit 411 that functions as a receiving means, an electronic receipt management unit 412, and an electronic receipt transmission unit 413. As for actual hardware, the CPU of the control unit 41 reads out and executes the electronic receipt management program 43c and the information transmission program 43d from the storage unit 43, whereby the above-mentioned units are loaded onto the RAM, and the receiving unit 411, the electronic receipt management unit 412, and the electronic receipt transmission unit 413 are generated on the RAM.

The receiving unit 411 receives from the electronic receipt server 3 an electronic receipt for each company that includes a company code indicating the company that operates the store and is electronically processed in place of a receipt or invoice that is printed when processing product sales data.

The electronic receipt management unit 412 stores and manages the company-specific electronic receipts received by the receiving unit 411 in the electronic receipt management area 43a of the storage unit 43. The electronic receipt management unit 412 also stores and manages additional information such as campaign information related to a campaign associated with elements of a desired product and specific conditions (e.g., limited to a specific company that operates a store, limited to a specific region, limited to a specific time, etc.) in the additional information management area 43b of the storage unit 43.

The electronic receipt transmission unit 413 obtains an electronic receipt that is associated with a membership code of a specific shopper and includes at least one company code from the electronic receipt management area 43a and transmits it to the mobile terminal 7 that is associated with the membership code of the specific shopper. In addition, if additional information is associated with an element that constitutes the electronic receipt, the electronic receipt transmission unit 413 obtains the additional information from the additional information management area 43b and transmits it together with the electronic receipt.

As shown in FIG. 14, the receiving unit 411 of the electronic receipt management server 4 determines whether or not an electronic receipt transmitted from each company's electronic receipt server 3 has been received via the communication I/F 42 (step S41).

When an electronic receipt is received (step S41; Yes), the electronic receipt management unit 412 of the electronic receipt management server 4 stores electronic receipts of various companies in the electronic receipt management area 43a of the storage unit 43 (step S42). If there is additional information related to the elements of the stored electronic receipt (product code, membership code, company code, store code, etc.), the additional information is associated with the elements. Next, the electronic receipt transmission unit 413 transmits the electronic receipt stored in step S42 to a destination (mobile terminal 7) managed in association with the membership code of the electronic receipt (step S43), and returns to step S41. Also, in step S43, if additional information is associated with the electronic receipt, this additional information is also transmitted to the destination.

When an electronic receipt inquiry is received from the mobile terminal 7 (step S41; No → step S44; Yes), the electronic receipt sending unit 413 of the electronic receipt management server 4 extracts the electronic receipt stored and managed in the electronic receipt management area 43a according to the content of the electronic receipt inquiry (step S45), and then sends it to the mobile terminal 7 that made the inquiry (step S46), and returns to step S41. When additional information is associated with the electronic receipt in step S46, this additional information is also sent to the mobile terminal 7 that made the inquiry.

Next, the flow of the electronic receipt receiving process executed by the control unit 71 of the mobile terminal 7 operating according to the electronic receipt compatible program 75a and the flow of the electronic receipt viewing process executed by the control unit 71 operating according to the electronic receipt viewing program 75b will be described with reference to Figures 15 to 17.

As shown in FIG. 15, the electronic receipt compatible program 75a and the electronic receipt viewing program 75b executed by the mobile terminal 7 are modularized to include a member association unit 711, an electronic receipt receiving unit 712, and an electronic receipt display unit 713. In terms of actual hardware, the CPU of the control unit 71 reads out and executes the electronic receipt compatible program 75a and the electronic receipt viewing program 75b from the storage unit 75, thereby loading the above-mentioned units onto the RAM, and the member association unit 711, the electronic receipt receiving unit 712, and the electronic receipt display unit 713 are generated on the RAM.

The member matching unit 711 matches the member code of a specific shopper. The electronic receipt receiving unit 712 receives an electronic receipt from the electronic receipt management server 4. The electronic receipt display unit 713 displays the electronic receipt received by the electronic receipt receiving unit 712 on the display unit 73.

As shown in FIG. 16, first, the member association unit 711 of the mobile terminal 7 accesses the electronic receipt management server 4 and executes authentication processing by inputting a member code and a password (step S51). This associates the mobile terminal 7 with the member code of the specified shopper.

After authentication, the electronic receipt receiving unit 712 of the mobile terminal 7 receives the electronic receipt stored and managed in the electronic receipt management area 43a of the electronic receipt management server 4 in correspondence with the input membership code (step S52). In addition, if additional information is associated with the electronic receipt, this additional information is also received from the electronic receipt management server 4. Note that receipt data may be received by email.

Next, the electronic receipt display unit 713 of the mobile terminal 7 displays the electronic receipt etc. received by the electronic receipt receiving unit 712 on the display unit 73 (step S53), and ends the process.

Figure 17 is a diagram showing an example of an electronic receipt G2 displayed on the display unit 73 of the mobile terminal 7. The electronic receipt G2 is displayed with the same layout and content as a receipt printed on paper. In addition, in the electronic receipt G2, the cursor that follows the input of the operation unit 72 can be used to focus on product a, etc., which indicates the transacted product. Also, Figure 17 shows an example in which the electronic receipt G2 has a store name logo section G21 that displays the store logo, a banner display section G22 that displays advertisements, etc.

The display format of the receipt data does not necessarily have to match the image of a receipt printed on paper. However, receipt data is a substitute for a paper receipt, and serves as electronic product purchase proof information that proves that a product has been purchased. Therefore, FIG. 17 shows an example in which the following information is displayed for use when presenting the product purchase proof information:
・Store name ・Purchase date and time ・Purchase details ・Total amount of sales ・Deposit amount ・Change amount ・Cash register number ・Transaction number

Here, if a URL (access information) of a promotion management server 6 or the like is set as additional information for any of the products a, this URL is linked to the corresponding product name, and an icon b or the like that acts as an operator for instructing access to this URL is displayed.

For example, if the access destination indicated by the URL is a server device (e.g., promotion management server 6) that accepts applications for a specific campaign, the control unit 71 of the mobile terminal 7 accesses the promotion management server 6 in response to pressing of icon b or the like, and executes processing related to the application. When accessing the access destination, the membership code of the mobile terminal 7 stored in receipt data or the like may be transmitted. The promotion management server 6 then manages the application history for each campaign type in association with the membership code for identifying each member.

When multiple receipt data are received, a selection screen may be displayed that allows selection of each receipt data based on the purchase date, company code, etc. included in the receipt data. In this case, the electronic receipt display unit 713 displays the receipt data selected from the selection screen on the display unit 73.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, modifications, and combinations can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims.

For example, in the above embodiment, the membership code etc. is acquired using the code scanner 15, but this is not limiting, and other methods may be used to acquire the membership code etc. Specifically, the POS terminal 1 and the mobile terminal 7 may be equipped with a short-range wireless communication unit such as NFC (Near Field Communication) or Bluetooth (registered trademark), so that the membership code etc. can be transmitted and received via short-range wireless communication. In this case, the mobile terminal 7 stores the membership code etc. in the memory unit 75 or an IC tag (not shown) or the like.

In the above embodiment, the membership code and the like are obtained from the mobile terminal 7, but this is not limiting and the membership code may be obtained from a medium capable of holding the membership code, such as an IC card or a magnetic card. When an IC card is used, the POS terminal 1 is equipped with a reading/writing unit such as an IC card reader/writer. When a magnetic card is used, the POS terminal 1 is equipped with a card reader/writer for magnetic cards.

In the above embodiment, the electronic receipt server 3 is provided at the headquarters P2, but the present invention is not limited to this, and an electronic receipt server 3 for the store may be provided within the store P1. In this case, the POS terminal 1 outputs an electronic receipt to the electronic receipt server 3 connected to the in-store network N1 of the store, and the electronic receipt server 3 transmits the electronic receipt to the electronic receipt management server 4 via the in-store network N1 and the network N2.

In the above embodiment, the electronic receipt generated by the POS terminal 1 is output to the electronic receipt management server 4 via the electronic receipt server 3, but this is not limited thereto. The electronic receipt may be directly output to the electronic receipt management server 4 by accessing the electronic receipt management server 4 from the POS terminal 1 via the network N3.

In the above embodiment, the mobile terminal 7 receives the electronic receipt via the electronic receipt management server 4, but this is not limiting and the electronic receipt may be received directly from the POS terminal 1. In this case, the POS terminal 1 outputs the generated electronic receipt to the mobile terminal 7 connected via the in-store network N1 or a short-range wireless communication unit (not shown). In this case, the POS terminal 1 may also perform authentication processing.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the product data file is stored by the POS terminal 1, but this is not limited to the above, and the store server 2 may store the product data file so that it can be referenced by the POS terminal 1.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 POS terminal 2 Store server 3 Electronic receipt server 4 Electronic receipt management server 5 Promotion setting terminal 6 Promotion management server 7 Mobile terminal 11 Control unit 12 Operation unit 13 Printer 14 Display unit 15 Code scanner 16 Communication I/F
17 Storage unit 17a Receipt data processing program 17b Identification code management area 17c Receipt data schema 18 Bus 111 Receipt data generation unit 112 Receipt data output unit

JP 2011-90375 A

Claims (6)

A generating means for generating receipt data including at least the content of a transaction in an unstructured format;
a conversion means for converting the receipt data into a structured format different from the unstructured format when the receipt data includes a customer code for identifying a customer;
a display control means for displaying, on a display unit, an output destination selection screen that allows the user to select either or both of a printing device and an electronic receipt management server as the output destination of the receipt data when the receipt data includes the customer code, during a product sales data process that reads out product data specified by the product code of the product purchased by the customer from a product data file and calculates a payment amount based on a unit price included in the product data;
an output means for outputting the receipt data converted into the structured format by the conversion means to the electronic receipt management server when the selected output destination includes an electronic receipt management server, and for outputting the receipt data in the unstructured format generated by the generation means to the printing device when the selected output destination includes a printing device;
Equipped with
The display unit has at least a customer display facing the customer who is conducting a transaction,
The display control means displays the output destination selection screen on the customer display. the display control means displays on the display unit the output destination selection screen having an operator capable of selecting either or both of the printing device and the electronic receipt management server as an output destination of the receipt data, and accepts the output destination corresponding to the operated operator as output classification information.
2. The transaction data processing device according to claim 1. the display unit has an operator display directed to an operator of the transaction data processing device,
the display control means causes the output destination selection screen to be displayed on the operator display instead of on the customer display ;
3. A transaction data processing device according to claim 1 or 2. A computer of the transaction data processing device,
A generating means for generating receipt data including at least the content of a transaction in an unstructured format;
a conversion means for converting the receipt data into a structured format different from the unstructured format when the receipt data includes a customer code for identifying a customer;
a display control means for displaying, on a display unit, an output destination selection screen that allows the user to select either or both of a printing device and an electronic receipt management server as the output destination of the receipt data when the receipt data includes the customer code, during a product sales data process that reads out product data specified by the product code of the product purchased by the customer from a product data file and calculates a payment amount based on a unit price included in the product data;
an output means for outputting the receipt data converted into the structured format by the conversion means to the electronic receipt management server when the selected output destination includes an electronic receipt management server, and for outputting the receipt data in the unstructured format generated by the generation means to the printing device when the selected output destination includes a printing device;
and make it work.
The display unit has at least a customer display facing the customer who is conducting a transaction,
The display control means is a program that causes the output destination selection screen to be displayed on the customer display. the display control means displays on the display unit the output destination selection screen having an operator capable of selecting either or both of the printing device and the electronic receipt management server as an output destination of the receipt data, and accepts the output destination corresponding to the operated operator as output classification information.
The program according to claim 4. the display unit has an operator display directed to an operator of the transaction data processing device,
the display control means causes the output destination selection screen to be displayed on the operator display instead of on the customer display ;
The program according to claim 4 or 5.

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