JP7740682B2 - Weight determination device, product sales data processing system, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a weight determination device, a product sales data processing system, and a program.

In recent years, so-called self-checkout systems, in which customers register products and then pay, have become popular. For example, one known self-checkout system allows customers to register products by having a barcode attached to a tablet terminal attached to a shopping cart read a barcode, and then have the customer read electronic money into the card reader to pay (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-204446

However, with conventional technology, when scanning the barcodes attached to products, there is a risk of product registration being missed due to operational errors or fraud such as shoplifting. This can lead to customers taking the unregistered product home without paying for it. This has led to the problem that conventional technology is sometimes unable to conduct proper transactions.

The present invention was made in light of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide technology that can assist in conducting appropriate transactions.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one aspect of the present invention is a weight determination device that includes: an acquisition means that identifies the weight of a registered product based on a customer's registration operation in accordance with a weight identification method for that registered product and acquires a first weight derived from the identification result; a weighing means that measures a second weight indicating the weight of the item placed on the loading section; a determination means that compares the first weight acquired by the acquisition means with the second weight measured by the weighing means and determines whether the difference between the first weight and the second weight is within a predetermined range; and a notification means that executes a settlement process if the determination means determines that the result is yes, and notifies the user of product information that is believed to be the cause of the pass/fail if the determination means determines that the result is no.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, another aspect of the present invention is a product sales data processing system comprising: a portable registration device that generates registration information based on a customer's registration operation; and a settlement device that performs settlement based on the registration information. The settlement device is characterized by comprising: an acquisition means that identifies the weight of a registered product indicated in the registration information according to a weight identification method for that registered product and acquires a first weight derived from the identification result; a weighing means that measures a second weight indicating the weight of an item placed on a placement section; a determination means that compares the first weight acquired by the acquisition means with the second weight measured by the weighing means and determines whether the difference between the first weight and the second weight is within a predetermined range; and a notification means that executes settlement processing if the determination means determines that the result is positive; and a notification means that notifies the user of product information that is the cause of the difference if the determination is negative.

To solve the above-mentioned problems, another aspect of the present invention is a program that causes a computer used in a weight determination device to function as: a first acquisition means that identifies the weight of a registered product based on a customer's registration operation in accordance with a weight identification method for that registered product and acquires a first weight derived from the identification result; a second acquisition means that acquires a second weight from a weighing device that measures a second weight indicating the weight of an item placed on a loading section; a determination means that compares the first weight acquired by the first acquisition means with the second weight acquired by the second acquisition means and determines whether the difference between the first weight acquired by the first acquisition means and the second weight acquired by the second acquisition means is within a predetermined range; and a notification means that executes a settlement process if the determination means determines that the result is yes, and notifies product information that is considered to be the cause of the difference if the determination is no.

1 is an explanatory diagram showing a network configuration of a shopping system 1 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of installation of a POS terminal device 20. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a POS terminal device 20. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a mobile terminal device 30. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a product master 500 stored in the cloud server Sv. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of various information managed by a cloud server Sv. 1 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of processing from product registration to transaction completion in the shopping system 1. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a product registration process performed by the mobile terminal device 30. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a transaction completion process performed by the POS terminal 20. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a reserved product confirmation process performed by the POS terminal device 20. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a display 409 of a mobile terminal device 30. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the operation display unit 205 of the POS terminal 20. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the operation display unit 205 of the POS terminal 20. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the operation display unit 205 of the POS terminal 20. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the operation display unit 205 of the POS terminal 20. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the operation display unit 205 of the POS terminal 20. FIG. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a display 409 of a mobile terminal device 30 in Modification 1.

(Embodiment)
(Network Configuration of Shopping System 1)
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the network configuration of a shopping system 1 according to an embodiment. The shopping system 1 is an example of a product sales data processing system. The shopping system 1 can be installed in a variety of stores, such as supermarkets, home improvement stores, convenience stores, and general merchandise stores. In this specification, the terms "customer" and "client" are synonymous unless otherwise specified.

In FIG. 1, the shopping system 1 includes a cloud server Sv, a store controller (store computer, management device) 10, a transaction status management device 11, a POS (Point of Sales) terminal device 20, and a mobile terminal device 30. The POS terminal device 20 is an example of a weight determination device. The mobile terminal device 30 is an example of a portable registration device.

Each device and terminal is communicatively connected via a network. For example, the store controller 10, transaction status management device 11, and POS terminal device 20 are communicatively connected via a LAN (Local Area Network) 55. Each device and terminal is a computer device equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), a communication unit, etc.

The cloud server Sv is a server device that manages various types of information, such as customer information about customers, store information about stores, product information about products for each store (product master), and cart information that indicates a virtual cart. For example, cart information is generated as a virtual cart for each customer and updated based on code information read by the mobile terminal device 30. Cart identification information for identifying the cart (transaction and customer) is assigned to the cart information. The information managed (generated and stored) by the cloud server Sv will be described later using Figure 6.

The store controller 10 manages the POS terminal device 20 and weighing devices (not shown), and stores various information necessary for transactions, such as a product master. The product master is a file that stores product information such as product identification information (e.g., JAN (Japanese Article Number) code), product name, and sales price for each product. The product master also includes product identification information, product name, and unit price of products that require weighing (hereinafter referred to as "products subject to weight inspection"). In addition to the product master, the store controller 10 also stores various information such as inventory status, sales history, and deposit and withdrawal records. The store controller 10 may also store customer membership information.

The transaction status management device 11 monitors the POS terminal device 20 and a weighing device (not shown). Specifically, the transaction status management device 11 displays the status (processing status) of the POS terminal device 20 and controls the POS terminal device 20. The shopping system 1 may also include a terminal device carried by a store clerk. This terminal device, for example, displays the same content as that displayed on the transaction status management device 11 or notifies the store clerk to be called.

The POS terminal 20 is a computer device capable of processing payments (settlements) for products registered by the mobile terminal 30. In addition to processing payments for products registered by the mobile terminal 30, the POS terminal 20 can also process payments for products registered by its own terminal or another POS terminal 20, depending on the operating mode. In other words, in addition to processing payments, the POS terminal 20 can also perform registration processing to register products to be purchased (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "product registration").

Note that while Figure 1 illustrates an example of multiple POS terminals 20, there may be only one. In addition, in this embodiment, the device that performs the settlement is a POS terminal 20 that can register products depending on the operating mode, but this is not limited to this. For example, the device that performs the settlement may be a device dedicated to settlement.

The mobile terminal device 30 is a portable computer device such as a smartphone, tablet device, or mobile phone. The mobile terminal device 30 is equipped with a communication unit, an imaging unit (camera), a touch panel, etc., and is operated by the customer. In this embodiment, the mobile terminal device 30 is detachably attached to the shopping cart. However, the mobile terminal device 30 may also be installed in the shopping cart, i.e., it may not be detachable from the shopping cart. The mobile terminal device 30 may also be owned by the customer, or may be a loan item lent to the customer by the store.

Application software (hereinafter referred to as the "shopping app") for registering products related to the shopping system 1 and settling the account for registered products is installed on the mobile terminal device 30. By launching the shopping app, the mobile terminal device 30 scans (reads) the barcode (code information) attached to the product and accepts the product registration. When the mobile terminal device 30 reads the barcode attached to the product, it transmits the read information along with cart identification information to the cloud server Sv. As a result, the product information corresponding to the barcode is registered in the cart information (virtual cart) on the cloud server Sv.

When making a payment, the mobile terminal device 30 also encodes and displays the cart identification information assigned to the device. This code is, for example, a two-dimensional code (QR Code (registered trademark)), but it can also be a one-dimensional code (barcode). The customer has the POS terminal device 20 read this two-dimensional code (hereinafter referred to as the "payment code"). Once the POS terminal device 20 has read the payment code, it requests the cloud server Sv to send cart information (transaction information) indicated by the cart identification information. The POS terminal device 20 then receives the transaction information from the cloud server Sv in response to the transmission request, and is then able to make the payment. Note that, below, registered products may also be referred to as "registered products."

(Installation example of POS terminal device 20)
Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the installation of the POS terminal 20. In Figure 2, the POS terminal 20 is shown in perspective as seen from the customer side. As shown in Figure 2, a counter 230 is located on the right side of the POS terminal 20 as seen from the customer side. A weighing scale 231 is placed on the counter 230.

The scale 231 has a mounting section 231a. A shopping basket is placed on the mounting section 231a. The scale 231 weighs the items in the shopping basket that the customer purchases. The counter 230 and scale 231 are large enough to accommodate one shopping basket, but may be large enough to accommodate two or more shopping baskets, or multiple scales 231 may be connected. The counter 230 may also be located on the left side of the POS terminal 20 in the illustration. In other words, the counter 230 may be located on both sides of the POS terminal 20.

The mass (weight) measured by the scale 231 includes the weight of the shopping basket, so the weight is inspected by subtracting the weight of the shopping basket from the total weight of the purchased items. If there are multiple shopping baskets, the weight can be calculated based on a pre-set weight by accepting input of the number of items in the shopping basket.

The POS terminal 20 also includes a sign pole 220. The sign pole 220 includes a light-emitting unit. The light-emitting unit of the sign pole 220 is, for example, a lamp or LED (light emitting diode), and can light up in a predetermined color or a predetermined lighting pattern. The lighting pattern of the sign pole 220 indicates that the POS terminal 20 is in use or issues a warning. The sign pole 220 is installed facing upward, so that the lighting pattern can be recognized even by store staff who are not near the POS terminal 20.

(Configuration example of POS terminal device 20)
Next, the configuration of the POS terminal 20 will be described with reference to FIGS.
Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the POS terminal 20. In Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

An example configuration of the POS terminal 20 shown in Figure 3 will be described below with reference to Figure 2. The POS terminal 20 comprises a CPU 201, ROM 202, RAM 203, hard disk 204, operation display unit 205, scanner unit 206, card payment unit 208, change dispenser 209, printing unit 213, audio output unit 214, communication unit 215, and camera 216. These can communicate with each other via a bus.

The CPU 201 is a central processing unit that reads and executes various programs stored in the ROM 202 to control the operation of the POS terminal 20. The various programs include a weight determination program according to this embodiment.
The ROM 202 is a read-only memory that stores various types of information used by the CPU 201, including programs.

RAM 203 is a readable and writable memory that stores various information. For example, RAM 203 stores information acquired from the outside (e.g., transaction information (registration information) acquired from the cloud server Sv, product master data acquired from the store controller 10, etc.) and information generated during processing. This information also includes settlement information generated during the settlement process for settling (paying for) registered products.

The hard disk 204 stores various information. For example, the hard disk 204 stores the image capture results (e.g., video) captured by the camera 216. The hard disk 204 may store various programs, such as a weight determination program executed by the CPU 201, instead of the ROM 202. The hard disk 204 may also store information acquired from an external source or information generated during processing, instead of the RAM 203.

The operation display unit 205 is a touch display (touch panel), for example, a vertical type. The operation display unit 205 displays various information to the customer and accepts various operation inputs from the customer.

The scanner unit 206 optically reads various codes. The scanner unit 206 may be a stationary scanner attached to the housing, a handheld scanner held by the operator, or a pen-shaped scanner. Examples of the various codes include payment codes displayed on the mobile terminal device 30, barcodes (product codes, etc.) attached to products, and codes (barcodes, two-dimensional codes, etc.) printed on receipts (registered trademarks). The various codes also include codes (barcodes, two-dimensional codes, etc.) printed on gift certificates (gift certificates, coupons, complimentary coupons) and various cards (e.g., membership cards, point cards, etc.). The various codes also include store clerk codes attached to store clerk name tags.

Note that product registration is not limited to registration by reading the barcode attached to the product. For example, the operation display unit 205 displays a preset key (a button for ordering the product) corresponding to the product. The product is registered by operating (pressing) the preset key.

The card payment unit 208 is a payment mechanism that accepts various cards (credit cards, prepaid cards such as transportation IC cards, point cards, etc.). The card payment unit 208 is equipped with a card recognition unit, display unit, and operation unit. The card recognition unit magnetically or electrically reads information from various cards. The read information is used to settle the registered product bill. The card recognition unit can also recognize information to be used in settling the current registered product bill, for example, when using points held on a point card. The card recognition unit can also recognize information that is not to be used in settling the current registered product bill, for example, when points are awarded to a point card. The card recognition unit can recognize contact cards (IC cards, magnetic cards) and contactless cards (IC cards).

The change dispenser 209 is a cash settlement mechanism, and has an input port for banknotes and coins, and an output port for banknotes and coins. The change dispenser 209 has a sensor that detects banknotes and coins inserted into the input port. The sensor detects that banknotes or coins have been inserted into the input port, and detects the number of each denomination. The change dispenser 209 calculates the amount inserted into the input port, calculates the change amount, which is the difference between the input amount and the purchase amount, and dispenses the change from the output port. The change dispenser 209 faces the operator and accepts various operations and cash insertions from customers.

The printing unit 213 issues various media (receipts, bills, etc.) The printing unit 213 is capable of changing the direction of the media issuing port.
The audio output unit 214 outputs audio. For example, the audio output unit 214 outputs audio guidance, warning sounds, etc. The audio guidance and warning sounds are related to product registration and payment.
The communication unit 215 is an interface for sending and receiving information to and from other devices (the store controller 10, the transaction status management device 11, and other POS terminal devices 20).

Camera 216 is attached to the top right of operation display unit 205. Camera 216 is a camera that continuously captures video or still images. Camera 216 can be a CCD (charge coupled device) camera or a CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) camera. Camera 216 captures images of the customer's operations during checkout. Camera 216 captures images of the customer's product registration and checkout operations, as well as the products during the registration operation.

In the shopping system 1, product registration does not necessarily have to be performed by the mobile terminal device 30. For example, product registration may also be performed by the POS terminal device 20. That is, the POS terminal device 20 may function as a so-called "full self-checkout" that registers products and settles the bill in response to customer operations. In other words, a full self-checkout is a POS terminal device 20 that allows customers to perform the entire process from registration to settlement themselves. In the case of a "full self-checkout," weight inspection can be performed when a customer indicates that all product registration has been completed (specifically, by pressing a registration complete button, etc.).

The POS terminal device 20 may also be configured as a "semi-self-checkout." In a "semi-self-checkout," the registration device and the payment device are separate, and the customer self-checks out at the payment device using the registration data registered by the store clerk on the registration device.

The term "semi-self-checkout" also includes what is known as a "face-to-face semi-self-checkout (or face-to-face self-checkout)." A "face-to-face semi-self-checkout" is a type of checkout where items are registered by a store clerk and the customer sits face-to-face with the clerk to settle the transaction. Specifically, in a face-to-face semi-self-checkout, a change dispenser and payment terminal are located opposite the clerk's operation unit, allowing the customer to settle the transaction themselves. For this reason, the POS terminal device 20 does not have the functionality to send and receive registration data. Note that in order to function as a "face-to-face semi-self-checkout," an operation display unit, scanner unit, etc. may be located on the opposite side (the clerk's side) from the side operated by the customer, since the clerk registers items.

(Hardware configuration of the mobile terminal device 30)
Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the mobile terminal device 30. In Fig. 4, the mobile terminal device 30 includes a CPU 401, a ROM 402, a RAM 403, a memory 404, a communication unit 405, an operation unit 406, a camera 407, a microphone 408, a display 409, a speaker 410, and a GPS (Global Positioning System) unit 411. Each unit is connected to each other via a bus 420.

The CPU 401 is responsible for overall control of the mobile terminal device 30. The ROM 402 stores various programs. The RAM 403 is used as the work area of the CPU 401. That is, the CPU 401 uses the RAM 403 as a work area and executes various programs, such as a shopping app, stored in the ROM 402, thereby controlling the entire mobile terminal device 30.

The memory 404 stores various types of data. For example, a flash memory is used as the memory. The memory 404 stores various programs such as a shopping app, and various types of data such as map data and store information.
The communication unit 405 is connected to a network, and is connected to other devices (for example, a cloud server Sv) via the network. Examples of communication networks that function as networks include the Internet and a mobile phone network.

The operation unit 406 is a touch panel that displays a plurality of touch keys for inputting characters, numbers, various instructions, etc., or hard keys.
The camera 407 reads barcodes attached to products and various two-dimensional codes.
The microphone 408 inputs the operator's voice.
The display 409 displays icons, cursors, menus, windows, characters, images, codes, and the like.

The speaker 410 outputs sounds including voice.
The GPS unit 411 has a function of receiving position information from GPS satellites and detecting the current position on map data of the mobile terminal device 30. The mobile terminal device 30 also includes various sensors (not shown) (e.g., a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, a distance sensor, etc.) and has a function of detecting various states of the mobile terminal device 30 (e.g., the inclination of the mobile terminal device 30, the distance between the mobile terminal device 30 and a product), etc.

(Example of product master 500)
Next, the product master 500 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the product master 500 stored in the cloud server Sv.

The product master 500 used by the mobile terminal device 30 to register products is transferred from the store controller 10 to the cloud server Sv via a WebAPI (Application Programming Interface) or similar and stored on the cloud server Sv. For example, items such as "Product with weight error/no weight error" and the weight error (g) (or error rate) do not need to be stored on the cloud server Sv. At the time of payment, the POS terminal device 20 can obtain items not sent from the cloud server Sv by referencing the product master 500 of the store controller 10.

In-store barcodes will be described later, but they print the barcode category, product code, and sales price. For products sold by weight, the sales price digit in the barcode item of product master 500 is stored as 0 yen. When actually pricing a product sold by weight by weight, the sales price is set and the barcode is printed and issued. Therefore, product information is obtained from product master 500 using the product code, and the sales price is obtained from the information in the read barcode. Note that when the weight is printed on the in-store barcode instead of the sales price, the weight is similarly obtained from the barcode. The measurement category and unit price (price per gram) are also managed and stored on the cloud server Sv.

Furthermore, instead of or in addition to being stored in the cloud server Sv or the store controller 10, the product master 500 may be stored in another device accessible to the cloud server Sv and the store controller 10. Furthermore, the store controller may have the functionality of the cloud server Sv.

In Figure 5, the product master 500 includes the following fields: "Product Code," "Product Name," "Unit Price," "Tax Rate," "Weight Category," "Weighing Subject (Weight Inspection Subject)," "Product with Weight Error/Product without Weight Error," "Weight," "Weight Error," "Age Verification," "Medicine," and "Security Tag."

A "product code" is, for example, a JAN (Japanese Article Number) code or an in-store barcode. A JAN code is, for example, a 13-digit code that can identify a business and product. An in-store barcode is a uniquely assigned barcode used for product management within a store.

"Product name" is the name of the product. "Unit price" is the sales price per sales unit of the product (e.g., per item). For products sold by weight, "unit price" indicates, for example, the sales price per 100g (grams). "Tax rate" is the consumption tax rate, for example, either 8% or 10%. "Weight category" refers to products sold by weight and fixed-price products sold in fixed quantities. This is not limited to products packed in the back room of the store, but also includes products sold at a fixed price such as groceries and daily necessities (food delivered to the store daily). "Subject to weighing (subject to weight inspection)" includes products subject to weight inspection and products not subject to weight inspection. Products not subject to weight inspection are, for example, products that do not fit in a shopping cart (e.g., large items).
"Products with weight error/products without weight error" indicates either products with weight error, such as vegetables and fruits, where there is a weight error for each individual product, or products without weight error, where there is only a small weight error for each individual product. Note that "weighing category,""weighing target (weight inspection target)," and "products with weight error/products without weight error" are all managed using flags.

"Weight (g)" is the weight of each item, and is the weight at the time of weight inspection. Note that if the "Measurement Category" is a product sold by weight, this item is not referenced. However, it may be stored as a guideline weight when producing products sold by weight. In this case, it is not used for weight inspection, but is used as the base weight for production instructions and upper and lower weight limits during production.

"Weight error (g)" indicates the error in weight per sales unit of the product (e.g., per unit). In the illustration, "weight error" is expressed as an error (differential weight), but it is not limited to this and may also be expressed as a ratio (e.g., "±XX%"). Note that weight error may also be stored for products with no weight error. Furthermore, thresholds may be set for weight error or weight error converted from base weight and error rate to determine whether a product has a weight error or no weight error.

"Age Verification" indicates whether the product requires customer age verification. Products requiring age verification include alcohol, tobacco, and other products that cannot be purchased by minors.
"Pharmaceuticals" refers to products that are classified as pharmaceuticals and require an explanation from a pharmacist.
"Anti-theft tag" indicates merchandise with an anti-theft tag attached, and indicates merchandise worth more than a certain amount that would result in a large loss if shoplifted.

In Figure 5, "XX Udon" indicates, for example, information that is still being created and indicates an unregistered weight product for which weight-related information ("Product with weight error/Product without weight error," "Weight," and "Weight error") has not been recorded.

(Example of information managed by cloud server Sv)
Next, an example of information managed by the cloud server Sv will be described with reference to FIG.
6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of various information managed by the cloud server Sv. As shown in FIG. 6, the information stored by the cloud server Sv includes (A) customer information 601, (B) store information 602, and (C) cart information 603. Note that instead of or in addition to storing the various information in a storage unit within the cloud server Sv, the cloud server Sv may store some or all of the various information in another device, such as a file server, accessible by the cloud server Sv.

(Customer information 601)
FIG. 6A shows an example of customer information 601. The customer information 601 is information for managing individual customers. The customer information 601 is information managed for each store or each affiliated store. As shown in FIG. 6A, the customer information 601 includes customer identification information, customer name, customer registration date, customer rank, and number of points.

Customer identification information is identification information that uniquely identifies a customer. For example, customer identification information is generated when a shopping app is downloaded to the mobile terminal device 30 from the cloud server Sv or a predetermined server that provides general applications. For example, customer identification information may be identification information that is uniquely assigned to each shopping app installed when the shopping app is installed on the mobile terminal device 30.

The customer name is the customer's name, nickname, etc. The customer name is generated based on information entered in the name field of the registration form (input form) of the mobile terminal device 30 when registering a new customer, for example.
The customer registration date is the date and time when the customer information 601 is newly registered in the cloud server Sv. The customer registration date is generated based on the current date and time when the customer is newly registered.
The customer rank indicates a rank according to the customer's purchase history.
The number of points is the number of points given to a customer when they make a purchase by presenting their membership card.

(Store information 602)
6(B) shows an example of store information 602. The store information 602 is information for managing each store. As shown in FIG. 5(B), the store information 602 includes store identification information, a store name, store identification information 1 (information on a two-dimensional code), and second store identification information (location information).
The store identification information includes a store (trade name) or company code and a branch code.
The store name is the name of the store, and is composed of, for example, the store name (trade name) or company name and the branch name.

The first store identification information is information for identifying the store where the transaction takes place (the store where the product is bought and sold). The first store identification information is, for example, two-dimensional code information. The second store identification information is location information (GPS information) that indicates the location of the store. In the example shown in Figure 6 (B), both the first store identification information and the second store identification information are stored, but since both are information that can uniquely identify the store, it is sufficient to store at least one of the pieces of information.

(Cart information 603)
6C shows an example of cart information 603. The cart information 603 is information about products registered by a customer. As shown in FIG. 6C, the cart information 603 includes cart identification information, transaction start date and time, transaction end date and time, customer identification information, and registered product information.
The cart identification information is information for identifying the cart information 603. Specifically, the cart identification information includes store identification information, a date, and a serial number (for example, a serial number for each store by date).

The transaction start date and time is the date and time when the transaction started, for example, the date and time when the cart information 603 was generated. The transaction start date and time may also be the registration date and time of a single product item, or more specifically, the date and time when the registered product information shown in FIG. 6 (C) (Registered Product 1: XX Medium Thick Sauce) was stored. Alternatively, instead of or in addition to the transaction start date and time, the registration date and time for each product may be stored separately.

The transaction end date and time is the date and time when the transaction ended, specifically, the date and time when the settlement was made.
The customer identification information is information that uniquely identifies the customer who performs the transaction, and is the same information as the customer identification information in the customer information 601 .

The registered product information (total) is cumulative information that is updated each time a product is registered. The registered product information (total) includes the number of items (number of products), estimated subtotal amount, total weight, etc. The total weight indicates the calculated total weight of the registered products.
Registered product information (registered product N: N is an integer) includes the number (data number) of the product registered in item N. Registered product information N includes the product code, product name, sales price (shown as "price" in the figure), and the date and time of registration of the product. Specifically, registered product information (registered product 1: XX medium-thick sauce) indicates the product registered in item 1. Registered product information (registered product 2: XX cheese) indicates the product registered in item 2. Note that in the example shown in Figure 6 (C), registered product information for items 3 and beyond is omitted from the illustration.

Next, we will explain reserved product information that indicates reserved products. Reserved products are products that require confirmation by a store clerk. For example, reserved products include unscanned products, NON file products, products that require age verification, products that require the removal of security tags, and pharmaceuticals.

Unscanned products are products that have not been scanned. For example, unscanned products are products that could not be registered because the barcode attached to the product failed to be scanned, i.e., the camera 407 was unable to read it. For example, if the product packaging is wrinkled or the barcode printing is faded or dirty, the barcode cannot be scanned and a timeout may occur.

Here, the determination of a timeout will be explained in detail. The mobile terminal device 30 is equipped with various sensors (e.g., a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, a distance sensor, etc.). The mobile terminal device 30 determines that a barcode is being read using the detection results of the various sensors and the image capture results of the camera 407. Specifically, the mobile terminal device 30 uses the detection results of the various sensors to determine that a barcode is being read when the mobile terminal device 30 is tilted and a product is located a certain distance away from the mobile terminal device 30. Then, if the mobile terminal device 30 determines that a barcode is being read but is unable to read it within a predetermined time, it determines that a timeout has occurred. At this time, the captured image of the product is stored as an unscanned product.

Unscanned items also include items that customers intentionally did not scan. Specifically, unscanned items include items that have been the subject of fraudulent activity, such as someone pretending to scan the product's barcode and adding it to a shopping cart. In other words, items that could not be read are items that may have been the subject of fraudulent activity, and include items that require confirmation by a store clerk as to whether or not fraud has occurred. The presence or absence of fraudulent activity can be determined, for example, by using results indicating the success or failure of the barcode scan, the captured image of the scanning operation, or the captured image of the contents of the shopping cart.

NON file products are, for example, products that are not registered in the product master. Specifically, NON file products are products whose product code was successfully scanned (not marked as an unscanned product) and the product with that product code was queried in the product master, but the product could not be registered because the product could not be identified (the product query was unsuccessful). Furthermore, the product master 500 may contain weight-unregistered products whose weights are not registered (see "XX Udon" in Figure 5). This can occur when new products are added to the product master 500, for example, while the information for the products to be added is being created. Weight-unregistered products are treated as NON file products.

The following reserved items are registered by the customer, but require confirmation by a store clerk before payment is completed.
Products that require age verification include alcohol, tobacco, and other items that cannot be purchased by minors.
Products that require the removal of security tags are, for example, products that have security tags attached, such as products over a certain amount of money.
Medicines, for example, are products that require explanation from a pharmacist.

As shown in Figure 6 (C), the reserved item information (total) includes the number of reserved items (unscanned items, NON file items) and the reserved item type. The reserved item type is information that indicates the type of reserved item.

The reserved product information (reserved product N: N is an integer) is information about the Nth reserved product and includes the reserved product type of the Nth reserved product. In this example, a reserved product type of "1" indicates an unscanned product, and a reserved product type of "2" indicates a NON file product. Also, although not shown, a reserved product type of "3" indicates a product that requires age verification, a reserved product type of "4" indicates a product that requires the removal of the security tag, and a reserved product type of "5" indicates a pharmaceutical product. The reserved product information also includes the registration date and time of the product.

In addition, pending product information for unscanned products includes pending product type "1" as well as image data for the product (image data captured when the mobile terminal device 30 reads the barcode). For example, pending product information (1) has pending product type "1 (unscanned product)" and includes image data.

In addition, the reserved product information for NON file products includes the reserved product type "2 (NON file product)" as well as the product code read by the mobile terminal device 30. For example, reserved product information (2) includes the reserved product type "2 (NON file product)" and the product code.

(Functional Configuration of Shopping System 1 According to the Present Embodiment)
As described above, in the shopping system 1, registered products may differ from the products actually placed in the shopping cart. It is difficult for a store clerk to visually determine this. Therefore, in this embodiment, the results of weighing the products in the shopping cart are used to determine whether the registered products match the products in the shopping cart (hereinafter, this may be referred to as "weight inspection"). The functional configuration of the shopping system 1 according to this embodiment will be described below.

(Functional Configuration of POS Terminal Device 20)
The POS terminal 20 includes an identification unit, a calculation unit, a first acquisition unit, a second acquisition unit, a determination unit, a display control unit, and a notification unit. Each unit is implemented, for example, by the CPU 201. That is, the CPU 201 executes a predetermined program (weight determination program) to realize the function of each unit. The POS terminal 20 also includes a weighing device 231 (an example of a weighing device).

The identification unit identifies the weight of the product. Specifically, the registration unit identifies the weight of the product using registration information based on the customer's registration operation. The calculation unit calculates the total weight (an example of a first weight) of the weights identified by the identification unit. Specifically, the calculation unit calculates the weight of the registered product after identifying it according to a weight identification method for each registered product, and derives the total weight from the calculation result. The weight identification method for each registered product is, for example, identifying the weight using an in-store barcode, and will be described in detail below. The total weight of registered products is a theoretical value identified by reference to the weight, etc., in the product master 500. When multiple units of the same product are registered at the same time, the calculation unit multiplies the unit weight by the number of registered units. In this way, the calculation unit calculates the weight of each registered product and calculates the total weight of all registered products.

The total weight includes the weight of the container (container, bag, box, etc.). For fixed-price items, the product weight including the container weight is stored as the weight (unit weight) for weight inspection. However, for items sold by weight, the contents vary depending on the pack, so the weight must be converted. Therefore, the container weight may be recorded and referenced in the product master 500, or the container weight may be calculated under predetermined conditions. For example, a specified weight may be added to the weight converted from the sales price. In other words, the calculation unit calculates the total weight taking into account the container weight.

The first acquisition unit acquires the total weight of the registered products calculated by the calculation unit (calculation result: theoretical value). Note that the function for calculating the total weight of the registered products (calculation unit) is also provided in the mobile terminal device 30 and the cloud server Sv. Therefore, the first acquisition unit is not limited to acquiring the total weight of the registered products from the calculation unit provided in the POS terminal device 20, but may also acquire the total weight of the registered products from the mobile terminal device 30 or the cloud server Sv. Furthermore, it is sufficient that the calculation unit is provided in at least one of the POS terminal device 20, the cloud server Sv, and the mobile terminal device 30. The first acquisition unit may also have a function for calculating the weight (total weight) for weight inspection.

Here, the mobile terminal device 30 displays the total weight including items not subject to weighing. Items not subject to weighing are items that are not subject to weighing, such as items purchased in bulk or large items. The mobile terminal device 30 also displays the points of purchased items including items not subject to weighing. Note that the mobile terminal device 30 may display the total weight excluding items not subject to weighing, or may display the points excluding items not subject to weighing.

On the other hand, the POS terminal device 20 displays the total weight measured by the scale 231, excluding items not subject to weighing. Furthermore, the mobile terminal device 30 also displays the points of purchased items, excluding items not subject to weighing.

The second acquisition unit acquires the second weight from the scale 231, which measures the second weight (actual value) indicating the weight of the items placed on the placement unit 231a (hereinafter referred to as "placed items"). Specifically, the second acquisition unit acquires the total weight (weighing result: second weight) of the placed items among the items that the customer carried to the POS terminal device 20 to make the payment. The total weight of the placed items is measured by the scale 231. The total weight of the placed items includes the weight of the container. Furthermore, the total weight of the placed items does not include the weight of the shopping basket. The weight of the shopping basket may be a fixed value, or may be a different weight for each shopping basket. If the weight of the items is to be different for each shopping basket, a wireless tag that stores identification information that identifies the shopping basket is attached to the shopping basket. The POS terminal 20 may use the scanner unit 206 to read the wireless tag and obtain the weight of the shopping cart associated with the identification information.

The determination unit performs a weight inspection. Specifically, the determination unit compares the calculation result (theoretical value) acquired by the first acquisition unit with the weighing result (actual value) acquired by the second acquisition unit to determine whether the difference between the first weight and the second weight is within a predetermined range. More specifically, the determination unit compares the calculation result with the weighing result. The difference between the first weight and the second weight is calculated as the ratio or difference between the total weight indicated by the calculation result (first weight) and the total weight indicated by the weighing result (second weight). In this embodiment, this difference is referred to as the ratio (e.g., "calculation result/weighing result"). Note that, below, this pass/fail result may be referred to as "weight inspection pass/fail."

Specifically, if the total weight ratio is within a predetermined range (for example, 97% to 103% of the calculated result), the judgment unit determines that the weight inspection is correct (pass = pass). On the other hand, if the total weight ratio is not within the predetermined range, the judgment unit determines that the weight inspection is incorrect (fail = fail).

The notification unit issues a notification based on the pass/fail result of the weight inspection determined by the determination unit. If the pass/fail result of the weight inspection is correct, the notification unit issues a notification to that effect. On the other hand, if the pass/fail result of the weight inspection is incorrect, the notification unit issues a notification to that effect. The notification unit can issue a notification by voice or by display. The notification unit also causes the transaction status management device 11 to issue a notification of the pass/fail result of the weight inspection. In particular, if the pass/fail result of the weight inspection is incorrect, the notification unit issues a notification of product information that is considered to be the cause. For example, the product information that is considered to be the cause is product information that indicates a product with a weight error.

If the weight inspection result is inappropriate, the notification unit may issue a notification based on the ratio of the total weight (calculation result/weighing result). For example, if the weighing result is greater than the calculation result, specifically if the ratio is less than 97%, the notification may indicate that a product may have been overlooked. Also, if the weighing result is less than the calculation result, specifically if the ratio exceeds 103%, the notification may indicate that a duplicate registration may have occurred. Note that a duplicate registration occurs when a customer accidentally scans the barcode for the same product more than once, resulting in the customer overpaying.

Note that products that are subject to weight inspection are products that fit into a shopping cart. In other words, in this embodiment, products that do not fit into a shopping cart (for example, large items) are not subject to weight inspection. The customer may issue an instruction to exclude products that they do not want to be subject to weight inspection (products not subject to weighing) by having them scanned using the scanner unit 206 (handheld scanner, etc.) of the POS terminal device 20. The reason large items are not subject to weight inspection in this way is that the customers themselves scan and register products that are not subject to weighing, so there are no omissions, i.e., the existence of the products is proven, and there is no need to bother making them subject to inspection.

Note that weight checks do not have to be performed all the time, but may be performed according to settings. For example, the POS terminal 20 may not perform weight checks if the weight check setting is turned off. The POS terminal 20 may also perform weight checks depending on whether the customer is a good customer or not. For example, the POS terminal 20 may not perform weight checks if the customer is a good customer. The POS terminal 20 may also perform weight checks depending on whether a store clerk is present. For example, if a store clerk is present, the POS terminal 20 may not perform weight checks.

(Calculating weight using in-store barcodes)
The weight determination method for each registered product includes a weight determination method that calculates and determines a first weight based on the sales price and unit price of the bulk product. This will be described in detail below. In this embodiment, the total weight of the registered products includes the weight of the bulk products sold by weight. The weight of the bulk products is calculated based on the sales price and unit price of the bulk products. Specifically, the weight of the bulk products is calculated based on predetermined code information attached to the bulk products. The predetermined code information is, for example, code information of an in-store barcode. Here, the in-store barcode includes, for example, a 13-digit code (specifically, "FFCCCCC/CD/PPPP/PCD"). The 13-digit code consists of a flag (FF), a PLU code (CCCCC), a check digit (CD), a sales price (PPPP), and a price check digit (PCD). The predetermined code information is the sales price (PPPP). The selling price (PPPP) of a bulk product is unknown until it is weighed on a scale, and is therefore stored as "0000" in the product master 500. When the calculation unit scans the in-store barcode, it obtains the unit price of the product from the product master 500. The calculation unit calculates the weight of the product by dividing the selling price (PPPP) of the in-store barcode by the obtained unit price. As a result, the first acquisition unit obtains a calculation result that includes the weight of the bulk product.

Note that the sales price (PPPP) portion of the in-store barcode may be replaced with weight at the store. In this case, the first acquisition unit can scan the in-store barcode and directly obtain the weight indicated by the code as the calculation result. In this case, however, the sales price of the product is calculated from the weight. For example, the calculation unit obtains the unit price of the product from the product master 500 and calculates the sales price of the product by multiplying the obtained unit price by the weight of the in-store barcode. Note that even fixed-price products may be assigned an in-store code. Furthermore, the flag (FF) on the in-store barcode may indicate the department.

Note that the weight of a product calculated using an in-store barcode is only the net weight, and the weight of the container must be taken into account. It is also possible to include information indicating the container weight in the barcode. For example, if CODE128 is used, the weight for weight inspection can be obtained by including the total weight, which is the sales price plus the container weight. This makes it possible to perform weight inspections using individual item management.

Furthermore, if a production management system is provided that performs individual item identification management using a device that assigns a weight value or a device that assigns a packaging value, the individual item identification management identifier can be used to obtain actual weight data for calculation from production data (processing date and time, consumption/best-before date, weight, tare weight, etc.). For example, in face-to-face checkout registers or bulk sales in the shopping system 1, the mobile terminal device 30 can obtain and store actual weight data.

It may also be possible to support the management of individual items (individual items). This makes it easier to perform weight inspections of products sold by weight, such as fresh produce, and allows for accurate weight inspections. This allows for effective coordination between weight inspections and the shopping system 1.

(Regarding re-weighing of reserved items after confirmation by a store clerk)
In the shopping system 1, products that are the subject of a registration operation include confirmation products (reserved products) that require confirmation by a store clerk. If there are reserved products, a store clerk is called at the time of checkout and the store clerk performs confirmation.

Here, reserved items are excluded from the calculation of the total weight by the calculation unit. This is because reserved items are stored in a storage unit (reserved bag) that is different from the shopping cart, and are therefore not subject to total weight inspection. Once the store clerk has completed the confirmation operation (registration process), the reserved items are placed in the shopping cart.

It is also possible to subject reserved items to weight inspection, in which case the reserved items can also be included in the calculation of total weight. However, for unscanned items and NON file items, since the items have not been identified, the total weight calculation result will not be finalized until a store clerk confirms the item (registration process).

After the store clerk confirms, the calculation unit recalculates the total weight, including the reserved items in the registered items. After the store clerk confirms, the first acquisition unit acquires the recalculated total weight. The trigger for the first acquisition unit to acquire the recalculated result is the completion of the store clerk's confirmation of the operation, specifically, the acceptance of the completion of the operation.

Furthermore, once the store clerk has completed the confirmation operation (registration process), the reserved items are included in the placed items. In other words, the scale 231 reweighs the placed items, including the reserved items. The reweighing result is obtained by changing the weighing value when the reserved items are added to the placed items.

Here, the weighing performed by the weighing device 231 will be described in detail. The weighing device 231 constantly performs weighing. The POS terminal 20 acquires the weight (stable weight) after reweighing (after change). When the weighing device 231 determines that the weight has stabilized, it transmits the weight to the POS terminal 20. The POS terminal 20 uses the stable weight (stable weight) as the measurement result and compares it with the calculation result (theoretical value).

The stable weight may be determined by the POS terminal 20. For example, the POS terminal 20 constantly acquires weight data from the scale 231. The POS terminal 20 may measure the difference (e.g., the difference) in weight over a specified period of time, and determine that the weight is stable when the difference is below a threshold value.

Furthermore, the weighing device 231 is not limited to constantly weighing. For example, when re-weighing, the POS terminal device 20 may prompt the operator to re-weigh. Specifically, once the store clerk has completed confirmation of the operation, the POS terminal device 20 may be configured to accept an operation indicating this completion, and upon accepting this operation, cause the weighing device 231 to re-weigh.

The second acquisition unit acquires the reweighing result of the total weight of the placed products, including the reserved products. The determination unit determines whether the weight inspection passed or failed based on the recalculation result acquired by the first acquisition unit and the reweighing result (updated weighing result) acquired by the second acquisition unit.

(Regarding the list of registered products)
The display control unit displays a list of registered products on the operation display unit 205. The list display is a display showing a list of details of registered products. Registered products include products with no weight error and products with weight error. Products with no weight error are products with little weight error for each individual product. Specifically, products with no weight error are products with little error when comparing the actual weight of the product with the weight stored in the product master 500, more specifically products with an error less than a certain percentage. For example, products with no weight error include fixed-price products that are shipped at a fixed amount (= fixed price) from a factory, etc. Furthermore, products with no weight error include products sold by weight in a store.

On the other hand, products with weight errors are products where there is a weight error for each individual product. Specifically, products with weight errors are products such as vegetables, fruits, and fresh fish that have the same selling price even if there is an error in weight. Specifically, products with weight errors are products where there is a large error in the actual weight of the product compared to the weight stored in the product master 500, or more specifically, products where the error is above a certain percentage.

Products with weight error and products without weight error are classified based on the base weight and error rate for each product, the absolute value of the error weight calculated from the base weight and error rate, any of the set error weights, and a specified threshold or control item. Specifically, for example, this classification is based on the base weight and error rate (e.g., ±○%) for each heavy product and a specified threshold or control item. This classification is also based on the absolute value of the error weight calculated from the base weight and error rate (e.g., ±○ grams) and a specified threshold or control item. This classification is also based on any of the set error weights and a specified threshold or control item.

The display control unit displays products with weight errors differently from products without weight errors in the list display of registered products. Specifically, the display control unit displays products with weight errors at the top of the list display (in a position where they are easy to see). The display control unit may also display products with weight errors in a different manner from products without weight errors. Specifically, the display control unit may display products with weight errors larger than products without weight errors, or in a different color or font than products without weight errors.

Products with weight errors will be labeled differently from products without weight errors if the weight inspection determines that the total weight of the products placed on the product is inappropriate. However, regardless of the pass/fail result of the weight inspection, products with weight errors may be labeled differently from products without weight errors.

For each product with a weight error, a weight error value is set. The weight error value is an error rate or an error weight calculated from the error rate. Specifically, the error weight is the range of weight error. For example, as shown in the product master 500, for "1 cabbage from XX", the error weight is ±100g (error rate: ±10%), and for "3 cucumbers from XX", the error weight is ±40g (error rate: ±13%). When products with different weight errors are registered, the display control unit displays the products with weight errors in a list in order based on the absolute value of the weight error value. Specifically, for example, the display control unit displays the products with weight errors in a list in order of largest weight error value. Note that the display control unit may also display the products with weight errors in a list in order of smallest error weight.

In addition, when products with weight errors and different error weights are registered, the display control unit may list the products with weight errors in order based on the set error weight.

In this embodiment, products with weight error and products without weight error are managed (classified) using flags, but this is not limited to this. For example, an error rate can be set, an allowable error calculated, and these can be classified. Furthermore, even if the error rate is the same for products with heavy and light base weights, there can be a large difference in the allowable error weight, so products with heavy base weights are likely to be classified as products with weight error. Alternatively, a threshold for the allowable error can be set, and products with weight error and products without weight error can be classified. For example, even if the weight error is not zero, if the error is small, they can be classified as products without weight error.

Furthermore, it is possible to take into account the allowable error in the total weight without taking into account the weight error of individual items. In other words, it is possible to use flag management only, i.e., not have weight errors or error rates for individual items, and to use the weight error in the total weight to determine the pass/fail (suitability) range of the total weight.

(Regarding encouraging customers to remove items with weight errors from their shopping carts)
If the registered products include products with weight errors, a notification is issued to guide the product with weight errors to be removed from the weight inspection. Specifically, this notification is issued when the total weight of the placed products is determined to be inappropriate based on the pass/fail result of the weight inspection. However, this notification may also be issued whenever the registered products include products with weight errors, regardless of the pass/fail result of the weight inspection.

The identification unit re-identifies each item after the item with the weight error has been removed from the shopping cart, and re-determines the weight of each item. The calculation unit recalculates the total weight using the items and weights re-identified by the identification unit. The first acquisition unit acquires the recalculated total weight obtained by removing the item with the weight error from the registered items. The scale 231 also re-weighs the placed items after the item with the weight error has been removed from the registered items. The re-weighed weighing result is the value after the weight value has changed due to the removal of the item with the weight error from the placed items. Note that when re-weighing, the POS terminal 20 may prompt the operator to re-weigh the item. Specifically, the POS terminal 20 may accept an operation indicating that the item with the weight error has been removed from the registered items (shopping cart) (for example, by accepting selection of the item in the list display), and upon accepting this operation, the scale 231 may be configured to re-weigh the item.

If the product with a weight error being removed from the shopping cart has a barcode attached, the barcode may be scanned as proof that the product has been removed. The POS terminal device 20 may also perform the scan instead of accepting an operation indicating that the product with a weight error has been removed from the registered product (shopping cart), specifically instead of accepting the selection of the product in the list display. In this way, by having the customer scan the product with a weight error, it becomes clear that no product has been omitted from registration, which proves the existence of the product.

The second acquisition unit acquires the re-weighing result of the total weight obtained by removing items with weight errors from the shopping cart, etc. from the placed items. The determination unit determines whether the weight inspection passed or failed based on the recalculation result acquired by the first acquisition unit and the re-weighing result (updated weighing result) acquired by the second acquisition unit.

(Functional configuration of the mobile terminal device 30)
The mobile terminal device 30 includes a calculation unit (hereinafter referred to as a "mobile calculation unit") and a display control unit (hereinafter referred to as a "mobile display control unit"). Each unit is realized by, for example, the CPU 401. That is, the CPU 401 executes a predetermined program (shopping app) to realize the function of each unit.

The mobile calculation unit calculates the total weight of the registered products using registration information based on the customer's registration operation. The mobile display control unit displays a list of the registered products on the display 409. The mobile display control unit displays the total weight calculated by the calculation unit on the display 409. The mobile display control unit also displays the weight of each product on the display 409. Specifically, the mobile display control unit updates the total weight when a product is registered. Note that the functions of the mobile calculation unit and the mobile display control unit may be performed by an external device.

(Example of processing from product registration to transaction completion in shopping system 1)
7 is a sequence diagram showing the processing flow from product registration to transaction completion in the shopping system 1. The flowchart shown in Fig. 7 shows the flow from when a customer visits a store, registers a product to be purchased using his or her mobile terminal device 30, to when the customer completes the transaction on the POS terminal device 20.

Step S701: First, the mobile terminal device 30 launches the shopping app. In response to the launch of the shopping app, the camera 407 also launches.

Step S702: The mobile terminal device 30 acquires information identifying the store (store identification information). Here, an example of how the store identification information is acquired will be described. For example, a two-dimensional code indicating the store identification information (first store identification information) is displayed near the entrance of the store. The two-dimensional code may be displayed on a specified display device, or may be displayed by printing on a medium. The camera 407 scans the two-dimensional code in response to a customer's operation. As a result, the mobile terminal device 30 acquires the store identification information. Note that the two-dimensional code may include store identification information for identifying the store.

Another example of a manner in which store identification information may be acquired is the acquisition of location information. For example, the mobile terminal device 30 acquires location information (GPS information) in response to an operation by a customer visiting the store. This location information is used for comparison with the second store identification information and is information that replaces the first store identification information. The mobile terminal device 30 may acquire location information and connect to the cloud server Sv in response to the launch of a shopping app. The mobile terminal device 30 may then display, as its initial screen, a screen informing the user that it is currently connected to the cloud server Sv.

After acquiring the store identification information, the mobile terminal device 30 requests the cloud server Sv to start the transaction. Specifically, the mobile terminal device 30 transmits the acquired store identification information and customer identification information to the cloud server Sv.

Step S703: When the cloud server Sv receives customer identification information and store identification information as a request to start a transaction from the mobile terminal device 30, it generates cart information 603 for the transaction. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6(C), the cloud server Sv generates cart information 603 including cart identification information, transaction start date and time, and customer identification information. More specifically, when the cloud server Sv receives store identification information from the mobile terminal device 30 as a request to start a transaction, it references the store information 602 (see FIG. 6(B)) to identify the store identification information. Note that, when the cloud server Sv receives location information from the mobile terminal device 30, it references the second store identification information in the store information 602 to identify the store identification information corresponding to the location information. Furthermore, if the two-dimensional code includes store identification information, the cloud server Sv obtains the store identification information from the received two-dimensional code.

When the cloud server Sv receives a transaction start request from the mobile terminal device 30, it acquires the current date and issues (assigns) a serial number. Furthermore, the cloud server Sv generates and stores cart identification information that combines the acquired store identification information, the acquired current date, and the issued serial number. Furthermore, when the cloud server Sv receives a transaction start request from the mobile terminal device 30, it stores the current date and time as the transaction start date and time (generation date and time) in the cart information 603. Furthermore, when the cloud server Sv receives a transaction start request from the mobile terminal device 30, it stores the received customer identification information in the cart information 603.

Step S704: The mobile terminal device 30 performs product registration processing (see Figure 8). In the product registration processing, the mobile terminal device 30 scans the product (the barcode attached to the product) in response to a customer operation and registers the product. After scanning the product, the mobile terminal device 30 transmits the product code obtained by the scan along with cart identification information to the cloud server Sv.

Step S705: When the cloud server Sv receives the product code and cart identification information from the mobile terminal device 30, it identifies the cart information 603 that includes the received cart identification information, and updates the registered product information included in the identified cart information 603.
Step S706: The cloud server Sv returns to step S705 until it receives a request to send the cart information 603 from the POS terminal 20.

Step S707: The mobile terminal device 30 returns to step S704 until registration is completed. Registration is completed when the settlement start button displayed on the display 409 is pressed to accept the start of settlement.
Step S708: When the registration is complete, the mobile terminal device 30 displays the settlement code.

Step S709: The POS terminal 20 waits until the settlement code displayed on the mobile terminal 30 is scanned. The settlement code includes the selections accepted by the selection item acceptance process, cart identification information, and information that enables the POS terminal 20 to receive cart information 603 from the cloud server Sv.
Step S710: After scanning the settlement code, the POS terminal 20 requests the cloud server Sv to send the cart information 603. In the cart information transmission request, the POS terminal 20 transmits the cart identification information included in the settlement code to the cloud server Sv.

Step S711: When the cloud server Sv receives a request to send the cart information 603 from the POS terminal 20, it identifies the cart information 603 using the cart identification information. After identifying the cart information 603, the cloud server Sv transmits the cart information 603 to the POS terminal 20.

Step S712: When the POS terminal 20 receives the cart information 603 from the cloud server Sv, it executes a transaction completion process (see Figure 9) to complete the transaction. During the transaction completion process, the POS terminal 20 displays, for example, the cart information 603 (registration information) and a list of the selections made for the options on the operation and display unit 205, and also performs the settlement process. Once the transaction completion process has been executed, the POS terminal 20 sends a transaction completion notification including the cart identification information to the cloud server Sv.

Step S713: When the cloud server Sv receives a transaction completion notification from the POS terminal device 20, it extracts the cart identification information from the transaction completion notification. The cloud server Sv then stores the transaction completion date and time (settlement date and time) of the cart information 603 that includes the cart identification information, and sends a transaction completion notification to the mobile terminal device 30.

Step S714: When the mobile terminal device 30 receives a transaction completion notification from the cloud server Sv, it deletes the products registered (stored) on the mobile terminal device 30 and terminates the shopping app. Note that after displaying the settlement code in step S708, the mobile terminal device 30 may delete the products registered on the mobile terminal device 30 and terminate the shopping app. In this case, the process of transmitting a transaction completion notification (step S713) performed by the cloud server Sv does not need to be performed.

In steps S704 and S705, the mobile terminal device 30 transmits a product code to the cloud server Sv and receives product information corresponding to the product code. At this time, the product information is stored in the memory 404 of the mobile terminal device 30. Information indicating that the product has been purchased may not be transmitted to the cloud server Sv. In this embodiment, from the perspective of reducing communication charges, the mobile terminal device 30 does not communicate with the cloud server Sv upon receiving the product information. In other words, the mobile terminal device 30 only requests the cloud server Sv to search for product information. For this reason, for example, the mobile terminal device 30 does not communicate with the cloud server Sv every time an operation such as a quantity change or cancellation is accepted, as this would result in a loss of communication charges. Product information for registered products is transmitted from the mobile terminal device 30 to the cloud server Sv when the settlement code is generated.

For example, if there is Wi-Fi (registered trademark) within the store to which the mobile terminal device 30 can connect and communication charges for the mobile terminal device 30 are not a consideration, mutual communication with the cloud server Sv may be performed when registering a product.

(Example of product registration process (step S704 in FIG. 6) performed by the mobile terminal device 30)
Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a product registration process performed by the mobile terminal device 30. In Fig. 8, the mobile terminal device 30 determines whether or not a barcode attached to a product has been read (scanned) using the function of the camera 407 (step S801). The mobile terminal device 30 waits until a barcode reading operation has been performed (step S801: NO). If a barcode reading operation has been performed (step S801: YES), the mobile terminal device 30 determines whether the barcode has been successfully read (scanned) (step S802).

If the barcode is successfully read (step S802: YES), the mobile terminal device 30 queries the product master 500 for the product (step S803). The mobile terminal device 30 then determines whether or not it has been able to acquire product information (product name, unit price, weight, measurement category, etc.) corresponding to the barcode (step S804). If it has been able to acquire product information (step S804: YES), the mobile terminal device 30 determines whether or not the read barcode is an in-store barcode (step S805). Note that the read barcode is an in-store barcode if the measurement category indicated in the product information indicates variable weight.

If the scanned barcode is not an in-store barcode (step S805: NO), that is, if the measurement category indicated by the product information indicates a fixed-price product, the mobile terminal device 30 proceeds to step S807. If the scanned barcode is an in-store barcode (step S805: YES), and if the measurement category indicated by the product information indicates a product sold by weight, the mobile terminal device 30 performs a weight acquisition process (step S806). The weight acquisition process is a process of calculating and acquiring the weight of the product, for example, by dividing the sales price (PPPP) of the in-store barcode by the unit price. Furthermore, if the weight is directly written on the in-store barcode, the weight acquisition process is a process of acquiring the weight written on the in-store barcode. The mobile terminal device 30 may transmit the acquired weight to the cloud server Sv. The cloud server Sv may store the weight received from the mobile terminal device 30 in the cart information 603.

Then, the mobile terminal device 30 registers the product (step S807). At this time, the mobile terminal device 30 displays the registered product's weight, product name, sales price, etc. on the display 409. Furthermore, the mobile terminal device 30 calculates the total value of all registered products (total weight, total price, number of items purchased, etc.) and displays this on the display 409 (step S808).

Then, the mobile terminal device 30 determines whether the registered product is a reserved product (reserved product excluding NON file products and unscanned products) (step S809). If the registered product is not a reserved product (step S809: NO), the mobile terminal device 30 ends the series of processes. On the other hand, if the registered product is a reserved product (step S809: YES), the mobile terminal device 30 notifies the user of the reserved product (step S810) and ends the series of processes. When notifying the user of the reserved product, the mobile terminal device 30 notifies the user that the reserved product should be placed in a reserved bag separate from the shopping cart.

If the barcode reading fails in step S802 (step S802: NO), the mobile terminal device 30 prompts the user (customer) to try again (step S811). The mobile terminal device 30 then determines whether a timeout has occurred (step S812). If a timeout has not occurred (step S812: NO), the mobile terminal device 30 returns to step S802. If a timeout has occurred (step S812: YES), the mobile terminal device 30 registers the product as an unscanned product (step S813) and proceeds to step S810.

Also, if product information corresponding to the barcode cannot be obtained in step S804 (step S804: NO), the mobile terminal device 30 registers the product as a NON file product (step S814) and proceeds to step S810. When the mobile terminal device 30 registers a NON file product, it may notify the user that a NON file product has been registered, or change the display mode of the product in the list display on the display 409 (such as by adding a mark, adding a symbol, adding a string of characters, or changing the background color).

Through the above-described process, the mobile terminal device 30 can register each reserved item according to its type, while also obtaining the weight of each item other than unscanned items and NON file items, and registering the items.

(Example of transaction completion process (step S712 in FIG. 7) performed by the POS terminal 20)
9 is a flowchart showing an example of transaction completion processing performed by the POS terminal 20. In FIG. 9, the POS terminal 20 determines whether or not it has received cart information 603 from the cloud server Sv (step S901). The POS terminal 20 waits until it receives the cart information 603 (step S901: NO).

When the cart information 603 is received (step S901: YES), the POS terminal 20 obtains the calculation result of the total weight of the registered products (step S902). For example, the POS terminal 20 receives the weight of each individual item, calculates the total weight itself, and obtains the calculation result. When receiving the weight of each individual item, the POS terminal 20 requests the store controller 10 to send the weight using the product code (barcode) obtained from the cart information 603. The store controller 10 references its own product master 500, identifies the weight corresponding to the product code, and transmits it to the POS terminal 20. Furthermore, if there is a product with an in-store barcode, the POS terminal 20 may calculate the weight of that product by dividing the sales price (PPPP) of the in-store barcode by the unit price. The POS terminal 20 may also obtain the calculation result of the total weight of the registered products from the cloud server Sv.

If the production management system performs individual item identification management using a device that assigns a weight value or a device that assigns a packaging value, the cloud server Sv may be linked to the production management system. Alternatively, the store controller 10 or POS terminal device 20 may query the production management system to obtain the weight. Alternatively, if the production management system is an in-store server that does not have a global IP address, the production management system may be the cloud server Sv and linked directly to the mobile terminal device 30.

The POS terminal 20 then prompts the customer to weigh the items (step S903). The prompt may involve, for example, prompting the customer to place the shopping cart on the scale 231, specifically by saying, "Please place the shopping cart on the scale." The POS terminal 20 then acquires the weighing results (step S904). Once the shopping cart is placed on the scale 231 and the weight stabilizes, the scale 231 outputs the weighing results (weight data). That is, after the weighing prompt is issued, the weighed item on the scale 231 changes from zero, and once the weight stabilizes, the scale 231 outputs the weight data. The second acquisition unit of the POS terminal 20 acquires the weight data output from the scale 231. When the POS terminal 20 issues the weighing prompt, it also sends a resend command requesting the transmission of the weight data.

Next, the POS terminal 20 displays a list of products on the operation display unit 205 (step S905). The list display includes a comparison of the total weight calculation results and the weighing results.

The POS terminal 20 then determines whether any of the registered items are on hold (step S906). If there are on hold items (step S906: YES), the POS terminal 20 executes a process to confirm the items on hold (see FIG. 10) by having a store clerk check (step S907) and proceeds to step S908. On the other hand, if there are no on hold items among the registered items (step S906: NO), the POS terminal 20 does not call a store clerk and instead determines whether the weight of the placed items is appropriate (step S908). Specifically, the POS terminal 20 determines whether the ratio between the total weight indicated by the calculation result and the total weight indicated by the weighing result is within a predetermined range (for example, between 97% and 103% of the calculation result).

If the weight of the placed products is not appropriate (step S908: NO), that is, if the ratio between the total weight indicated by the calculation result and the total weight indicated by the weighing result exceeds a predetermined range, the POS terminal 20 determines whether the registered products include products with weight errors (step S909). If the registered products include products with weight errors (step S909: YES), the POS terminal 20 uses the operation display unit 205 to provide a notification (alert) that the products with weight errors should be removed (step S910).

The guidance may include instructions to prioritize removing products with large weight errors. Alternatively, the guidance may include instructions to remove all products with weight errors. The guidance may also display an image captured when the products to be removed are registered.

The POS terminal 20 then determines whether it has received notification that an item with a weight error has been removed from the shopping cart (step S911). For example, the POS terminal 20 receives a press of a button indicating the removed item with a weight error. The POS terminal 20 waits until it receives notification that an item with a weight error has been removed (step S911: NO). If it receives notification that an item with a weight error has been removed (step S911: YES), the POS terminal 20 removes the item with a weight error from the registered items and obtains the recalculated total weight (step S912).

It may also be possible to transition to quantity inspection midway through the process. Specifically, once the number of items remaining in the shopping cart reaches a visually visible quantity, inspection (quantity inspection) can be carried out without the need to perform a weight inspection. In other words, by obtaining the recalculated total weight, the number of items to be inspected can be updated, allowing the updated number and the actual items to be visually inspected (quantity inspection). An operation button may also be provided to enable a smooth transition to quantity inspection. The transition to quantity inspection may also be accepted by scanning a store clerk code.

The POS terminal 20 then prompts the customer to reweigh (step S913). The prompt to reweigh is issued when the customer presses the start button for reweighing, since the shopping cart has already been placed on the scale 231. The POS terminal 20 then obtains the reweighing results from the scale 231 (step S914) and returns to step S908.

In step S908, if the weight of the placed product is appropriate (step S908: YES), that is, if the ratio between the total weight indicated by the calculation result and the total weight indicated by the weighing result ("calculation result/weighing result") is within a predetermined range (97% to 103%), the POS terminal 20 executes the settlement process (step S915) and ends the series of processes.

In step S909, if the registered products do not include any products with weight errors (step S909: NO), that is, if the registered products do not include any products with weight errors but the weight of the placed products is inappropriate, the POS terminal 20 will report a weight error (step S916). An example of a case where the registered products do not include any products with weight errors but the weight of the placed products is an example where unscanned products or NON file products that would normally be placed in the reserve bag are not placed in the reserve bag but are instead placed in the shopping cart.

Then, the store clerk checks the weight error and determines whether the weight error has been resolved (step S917). Note that, for example, if unscanned or NON file items that should have been placed in the reserved bag are not placed in the reserved bag but are instead placed in the shopping cart, the weight error being resolved means that these items are registered. The POS terminal 20 waits until the weight error is resolved (step S917: NO), and once the weight error is resolved, the process returns to step S908.

By performing the above-described process, the POS terminal device 20 can determine the weight of the placed product as the correct weight even if the weight of the placed product is incorrect by removing the product with a weight error and reweighing it. Therefore, the weight of the placed product can be determined appropriately.

(Example of reserved product confirmation process (step S907 in FIG. 9) performed by the POS terminal 20)
10 is a flowchart showing an example of the reserved item confirmation process performed by the POS terminal 20. In FIG. 10, the POS terminal 20 determines whether the scanner unit 206 has read the clerk code (step S1001). The POS terminal 20 waits until the clerk code is read (step S1001: NO). If the clerk code is read (step S1001: YES), the POS terminal 20 accepts the selection of the reserved item (step S1002).

The POS terminal 20 then accepts a confirmation operation from the store clerk (or customer) corresponding to the selected reserved item (step S1003). At this time, a confirmation image is displayed in response to the clerk's operation. The confirmation image is an image (e.g., three consecutive still images) of the item when the customer scans it. For example, if the reserved item is an unscanned item, the clerk looks at the confirmation image, removes the item from the reservation bag, and registers the item by scanning it. If the reserved item is a NON file item, the clerk looks at the confirmation image, removes the item from the reservation bag, and registers the item (department registration) by entering information such as the item's classification (department). If the reserved item is an age verification item, the clerk removes the item from the reservation bag, displays an age verification screen on the operation display unit 205 of the POS terminal 20, and accepts the customer's operation of the age verification button.

Once the confirmation operation is complete, the POS terminal 20 erases the display of the reserved items (step S1004). Furthermore, the POS terminal 20 obtains the recalculated total weight, including the reserved items (step S1005).

The POS terminal 20 then prompts the customer to reweigh (step S1006). The prompt to reweigh is issued by accepting the pressing of the start reweighing button since the shopping cart has already been placed on the scale 231. The POS terminal 20 then obtains the reweighing results from the scale 231 (step S1007), ends the pending item confirmation process, and proceeds to step S908 in Figure 9.

Through the above-described process, the POS terminal device 20 can include the reserved item in the registered items after confirming the reserved item and determine whether the weight inspection passed or failed.

(Example of a screen displayed on the mobile terminal device 30)
Next, an example of a screen displayed on the mobile terminal device 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the display 409 of the mobile terminal device 30.

Figure 11 (A) shows a registration screen 1100 displayed on the display 409 of the mobile terminal device 30 when registering a product. The registration screen 1100 includes an imaging area 1101, a total display area 1102, a checkout start button 1103, and a registered product list 1104.

The imaging area 1101 is an area where the camera 407 of the mobile terminal device 30 can capture an image of the barcode attached to the product. The total display area 1102 is an area that displays the total number of registered products, the total price, and the total weight during shopping. The total display area 1102 displays the total weight including products not subject to weight inspection, and the number of purchased products including products not subject to weight inspection. The checkout start button 1103 is a button that is pressed when product registration is complete and an instruction to start the checkout procedure is received.

Registered product list 1104 is an area that displays the product name, weight, quantity, selling price, and number of reserved products for registered products. Registered products are displayed in the registered product list 1104, for example, in the order in which they were registered. Specifically, the most recently registered product is displayed at the top of registered product list 1104. When the Start Checkout button 1103 is pressed on the registration screen 1100, the screen shown in Figure 11 (B) is displayed.

Figure 11 (B) shows a display screen 1110 on which a settlement code 1112 is displayed. The display screen 1110 includes a presentation instruction 1111, a settlement code 1112, a total amount display 1113, and a registration return button 1114. The presentation instruction 1111 instructs the POS terminal device 20 to read the settlement code 1112. The total amount display 1113 shows the total number of items, total weight, and the total amount the customer will pay in the settlement process. The registration return button 1114 is a button that accepts returning to the screen where products can be scanned (the registration screen 1100 in Figure 11 (A)).

When the settlement code 1112 is read by the POS terminal 20 (scanner unit 206), settlement begins at the POS terminal 20. Specifically, when the POS terminal 20 reads the settlement code 1112, it requests the cloud server Sv to send cart information 603, and is then able to execute the settlement process using the cart information 603 received from the cloud server Sv in response to the request.

(Example of a screen displayed on the operation display unit 205 of the POS terminal device 20)
12 to 16, examples of screens displayed on the operation display unit 205 of the POS terminal 20 will be described. Figures 12 to 16 are explanatory diagrams showing examples of screens displayed on the operation display unit 205 of the POS terminal 20.

Figure 12 (A) shows the standby screen 1200. The standby screen 1200 includes a notification 1201. The notification 1201 prompts the customer to have the scanner unit 206 read the settlement code 1112. When the customer has the scanner unit 206 read the settlement code 1112 displayed on the mobile terminal device 30 on the standby screen 1200, the screen transitions to the store clerk calling screen 1210 shown in Figure 12 (B).

Figure 12 (B) shows the store clerk calling screen 1210. The store clerk calling screen 1210 includes a product display list 1211, a total list 1212, a calculated value 1213, and a checkout start button 1214. The product display list 1211 shows a list of products to be purchased. Products displayed in the product display list 1211 include reserved products 1211a, products with weight errors 1211b, and products with no weight errors 1211c. The product display list 1211 includes weight, quantity, and sales price (unit price). In addition, in the product display list 1211, products that are not subject to weight inspection are displayed with a mark, for example, "Not inspected."

In the product display list 1211, reserved product 1211a is displayed at the top. The reserved product 1211a shown in the figure is clearly indicated as a NON file product and an unscanned product. If reserved product 1211a is an age verification product, this product is less important than product with weight error 1211b, and is therefore displayed lower than product with weight error 1211b.

Product with weight error 1211b is displayed at the top after reserved product 1211a. Product with weight error 1211b is displayed in a different display format (special format) from reserved product 1211a and product without weight error 1211c. Furthermore, among products with weight error 1211b, the "Cabbage from XX" product has a larger weight error than the "Cucumber from XX" product, so it is displayed at the top. Product without weight error 1211c is displayed at the end of the product display list 1211.

In the illustration, the product with a weight error 1211b is already displayed in a special display mode. However, the timing for displaying it in a special display mode may be after the store clerk has confirmed the reserved product 1211a. In other words, until the store clerk has confirmed the reserved product 1211a, the product with a weight error 1211b may be displayed in a normal display mode, just like the product without a weight error 1211c.

The total list 1212 is an area that displays the total number of registered items, the total measured weight, and the total price. The total number of points is displayed as a denominator and numerator. The denominator of the total number of points indicates all points, including reserved items, registered items, and items not subject to weight inspection. The numerator of the total number of points indicates registered items (identified items). In Figure 12 (B), there are two reserved items and five registered items, so the total number of points is "5/7 points." The calculated value 1213 shows the calculation result of the total weight of the registered items. In Figure 12 (B), the calculated value 1213 does not include the weight of the reserved items and shows, for example, "1,880g."

The Start Checkout button 1214 is a button that accepts the start of the checkout process. However, as shown in Figure 12 (B), when pending items are displayed, that is, before the pending items are confirmed, pressing the Start Checkout button 1214 cannot be accepted (is invalid).

A store clerk visits and checks the reserved items 1211a. The clerk presses a NON file item from the reserved items 1211a to check the items in the reserved bag, identifies the item based on the product classification, etc., and registers the item. Furthermore, when the clerk presses an unscanned item from the reserved items 1211a, the image from the scan operation is played back, and the clerk rescans the item indicated by the image, etc., and registers the item. Once the reserved items have been checked, the screen transitions to the screen shown in Figure 13 (A).

Figure 13 (A) shows the display screen 1300 after the reserved items have been confirmed. Display screen 1300 includes a confirmation notification 1301 indicating that confirmation of the reserved items has been completed. Product display list 1211 on display screen 1300 shows that the reserved items "XX Ramen" and "XX Beer" have been added. If the added items have an unregistered weight, the weight displayed in product display list 1211 will be "0g." In addition, with the addition of the two items, "XX Ramen" and "XX Beer," the total points in total list 1212 are now "7/7 points" and the total price is "¥1,500." Calculated value 1213 shows "2,500g," which is the calculated total weight after the reserved items "XX Ramen" and "XX Beer" have been added. When the "Next" button 1302 is pressed on the display screen 1300, if the weight error exceeds the specified range, the screen will transition to the guidance screen 1310 shown in FIG. 13(B), and if the weight error does not exceed the specified range, the screen will transition to the weighing completion screen 1600 shown in FIG. 16.

Figure 13 (B) shows a guide screen 1310 that guides customers to exclude products with weight errors from the weight inspection. Guide screen 1310 includes a guide notice 1311. Guide notice 1311 indicates that the pass/fail result of the weight inspection is inappropriate, and provides guidance to exclude products with large weight errors (cabbage from XX) from the weight inspection. In the product display list 1211, the product to be excluded from the weight inspection (cabbage from XX) may be displayed in the most prominent manner. Guide notice 1311 also includes the percentage of the pass range and the weight of the pass range. This allows the customer to understand that the weight is not appropriate at this time.

The weighing result is "2,640 g," which is 106% of the calculated value 1213, "2,500 g." This value is not within the range of 97% to 103% of the calculated result. Therefore, the weight inspection result is invalid. When "Cabbage from XX" is removed from the shopping cart on the guidance screen 1310 and the confirmation button 1312 is pressed, the screen transitions to guidance screen 1400, for example, as shown in FIG. 14(A).

If the "Cabbage from XX" has a barcode attached, the barcode may be scanned as proof that the product has been removed. In this case, the notification 1311 may display a message stating, "Please scan the barcode for the "Cabbage from XX." Once the scan is performed, the screen transitions to the notification screen 1400 shown in FIG. 14(A) without displaying or accepting the press of the confirmation button 1312.

Figure 14 (A) shows a guide screen 1400 that guides the customer to exclude products with weight errors from the weight inspection. On the guide screen 1400, a guide notice 1401 informs the customer that the weight inspection result is inappropriate, and that the product with the next largest weight error (cucumbers from XX) will be excluded from the weight inspection. In the product display list 1211, the product to be excluded from the weight inspection (cucumbers from XX) may be displayed in the most prominent manner. The guide notice 1401 also includes the percentage of the acceptable range and the weight of the acceptable range. This allows the customer to understand that the weight is not appropriate at this time.

On the guidance screen 1400, the calculated value 1213 indicates "1,500 g," which is the recalculated result excluding "Cabbage from XX" (theoretical value: 1,000 g). The reweighing result measured by the scale 231 excluding "Cabbage from XX" (actual value: 1,080 g) is "1,560 g." The reweighing result "1,560 g" is 104% of the calculated value 1213 "1,500 g." This value is not within the range of 97% to 103% of the calculated result. Therefore, the weight inspection result is "Incorrect." When the "Cucumber from XX" is removed from the shopping cart and the confirmation button 1312 is pressed on the guidance screen 1400, the screen transitions to, for example, the weighing completion screen 1410 shown in FIG. 14(B) or the weighing completion screen 1500 shown in FIG. 15.

If the "cucumber from XX" has a barcode attached, the barcode may be scanned as proof that the product has been removed. In this case, the notification 1401 may display a message stating, "Please scan the barcode for the "cucumber from XX." Once the scan is performed, the screen transitions to the weighing completion screen 1410 shown in FIG. 14(B) or the weighing completion screen 1500 shown in FIG. 15, without displaying or accepting the press of the confirmation button 1312.

Figure 14 (B) shows the weighing completion screen 1410 when the weight inspection result is correct. On the weighing completion screen 1410, a notification 1411 indicates that the weight inspection result is correct and prompts the user to proceed with payment. On the weighing completion screen 1410, the calculated value 1213 indicates "1,200 g," which is the recalculation result excluding "Cucumber from XX" (theoretical value: 300 g). Furthermore, the reweighing result measured by the weighing device 231 excluding "Cucumber from XX" (actual value: 340 g) is "1,220 g." The reweighing result "1,220 g" is 102% of the calculated value 1213 "1,200 g." This value is within the range of 97% to 103% of the calculation result. Therefore, the weight inspection result is correct. This enables the start payment button 1214. When the Start Payment button 1214 is pressed on the weighing completion screen 1410, payment will begin.

Figure 15 shows the weighing completion screen 1500 when the weight inspection result is inappropriate. On the weighing completion screen 1500, an error notification 1501 indicates that the weight inspection result is inappropriate and that a store employee is being called. On the weighing completion screen 1500, the calculated value 1213 shows "1,200 g," which is the recalculation result excluding "Cucumber from XX." Furthermore, the reweighing result measured by the scale 231 excluding "Cucumber from XX" is "1,310 g." The reweighing result "1,310 g" is 109% of the calculated value 1213 "1,200 g." This value is not within the range of 97% to 103% of the calculation result. Therefore, the weight inspection result is inappropriate. As a result, a store employee is called and confirmation is performed by the employee.

Figure 16 shows the weighing completion screen 1600 when the weight inspection result is incorrect. On the weighing completion screen 1600, a notification 1601 indicates that the weight inspection result is correct and prompts the user to proceed with payment. On the weighing completion screen 1600, the calculated value 1213 indicates "2,500g," which is the calculated total weight when the reserved items "XX Ramen" and "XX Beer" are added. The weighing result measured by the scale 231 is "2,555g," which is 102% of the calculated value 1213 "2,500g." This value is within the range of 97% to 103% of the calculated result. Therefore, the weight inspection result is correct. This enables the start payment button 1214. Pressing the start payment button 1214 on the weighing completion screen 1600 starts payment.

As explained above, in the shopping system 1 described above, the POS terminal device 20 determines whether the total weight of the placed items is appropriate (whether the weight inspection passes or fails) based on the total weight (theoretical value) of the registered items and the total weight (actual value) of the placed items. If the weight inspection passes, the settlement process is carried out. If the weight inspection fails, product information that is believed to be the cause of the pass or fail is notified. This allows the customer to confirm the discrepancy and proceed with the transaction if there is a discrepancy between the registered item weight and the actual weight of the item in the shopping cart. This prevents customers from taking home unregistered items without paying the price, and prevents customers from overpaying due to duplicate registrations. Therefore, this embodiment can help ensure that transactions are carried out appropriately.

In addition, in this embodiment, the weight determination method for each registered product includes a weight determination method that calculates and determines a first weight based on the sales price and unit price of the product sold by weight. This makes it possible to confirm the difference and proceed with the transaction even if the registered products include products sold by weight, if there is a discrepancy between the weight of the registered product and the weight of the actual product in the shopping cart. Therefore, it is possible to support appropriate transactions even when the registered products include products sold by weight.

In addition, in this embodiment, if there are reserved items, the POS terminal device 20 determines whether the weight inspection passed or failed based on the total weight recalculated after the store clerk's confirmation, including the reserved items, and the total weight reweighed of the placed items, including the reserved items. This allows the user to confirm the difference and proceed with the transaction if there is a discrepancy between the registered weight of the reserved items and the actual weight of the items in the shopping cart after the store clerk's confirmation of the reserved items. This therefore helps ensure that the transaction is carried out appropriately, even when there are reserved items.

In addition, in this embodiment, the POS terminal device 20 displays products with weight errors differently from products without weight errors in the list display. This allows customers to easily understand that products with weight errors have been registered.

In addition, in this embodiment, if the weight inspection result indicates an inappropriate result, the POS terminal device 20 displays products with weight errors in the list display differently from products without weight errors. This makes it possible to indicate to the customer that the cause of the inappropriate result is the product with a weight error. As a result, customers who are conducting legitimate transactions may feel uncomfortable when they are notified that the weight inspection result is inappropriate, but this embodiment can reduce the customer's discomfort.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, when products with different weight errors are registered, the POS terminal device 20 displays a list of products with weight errors in order based on the range of weight errors or the set error weight. This allows registered products with weight errors to be displayed with priority if they are likely to be a factor in determining whether a weight inspection passes or fails.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, if the registered items include items with weight errors, the POS terminal device 20 will provide guidance on excluding the items with weight errors from the weight inspection, and will determine whether the weight inspection passed or failed based on the total weight recalculated after excluding the items with weight errors, and the total weight reweighed after excluding the items with weight errors from the placed items. This allows the user to confirm the difference and proceed with the transaction if there is a discrepancy between the weight of the registered items excluding the items with weight errors and the actual weight of the items in the shopping cart excluding the items with weight errors. Therefore, it is possible to support the appropriate transaction even when there are items with weight errors.

In addition, in this embodiment, the mobile terminal device 30 displays the total weight and total number of registered items (in other words, all items to be purchased). Meanwhile, the POS terminal device 20 does not display the total weight and total number of items to be purchased, but displays the weight and number of items that are subject to weight inspection. This allows for updating of both the actual weight (number of items) measured by the weighing device 231 and the calculated weight (theoretical value) when items with weight errors are sampled during weight inspection. Therefore, when the number of items requires fewer operational steps than weight inspection, a smooth transition to quantity inspection can be made. Furthermore, the most efficient inspection task can be selected from either weight inspection or quantity inspection.

In addition, in this embodiment, products that do not fit into a shopping cart (for example, box-shaped items such as tissue paper, or long items such as brooms) are excluded from weight inspection. Furthermore, products that are too light (items below a certain weight) are included in the error (absorbed) in the weight inspection, so they may also be excluded from weight inspection. However, even if an item is too light, if a large number of items are purchased, i.e., if the number is greater than a certain number, it will not be included in the error, so even if the item is too light, it may still be subject to weight inspection.

In addition, in this embodiment, items not subject to weight inspection may include items with weight errors. This allows items with weight errors to be removed from the shopping cart without any special consideration, allowing weight inspection to be carried out (i.e., there is no need to specify the items to be removed). Furthermore, the mobile terminal device 30 and the POS terminal device 20 may mark items not subject to inspection with a separate mark (for example, an "out" mark) to clearly indicate that they are not subject to inspection. This allows customers to remove the items from their shopping cart in advance and have their weight inspected. This has the effect of reducing the occurrence of errors and minimizing the need for store staff intervention.

In addition, in this embodiment, there are two methods for the mobile terminal device 30 to obtain the weight of each product. The first method is to obtain the actual measured value from the cart information 603. The second method is to access a server that manages the production data of the packaging pricing machine and obtain the weight by linking the weight with an identifier (pack ID) for individual item management. In the former case, weight acquisition is completed by obtaining it from the cloud server Sv. In the latter case, the mobile terminal device 30 obtains the weight based on the individual item identifier from the production management server that manages pricing operations in the store's backroom. In this case, however, it is necessary to identify the individual item identifier when reading the barcode information. For this reason, processing such as including the pack ID in the barcode is required, for example.

(Modification of the embodiment)
Modifications of the embodiment will be described below. Note that in each of the following modifications, the content described in the above-described embodiment will be omitted as appropriate. It is also possible to have a configuration in which the configurations shown in the above-described embodiment and each modification are combined. Specifically, a configuration may be used that includes all of the above-described embodiment and the following modifications, or a configuration may be used that combines any of the above-described embodiment and the following modifications.

(Variation 1)
First, a description will be given of Modification 1. In the above-described embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the registered product list 1104 (see FIG. 11A) is simply displayed on the mobile terminal device 30. In Modification 1, a description will be given of a configuration in which, in addition to or instead of the above configuration, the mobile terminal device 30 displays information about takeout together with the registered product list 1104.

Figure 17 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the display 409 of the mobile terminal device 30 in variant example 1. Figure 17 (A) shows a registration screen 1700 displayed on the display 409 of the mobile terminal device 30 when registering a product. Registration screen 1700 is similar to registration screen 1100 in Figure 11 (A). However, registration screen 1700 differs from registration screen 1100 in that it includes a return preparation button 1701. Return preparation button 1701 is always enabled while registration screen 1700 is displayed. When return preparation button 1701 is pressed on registration screen 1700, the screen transitions to the screen shown in Figure 17 (B).

Figure 17 (B) shows the takeout information selection screen 1710. The takeout information selection screen 1710 includes a home delivery selection button 1711 and a plastic bag selection button 1712. The home delivery selection button 1711 is a button that accepts the selection of a home delivery service, and more specifically, a button that accepts the specification of the size and company for delivery. The home delivery selection button 1711 prioritizes the display of the most suitable size out of sizes 60 to 160 depending on the current total weight. Additionally, the company offering the lowest price is prioritized depending on the customer's address.

When the total weight of registered products exceeds a certain weight, the registration screen 1700 may display a message recommending home delivery. Furthermore, when home delivery is selected (declared) on the mobile terminal device 30, a "delivery fee" is added to the total display area 1102. Furthermore, the list display also displays text or a symbol indicating home delivery, as well as the size and price. Pressing the text or symbol for home delivery, or the details, allows the "home delivery service" to be canceled.

Furthermore, when accepting delivery service, if the registered products include chilled or frozen products, "take-out" may be selected. Furthermore, if chilled or frozen products are available, chilled or frozen delivery service may be available.

In addition, when the prepare to leave button 1701 is pressed, it is not limited to accepting the selection of a delivery service, but may also accept a call to a store clerk regarding delivery. For example, the transaction status management device 11 may issue a call regarding delivery when the payment is made on the mobile terminal device 30. This allows the store clerk assigned to the transaction status management device 11 to go to the POS terminal device 20 with a delivery slip and accept delivery from the customer.

The plastic bag selection button 1712 is a button that accepts the specification of the size and number of plastic bags. The plastic bag selection button 1712 prioritizes and displays the optimal size and number based on the current total weight. When the home delivery selection button 1711 or plastic bag selection button 1712 is selected, the fee for the selected amount will be reflected in the total payment amount.

According to Variation 1, the size of the delivery and the size of the shopping bag can be selected based on the total weight at the time of purchase. Therefore, even if you do not go through the procedures for requesting delivery or purchasing a shopping bag at the time of checkout, you can complete the checkout process including the delivery fee and the cost of the shopping bag, making it easy to complete the checkout. This reduces congestion at the POS terminal device 20 related to checkout.

(Variation 2)
Next, a description will be given of Modification 2. In the above-described embodiment, a configuration for provisionally registering the weight of a product whose weight has not been registered (a product with a NON file) will be described.

In Variation 2, for products with unregistered weights (NON file products = reserved products), a store clerk can confirm the weight and provisionally register the weight in the product master database 500. Specifically, the POS terminal 20 can identify the weight of an unregistered product, assuming that the calculation of the total weight of registered products matches the measurement of the total weight of the placed products. For example, if the weight of the product "XX Udon" is not registered, a store clerk will be called because there is a NON file product. The POS terminal 20 then registers the product in response to the clerk's operation. The POS terminal 20 can then identify the weight of the product based on the weight difference when the product is removed. The POS terminal 20 then provisionally registers the identified weight of the product in the product master database 500. The product in the product master database 500 is then registered as a product with no weight error.

As a result, the product "XX Udon" can be registered as a product with no weight error in the product master 500. When the product master 500 is updated, after the provisional registration, the product will be registered as a product on the mobile terminal device 30 where the product was registered, without becoming a NON file product. The provisionally registered weight is then officially registered based on the operation of an authorized operator, such as the store manager.

Variation 2 can assist in registering the weight of products whose weights are not registered in the product master 500. It can also prevent products from being placed on hold in transactions involving the shopping system 1.

(Variation 3)
Next, Variation 3 will be described. In the above-described embodiment, a configuration was described in which the pass/fail judgment of the weight inspection was made on the contents of one shopping basket (placed items). Variation 3 describes a configuration in which, in addition to or instead of this configuration, the pass/fail judgment of the weight inspection is made on the contents of multiple shopping baskets (placed items). In Variation 3, a customer may carry multiple (two or more) shopping baskets in a shopping cart to the POS terminal device 20. In this case, it is necessary to weigh the contents of the multiple shopping baskets (placed items). For example, the following methods (1) to (3) are available.

(1) A large counter 230 may be provided next to the POS terminal 20, and multiple scales 231 may be placed on the counter 230. A customer places multiple shopping baskets on the multiple scales 231. The POS terminal 20 can add up the weights measured by each scale 231 to obtain the total weight of the contents (items placed) of the multiple shopping baskets.

A larger scale 231 may also be used. Specifically, a scale 231 that can accommodate multiple shopping baskets may be used. In this case, the number of shopping baskets may also be accepted. In this way, it is possible to obtain the total weight of the contents (items placed) of multiple shopping baskets.

(2) There may be a case where the number of scales 231 is small compared to the number of shopping baskets. Specifically, for example, a single scale 231 may be used to measure the weight of the contents (placed items) of multiple shopping baskets. In this case, the POS terminal 20 may display a basket switch button to switch the shopping basket to be subjected to weight inspection. When the basket switch button is pressed, the POS terminal 20 prompts the customer to place another shopping basket. Then, when the other shopping basket is placed, the POS terminal 20 may weigh the contents (placed items) of the other shopping basket. The POS terminal 20 can obtain the total weight of the contents (placed items) of multiple shopping baskets by adding the weight of the contents (placed items) of the shopping basket that was weighed first and the weight of the contents (placed items) of the other shopping basket that was weighed later. Additionally, if there are multiple shopping baskets, the POS terminal 20 will accept a designation of the number of shopping baskets. The POS terminal 20 will then add up the weights of the shopping baskets according to the number of designations accepted to obtain the total weight of the multiple shopping baskets.

(3) The placed goods include shopping baskets containing the goods purchased by customers and shopping carts. In this case, a scale (weighing mat) capable of measuring the entire shopping cart may be used. The total weight of the placed goods does not include the weight of the contents of the shopping basket (placed goods) or the weight of the shopping cart itself. Furthermore, when shopping using a shopping cart, either one shopping basket or multiple shopping baskets may be used. Therefore, when the total weight of the placed goods is measured, the POS terminal device 20 can accept the number of shopping baskets and subtract the weight of the accepted number of shopping baskets from the total weight of the placed goods.

The weight of a shopping cart may be a fixed value, or may vary from one shopping cart to another. If different weights are used for each shopping cart, each shopping cart may be equipped with a wireless tag that stores identification information for identifying the shopping cart. The POS terminal device 20 may use the scanner unit 206 to read the wireless tag and obtain the weight of the shopping cart associated with the identification information.

According to variant 3, even when shopping using multiple (two or more) shopping baskets, it is possible to determine whether the weight inspection has passed or failed and to notify the user based on the pass/fail result. Therefore, it is possible to assist in carrying out appropriate transactions even when shopping using multiple shopping baskets.

(Variation 4)
Next, a fourth modification will be described. In the above-described embodiment, a weight inspection is always performed at the time of payment, and a notification based on the pass/fail result of the weight inspection is made. In the fourth modification, in addition to or instead of this configuration, a weight inspection is performed according to the number of items purchased, and a notification based on the pass/fail result of the weight inspection is made.

In Variation 4, if the number of purchased items is less than a predetermined number, the POS terminal 20 does not check whether the weight inspection has passed, i.e., does not issue a notification based on the pass/fail result of the weight inspection. On the other hand, if the number of purchased items exceeds a predetermined number at the time of payment, the POS terminal 20 checks whether the weight inspection has passed, and issues a notification based on the pass/fail result of the weight inspection. The predetermined number is, for example, "3."

More specifically, the POS terminal 20 obtains the number of purchases from the cart information 603 obtained at the start of the transaction completion process (see Figure 9), and if the number of purchases is small and there are no reserved items, performs the settlement process (step S915). In this case, the POS terminal 20 may not issue a notification to place the shopping cart on the scale 231, and may instead issue a notification stating, for example, "Do not place the shopping cart on the scale."

According to variant 4, when the number of purchased items is small, weight errors are small and registration omissions are almost impossible, so it is possible to avoid determining whether the weight inspection has passed or failed. This allows for quick payment completion.

In addition, in Variation 4, regardless of the number of items purchased, depending on the registered product, a weight inspection may always be conducted and a notification may be issued based on the pass/fail result of the weight inspection. For example, when purchasing a box of the same product, a weight inspection may always be conducted and a notification may be issued based on the pass/fail result of the weight inspection. In this way, if an item is missing from a box, the missing item can be notified.

(Variation 5)
Next, Modification 5 will be described. In the above-described embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the pass/fail of the weight inspection is determined by using the ratio between the total weight indicated by the calculation result and the total weight indicated by the weighing result ("calculation result/weighing result"). In Modification 5, a configuration will be described in which, in addition to or instead of the above configuration, the pass/fail of the weight inspection is determined by using the difference between the total weight indicated by the calculation result and the total weight indicated by the weighing result ("calculation result-weighing result").

In variant 5, the determination unit determines that the total weight of the placed products is appropriate if the difference in total weight is within a predetermined range (for example, within ±50 g of the calculated result). On the other hand, the determination unit determines that the total weight of the placed products is inappropriate if the difference in total weight is not within the predetermined range.

Here, the larger the number of items purchased, the larger the difference tends to be. For this reason, if the number of items purchased is large, the weight inspection is more likely to be judged as inappropriate. Therefore, if the number of items purchased is large, the specified range may be made larger. Also, if the number of items purchased is small, the specified range may be made smaller.

According to variant 5, the pass/fail of the weight inspection can be determined using the difference between the total weight indicated by the calculation result and the total weight indicated by the weighing result. In addition, the pass/fail criteria for the weight inspection can be changed, which reduces the occurrence of error notification 1501 (see Figure 15) due to an inappropriate pass/fail result for the weight inspection. This is therefore effective when there are few store staff. This allows for flexible response to store operations, thereby improving convenience.

(Variation 6)
Next, we will explain Variation 6. In the above-mentioned embodiment, we have explained a configuration in which, in determining whether a weight inspection passes or fails, the total weight of the placed products is determined to be appropriate if the ratio between the total weight indicated by the calculation result and the total weight indicated by the weighing result ("calculation result/weighing result") is uniformly within a predetermined range (for example, within a range of 97% to 103% of the calculation result). Variation 6 will explain a configuration in which, in addition to or instead of this configuration, the predetermined range (determination criteria) can be changed.

In variant 6, the predetermined range may be changeable, for example, in response to an operation by a store clerk. The predetermined range may also be set according to the customer's rank. For example, for valued customers who spend a lot or who visit the store frequently, the predetermined range may be widened (for example, 95% to 105% of the calculated result). Furthermore, for valued customers, the pass/fail determination of the weight inspection may not be performed. This prevents the occurrence of an error notification 1501 (see FIG. 15) in the case of valued customers, thereby preventing the valued customer from being annoyed. On the other hand, for customers who spend a little or who visit the store infrequently, the predetermined range may be narrowed (for example, 98% to 102% of the calculated result).

In addition, in variant 6, the predetermined range may be set according to the number of products with large weight errors. For example, if the weight error is equal to or greater than a certain value and the number of registered products is equal to or greater than a certain number, the predetermined range may be widened (for example, 95% to 105% of the calculated result). In this case, a pass/fail determination of the weight inspection may not be made. On the other hand, if the weight error is less than a certain value and the number of registered products is less than a certain number, the predetermined range may be narrowed (for example, 98% to 102% of the calculated result).

Variation 6 allows the criteria for determining whether a weight inspection has passed or failed to be changed. This reduces the occurrence of error notifications 1501 (see Figure 15) due to improper weight inspection results, making it effective when there are few store staff. This allows for flexible response to store operations, improving convenience.

(Variation 7)
Next, we will explain Variation 7. In the above-mentioned embodiment, when an age verification product is available, an age verification screen is displayed and an age verification button is accepted from the customer. In Variation 7, we will explain a configuration that, in addition to or instead of this configuration, does not display the age verification button under certain conditions.

Under certain conditions means that reserved items other than age verification items have been registered. Specifically, during the reserved item confirmation process (see Figure 10), if an age verification item has been registered, the POS terminal device 20 determines whether there are any other reserved items. If there are other reserved items, a store clerk will intervene to register NON file items, etc., and since it is clear that a store clerk will be involved, the display of the age verification button is omitted. On the other hand, if there are no other reserved items, the age verification button is displayed and the customer is asked to confirm their age.

Variation 7 allows the age verification button to be omitted, speeding up the payment process.

(Variation 8)
Next, a description will be given of Modification 8. In Modification 8, a display mode of products with weight errors and products without weight errors displayed in a list on the display 409 of the mobile terminal device 30 will be described.

In variant 8, the mobile display control unit displays products with weight errors and products without weight errors in different display formats in the list display of registered products. Specifically, the mobile display control unit may display products with weight errors at the top of the list display (in a position where they are easy to see). The mobile display control unit may also display products with weight errors larger than products without weight errors, or in a different color or font than products without weight errors. The mobile display control unit may also display the weight error for each product with a weight error.

Furthermore, when products with different weight errors are registered, the mobile display control unit may display the products with weight errors in a list in order based on the weight error value. Specifically, for example, the mobile display control unit may display the products with weight errors in a list in order of the largest weight error value. However, the mobile display control unit may also display products with weight errors and products without weight errors in the same display format.

In Variation 8, the mobile terminal device 30 indicates that the product has a weight error, allowing the customer to understand at the registration stage that a product with a weight error has been registered. Therefore, customers conducting legitimate transactions may be left with a bad impression when notified that the weight inspection result is improper. However, Variation 8 allows customers to predict the weight error at the time of payment in advance, thereby preventing the customer from being left with a bad impression.

(Variation 9)
Next, a description will be given of Modification 9. In the embodiment described above, if the weight inspection result is inappropriate, an error notification 1501 (see FIG. 15) indicating this is issued. In Modification 9, in addition to or instead of this configuration, a description will be given of a configuration in which, if the weight inspection result is inappropriate, a store clerk is called without issuing error notification 1501 (see FIG. 15).

In variant 9, the POS terminal 20 notifies the customer in a way that prevents the customer from realizing that the weight inspection result is incorrect. For example, the POS terminal 20 may notify the customer, "Please cooperate with random inspections," or that a communication error has occurred even though no communication error has occurred, or that an error has occurred in the change dispenser 209 even though no error has occurred, and then call a store clerk.

In Variant 9, customers who are conducting legitimate transactions may be left with a bad impression if they are notified that the weight inspection result is incorrect. However, in Variant 9, a store employee is called without being notified that the weight inspection result is incorrect, thereby preventing the customer from being left with a bad impression.

The embodiments will be summarized below.
[Title of invention] Weight determination device, product sales data processing system, and program [Technical field]
The present invention relates to a weight determining device, a product sales data processing system, and a program.
[Background technology]
In recent years, so-called self-checkout systems, in which customers register products and then pay for them, have become widespread. For example, a self-checkout system is known in which a customer registers a product by having a card reader equipped on a tablet terminal attached to a shopping cart read a barcode attached to the product, and then the customer reads electronic money into the card reader to pay for the product (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
[Prior art documents]
[Patent Documents]
[Patent Document 1] JP 2019-204446 A [Summary of the Invention]
[Problem to be solved by the invention]
However, with the conventional technology, when reading the barcode attached to the product, registration failure may occur due to operational errors or fraud such as shoplifting. This may result in the customer taking the unregistered product home without paying for it. Therefore, the conventional technology has the problem of not being able to conduct a proper transaction.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique that can support appropriate trading.

[Means for solving the problems]
(1) In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one aspect of the present invention is a weight determination device characterized by comprising: an acquisition means for identifying the weight of a registered product based on a customer's registration operation in accordance with a weight identification method for each registered product and acquiring a first weight derived from the identification result; a weighing means for measuring a second weight indicating the weight of an item placed on a loading section; a determination means for comparing the first weight acquired by the acquisition means with the second weight measured by the weighing means and determining whether the difference between the first weight and the second weight is within a predetermined range; and a notification means for executing a settlement process if the determination means determines that the result is yes, and for notifying product information that is considered to be the cause of the difference if the determination is no.
According to the above configuration, if there is a discrepancy between the registered product weight (theoretical value) and the actual weight (measured value) of the product in the shopping cart, the discrepancy can be confirmed and the transaction can be carried out. This prevents customers from taking back unpaid products that were not registered, and prevents customers from overpaying due to duplicate registration. Therefore, this embodiment can support the proper execution of transactions.

(2) In the configuration of (1) above, the weight determination method for each registered product may include a weight determination method that calculates and determines the first weight based on the sales price and unit price of the product sold by weight.
According to the above configuration, even if the registered products include products sold by weight, if there is a discrepancy between the registered product weight and the actual weight of the product in the shopping cart, the discrepancy can be confirmed and the transaction can be carried out. Therefore, even if the registered products include products sold by weight, it is possible to support appropriate transactions.

(3) In the configuration of (1) or (2) above, if the products that are the subject of the registration operation include a confirmation product that requires a confirmation operation by a store clerk, the acquisition means may acquire a first weight identified by including the confirmation product in the registered products after the confirmation operation, and the determination means may determine whether the product passes or fails based on the first weight identified by including the confirmation product and the second weight measured by the weighing means after the confirmation operation.
According to the above configuration, if there is a discrepancy between the registered weight of the reserved item and the actual weight of the item in the shopping cart after the confirmation operation for the reserved item, the discrepancy can be confirmed and the transaction can be carried out. Therefore, even if there are reserved items, it is possible to support the appropriate transaction.

(4) In the configurations (1) to (3) above, a display control means is provided for displaying the registered products in a list, and the registered products are classified into products with weight errors and products without weight errors based on the basic weight and error rate for each product, the absolute value of the error weight calculated from the basic weight and error rate, or a set error weight, and a predetermined threshold or management item, and the display control means may be configured to change the display mode of the products with weight errors in the list display from the display mode of the products without weight errors.
According to the above configuration, it is possible to easily let the customer know that a product with a weight error has been registered.

(5) In the configuration of (4) above, when the result of the test is negative, the display control means may change the display mode of the product with weight error in the list display from the display mode of the product without weight error.
According to the above configuration, it is possible to indicate to the customer that the cause of the inappropriateness is the product with a weight error. As a result, customers who are conducting legitimate transactions may feel uncomfortable when they are notified that the weight inspection result is inappropriate, but according to this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the discomfort felt by the customer.

(6) In the configuration of (4) or (5) above, when different products with weight errors are registered, the display control means may be configured to display the products with weight errors in the list in an order based on the absolute value of the error weight or in an order based on a set error weight.
According to the above configuration, among the registered products with weight errors, those that are likely to be a factor in determining whether or not a weight inspection is passed can be displayed with priority.

(7) In the configurations (4) to (6) above, if the registered products include products with weight errors, the notification means issues a notification indicating that the products with weight errors should be excluded from the weight inspection, the acquisition means removes the products with weight errors that have been instructed to be excluded from the weight inspection from the registered products and acquires the re-identified first weight, the weighing means determines the second weight measured after removing the products with weight errors that have been instructed to be excluded from the weight inspection, and the determination means may determine whether the product passes or fails based on the re-identified first weight and the determined second weight.
According to the above configuration, if there is a discrepancy between the weight of registered products excluding products with weight errors and the weight of actual products excluding products with weight errors in the shopping cart, the discrepancy can be confirmed and the transaction can be carried out. Therefore, it is possible to support the proper transaction even when there are products with weight errors.

(8) In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, another aspect of the present invention is a product sales data processing system comprising: a portable registration device that generates registration information based on a customer's registration operation; and a settlement device that performs settlement based on the registration information, wherein the settlement device comprises: an acquisition means that identifies the weight of the registered product indicated by the registration information in accordance with a weight identification method for each registered product and acquires a first weight derived from the identification result; a weighing means that measures a second weight indicating the weight of the item placed on the loading section; a determination means that compares the first weight acquired by the acquisition means with the second weight measured by the weighing means and determines whether the difference between the first weight and the second weight is within a predetermined range; and a notification means that executes settlement processing when the determination means determines that the result is yes, and notifies the product information that is considered to be the cause of the pass/fail when the determination means determines that the result is no.
According to the above configuration, if there is a discrepancy between the registered product weight and the actual weight of the product in the shopping cart, the discrepancy can be confirmed and the transaction can be carried out. This prevents customers from taking unregistered products home without paying the price, and prevents customers from overpaying due to duplicate registration. Therefore, this embodiment can support the proper conduct of transactions.

(9) In the configuration of (8) above, the portable registration device may be provided with a portable registration device display control means that displays the registration information as a list of registration details and further displays the total weight of the products registered in the registration information based on the registration information, and the settlement device may be provided with a settlement device display control means that displays the weight of the products registered in the registration information excluding the weight of products not subject to weight inspection, which are not subject to weighing.
According to the above configuration, it is possible to display the weight according to each device.

(10) In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, another aspect of the present invention is a program that causes a computer used in a weight determination device to function as: a first acquisition means that identifies the weight of a registered product based on a customer's registration operation in accordance with a weight identification method for each registered product and acquires a first weight derived from the identification result; a second acquisition means that acquires a second weight from a weighing device that measures a second weight indicating the weight of an item placed on a loading section; a determination means that compares the first weight acquired by the first acquisition means with the second weight acquired by the second acquisition means and determines whether the difference between the first weight acquired by the first acquisition means and the second weight acquired by the second acquisition means is within a predetermined range; and a notification means that executes a settlement process if the determination means determines that the result is yes, and notifies product information that is considered to be the cause of the difference if the determination is no.
According to the above configuration, if there is a discrepancy between the registered product weight and the actual weight of the product in the shopping cart, the discrepancy can be confirmed and the transaction can be carried out. This prevents customers from taking unregistered products home without paying the price, and prevents customers from overpaying due to duplicate registration. Therefore, this embodiment can support the proper conduct of transactions.

Note that all or part of the functions (input/output, storage, processing (including judgment)) of the POS terminal device 20 and mobile terminal device 30 described above may be implemented in a device other than the device described as the entity that executes the function.

Specifically, the above description describes a configuration in which the POS terminal device 20 includes a calculation unit, a first acquisition unit, a second acquisition unit, a determination unit, a display control unit, and a notification unit. All or some of these functional units may be provided in another computer device. For example, all or some of these functional units may be provided in the store controller 10, the cloud server Sv, or another computer device. Furthermore, the number of computer devices provided with these functional units is not limited to multiple, and may be one. For example, all of these functional units may be provided in a single computer device.

Specifically, for example, instead of the POS terminal device 20, the store controller 10 or the cloud server Sv may determine whether the weight inspection passed or failed based on the total weight of the registered products and the total weight of the placed products, and issue a notification based on the pass or fail result.

In relation to the above, the POS terminal device 20 and the mobile terminal device 30 may function as so-called thin clients that specialize in the input/output interface when it comes to product registration and settlement. In other words, the POS terminal device 20 and the mobile terminal device 30 may accept various inputs (operation by the operator, detection by a device such as a scanner), send input information (operation information, scan information, etc.) to the cloud server Sv, receive processing results from the cloud server Sv based on the input information (updated screen information, device control information, etc.), and perform various outputs (display on a display unit, control of a device).

The programs for implementing the shopping system 1, POS terminal device 20, and mobile terminal device 30 described above may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium and loaded into a computer system for execution. The term "computer system" as used herein includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices. The term "computer-readable recording medium" also refers to portable media such as flexible disks, optical magnetic disks, ROMs, and CD-ROMs, as well as storage devices such as hard disks built into a computer system. The term "computer-readable recording medium" also includes devices that retain a program for a certain period of time, such as volatile memory (RAM) within a computer system that acts as a server or client when the program is transmitted over a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line. The program may also be transmitted from a computer system storing the program in a storage device to another computer system via a transmission medium or by transmission waves within the transmission medium. The "transmission medium" used to transmit the program refers to a medium capable of transmitting information, such as a network (communication network) such as the Internet or a communication line (communication line) such as a telephone line. The program may also be used to implement some of the functions described above. Furthermore, the above functions may be realized in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system, a so-called differential file (differential program).

Sv...cloud server, 1...shopping system, 10...store controller, 11...transaction status management device, 20...POS terminal device, 30...mobile terminal device, 201, 401...CPU, 202, 402...ROM, 203, 403...RAM, 204...hard disk, 205...operation display unit, 206...scanner unit, 208...card payment unit, 209...change dispenser, 215...communication unit, 216...camera, 405...communication unit, 407...camera, 409...display, 500...product master

Claims (3)

an input means for inputting code information including a selling price;
an acquisition means for acquiring a first weight obtained by adding a weight derived by dividing the selling price included in the code information input to the input means by the unit price of the product corresponding to the code information and the weight of the container of the product;
a weighing means for measuring a second weight indicating the weight of the item placed on the placement section;
a determining means for comparing the first weight acquired by the acquiring means with the second weight measured by the weighing means and determining whether or not a difference between the first weight and the second weight is within a predetermined range;
a notification means for executing a checkout process when the determination means determines that the result is a pass, and for notifying product information that is the cause of the pass or fail when the determination means determines that the result is a fail;
A weight determining device comprising: a portable registration device that generates registration information based on a customer's registration operation;
a settlement device that performs settlement based on the registration information;
In a product sales data processing system comprising:
The settlement device
an input means for inputting code information including a selling price;
an acquisition means for acquiring a first weight obtained by adding a weight derived by dividing the selling price included in the code information input to the input means by the unit price of the product corresponding to the code information and the weight of the container of the product;
a weighing means for measuring a second weight indicating the weight of the item placed on the placement section;
a determining means for comparing the first weight acquired by the acquiring means with the second weight measured by the weighing means and determining whether or not a difference between the first weight and the second weight is within a predetermined range;
a notification means for executing a checkout process when the determination means determines that the result is a pass, and for notifying product information that is the cause of the pass or fail when the determination means determines that the result is a fail;
A product sales data processing system comprising: A computer used in the weight determination device,
an input means for inputting code information including a selling price;
a first obtaining means for obtaining a first weight by adding a weight derived by dividing the selling price included in the code information input to the input means by the unit price of the commodity corresponding to the code information to the weight of a container of the commodity;
a second acquisition means for acquiring a second weight from a weighing device that measures the second weight indicating the weight of the item placed on the placement section;
a determination means for comparing the first weight acquired by the first acquisition means with the second weight acquired by the second acquisition means and determining whether or not a difference between the first weight acquired by the first acquisition means and the second weight acquired by the second acquisition means is within a predetermined range;
a notification means for executing a checkout process when the determination means determines that the result is positive, and for notifying product information that is the cause of the result being negative when the determination means determines that the result is negative;
A program characterized by functioning as