JP7749221B2 - gate - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a gate installed near the entrance and exit of a store, etc.

Conventionally, security systems have been introduced in stores to manage merchandise and prevent shoplifting (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the security system described in Patent Document 1, wireless tags (equivalent to contactless IC tags) are attached to merchandise, and gates equipped with wireless tag readers (equivalent to contactless IC readers) for reading the wireless tags are installed near the entrances and exits of the store. The security system described in Patent Document 1 reads the wireless tags with the wireless tag reader and issues an alarm if merchandise is taken outside the store.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-171369

However, the security system described in Patent Document 1 merely uses a gate to read wireless tags attached to products and prevent them from being taken out of the store; it does not distribute information about the store's products, discount information, discount coupons, etc. In other words, the security system described in Patent Document 1 does not provide services to customers. For this reason, there is a need for stores to make effective use of gates.

Recently, cash registers (also known as POS registers) equipped with POS (Point of Sales) systems have been installed in stores. The POS registers read wireless tags or barcodes attached to products, recording product purchase information as a product purchase history. This allows for product management in stores. Therefore, customers who have purchased products in a store can analyze customer demographics based on their product purchase history.

However, since no product purchase history is kept for non-purchasers, there was the problem that it was not possible to determine whether a customer had visited the store or to analyze customer demographics based on their product purchase history. This meant that it was not possible to deliver personalized product advertisements, discount information, or discount coupons according to customer demographics.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention aims to provide a gate that can provide customers with information transmitted from stores, etc., and that can also be used as a security gate. The present invention also aims to provide a gate that can analyze customer demographics at stores, etc., and that can also be used as a security gate.

(1) The gate of the present invention, provided to solve the above-mentioned problems, is a gate for managing the entry and exit of customers into a store, and is characterized in that it is equipped with a communication unit capable of communicating with the customer terminal of the customer, and that the communication unit communicates with the customer terminal at least when the customer enters the store, thereby being able to transmit data related to store-generated information transmitted from the store to the customer terminal.

The gate described above is equipped with a communication unit capable of communicating with the customer's customer terminal, and can communicate with the customer terminal via the communication unit when the customer enters the store. Therefore, the gate described above can transmit data related to store-generated information sent from the store to the customer terminal via the communication unit. This is expected to have an effect on attracting customers and promoting sales. Furthermore, because the gate described above uses the customer terminal held by the customer, it can deliver useful information to customers without compromising customer convenience. Communication between the customer terminal and the communication unit can use various communication methods, such as communication initiated by the customer terminal reading a QR code (registered trademark) affixed or displayed on the gate, or communication initiated by touching the customer terminal to the gate (including both contact and contactless methods).

(2) In the gate of the present invention described above, the store-sent information may be at least one of product information related to the store's products, discount information, and discount coupons.

By configuring the gate as described above, it is possible to provide customers with even more useful information and discount coupons. This is expected to have an even greater effect on attracting customers and promoting sales.

(3) The gate of the present invention, which is provided to solve the above-mentioned problems, is a gate for managing customers entering and leaving a store, and includes: a communication unit capable of communicating with the customer's customer terminal; a product purchase history acquisition unit that acquires the customer's product purchase history at the store when the customer leaves the store; an imaging unit that can capture at least the face of the customer when the customer enters the store and when the customer leaves the store; a customer recognition unit that recognizes the customer from the captured image; a customer association unit that associates the recognized customer recognized based on the image of the customer when they entered the store, the product purchase history, and the recognized customer's customer terminal; and a customer characteristic information acquisition unit that acquires customer characteristic information by analyzing the characteristics of the recognized customer, wherein the communication unit is capable of detecting the recognized customer leaving the store by communicating with the customer terminal, and the customer characteristic information acquisition unit acquires the customer characteristic information on the condition that it detects the recognized customer leaving the store.

The gate described above is equipped with an imaging unit that captures at least the face of a customer when the customer enters the store and when the customer leaves the store, and is configured to recognize the customer from the captured image using the customer recognition unit. The gate also uses a product purchase history acquisition unit to acquire the customer's product purchase history at the store when the customer leaves the store. The gate can associate the recognized customer, the product purchase history, and the customer terminal using the customer association unit via communication with the customer terminal via the communication unit. That is, the gate can identify a customer by associating at least the customer's facial image, product purchase history, and customer terminal when the customer enters the store. The customer characteristic information acquisition unit in the gate also acquires customer characteristic information upon detecting the recognized customer's departure from the store. Here, customer characteristic information includes, for example, information such as the customer's gender and age based on the customer's facial image, as well as information related to the customer's product purchase history. Therefore, customer demographics can be identified by analyzing the acquired customer characteristic information. Thus, the gate 1B described above enables accurate customer demographic analysis based on the association of product purchase history and customers. Furthermore, the results of the customer demographic analysis can be used, for example, to provide customers with personalized product information (advertising), discount information, or discount coupons (hereinafter collectively referred to as product information, etc.). This allows the above-mentioned gate to distribute product information, etc. to customers who visit the store on or after the next visit, based on the results of the customer demographic analysis. Furthermore, the above-mentioned gate can distribute product information, etc. tailored to customer demographics (age, gender, time of day when the store is visited, etc.).

(4) In the gate of the present invention described above, the communication unit is capable of communicating with a POS register installed in the store, and the product purchase history is transmitted directly or indirectly from the POS register to the product purchase history acquisition unit via the communication unit.

By configuring the gate as described above, the product purchase history acquisition unit can acquire customer product purchase histories transmitted from the POS register. Communication between the POS register and the communication unit at the gate can be performed wirelessly or via a cable, for example. Communication between the POS register and the communication unit at the gate can also be performed directly or via another terminal, server, or the like. As described above, the gate of the present invention can acquire product purchase histories, enabling store entry and exit management that associates recognized customers, product purchase histories, and customer terminals.

(5) In the gate of the present invention described above, the product purchase history is transmitted from a POS register installed in the store to the customer terminal when the customer purchases a product at the store, and the product purchase history acquisition unit acquires the product purchase history from the customer terminal via the communication unit.

By configuring the gate in this way, it is possible to obtain product purchase history via the customer terminal. This allows the gate to obtain product purchase history, enabling store entry and exit management that associates recognized customers, product purchase history, and customer terminals.

(6) The gate of the present invention described above may have a purchase determination unit that determines whether the recognized customer has purchased a product at the store based on the presence or absence of the product purchase history, and the customer characteristic information acquisition unit may acquire the customer characteristic information on the condition that the purchase determination unit determines that the recognized customer has not purchased the product.

The above-mentioned gate can determine whether a customer (a recognized customer) has purchased a product at a store based on the presence or absence of a product purchase history. Furthermore, the above-mentioned gate can acquire customer characteristic information on the condition that the customer has been determined not to have purchased a product, making it possible to analyze the customer demographics of customers who have not purchased a product. Furthermore, for customers who have purchased a product, the customer demographics can be analyzed based on customer characteristic information acquired when they leave the store. In this way, the above-mentioned gate can perform customer demographic analysis based on customer characteristic information not only for customers who have purchased a product, but also for customers who have not purchased a product, and is therefore expected to be useful in formulating sales plans, etc.

(7) The gate of the present invention described above may include a display unit that displays information to be provided to the customer, and the display unit may display at least one of product information, discount information, and discount coupon information related to products in the store.

The above-mentioned gate, with this configuration, can advertise products in the store, which is expected to have a sales promotion effect in the store. Furthermore, by consolidating the display unit and gate, it is expected that the installation space for the gate will be reduced. Furthermore, by utilizing the results of customer demographic analysis, the above-mentioned gate is expected to display personalized product information, discount information, discount coupon information, etc. for each customer on the display unit.

(8) In the gate of the present invention described above, the communication unit may include an NFC tag or a beacon.

The above-described gate, with this configuration, can communicate with customer terminals, etc., without the need for a separate device or wireless tag on the customer's terminal, etc. Therefore, the above-described gate can minimize any loss of convenience for customers. Here, an NFC (Near Field Communication) tag is a tag equipped with an IC chip capable of short-range wireless communication in accordance with short-range wireless communication standards, and a beacon is a wireless communication device equipped with an IC chip capable of short-range wireless communication. For example, an NFC tag can be used that initiates communication with the customer terminal 5 when the customer passes through the gate, or that initiates communication when the customer touches the customer terminal to the gate (including both contact and contactless types). Furthermore, a beacon can be used that initiates communication with the customer terminal by transmitting a signal to the customer's terminal, for example.

(9) The gate of the present invention described above comprises a wireless tag reader that detects an item tag attached to an item via wireless communication, a warning device that performs a warning operation, a determination unit that determines whether the warning operation is necessary based on the results of communication with the wireless tag reader, and a warning control unit that controls the operation of the warning device based on the determination result by the warning necessity determination unit, and the warning control unit controls the warning device to start the warning operation on the condition that the warning necessity determination unit determines that the warning operation is necessary.

By configuring the gate as described above, it can be used as a security gate. In this way, the gate described above can effectively utilize the dead space created by installing the gate, thereby reducing the amount of dead space. The gate described above may also be equipped with the display unit described above. With this configuration, it is expected that sales promotion effects can be achieved while concealing the fact that it is a security gate.

However, when a display device (display unit) and a wireless tag reader are installed together, there is a concern that communication between the wireless tag reader and the item tag may interfere with the display device, causing communication disruption (communication failure). Communication failure may also cause malfunctions in the display device, warning devices, etc. Therefore, when installing a display device at the gate described above, it is desirable to install a communication disruption suppression unit to suppress communication disruption.

(10) Therefore, the gate of the present invention, which is provided to solve the above-mentioned problems, is a gate for managing the entry and exit of customers into a store, and is characterized by having: a wireless tag reader that detects an item tag attached to an item via wireless communication; a warning device that performs a warning operation; a determination unit that determines whether the warning operation is necessary based on the results of communication with the wireless tag reader; a warning control unit that controls the operation of the warning device based on the determination result by the warning necessity determination unit; a display unit that displays information to be provided to customers; a display control unit that controls the information display on the display unit; and a communication interference suppression unit that operates the display unit so as not to interfere with communication between the wireless tag reader and the item tag.

The gate described above has a display unit and a communication interference suppression unit, so it does not interfere with communication between the wireless tag reader and the item tag. Therefore, the gate described above can suppress malfunctions of the warning device and display unit caused by communication interference. This allows the gate described above to suppress, for example, display distortions on the display unit and inappropriate warnings caused by malfunctions of the warning device. Furthermore, since the gate described above can issue warnings using the warning device, it can be used as a security gate.

The present invention makes it possible to provide a gate that can provide customers with information transmitted from stores, etc., and that can also be used as a security gate. Furthermore, the present invention makes it possible to provide a gate that enables analysis of customer demographics at stores, etc., and that can also be used as a security gate.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory perspective view of a gate according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front view of a gate according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a gate according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is an explanatory perspective view of a gate according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a front view of a gate according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram of a gate according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

A first embodiment of a gate 1 according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 1 to 3. In this first embodiment, a gate 1A that manages the entry and exit of customers M into a store will be described. In this first embodiment, the gate 1A will be used as a security gate as an example. In this first embodiment, a gate 1A that can transmit data related to store information to be transmitted to customers, to a customer terminal 5, will be described.

First Embodiment
As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the gate 1A is formed as a rectangular frame 2 extending in the vertical direction. The gate 1A is installed around the entrances and exits of various stores such as supermarkets and drug stores. In this embodiment, the gate 1A is provided as a pair of separate gates. The frame 2 also has legs 2A at its lower end for installation.

As shown in Figure 3, gate 1A includes a communication unit 10, a display unit 20, a display control unit 30 that controls the display, a wireless tag reader 40, a communication interference suppression unit 50, a warning device 60, a warning necessity determination unit 61, a warning control unit 62, and the like.

The communication unit 10 is built into, for example, a portion of the gate 1A near its surface. The communication unit 10 may be, for example, an NFC (Near Field Communication) tag or beacon capable of short-range wireless communication. Here, an NFC tag is a tag equipped with an IC chip capable of short-range wireless communication in accordance with a short-range wireless communication standard, and a beacon is a wireless communication device equipped with an IC chip capable of short-range wireless communication. The communication unit 10 is capable of communicating with customer M's customer terminal 5 using short-range wireless communication. For example, an NFC tag may be used that initiates communication with the customer terminal 5 when customer M passes through the gate, or that initiates communication when customer M touches the customer terminal 5 to the gate (including both contact and contactless types). Furthermore, a beacon may be used that initiates communication with customer M's customer terminal 5 by transmitting a signal toward customer M's customer terminal 5.

The customer terminal 5 is exemplified by a mobile terminal such as a smartphone held by the customer M. The customer terminal 5 is equipped with, for example, NFC or Felica (registered trademark), a contactless IC card technology, which enables electronic payments. Therefore, the customer terminal 5 is capable of wireless communication with the communication unit 10.

Furthermore, by communicating with the customer terminal 5, the communication unit 10 can detect whether customer M is entering or leaving the store. Specifically, this can be detected based on the direction of travel of customer M (entering or leaving the store), or by assigning a store entry ID or the like from the communication unit 10 to the customer terminal 5 when entering the store and then detecting the presence or absence of the store entry ID when leaving the store. Here, various communication methods can be used for communication between the customer terminal 5 and the communication unit 10, such as communication initiated by the customer terminal reading a QR code (registered trademark) affixed or displayed on the gate 1, or communication initiated by customer M touching the customer terminal 5 to the gate 1 as described above.

The communication unit 10 can also transmit data related to store-dispatched information sent from the store to customers to the customer terminal 5. Specifically, the communication unit 10 can transmit at least one of product information related to the store's products 3, discount information, and discount coupons as data related to the store-dispatched information. The store-dispatched information sent by the communication unit 10 is intended to be sent at least when customer M enters the store. This can be expected to have an effect on attracting customers and promoting sales. The timing of sending the store-dispatched information by the communication unit 10 is not limited to when customer M enters the store, but can be sent at any appropriate time.

The display unit 20 is formed on the surface of the frame body 2 (see Figures 1 and 2). The display unit 20 is formed, for example, from an LCD panel or an LED panel, and is connected to a display control unit 30. The display control unit 30 is formed, for example, from a computer, and is capable of controlling the information displayed on the display unit 20. The display unit 20 can display characters, figures, etc. controlled by the display control unit 30. The display unit 20 can also display information to be provided to customers M related to the store. Specifically, the display unit 20 can display at least one of product information, discount information, and discount coupon information related to products 3 in the store.

The wireless tag reader 40 can wirelessly detect the item tag 4 attached to an item 3 (item 3) in the store. Specifically, the item tag 4 is formed, for example, by an NFC tag, and is designed to emit a predetermined radio wave when the item 3 is unpaid. On the other hand, the wireless tag reader 40 is, for example, an NFC tag reader, and is designed to detect the item tag 4 (e.g., NFC tag) when an unpaid item 3 passes through gate 1A.

The communication interference suppression unit 50 suppresses communication interference (communication failure) that occurs when the display unit 20, wireless tag reader 40, and communication unit 10 coexist at gate 1A and interfere with each other. The communication interference suppression unit 50 may be, for example, a noise filter. The communication interference suppression unit 50 can operate the display unit 20 so as not to interfere with communication between the wireless tag reader 40 and the item tag 4. This prevents, for example, display distortion on the display unit 20 caused by radio wave interference and the wireless tag reader 40 from misreading the item tag 4. In the first embodiment, the communication interference suppression unit 50 also suppresses communication interference between the communication unit 10 and the display unit 20. As a result, the communication interference suppression unit 50 can also suppress inappropriate warnings caused by malfunctions of the warning device 60, which will be described later.

Next, details of the warning device 60 that is installed when the gate 1A is used for security purposes will be explained below.

The warning device 60 issues a warning when, for example, an unpaid item 3 passes through gate 1A due to shoplifting. Examples of warning actions include sounding an alarm, displaying a warning on the display unit 20, flashing a warning lamp, or a combination of these. The warning device 60 also includes a warning necessity determination unit 61 and a warning control unit 62.

The warning necessity determination unit 61 is provided, for example, as a program that can be executed on a computer. The warning necessity determination unit 61 can determine whether a warning operation is necessary based on the results of communication with the wireless tag reader 40. Specifically, when an unpaid item 3 passes through gate 1A and the wireless tag reader 40 detects the item tag 4, the warning necessity determination unit 61 determines that a warning operation is necessary. On the other hand, when a paid item 3 passes through gate 1A, the warning necessity determination unit 61 determines that a warning operation is unnecessary.

Like the warning necessity determination unit 61, the warning control unit 62 is provided as a program that can be executed on a computer. The warning control unit 62 can control the operation of the warning device 60 based on the determination result by the warning necessity determination unit 61. Specifically, the warning control unit 62 can control the warning device 60 to start a warning operation, provided that the warning necessity determination unit 61 determines that a warning operation is necessary. In other words, a warning operation is started when an unpaid item 3 is taken out of the store due to shoplifting or the like.

As described above, the gate 1A according to the first embodiment of the present invention can communicate with the customer terminal 5 via the communication unit 10, and can therefore distribute product information, discount information, discount coupons, and the like relating to the store's products 3 to the customer terminal 5. This is expected to have an effect on attracting customers and promoting sales at the store. Furthermore, as described above, the gate 1A uses the customer terminal 5 held by customer M, and can therefore distribute useful information to customer M without impairing customer M's convenience.

The gate 1A of the present invention can also advertise the products 3 in the store using the display unit 20. This is expected to have a sales promotion effect in the store. Furthermore, by consolidating the display unit 20 and the gate 1A, it is expected that the installation space for the gate 1A can be reduced.

Furthermore, by incorporating a warning device 60, the gate 1A of the present invention can be used as a security gate that also has sales promotion effects. This allows the gate 1A of the present invention to effectively utilize the dead space created by installing the gate, thereby reducing the amount of dead space. Furthermore, because the gate 1A of the present invention is also equipped with a display unit 20, it is expected to achieve sales promotion effects while concealing the fact that it is a security gate.

The above is the configuration of gate 1 (gate 1A) according to the first embodiment. Next, we will explain in detail below, with reference to Figures 4 to 6, gate 1 (gate 1B) according to the second embodiment, which is capable of acquiring customer characteristic information about customer M.

Second Embodiment
As shown in FIG. 6 , gate 1B according to the second embodiment has a configuration in which a product purchase history acquisition unit 100, an imaging unit 110, a customer recognition unit 120, a customer association unit 130, a customer characteristic information acquisition unit 140, and a purchase determination unit 150 are added to gate 1A. Therefore, a description of the configuration of parts common to the first embodiment will be omitted. It should also be noted that the same reference numerals are used for the same components as those in the first embodiment. It should also be noted that gate 1B illustrates an example in which gate 1B is used as a security gate, similar to gate 1A.

The customer recognition unit 120, customer association unit 130, customer characteristic information acquisition unit 140, and purchase decision unit 150 are provided, for example, as a computer or image processing device equipped with a CPU, a GPU for image processing, or the like, or as a program executable by such a computer or image processing device.

The product purchase history acquisition unit 100 acquires the product purchase history of customer M at the store when customer M leaves the store. The product purchase history can be acquired, for example, via a POS register 6 installed in the store. Specifically, the product purchase history is acquired by the POS register 6 (including the POS system) by reading the NFC tag attached to product 3 when customer M purchases product 3, or by reading the barcode on product 3. Examples of the product purchase history include the type, price, and category of product 3.

The POS register 6 is capable of communicating with the communication unit 10 via a communication means such as a wireless LAN or a wired LAN. The POS register 6 can transmit the product purchase history to the product purchase history acquisition unit 100 via the communication unit 10. Note that the POS register 6 does not only transmit the product purchase history directly to the product purchase history acquisition unit 100, but can also transmit the product purchase history indirectly via another terminal, server, etc. in between.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the imaging unit 110 is provided, for example, at the top of gate 1B. The imaging unit 110 can use various imaging means, such as a camera or video camera. The imaging unit 110 is capable of capturing images of at least the face of customer M passing through gate 1B from both the store entrance and exit directions. As described in the first embodiment, the communication unit 10 is capable of detecting customer M's entry into and exit from the store. Therefore, the imaging unit 110 can capture images of at least the face of customer M when customer M enters and leaves the store, provided that the communication unit 10 detects customer M's entry and exit. The imaging unit 110 can also count the number of customers M entering and leaving the store. This count can be used to manage customer M's entry and exit.

Here, the image captured by the imaging unit 110 may include the face as well as the appearance of the customer, such as clothing. In such cases, it is possible to acquire the characteristic information of customer M, which will be described later, with even greater accuracy.

As shown in FIG. 6, the image captured by the imaging unit 110 is transferred to the customer recognition unit 120 via an appropriate electronic circuit, etc. The customer recognition unit 120 can recognize customer M from an image captured when customer M enters the store. The customer recognition unit 120 analyzes the characteristics of customer M from feature data such as the outline of customer M's face and eyes, nose, and mouth, and recognizes customer M as a recognized customer Ma based on the analyzed feature data. The customer recognition unit 120 can also recognize customer M (recognized customer Ma) based on an image captured when recognized customer Ma leaves the store.

The customer association unit 130 associates a recognized customer Ma recognized based on an image of customer M when he or she enters the store, the product purchase history, and the customer terminal 5 of the recognized customer Ma. Specifically, when the communication unit 10 detects customer M's customer terminal 5, the customer association unit 130 associates customer M with the customer terminal 5 and associates the recognized customer Ma recognized by the customer recognition unit 120 with customer M. The customer association unit 130 also associates the product purchase history of customer M acquired by the product purchase history acquisition unit 100 with the recognized customer Ma. As a result, the recognized customer Ma, product purchase history, and customer terminal 5 are associated with each other. In other words, gate 1B can identify customer M as a recognized customer Ma by associating at least the facial image, product purchase history, and customer terminal 5 of customer M who entered the store. In this way, the gate 1B of the present invention can associate recognized customers Ma, product purchase histories, and customer terminals 5 using the customer association unit 130, allowing for store entry and exit management accordingly. The customer association unit 130 can also obtain store-related membership information (information registered on membership cards, member apps, etc.) using the communications unit 10 or POS register 6, and associate recognized customers Ma, product purchase histories, and customer terminals 5 via this membership information.

The customer characteristic information acquisition unit 140 acquires customer characteristic information by analyzing the characteristics of the recognized customer Ma. Here, customer characteristic information includes, for example, information such as gender and age based on the facial image of customer M, and information related to product purchase history. Furthermore, the customer characteristic information acquisition unit 140 acquires the customer characteristic information on the condition that it detects that the recognized customer Ma has left the store. Therefore, by performing analysis based on the acquired customer characteristic information, it is possible to grasp the customer demographic. In this way, the above-mentioned gate 1B enables accurate customer demographic analysis based on the association between product purchase history and customer M. Note that customer demographic analysis can be performed by various means, such as using gate 1B or by separate means (using a computer, etc., or manually).

The purchase determination unit 150 can determine whether or not recognized customer Ma purchased product 3 at the store based on the presence or absence of a product purchase history. As described above, the product purchase history is acquired by the product purchase history acquisition unit 100 via the POS register 6 when recognized customer Ma purchases product 3. On the other hand, if recognized customer Ma does not purchase product 3, no product purchase history remains (the customer terminal 5 is not associated with the product purchase history). Therefore, by determining the presence or absence of the product purchase history using the purchase determination unit 150, it can be determined whether or not recognized customer Ma purchased product 3 at the store.

Here, the customer characteristic information acquisition unit 140 acquires the customer characteristic information on the condition that the purchase determination unit 150 determines that the recognized customer Ma has not purchased product 3. As a result, the gate 1B of the present invention can analyze the customer demographics of customer M based on the customer characteristic information of recognized customer Ma who has not purchased product 3. On the other hand, the customer demographics of recognized customer Ma who has purchased product 3 can be analyzed based on the customer characteristic information acquired when they leave the store. In this way, the gate 1B of the present invention can perform customer demographic analysis based on customer characteristic information not only for customers M who have purchased product 3, but also for customers M who have not purchased product 3, and is therefore expected to be useful in formulating sales plans, etc.

Furthermore, the results of the customer demographic analysis can be used, for example, to provide customer M with personalized product information (advertising), discount information, or discount coupons (hereinafter collectively referred to as product information, etc.). This allows gate 1B to distribute product information, etc. to customer M who visits the store next time or later, based on the results of the customer demographic analysis. Furthermore, gate 1B can distribute product information, etc. tailored to customer demographics (age, gender, time of day when they visit, etc.).

Furthermore, by utilizing the results of customer demographic analysis, gate 1B can display personalized product information, etc. for customer M on display unit 20. In this way, gate 1B can deliver personalized product information, etc. for customer M to customer terminal 5 and display it on display unit 20. This is expected to improve the store's customer attraction effect and customer satisfaction. Meanwhile, because personalized product information, etc. is provided to customer M, it is possible to prevent unnecessary information from being delivered to customer M. Therefore, gate 1B of the present invention allows customer M to easily find the product information, etc. he or she needs.

The above is the configuration of gate 1B according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Next, a modified example in which the method of acquiring product purchase history at gate 1B is changed will be described in detail below. Note that the configuration of this modified example is the same as that of the second embodiment except that product purchase history is acquired by the product purchase history acquisition unit 100 via the customer terminal 5, so a description of the similar parts will be omitted.

<<Variations>>
In this modified example, when customer M purchases product 3 at a store, the product purchase history is transmitted from the POS register 6 installed in the store to the customer terminal 5. The product purchase history transmitted to the customer terminal 5 is then acquired by the product purchase history acquisition unit 100 from the customer terminal 5 via the communication unit 10. Therefore, the gate 1B according to this modified example can acquire the product purchase history in the same manner as in the second embodiment, enabling store entry and exit management that associates the recognized customer Ma, the product purchase history, and the customer terminal 5. The product purchase history transmitted to the customer terminal 5 may be data related to the entire product purchase history, or may be partial data or data related to the existence or non-existence of the product purchase history. In such a case, it is desirable to transmit the remaining necessary data related to the product purchase history from the POS register 6, server, etc. to the gate 1B, as in the second embodiment.

The above is a modified version of gate 1B of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and modifications, and various modifications are possible.

In this embodiment, a pair of gates 1 is used as an example, but the number of gates 1 can vary depending on the application and configuration, such as a single gate or multiple gates 1. Also, various shapes and sizes of gates 1 can be used.

In addition, while this embodiment has exemplified the communication unit 10 as being equipped with an NFC tag or beacon, the gate 1 of the present invention is not limited to these, and the communication unit 10 can use various wireless communication means capable of communicating with the customer terminal 5. Furthermore, the store-transmitted information transmitted from the communication unit 10 to the customer terminal 5 can be not only product information, discount information, and discount coupons related to the store's products 3, but also various other types of information. For example, it can include information such as the store's business days and business hours, as well as information about affiliated stores. Furthermore, the product purchase history acquired by the product purchase history acquisition unit 100 can include various types of information about the products 3.

In addition, while this embodiment illustrates an example in which the imaging unit 110 is mounted on the gate 1, the imaging unit 110 can also be provided independently of the gate 1. In such cases, the imaging unit 110 and the communication unit 10 can be connected via a wireless LAN, a wired LAN, or the like. The imaging unit 110 can also be, for example, a camera installed near the POS register 6 for security purposes. The imaging unit 110 may also be composed of multiple cameras, rather than just one. For example, images taken when entering the store and images taken when leaving the store may each be taken by separate cameras. The imaging means used for the imaging unit 110 can also be capable of capturing images in multiple directions, rather than just one direction (including those that can change direction).

Furthermore, the customer recognition unit 120 can recognize customer M by including elements other than the face in the image (for example, clothing, etc.). Furthermore, the customer association unit 130 can include various elements that can identify customer M, in addition to associating the recognized customer Ma, product purchase history, and customer terminal 5. Furthermore, the customer characteristic information acquisition unit 140 can analyze the characteristics of the recognized customer Ma using various analytical means.

In addition, in this embodiment, the product purchase history is transmitted from the POS register 6 to the product purchase history acquisition unit 100 or the customer terminal 5, but the product purchase history does not have to be transmitted directly from the POS register 6; it may also be transmitted indirectly via a server, etc.

In addition, in this embodiment, the customer characteristic information acquisition unit 140 acquires customer characteristic information on the condition that the purchase determination unit 150 determines that the recognized customer Ma has not purchased product 3. However, the purchase determination unit 150 can also acquire customer characteristic information even if the recognized customer Ma has purchased product 3.

In this embodiment, the gate 1 is equipped with a display unit 20, but the gate 1 may be equipped with a display unit 20 as needed, or it may not be equipped with a display unit 20. Furthermore, the display unit 20 at the gate 1 is not limited to displaying at least one of product information, discount information, and discount coupon information related to the product 3 at the store, but it is also possible to display various other information in place of or in addition to this information. In this embodiment, the gate 1 is equipped with a warning device 60, but the gate 1 may be equipped with a warning device 60 as needed, or it may not be equipped with a warning device 60. Furthermore, the communication interference suppression unit 50 may be equipped as needed, or it may be configured without the communication interference suppression unit 50. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the warning necessity determination unit 61 and the purchase determination unit 150 are provided separately, but they may also be integrated.

The above are various embodiments and modifications of the gate 1 according to the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications. Those skilled in the art will readily understand that other embodiments are possible within the scope of the claims and the teachings and spirit of the present invention.

The gate of the present invention can be used in a variety of stores, such as supermarkets, commercial facilities, pharmacies, clothing stores, etc.

1: Gate 1A: Gate 1B: Gate 3: Goods (items)
4: Item tag 5: Customer terminal 6: POS register 10: Communication unit 20: Display unit 30: Display control unit 40: Wireless tag reader 50: Communication interference suppression unit 60: Warning device 61: Warning necessity determination unit 62: Warning control unit 100: Product purchase history acquisition unit 110: Imaging unit 120: Customer recognition unit 130: Customer association unit 140: Customer characteristic information acquisition unit 150: Purchase determination unit M: Customer Ma: Recognized customer

Claims (8)

A gate for managing the entry and exit of customers to a store,
a communication unit capable of communicating with the customer terminal of the customer;
a product purchase history acquisition unit that acquires a product purchase history of the customer at the store when the customer leaves the store;
an imaging unit capable of capturing an image of at least the face of the customer when the customer enters the store and when the customer leaves the store;
a customer recognition unit that recognizes a customer from the captured image;
a customer association unit that associates a recognized customer recognized based on an image of the customer when the customer entered the store, the product purchase history, and a customer terminal of the recognized customer;
a customer characteristic information acquisition unit that acquires customer characteristic information by analyzing the characteristics of the recognized customer,
the communication unit is capable of detecting, by communication with the customer terminal, that the recognized customer is leaving the store;
The gate is characterized in that the customer characteristic information acquisition unit acquires the customer characteristic information on the condition that it detects the recognized customer leaving the store. the communication unit is capable of communicating with a POS register installed in the store,
2. The gate according to claim 1 , wherein the product purchase history is transmitted directly or indirectly from the POS register to the product purchase history acquisition unit via the communication unit. The product purchase history is transmitted from a POS register installed in the store to the customer terminal when the customer purchases a product at the store,
3. The gate according to claim 1, wherein the product purchase history acquisition unit acquires the product purchase history from the customer terminal via the communication unit. a purchase determination unit that determines whether or not the recognized customer has purchased a product at the store based on the existence of the product purchase history;
The gate described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the customer characteristic information acquisition unit acquires the customer characteristic information on the condition that the purchase determination unit determines that the recognized customer has not purchased the product. The gate according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a display unit that displays information to be provided to the customer, and the display unit displays at least one of product information, discount information, and discount coupon information relating to products in the store . The gate according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the communication unit comprises an NFC tag or a beacon. a wireless tag reader that detects an article tag attached to an article by wireless communication;
a warning device that performs a warning operation;
a warning necessity determination unit that determines whether the warning operation is necessary based on a result of communication with the wireless tag reader;
a warning control unit that controls the operation of the warning device based on the determination result by the warning necessity determination unit,
The gate according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, on the condition that the warning necessity determination unit determines that the warning operation is necessary, the warning control unit controls the warning device to start the warning operation. A gate for managing the entry and exit of customers to a store,
a wireless tag reader that detects an article tag attached to an article by wireless communication;
a warning device that performs a warning operation;
a warning necessity determination unit that determines whether the warning operation is necessary based on a result of communication with the wireless tag reader;
a warning control unit that controls the operation of the warning device based on the determination result by the warning necessity determination unit;
a display unit that displays information to be provided to customers;
a display control unit that controls information display on the display unit;
The gate according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a communication interference suppression unit that operates the display unit so as not to interfere with communication between the wireless tag reader and the item-side tag.