JP7820146B2 - Store operation support system and store operation support method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a store operation support system and a store operation support method.

In convenience stores and other stores, employees perform a variety of tasks, including inspecting shelves, replenishing stock, and cleaning. In order to operate the store efficiently, it is desirable for these tasks to be carried out in a timely manner according to the store's situation.

Patent Document 1 describes a management system that registers work to be performed in a store on a table when the detection value of a status detection device meets a registration condition, and displays the contents of the table on an electronic device carried by the worker. With the management system in Patent Document 1, work to be performed in a store is automatically registered on a table, so it is expected that employees who check the table will carry out the work in a timely manner.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-115271

It is desirable for such management systems to more efficiently manage whether work that should be done in a store has been completed.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a store operation support system and store operation support method that enable appropriate management of whether work that should be done in a store has been completed.

The store operation support system of the present invention comprises a generation means for generating tasks indicating work to be performed in a store using either a manual generation method based on user input or an automatic generation method not based on input; a setting means for setting the generated task to a completed state when a manual completion condition based on user input or an automatic completion condition not based on input is satisfied; and a display control means for displaying the generated task, wherein the setting means uses either the manual completion condition or the automatic completion condition to set the task to a completed state depending on whether the task was generated by the manual generation method or the automatic generation method.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the store operation support system according to the present invention further includes an acquisition means for acquiring sensor information indicating the status of the store, the generation means automatically generating a task based on the sensor information, and the setting means automatically completing the task by setting the task generated based on the sensor information to a completed state when the sensor information satisfies a predetermined completion condition.

Furthermore, in the store operation support system according to the present invention, it is preferable that the setting means sets the task generated based on the sensor information to a completed state when both the manual completion condition and the automatic completion condition are met.

It is also preferable that the store operation support system according to the present invention further includes a notification means for outputting a notification prompting the user to input an operation when the automatic completion conditions are met but the manual completion conditions are not met.

The store operations support method of the present invention is a store operations support method executed by a store operations support system, and includes a generation step of generating a task indicating work to be performed in the store by either a manual generation method based on user input or an automatic generation method not based on input, and a setting step of setting the generated task to a completed state when a manual completion condition based on user input or an automatic completion condition not based on input is satisfied, wherein the setting step uses different manual completion conditions or automatic completion conditions to set the task to a completed state depending on whether the task was generated by the manual generation method or the automatic generation method.

The store operation support system and store operation support method of the present invention enable appropriate management of whether work that should be performed in a store has been completed.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a store operation support system 1. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a management device 6. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the data structure of a video table 611. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the data structure of a task table 612. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the data structure of a type table 613. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a task display screen 100. 1A is a diagram showing a task addition screen 200, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing a report addition screen 300. FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a live video display screen 400. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a recorded video display screen 500. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a manual task generation process. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a task display process. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a completion state setting process. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of an automatic determination process. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a notification process. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a video display process. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a video display process. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a management device 16. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the data structure of a task table 1612. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the data structure of a type table 1613.

Various embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Please note that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, but extends to the inventions set forth in the claims and their equivalents.

Figure 1 is a functional block diagram of a store operations support system 1 according to an embodiment. The store operations support system 1 is a system that supports store operations by having employees appropriately perform tasks that should be performed at store T, and allows a manager at a management facility K to easily understand the status of work at the store. Store T may be a convenience store, clothing store, other retail store, commercial facility, etc. When a manager manages multiple stores T, the management facility K is, for example, a management center located remotely from store T. When a manager manages only one store T, the management facility K may be the backroom of store T, etc. The store operations support system 1 has a photography device 2, a sensor 3, and a store terminal 4 located at store T, and a manager terminal 5 and a management device 6 located at management facility K. The photography device 2, sensor 3, store terminal 4, manager terminal 5, and management device 6 are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other via network N.

The camera device 2 is a device for photographing the store, such as a surveillance camera. The camera device 2 is installed inside or near the store, photographs the store's conditions, and generates video, which is a moving image containing multiple frame images. The camera device 2 transmits the generated video to the management device 6.

Sensor 3 is a device that generates various information indicating the status of the store, such as an ultrasonic sensor, infrared sensor, or weight sensor. Here, the store status refers to the status related to the factors that generate tasks indicating work to be done in the store. For example, it is used to determine whether the product display conditions in the sales floor, such as product inventory, display conditions, and temperature control conditions, are appropriate, or whether the store's hygiene conditions, such as dirt on the store floor and the condition of trash cans, are appropriate.

The ultrasonic sensor is placed at a specified height inside a trash can in a store, for example, and generates information indicating whether trash has accumulated to a specified height by emitting ultrasonic waves horizontally and detecting the reflected waves. This information can be used to indicate whether the trash can is full.

The infrared sensor is installed, for example, in front of or above a product shelf, and generates information indicating the distance to products displayed on the shelf by emitting infrared rays in the direction of the shelf and detecting the reflected waves. This information can be used to indicate whether products on the shelf are being displayed properly.

The weight sensor is placed, for example, on the surface of a shelf, and generates information indicating the weight of items placed on the shelf. This information can be used to indicate whether the shelf is properly stocked with products.

Sensor 3 is not limited to the above examples, and may be any sensor capable of generating information indicating the store's status, such as a temperature sensor, humidity sensor, human presence sensor, or sound sensor. Sensor 3 transmits the above-mentioned information indicating the store's status to management device 6. Note that the video generated by camera device 2 is also used as information indicating the store's status. Hereinafter, the video generated by camera device 2 and the information generated by sensor 3 may be collectively referred to as sensor information.

The store terminal 4 is a terminal used by an employee of store T, and is, for example, a mobile phone, smartphone, or tablet carried by the employee. The store terminal 4 may also be a device such as a PC (Personal Computer) installed in store T. The store terminal 4 displays work to be performed in the store to the employee and accepts operational input from the employee regarding the work. The store terminal 4 has a store terminal memory unit 41, a store terminal communication unit 42, a store terminal display unit 43, a store terminal operation unit 44, and a store terminal processing unit 45.

The store terminal storage unit 41 is configured to store programs or data and includes, for example, a semiconductor memory device. The store terminal storage unit 41 stores operating system programs, driver programs, application programs, data, and other items used for processing by the processing unit. Programs are installed from computer-readable, non-transitory, portable storage media such as CD (Compact Disc)-ROM (Read Only Memory) or DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM. Programs may also be downloaded and installed as package files from storage areas on the Internet, such as web servers. Such programs are installed and executed by the management device 6, and the store terminal 4 may receive operable display screens and appropriately transmit operation results to the management device 6 by communicating with the management device 6 via a display operation application such as a web browser.

The store terminal communication unit 42 is configured to enable communication with other devices and includes a communication interface circuit. The communication interface circuit is a communication interface circuit for a mobile phone network (carrier network) provided by a telecommunications carrier, a wired LAN (Local Area Network), a wireless LAN, or the like. The store terminal communication unit 42 receives data from other devices and supplies it to the processing unit, and also transmits data supplied from the processing unit to other devices.

The store terminal display unit 43 is configured to display images and includes, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. The store terminal display unit 43 displays images based on the display data supplied from the processing unit.

The store terminal operation unit 44 is configured to accept user operations and includes, for example, a keypad, keyboard, or mouse. The store terminal operation unit 44 may also include a touch panel. The store terminal operation unit 44 generates signals in response to user operations and supplies them to the processing unit.

The store terminal processing unit 45 is a device that controls the overall operation of the device and includes one or more processors and their peripheral circuits. The store terminal processing unit 45 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The store terminal processing unit 45 may also include a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc. The store terminal processing unit 45 controls the operation of each unit based on stored programs and data supplied from each unit, and performs various processes.

The manager terminal 5 is a terminal used by the manager of store T, and is, for example, a smartphone, tablet, or other device carried by the manager. The manager terminal 5 may also be a device such as a PC installed in management facility K. The manager terminal 5 displays video footage of the work status to the manager. The manager terminal 5 has a manager terminal memory unit 51, a manager terminal communication unit 52, a manager terminal display unit 53, a manager terminal operation unit 54, and a manager terminal processing unit 55. The configurations of the manager terminal memory unit 51, the manager terminal communication unit 52, the manager terminal display unit 53, the manager terminal operation unit 54, and the manager terminal processing unit 55 are similar to the configurations of the store terminal memory unit 41, the store terminal communication unit 42, the store terminal display unit 43, the store terminal operation unit 44, and the store terminal processing unit 45, respectively, and therefore will not be described here.

The management device 6 is a device that manages the work to be performed in the store, and is, for example, a device such as a PC or server installed in the management facility K. The functions of the management device 6 may also be realized by the cloud (cloud computing).

Figure 2 is a functional block diagram of the management device 6. The management device 6 has a memory unit 61, a communication unit 62, and a processing unit 63.

The storage unit 61 is configured to store programs or data, and includes, for example, a semiconductor memory device. The storage unit 61 stores operating system programs, driver programs, application programs, data, etc. used for processing by the processing unit 63. Programs are installed into the storage unit 61 from computer-readable, non-transitory, portable storage media such as CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs. The storage unit 61 is an example of storage means.

The memory unit 61 stores the following data: a video table 611, a task table 612, and a type table 613, which will be described later.

The communication unit 62 is configured to enable the management device 6 to communicate with other devices and includes a communication interface circuit. The communication interface circuit is, for example, a wired LAN or wireless LAN communication interface circuit. The communication unit 62 receives data from other devices and supplies it to the processing unit 63, and also transmits data supplied from the processing unit 63 to other devices.

The processing unit 63 is a device that controls the overall operation of the management device 6 and includes one or more processors and their peripheral circuits. The processing unit 63 includes, for example, a CPU. The processing unit 63 may also include a GPU, DSP, LSI, ASIC, FPGA, etc. The processing unit 63 controls the operation of each unit based on the programs stored in the memory unit 61 and data supplied from each unit, and performs various processes.

The processing unit 63 has an acquisition unit 631, a generation unit 632, a display control unit 633, a setting unit 634, an identification unit 635, a calculation unit 636, and a notification unit 637. The acquisition unit 631, the generation unit 632, the display control unit 633, the setting unit 634, the identification unit 635, the calculation unit 636, and the notification unit 637 are examples of an acquisition means, a generation means, a display control means, a setting means, an identification means, an estimation means, and a notification means, respectively. Each of these units is a functional module realized by a program executed by the processing unit 63. Each of these units may be implemented in the management device 6 as firmware.

Figure 3 shows the data structure of the video table 611 stored in the storage unit 61. The video table 611 is a table that manages information about videos acquired from the camera device 2, and stores the video ID, file name, shooting location, camera device, start time, end time, etc. in association with each other.

Video ID is information for identifying each of multiple videos, which are moving images. File name is a string of characters indicating the file name of each video. The file name may include a path, etc. Filming location is the filming location of each video when filming devices 2 are installed in multiple locations within a store. Filming device is information for identifying the filming device 2 that filmed the corresponding video. Start time and end time are the times when each video starts and ends.

As will be described later, the image capture device 2 transmits live video showing the situation inside the store in real time to the management device 6. The management device 6 sequentially stores frame images included in the acquired live video in the storage unit 61. When the management device 6 has stored frame images corresponding to a predetermined time period (30 minutes in the example shown in FIG. 3), it organizes them into a single video file, associates the information described above with the file, and stores it in the video table 611. Note that the method of generating the video is not limited to this example; video files may also be transmitted from the image capture device 2 at predetermined intervals in addition to the live video.

Figure 4 shows the data structure of the task table 612 stored in the storage unit 61. The task table 612 is a table that manages information about tasks that indicate work to be done in the store, and stores the task ID, work content, type, creation method, completion conditions, sensor information, deadline, priority, status, completion time, etc. in correlation with each other.

The task ID is information used to identify each of multiple tasks. The work content is a string of characters indicating the work indicated by each task. This string is displayed on the store terminal display unit 43 and the manager terminal display unit 53, allowing employees and managers to understand the work that needs to be done in the store. The type is information indicating the classification of the work indicated by each task, and is set based on the type table 613, which will be described later.

The generation method is information that indicates whether each task was generated by a manual generation method based on user (employee or manager) input, or by an automatic generation method not based on user input.

Each task is generated by a manual generation method based on user input. For example, if a manager determines that there is work that needs to be done in the store, they can generate a task by inputting operations into the manager terminal 5. If an employee determines that there is work that needs to be done in the store, they can also generate a task by inputting operations into the store terminal 4. In these cases, information indicating that the task was generated by the manual generation method is associated with the task.

Each task can also be generated by an automatic generation method based on sensor information, rather than based on user input. For example, if a weight sensor installed on a product shelf generates information indicating that products are not properly stocked, a task is generated instructing the user to restock the product on that product shelf. If information indicating that there is dirt on the store floor is detected from the video generated by the camera device 2, a task is generated instructing the user to clean the floor. If an ultrasonic sensor installed on a trash can generates information indicating that the trash can is full, a task is generated instructing the user to inspect the trash can. In these cases, information indicating that the task was generated by an automatic generation method is associated with the task.

Completion conditions are information that indicate whether a task is set to a completed state when a manual completion condition based on user input or an automatic completion condition not based on user input is met. Sensor information is information that indicates which sensor information is used to set a task associated with an automatic completion condition to a completed state.

Tasks associated with manual completion conditions are set to a completed state based on an employee's operational input to the store terminal 4. After performing the work corresponding to each task, the employee performs an operational input to the store terminal 4 indicating that the work has been completed. Tasks associated with manual completion conditions may also be set to a completed state based on an administrator's operational input to the administrator terminal 5.

A task associated with an automatic completion condition is set to a completed state when sensor information meets a predetermined condition, regardless of employee input. In the example shown in FIG. 4, if information generated by a weight sensor installed on "Shelf B" indicates that products are being restocked for a predetermined period of time or more, the task "Restocking Shelf B," i.e., the task of restocking Shelf B, is set to a completed state. Furthermore, if information detected from the video generated by the imaging device 2 of "Camera C" indicates that the store floor is clean for a predetermined period of time or more, the task "Cleaning the Floor," i.e., the task of cleaning the store floor, is set to a completed state. If information generated by an ultrasonic sensor installed on "Trash Can A" indicates that the trash can is not full for a predetermined period of time or more, the task "Inspecting Trash Can A," i.e., the task of inspecting the condition of Trash Can A, is set to a completed state.

Each task is generated by either a manual generation method based on user input, or an automatic generation method not based on user input. On the other hand, depending on whether a task was generated manually or automatically, different conditions are used to set it to a completed state: manual completion conditions or automatic completion conditions. For example, a task generated by a manual generation method uses manual completion conditions to set it to a completed state, and a task generated by an automatic generation method uses automatic completion conditions to set it to a completed state.

This allows for appropriate management of whether work to be performed in the store has been completed. In other words, by setting a task to a completed state based on the automatic completion conditions, the employee who performed the work does not need to make any operational input, preventing tasks that indicate completed work from being left uncompleted. On the other hand, when a task that could also be generated using the automatic generation method is generated using the manual generation method, it is likely that this is because an abnormal situation has occurred in the store that requires that work. In this case, it is preferable to determine whether the work has been completed based on user input rather than sensor information.

For example, if a shelf is stocked with an incorrect product, the weight of the product on the shelf is normal, so a task indicating the work of stocking the product based on information from a weight sensor installed on the shelf is not generated. In this case, a user who notices this generates a task to stock the shelf using a manual generation method. In such a case, it is not possible to determine whether the incorrect product has been removed from the shelf and the correct product has been stocked based on information from the weight sensor installed on the shelf. Therefore, a manual completion condition is associated with this task, and the task is set to a completed state based on operational input from an employee who stocks the correct product. This allows for appropriate management of whether the work that should be done in the store has been completed.

Furthermore, if the floor is not dirty but is wet and slippery, or if the trash can is not full but the entrance is blocked making it difficult to put trash in, a task will not be generated by the automatic generation method, but will be generated by the manual generation method. In this case, too, it is preferable to determine whether the task has been completed based on user input rather than sensor information.

The deadline is information indicating the time when the work indicated by each task should be completed. The priority is information indicating the priority of each task. In the example shown in Figure 4, the priority is set at three levels: "high," "medium," and "low." However, this is not limited to this example and may be set at two or more levels, or may be set numerically. The priority is used to determine the work that employees should perform, and, as described below, is also used to output notifications prompting the execution of the work indicated by the task. The deadline and priority of tasks generated using the manual generation method are specified by the user who generated the task. The deadline and priority of tasks generated using the automatic generation method are set based on the type of task. The status is information indicating whether the work indicated by the task has been completed. The completion time is the time when the work is set to a completed state. For tasks associated with manual completion conditions, the completion time may be the time when an employee enters an input indicating that the work has been completed.

Figure 5 shows the data structure of the type table 613 stored in the storage unit 61. The type table 613 is a table that manages information related to task types, and stores the type, manually generated keywords, automatically generated methods, automatically completed conditions, deadlines, priorities, and work times in association with each other.

The type is information that indicates the classification of the work indicated by each task, and is set in advance according to the work to be performed in the store. The manual generation keyword is a phrase used to generate each type of task using the manual generation method. In the example shown in Figure 5, "replenishment, stocking" is set as the manual generation keyword for the task of the "stock replenishment" type. When the user creating a task specifies a string containing the words "replenishment" or "stocking" as the work content of the task, the type of "stock replenishment" is set for the generated task. Furthermore, if the work content does not include any of the manual generation keywords, the type of the generated task is set to "other."

The automatic generation method is information that indicates the sensor information used when a task is generated by the automatic generation method. In the example shown in Figure 5, "Shelf Sensor" is set as the automatic generation method for tasks of the "Stock Replenishment" type, indicating that tasks of the "Stock Replenishment" type are generated based on information generated by a weight sensor installed on the shelf. "Video" is set as the automatic generation method for tasks of the "Cleaning" type, indicating that the "Cleaning" task is generated based on video generated by the camera device 2. "Trash Can Sensor" is set as the automatic generation method for tasks of the "Trash Can Inspection" type, indicating that the "Trash Can Inspection" task is generated based on information generated by an ultrasonic sensor installed on the trash can. No automatic generation method is set for tasks of the "Stock Shelf Inspection," "Notice Replacement," and "Other" types, indicating that these types of tasks will not be generated by the automatic generation method.

Automatic completion conditions are information that indicates sensor information used when a task is set to a completed state based on the automatic completion conditions. In the example shown in Figure 5, "shelf sensor" is set as the automatic completion condition for a task of the "product replenishment" type, and the task of the "product replenishment" type is set to a completed state when information generated by a weight sensor installed on a product shelf meets the specified completion condition. Completion conditions are set in advance for each piece of sensor information. For example, a completion condition for information generated by a weight sensor installed on a product shelf is that the weight of products placed on the product shelf remains below a specified weight for a specified period of time or more.

An automatic generation method is set for the type of work that can be determined to be performed based on sensor information. Furthermore, automatic completion conditions are set for the type of work that can be determined to be completed based on sensor information. The types of work that can be determined to be performed based on sensor information and the types of work that can be determined to be completed based on sensor information are specified in advance by a user, such as an administrator.

As mentioned above, manual completion conditions are associated with tasks generated using the manual generation method, and automatic completion conditions are associated with tasks generated using the automatic generation method. Therefore, automatic completion conditions are not set for types for which an automatic generation method is not set, i.e., types that can only be generated using the manual generation method.

The sensor information set as the automatic generation method and the sensor information set as the automatic completion condition may be different. For example, "shelf sensor" may be set as the automatic generation method for a task of the "product replenishment" type, and "camera" may be set as the automatic completion condition. In this case, a task of the "product replenishment" type is generated when information generated by a weight sensor installed on the product shelf indicates that the weight of products placed on the product shelf has been below a predetermined weight for a predetermined period of time or more. Then, when information detected from the video of the product shelf acquired from the camera device 2 indicates that a predetermined amount or more of products have been placed on the product shelf for a predetermined period of time or more, the task of the "product replenishment" type is set to a completed state.

The deadline is the deadline by which the work indicated by the generated task should be completed when the task is generated using the automatic generation method. The priority is the priority set for the generated task when the task is generated using the automatic generation method. In the example shown in Figure 5, the type "stock replenishment" is associated with a deadline of "15 minutes" and a priority of "high." Therefore, when a task of the type "stock replenishment" is generated using the automatic generation method, the deadline is set to 15 minutes after the time of generation, and the priority is set to "high."

The work time is a calculation method for determining the time at which the manager is desired to review the video of the work indicated by the task. As described below, the manager terminal 5 displays video footage of the work status indicated by a task that has been set to a completed state. At that time, the manager terminal 5 uses the work time to display video footage of the work status indicated by the task from the footage captured by the camera device 2. Generally, the type of video that the manager wishes to review as the work status differs depending on the type of work, so the work time is set to a different value based on the completion time at which the work was set to a completed state and the type of task.

For example, for the task of "shelf inspection," the manager would not want to see video of the shelves after the inspection, but rather video that shows whether employees are patrolling the store and properly inspecting the shelves, i.e., video of the work in progress. Therefore, the task time for the "shelf inspection" type is set to a time before the completion time. On the other hand, for the task of "stock restocking," the manager would not want to see video of employees stocking shelves, but rather video of the shelves after they have been stocked, i.e., video of the time when the work is complete. Therefore, the completion time is set as the task time for the "stock restocking" type. In this way, the task time is set in advance depending on the type of video the manager wants to see as the status of each type of work.

The following describes the various screens displayed on the store terminal display unit 43 and the manager terminal display unit 53. These screens are displayed based on display data supplied to the store terminal display unit 43 or the manager terminal display unit 53 from the store terminal processing unit 45 or the manager terminal processing unit 55.

Figure 6 shows the task display screen 100 displayed on the store terminal display unit 43. The task display screen 100 is displayed based on the display data for the task display screen 100 sent from the management device 6 to the store terminal 4. The task display screen 100 includes a task list 110, a complete button 120, an add task button 130, and an add report button 140.

The task list 110 is an object that displays a list of information about generated tasks. The task list 110 displays information about the tasks, such as whether the task is complete, the task's content, deadline, and priority. In the example shown in Figure 6, whether a task is complete or not is indicated by whether a check mark is placed on the left side of each line in the task list 110. The priority is also displayed on the right side of each line in the task list 110; if "immediately" is displayed, the priority is "high," if "free time" is displayed, the priority is "low," and if there is no other display, the priority is "medium."

The Complete button 120 is an object for setting a task to a completed state. When an employee operates the store terminal operation unit 44 to select the Complete button 120, the store terminal 4 sends a task completion instruction to the management device 6.

The Complete button 120 is displayed to correspond to tasks included in the task list 110 that are not set to a completed state and for which no automatic completion conditions are set. Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 6, the Complete buttons 120 for the tasks "Inspect shelf A" and "Restock shelf B," which are set to a completed state, are not displayed. Furthermore, the Complete buttons 120 for the tasks "Clean floor" and "Inspect trash can A," which have automatic completion conditions set, are not displayed. Only the Complete button 120 for the task "Inspect trash can B," which is not set to a completed state and for which no automatic completion conditions are set, is displayed. Note that the Complete button 120 may be displayed in response to a task being selected on the task list.

The add task button 130 is an object for creating a new task. When an employee operates the store terminal operation unit 44 to select the add task button 130, the add task screen 200, described below, is displayed. The add report button 140 is an object for creating a new report. When an employee operates the store terminal operation unit 44 to select the add report button 140, the add report screen 300, described below, is displayed.

Figure 7 (A) shows the task addition screen 200 displayed on the store terminal display unit 43. The task addition screen 200 is displayed based on the display data for the task addition screen 200 sent from the management device 6 to the store terminal 4. The task addition screen 200 includes a text box 210, an add button 220, and a cancel button 230.

The text box 210 is an object that allows an employee to operate the store terminal operation unit 44 to input the work content, deadline, and priority. The text box 210 may also allow the type of task to be input. The add button 220 is an object for creating a task. When an employee operates the store terminal operation unit 44 to select the add button 220, the store terminal 4 sends a task creation instruction to the management device 6, including the work content, deadline, and priority input in the text box 210. The cancel button 230 is an object for canceling task creation. When an employee operates the store terminal operation unit 44 to select the cancel button 230, the task display screen 100 is displayed.

Figure 7 (B) shows the report addition screen 300 displayed on the store terminal display unit 43. The report addition screen 300 includes a text box 310, an add button 320, and a cancel button 330.

The text box 310 is an object that allows an employee to operate the store terminal operation unit 44 to input the report content and time. The add button 320 is an object for generating a report. When an employee operates the store terminal operation unit 44 to select the add button 320, the store terminal 4 sends an instruction to generate a report, including the report content and time entered in the text box 310, to the management device 6. The cancel button 330 is an object for canceling the generation of the report. When an employee operates the store terminal operation unit 44 to select the cancel button 330, the task display screen 100 is displayed.

A report is created by an employee when there is something they need to communicate to a manager. As described below, by selecting a report, the manager terminal 5 displays a video showing the store's situation at the time the selected report was made. Therefore, the employee only needs to input the time the incident to be reported occurred and a brief description of the report, reducing the burden on the employee in reporting work. The video also allows the manager to grasp the details of the employee's report in more detail. Note that time input may be omitted. In this case, the time the report was made may be considered the time the incident to be reported occurred.

Figure 8 shows the live video display screen 400 displayed on the administrator terminal display unit 53. The live video display screen 400 is a screen for displaying live video that shows the store's status in real time, and is displayed based on the display data for the live video display screen 400 transmitted from the management device 6 to the administrator terminal 5. The live video display screen 400 includes a switching tab 410, a time display 420, live video 430, a completed task list 440, and an add button 450. The live video 430 is an example of a video display area, and the completed task list 440 is an example of a task display area.

The switching tab 410 is an object for switching between the live video display screen 400 and the recorded video display screen 500, which will be described later. When the administrator operates the administrator terminal operation unit 54 to select "Recorded Video" on the switching tab 410, the recorded video display screen 500 is displayed instead of the live video display screen 400. The time display 420 is an object that displays a string of characters indicating the current time.

Live footage 430 is footage acquired from the camera device 2 that shows the store situation in real time. In the example shown in Figure 8, footage acquired from six camera devices 2 is displayed in real time. The completed task list 440 is an object that displays a selectable list of information about only the tasks that have been set to a completed state out of the generated tasks. The add button 450 is an object for creating new tasks. When the administrator operates the administrator terminal operation unit 54 to select the add button 450, a screen similar to the task addition screen 200 described above is displayed. The administrator can create tasks by inputting operations on the displayed screen.

Figure 9 shows the recorded video display screen 500 displayed on the manager terminal display unit 53. The recorded video display screen 500 is a screen for displaying recorded video showing the past status of the store, and is displayed based on the display data for the recorded video display screen 500 transmitted from the management device 6 to the manager terminal 5. The recorded video display screen 500 includes a switching tab 510, a video information display 520, recorded video 530, a seek bar 540, completed task information 550, a completed task list 560, and an add button 570. The recorded video 530 is an example of a video display area, and the completed task information 550 and the completed task list 560 are examples of a task display area.

The switching tab 510 is an object for switching between the recorded video display screen 500 and the live video display screen 400. When the administrator operates the administrator terminal operation unit 54 to select "Live Video" on the switching tab 510, the live video display screen 400 is displayed instead of the recorded video display screen 500. The video information display 520 is an object for displaying information about the displayed recorded video. In the example shown in Figure 9, the video ID and the start and end times of the video are displayed as information about the recorded video.

Recorded video 530 is video stored in the management device 6 that shows the past state of the store. In the example shown in Figure 8, video captured by six camera devices 2 and stored in the management device 6 is displayed. Seek bar 540 is an object that indicates the playback location of the displayed recorded video 530. The seek bar 540 indicates the time when the frame image displayed as recorded video 530 was captured by its position on the recorded video display screen 500. The administrator operates the administrator terminal operation unit 54 to operate seek bar 540, thereby changing the playback location of the recorded video. Note that while recorded video 530 is displayed as a moving image, it may also be displayed as a still image.

Completed task information 550 is an object that displays a selectable list of information related only to tasks that have been set to a completed state, out of the generated tasks. Completed task information 550 displays the position on seek bar 540 of the work time for each task in a manner that allows identification. In the example shown in Figure 9, the task "Restocking shelf B" is located below the current playback point on seek bar 540. This indicates that the video currently displayed is the video of the work time for the task "Restocking shelf B." The task "Inspect shelf A" is located to the right of the task "Restocking shelf B." This indicates that the video of the work time for "Inspect shelf A" will be displayed after the video of the work time for "Restocking shelf B." If the seek bar 540 is operated to move the playback point to the position of the task "Inspect shelf A," the video of the work time for "Inspect shelf A" will be displayed.

Completed task information 550 also displays a selectable list of the contents of reports generated based on employee input. In the example shown in Figure 9, a report about a "suspicious person" is displayed to the right of the task "Inspect shelf A." In other words, it shows that the video of the time when the "suspicious person" was reported will be displayed after the video of the time when the "inspect shelf A" was performed. This allows managers to check reports from employees along with the video at the time of the report, allowing managers to easily and accurately grasp the situation in the store.

The completed task list 560 is a selectable list that displays information about only the tasks that have been set to a completed state among the generated tasks. The add button 570 is an object for creating a new task. When the administrator operates the administrator terminal operation unit 54 to select the add button 570, a screen similar to the task addition screen 200 described above is displayed.

When one of the tasks displayed in the completed task list 440 on the live video display screen 400 is selected, the recorded video display screen 500 is displayed in place of the live video display screen 400. At this time, the recorded video display screen 500 is displayed so that the playback point indicated by the seek bar 540 corresponds to the task time of the selected task. The recorded video 530 then displays the video following the frame image at the task time of the selected task. For example, when the task "Restocking Shelf B" is selected in the completed task list 440 on the live video display screen 400 shown in FIG. 8, the recorded video display screen 500 is displayed with the playback point indicated by the seek bar 540 corresponding to the task time of "Restocking Shelf B," as shown in FIG. 9. The recorded video 530 then displays the video following the frame image at the task time of "Restocking Shelf B." This allows the manager to easily grasp the status of the completed task.

When one of the tasks displayed in the completed task list 560 on the recorded video display screen 500 is selected, the playback point indicated by the seek bar 540 becomes the work time of the selected task. Furthermore, the recorded video 530 displays the video following the frame image at the work time of the selected task.

Also, when one of the tasks displayed in completed task information 550 is selected, the playback point indicated by seek bar 540 becomes the work time of the selected task. Furthermore, the recorded video 530 displays video following the frame image at the work time of the selected task. Also, when one of the reports displayed in completed task information 550 is selected, the playback point indicated by seek bar 540 becomes the time of the selected report, and the recorded video 530 displays video following the frame image at the time of the selected report.

In the above explanation, the completed task information 550 on the recorded video display screen 500 displays tasks in a selectable manner, but the tasks displayed in the completed task information 550 do not have to be selectable. Even in this case, the completed task information 550 indicates the position on the seek bar 540 of the work time for each task, so the manager can easily grasp the status of work in the store by setting the playback point on the seek bar 540 to the position where each task is displayed (the position of the flag mark in the example shown in Figure 9).

In addition, some of the completed task list 440 on the live video display screen 400 and the completed task information 550 and completed task list 560 on the recorded video display screen 500 may not be displayed. Instead of the completed task lists 440 and 560, a list including tasks that have not been set to a completed state may be displayed.

The following describes the flow of processing executed by the management device 6. The management device 6 executes manual task generation processing, task display processing, completion status setting processing, automatic determination processing, notification processing, and video display processing. These processes are realized by the processing unit 63 working in cooperation with each component of the management device 6 based on programs stored in the memory unit 61. These processes are also executed in parallel.

Figure 10 is a flow diagram showing the flow of the manual task generation process. The manual task generation process is executed in response to the store terminal 4 or the manager terminal 5 sending a task generation instruction to the management device 6. The store terminal 4 sends the task generation instruction via the store terminal communication unit 42 in response to the selection of the Add button 220 on the task addition screen 200. The manager terminal 5 sends the task generation instruction via the manager terminal communication unit 52 based on an operation input on the task addition screen that is displayed when the Add button 450 on the live video display screen 400 or the Add button 570 on the recorded video display screen 500 is selected.

First, the acquisition unit 631 acquires a task creation instruction via the communication unit 62 (step S11). The task creation instruction includes the work content, deadline, and priority based on the employee's operational input to the store terminal operation unit 44 or the manager's operational input to the manager terminal operation unit 54.

Next, the generation unit 632 identifies the type of task based on the content of the generation instruction (step S12). The generation unit 632 acquires the work content included in the generation instruction. The generation unit 632 refers to the type table 613 and identifies the type of task based on the manual generation keywords included in the acquired work content.

Next, the generation unit 632 generates a task of the specified type (step S13). The generation unit 632 sets the specified type, information indicating that the task was generated using the manual generation method, information indicating that the task will be set to a completed state based on the manual completion conditions, as well as the work content, deadline, and priority included in the generation instruction, and stores the task in the task table 612. This completes the manual task generation process.

Figure 11 is a flow diagram showing the flow of the task display process. The task display process is executed in response to the store terminal 4 sending a display request for the task display screen 100 to the management device 6. The store terminal 4 sends the display request for the task display screen 100 via the store terminal communication unit 42 in response to an operation on the store terminal operation unit 44 to execute an application program for displaying the task display screen 100.

First, the acquisition unit 631 acquires a display request for the task display screen 100 via the communication unit 62 (step S21).

Next, the display control unit 633 generates display data for the task display screen 100 (step S22). The display control unit 633 obtains information about the tasks to be displayed in the task list 110 of the task display screen 100 from the task table 612. The display control unit 633 references the task table 612 and determines whether or not to display each completion button 120 based on whether or not a manual completion condition is set for each task. The display control unit 633 generates display data for the task display screen 100 that displays each object, such as the task list 110 and completion buttons 120, based on a preset layout.

Next, the display control unit 633 transmits display data for the task display screen 100 to the store terminal 4 via the communication unit 62, thereby displaying the task display screen 100 on the store terminal 4 (step S23). This completes the task display process.

Figure 12 is a flow diagram showing the flow of the completion status setting process. The completion status setting process is executed in response to the store terminal 4 sending a task completion instruction to the management device 6. In response to an operation input to the store terminal operation unit 44 to select the completion button 120 on the task display screen 100, the store terminal 4 sends a completion instruction for the task for which the completion button 120 was selected via the store terminal communication unit 42.

First, the acquisition unit 631 acquires a task completion instruction via the communication unit 62 (step S31). The task completion instruction includes the task ID of the task for which the completion button 120 was selected.

Next, the setting unit 634 sets the task to a completed state based on the completion instruction (step S32). The setting unit 634 sets the task indicated by the task ID included in the completion instruction to a completed state in the task table 612. The setting unit 634 stores the current time as the task completion time in the task table 612. The setting unit 634 may also store the time when the completion button 120 is selected or the time when the task completion instruction is sent as the task completion time.

Next, the identification unit 635 calculates the work time based on the completion time and type of the task that has been set to a completed state (step S33). The identification unit 635 obtains the type of task that has been set to a completed state from the task table 612. The identification unit 635 obtains the work time calculation method corresponding to the obtained type from the type table 613. The identification unit 635 calculates the work time from the completion time of the task based on the obtained calculation method.

Next, the identification unit 635 identifies an image at the work time from among the videos stored in the storage unit 61 (step S34). The identification unit 635 references the video table 611 to identify videos containing frame images at the work time. The identification unit 635 then identifies a frame image at the work time from among the identified videos. The frame image at the work time is identified, for example, based on a timestamp added to the frame image included in the video. The identification unit 635 associates the identified frame image with information indicating that the image is an image capturing the work status of the task that has been set to a completed state. In this way, the identification unit 635 identifies the position on the time axis of the video that corresponds to the work time. This completes the completion state setting process.

Figure 13 is a flow diagram showing the flow of the automatic determination process. The automatic determination process is executed by the management device 6 at predetermined intervals.

First, the acquisition unit 631 acquires sensor information via the communication unit 62 (step S41). The acquisition unit 631 acquires, as sensor information, video of the store situation captured by the camera device 2 via the communication unit 62. The acquisition unit 631 also acquires, as sensor information, various pieces of information indicating the store situation generated by the sensor 3 from the sensor 3 via the communication unit 62. The acquisition unit 631 stores the acquired sensor information in the memory unit 61.

Next, the generation unit 632 determines whether the generation conditions for generating a task using the automatic generation method are satisfied (step S42). The generation unit 632 determines whether the various generation conditions stored in the type table 613 are satisfied based on the sensor information stored in the storage unit 61.

For example, if information generated by a weight sensor installed on a product shelf indicates that the weight of a product placed on the product shelf is below a threshold value for a predetermined period of time or more, the generation unit 632 determines that the generation condition for the "product shelf sensor" is satisfied. Also, if information generated by an ultrasonic sensor installed on a trash can indicates that the content volume of the trash can is above a threshold value for a predetermined period of time or more, the generation unit 632 determines that the generation condition for the "trash can sensor" is satisfied.

Furthermore, if the video generated by the image capture device 2 continuously shows that there is dirt on the store floor for a predetermined period of time or more, the generation unit 632 determines that the generation condition related to "video" is satisfied. For example, the generation unit 632 applies a method such as background subtraction to frame images included in the video generated by the image capture device 2 to identify difference regions whose pixel values differ from a preset background image. The generation unit 632 extracts the features of the identified difference regions to determine whether or not the difference regions contain dirt on the floor. By applying this type of processing to multiple images captured at consecutive times, the generation unit 632 determines whether or not the video continuously shows that there is dirt on the store floor for a predetermined period of time or more.

If the generation condition for any task is satisfied (Step S42—Yes), the generation unit 632 generates a task of the type for which the generation condition is satisfied (Step S43). The generation unit 632 sets the work content of the task to be generated based on the sensor information for which the generation condition is satisfied. For example, if the sensor information for which the generation condition is satisfied is a weight sensor installed on "Product Shelf B" and the type of task to be generated is "Product Replenishment," the generation unit 632 sets the work content "Replenishing Product Shelf B" based on predetermined rules. The generation unit 632 sets the deadline and priority of the task to be generated by referencing the type table 613. The generation unit 632 also sets the content of the automatic completion condition for the task to be generated based on the sensor information for which the generation condition is satisfied. For example, if the sensor information for which the generation condition is satisfied is a weight sensor on "Product Shelf B," the generation unit 632 sets the automatic completion condition as the completion condition for the task to be generated. The generation unit 632 also sets the task to be set to a completed state based on the sensor information generated by the weight sensor on "Product Shelf B." The generation unit 632 stores the task associated with the set work content, completion conditions, sensor information, deadline, and priority in the task table 612.

If none of the task automatic generation conditions are met (step S42 - No), the automatic determination process proceeds to step S44.

Next, the setting unit 634 determines whether the automatic completion conditions for the task are satisfied (step S44). Based on the sensor information stored in the memory unit 61, the setting unit 634 determines whether the completion conditions for each task stored in the task table 612 are satisfied.

If it is determined that the automatic completion conditions for the task are met (step S44—Yes), the setting unit 634 sets the task for which the automatic completion conditions are met to a completed state (step S45). The identification unit 635 also calculates the work time for the task that has been set to a completed state (step S46) and identifies an image of the work time from among the images stored in the storage unit 61 (step S47). The processing of steps S45-S47 is the same as the processing of steps S32-S34 of the completion state setting processing. This completes the automatic determination processing.

Figure 14 is a flow diagram showing the flow of the notification process. The notification process is executed by the management device 6 at predetermined intervals.

First, the calculation unit 636 determines whether any tasks that have not been set to a completed state are stored in the task table 612 (step S51). If no tasks that have not been set to a completed state are stored (step S51—No), the notification process ends.

If there are stored tasks that have not been set to a completed state (step S51—Yes), the calculation unit 636 estimates the busyness level of the store by calculating it (step S52). For example, the calculation unit 636 calculates the busyness level based on the number of store employees, the number of store customers, and the number of tasks that have not been set to a completed state.

The number of store employees is calculated, for example, based on the number of employees for each time period stored in advance in the memory unit 61 and the current time. The number of store customers is calculated, for example, based on video of the store generated by the camera device 2. In this case, person areas are extracted based on feature amounts from multiple frame images of the video generated by the camera device 2. The number of people in the store is then calculated by matching the same people across the multiple frame images using well-known tracking technology, etc. The number of store customers is calculated by subtracting the number of employees from the calculated number of people. The number of tasks that have not been set to a completed state is calculated based on the task table 612.

The calculation unit 636 calculates the busyness level based on whether the number of employees at the store, the number of customers at the store, and time information (time period, day, season, etc.) meet specified conditions. For example, the calculation unit 636 calculates the busyness level to be high if one or more of the following conditions are met: the number of employees is one, the number of customers is ten or more, and it is daytime. The calculation unit 636 calculates the busyness level to be medium if the busyness level is not calculated to be high and one or more of the following conditions are met: the number of staff is two, the number of customers is three or more, and it is evening time. The calculation unit 636 calculates the busyness level to be low if the busyness level is neither high nor medium.

The method of calculating the busyness level is not limited to the above example. For example, the busyness level may be calculated based on the status (e.g., priority) of tasks that have not been set to a completed state. Furthermore, the busyness level may be calculated based on the number of customers waiting to pay, instead of or in addition to the number of customers in the store. The busyness level may also be calculated based on weather information. Furthermore, the time periods used may include times when employee shifts are changed, times when specific work is performed (e.g., product delivery), and times when events such as sales are held.

The busyness level may also be calculated using only one or two of the number of store employees, the number of customers, and time information. The busyness level may also be calculated by comprehensively considering the number of store employees, the number of customers, and time information. For example, a situation where there is one employee, ten or more customers, and it is daytime is each assigned three points; a situation where there are two staff members, three to nine customers, and it is evening time is each assigned two points; and a situation where there are three or more staff members, two or fewer customers, and it is morning time is each assigned one point. A total of seven points or more is calculated as a high busyness level; five to six points is calculated as a medium busyness level; and four points or less is calculated as a low busyness level.

Next, the notification unit 637 determines whether the conditions for notifying an employee are met (step S53). The conditions for notifying an employee are based on the store's busyness. For example, the condition for notifying an employee is that the busyness level is below a predetermined value.

If the conditions for notifying employees are not met (step S53 - No), proceed to step S55.

If the conditions for notifying an employee are met (step S53—Yes), the notification unit 637 outputs a notification to the store terminal 4 urging the employee to perform the work indicated by the task (step S54). For example, the notification unit 637 sends a notification instruction to a notification server (not shown) via the communication unit 62 to notify the store terminal 4 of a message including the work content of tasks that have not been set to a completed state. The notification server that receives the notification instruction sends the store terminal 4 a notification including a message urging the employee to perform the work indicated by tasks that have been completed for a predetermined amount of time or more since their deadline. The store terminal 4 that receives the notification displays a pop-up message urging the employee to perform the work. The message urging the employee to perform the work is, for example, "Please restock shelf B." The notification server may be a mail server, a push notification server, or the like. Note that the notification server may also send notifications to a mobile device carried by the employee, separate from the store terminal 4.

Next, the notification unit 637 determines whether the conditions for notifying the administrator are met (step S55). The conditions for notifying the administrator include, for example, the elapse of a predetermined time since the notification was output to the store terminal 4, and the task indicated in the notification not being set to a completed state.

If the conditions for notifying the administrator are not met (step S55 - No), the notification process ends.

If the conditions for notifying the administrator are met (step S55—Yes), the notification unit 637 outputs a notification to the administrator terminal 5 urging the administrator to perform the work indicated by the task (step S54). For example, the notification unit 637 sends a message to the administrator terminal 5 via the notification server urging the administrator to perform the work indicated by the task that has not been set to a completed state. This completes the notification process.

Figures 15 and 16 are flow diagrams showing an example of the flow of the video display process. The video display process is executed when the administrator terminal 5 transmits a display request for the live video display screen 400. The administrator terminal 5 transmits the display request for the live video display screen 400 via the administrator terminal communication unit 52 in response to an operation input to the administrator terminal operation unit 54, which executes an application program for displaying the live video display screen 400.

Referring to FIG. 15, first, the acquisition unit 631 acquires a display request for the live video display screen 400 via the communication unit 62 (step S61).

Next, the display control unit 633 generates display data for the live video display screen 400 (step S62). The display control unit 633 obtains information about tasks that are set to a completed state and are to be displayed in the completed task list 440 on the live video display screen 400 from the task table 612. The display control unit 633 generates display data for the live video display screen 400 that displays each object, including the completed task list 440, based on a preset layout.

Next, the display control unit 633 transmits display data for the live video display screen 400 to the administrator terminal 5 via the communication unit 62, thereby displaying the live video display screen 400 on the administrator terminal 5 (step S63).

Next, the display control unit 633 transmits the latest frame image of the video stored in the memory unit 61 to the administrator terminal 5 via the communication unit 62 (step S64). The transmitted image is displayed as live video 430 on the live video display screen 400 on the administrator terminal 5.

Next, the display control unit 633 determines whether a task selection instruction has been received from the administrator terminal 5 (step S65). When one of the tasks displayed in the completed task list 440 on the live video display screen 400 is selected, the administrator terminal 5 transmits a task selection instruction via the administrator terminal communication unit 52. The task selection instruction includes the task ID of the selected task.

If a task selection instruction is received (step S65—Yes), the display control unit 633 sets the frame image associated with information indicating that the work status of the selected task has been captured as the playback point of the recorded video (step S65a). The video display process proceeds to step S71 to display the recorded video display screen 500.

If a task selection instruction has not been received (step S65—No), the display control unit 633 determines whether a switching instruction has been received from the administrator terminal 5 (step S66). When the switching tab 410 on the live video display screen 400 is selected, the administrator terminal 5 sends a switching instruction via the administrator terminal communication unit 52.

If a switching instruction is received (step S66 - Yes), the video display process proceeds to step S71 to display the recorded video display screen 500.

If a switching instruction has not been received (step S66: No), the display control unit 633 determines whether an end instruction has been received from the administrator terminal 5 (step S67). When an operation input to end the display of the live video display screen 400 is made to the administrator terminal operation unit 54, the administrator terminal 5 transmits an end instruction via the administrator terminal communication unit 52.

If an end instruction is received (step S67 - Yes), the video display process ends.

If an end instruction has not been received (step S67 - No), the process returns to step S64, and the display control unit 633 again transmits the most recent frame image of the video stored in the memory unit 61 to the manager terminal 5. In other words, the display control unit 633 sequentially transmits the most recent frame images acquired from the image capture device 2 and stored in the memory unit 61 to the manager terminal 5 until a task selection instruction, switching instruction, or end instruction is received. This allows the store status to be displayed in real time on the manager terminal 5.

Referring to FIG. 16 , when a task selection instruction or switching instruction is received, the display control unit 633 generates display data for the recorded video display screen 500 (step S71). If a playback location in the recorded video has been set, the display control unit 633 sets the seek bar 540 on the recorded video display screen 500 to indicate the set playback location. If a playback location in the recorded video has not been set, the display control unit 633 sets the playback location of the seek bar 540 to indicate the start of a specified video (e.g., the video of the most recently generated video file). The display control unit 633 also obtains information about tasks set to a completed state, which are to be displayed in the completed task list 560 on the recorded video display screen 500, from the task table 612. The display control unit 633 generates display data for the recorded video display screen 500 that displays each object, including the seek bar 540 and the completed task list 560, based on a preset layout.

Next, the display control unit 633 transmits display data for the recorded video display screen 500 to the administrator terminal 5 via the communication unit 62, thereby displaying the recorded video display screen 500 on the administrator terminal 5 (step S72).

Next, the display control unit 633 transmits the frame image following the currently played portion of the video stored in the storage unit 61 to the administrator terminal 5 via the communication unit 62 (step S73). The transmitted image is displayed as the recorded video 530 on the recorded video display screen 500 on the administrator terminal 5.

Next, the display control unit 633 determines whether a task selection instruction has been received from the administrator terminal 5 (step S74). When one of the tasks displayed in the completed task list 560 on the recorded video display screen 500 is selected, the administrator terminal 5 transmits a task selection instruction via the administrator terminal communication unit 52. The task selection instruction includes the task ID of the selected task.

If a task selection instruction is received (step S74—Yes), the display control unit 633 sets the playback point to the work time of the selected task (step S74a). The display control unit 633 sets the playback point to a frame image associated with information indicating that the work status of the selected task has been captured. The process then proceeds to step S73, where the display control unit 633 transmits the frame image from the video stored in the storage unit 61 that follows the set playback point to the administrator terminal 5. As a result, the video of the work status indicated by the selected task is displayed on the administrator terminal 5.

If a task selection instruction has not been received (step S74: No), the display control unit 633 determines whether a seek bar operation instruction has been received from the administrator terminal 5 (step S75). When the seek bar on the recorded video display screen is operated and the playback location is changed, the administrator terminal 5 sends a seek bar operation instruction via the administrator terminal communication unit 52. The seek bar operation instruction includes information indicating the new playback location.

If a seek bar operation instruction is received (step S75—Yes), the display control unit 633 identifies the frame image for the time specified by operating the seek bar based on the timestamp, and sets the identified frame image as the playback point in the recorded video (step S75a). The process then proceeds to step S73, where the display control unit 633 transmits to the manager terminal 5 the frame image following the set playback point from the video stored in the storage unit 61. As a result, video of the store situation at the time corresponding to the specified playback point is displayed on the manager terminal 5.

If a seek bar operation instruction has not been received (step S75—No), the display control unit 633 determines whether a switching instruction has been received (step S76). When the switching tab 510 on the recorded video display screen 500 is selected, the administrator terminal 5 sends a switching instruction via the administrator terminal communication unit 52.

If a switching instruction is received (step S76 - Yes), the video display process proceeds to step S62 to display the live video display screen 400.

If a switching instruction has not been received (step S76: No), the display control unit 633 determines whether an end instruction has been received (step S77). When an operation input to end the display of the live video display screen 400 is made to the administrator terminal operation unit 54, the administrator terminal 5 transmits an end instruction via the administrator terminal communication unit 52.

If an end instruction is received (step S77 - Yes), the video display process ends.

If an end instruction has not been received (step S77 - No), the process returns to step S73, and the display control unit 633 again transmits to the manager terminal 5 the frame image following the currently played portion of the video stored in the storage unit 61. In other words, the display control unit 633 sequentially transmits to the manager terminal 5 the frame images acquired from the image capture device 2 and stored in the storage unit 61 until a task selection instruction, seek bar operation instruction, switching instruction, or end instruction is received. As a result, video of the store situation is displayed on the manager terminal 5.

As explained above, the management device 6 uses either the manual completion condition or the automatic completion condition to set a task to a completed state depending on whether the task was created manually or automatically. This allows the management device 6 to appropriately manage whether work to be performed in the store has been completed.

The management device 6 also calculates the store's busyness level and, based on the busyness level, outputs a notification encouraging the execution of work indicated by tasks that have not been set to a completed state. This allows the management device 6 to appropriately encourage the execution of work that should be done in the store while taking into consideration the burden on employees.

Preferably, the management device 6 calculates the busyness level based on the number of customers at the store, the number of employees at the store, and time information. This allows the busyness level to be calculated appropriately based on various store factors, enabling the management device 6 to appropriately encourage employees to carry out work that should be done at the store while taking into consideration the burden on employees from multiple perspectives.

The management device 6 also outputs a notification to the store terminal 4, and if the task indicated by the notification has not been set to a completed state a predetermined time after the notification was output, it outputs a further notification to the manager terminal 5. This allows the manager to be notified only if work that should be performed in the store has not been performed for a predetermined time, thereby reducing the manager's burden and enabling the management device 6 to appropriately prompt the execution of work that should be performed in the store.

The management device 6 also displays selectable tasks that have been set to a completed state on the manager terminal 5, and when one of the displayed tasks is selected, displays a frame image capturing the work status indicated by the selected task on the manager terminal 5. This allows the management device 6 to easily grasp the status of work in the store.

Preferably, the management device 6 calculates the work time based on the task completion time and task type, identifies a frame image for the work time, and displays the identified frame image when a task is selected on the administrator terminal 5. This allows the management device 6 to easily grasp the status of work appropriately according to the type of work.

Preferably, the management device 6 displays a completed task list on the manager terminal 5, which displays a selectable list of only tasks that have been set to a completed state. This makes it possible to select only tasks that have been set to a completed state, i.e., tasks for which video footage of the work status has been identified, allowing the management device 6 to easily grasp the status of work in the store through the video.

Preferably, the management device 6 displays a seek bar on the manager terminal 5 that indicates the playback location of the video being displayed on the manager terminal 5, and also identifiably displays the position on the seek bar of the task work time. This allows the management device 6 to allow the manager to intuitively grasp the status of work in the store by operating the seek bar.

The management device 6 also displays live video on the manager terminal 5, and when a task is selected on the manager terminal 5, displays a frame image of the work time of the selected task instead of the live video. This allows the management device 6 to further understand the work status while keeping track of the store's situation in real time.

The management device 6 may be modified in various ways, as described below.

In the above description, the setting unit 634 uses either a manual completion condition or an automatic completion condition to set a task to a completed state, but this is not limited to this example. The setting unit 634 may also set a task generated by an automatic generation method to a completed state when both the manual completion condition and the automatic completion condition are satisfied.

In this case, in step S43 of the automatic determination process, the generation unit 632 sets both manual and automatic completion conditions as completion conditions for the generated task. Furthermore, in step S44, the setting unit 634 determines whether the automatic and manual completion conditions are satisfied.

If both the automatic completion conditions and the manual completion conditions are met, the setting unit 634 sets the task to a completed state, calculates the task work time, and identifies an image at the work time (steps S45-S47). The manual completion conditions are met when the acquisition unit 631 has already acquired an instruction to complete the task. If neither the automatic completion conditions nor the manual completion conditions are met, the automatic determination process ends. If only one of the automatic completion conditions or the manual completion conditions is met, the setting unit 634 associates information indicating that one of the conditions has been met with the task and stores it, and the automatic determination process ends.

In addition, in step S32 of the completion status setting process, the setting unit 634 determines whether information indicating that the automatic completion conditions have been met is associated with the task for which a completion instruction has been obtained. The setting unit 634 sets the task to a completed status only if information indicating that the automatic completion conditions have been met is associated with the task.

By doing this, tasks are set to a completed state based on both employee input and sensor information, allowing for more accurate management of whether work to be done in the store has been completed.

Furthermore, if it is determined in step S44 that the automatic completion conditions are met but the manual completion conditions are not, the notification unit 637 may output a notification to the store terminal 4 or the manager terminal 5 prompting the user to input an operation. This prevents an employee from neglecting to input an operation indicating that the work has been completed, resulting in the inability to properly manage whether the work has been completed.

In the above description, the generation unit 632 generates tasks based on sensor information as an automatic generation method in step S42 of the automatic determination process, but this is not limited to this example. The generation unit 632 may also generate tasks at predetermined time intervals based on a schedule as an automatic generation method.

In this case, in step S42, the generation unit 632 generates a task of a predetermined type when the current time is a predetermined time. If an automatic completion condition is associated with the type of task to be generated in the type table 613, the generation unit 632 sets the automatic completion condition as the completion condition for the task to be generated. If an automatic completion condition is not associated with the type of task to be generated, the generation unit 632 sets a manual completion condition as the completion condition for the task to be generated.

The work indicated by tasks generated at predetermined intervals is often related to routine operations. In this case, unlike when tasks are generated using a manual generation method, it is possible to appropriately determine whether the work has been completed based on sensor information. Therefore, as an automatic generation method, by associating automatic completion conditions with tasks generated at predetermined intervals, it is possible to appropriately determine whether the work has been completed.

In the above description, in step S12 of the task generation process, the generation unit 632 identifies the type of task based on manually generated keywords included in the work content entered by the user, but this is not limited to this example. The generation unit 632 may apply known morphological analysis and semantic analysis to the string of work content to identify, from among multiple pre-set types, the type that is most highly related to the string of work content as the type of task to be generated. The generation unit 632 may also identify the type of task to be generated by applying a trained model generated by machine learning to the string of work content.

In the above explanation, in steps S53-S54 of the notification process, the notification unit 637 outputs a notification encouraging the execution of work indicated by a task that has not been set to a completed state based on the store's busyness level, but this is not limited to this example. The notification unit 637 may also output a notification encouraging the execution of work indicated by each task based additionally on the status of each task that has not been set to a completed state.

The task status may be, for example, the time elapsed since the task deadline. In this case, the notification unit 637 outputs a notification in step S54 only for tasks for which the time elapsed since the deadline is equal to or greater than a predetermined time. The task status may also be the time elapsed since the task was created. In this case, the notification unit 637 outputs a notification in step S54 only for tasks for which the time elapsed since the task was created is equal to or greater than a predetermined time. The task status may also be the number of tasks that have not been set to a completed state. In this case, the notification unit 637 outputs a notification in step S54 if the number of tasks that have not been set to a completed state is equal to or greater than a predetermined number. The task status may also be the priority of the task. In this case, the notification unit 637 outputs a notification in step S54 only for tasks for which the priority is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The task status may also be both the time elapsed since the deadline or the time elapsed since the task was created and the priority. In this case, the notification unit 637 outputs a notification in step S54 only for tasks for which the time elapsed since the deadline or the time elapsed since the task was created is equal to or greater than a predetermined time that varies depending on the priority.

In the above explanation, the notification unit 637 outputs a notification to the store terminal 4 in steps S53-S54 of the notification process, and outputs a notification to the manager terminal 5 in steps S55-S56, but this is not limited to this example. The notification unit 637 may also output a notification to the store terminal 4 and the manager terminal 5 simultaneously when a condition common to both the employee and the manager is met.

In the above description, the identification unit 635 identifies a frame image at the time of task completion in steps S33-S34 of the completion status setting process and steps S46-S47 of the automatic determination process, but this is not limited to this example. The identification unit 635 may also identify a frame image at the time of task completion without calculating the time of task completion. In this case, steps S33 and S46 are not executed, and the identification unit 635 associates the identified frame image with information indicating that it is an image at the time of task completion that has been set to a completed status in steps S34 and S46.

Furthermore, in steps S65a and S74a of the video display processing, the display control unit 633 displays an image of the work status indicated by the selected task based on the frame image that is the image of the completion time and the type of selected task. For example, the display control unit 633 obtains the work time calculation method associated with the type of selected task from the type table 613. The display control unit 633 obtains the timestamp of the frame image associated with information indicating that it is an image of the completion time of the selected task. Based on the obtained timestamp and the work time calculation method, the display control unit 633 sets the frame image to which a timestamp corresponding to the work time of the selected task is assigned as the playback location. This also enables the manager to grasp the store situation in real time while further understanding the work status.

The display control unit 633 may extract and play only the video from the start of work to its completion. In this case, the start time of work may be set, for example, to a time that dates back a predetermined amount of time from the completion of the work depending on the task, or may be set based on the captured video. The start time of work may also be set by an employee or manager performing a work start operation on the store terminal 4 when work begins. This prevents the manager from unnecessarily continuing to check the video after the work is completed.

For tasks that require a certain amount of time or more (e.g., 10 minutes or more), the display control unit 633 may play the video of the work at a faster playback speed (e.g., 1.5x speed). This allows the manager to efficiently check the status of the work.

Figure 17 is a functional block diagram of a management device 16 according to another embodiment. Management device 16 has a similar configuration to management device 6, except for the differences described below. Management device 16 differs from management device 6 in that it has a memory unit 161 instead of the memory unit 61 and processing unit 63.

Memory unit 161 differs from memory unit 61 in that it stores task table 1612 and type table 1613 instead of task table 612 and type table 613.

Figure 18 shows the data structure of task table 1612, and Figure 19 shows the data structure of type table 1613. Task table 1612 differs from task table 612 in that it does not store the generation method or completion conditions. Type table 1613 also differs from type table 1613 in that it stores information (manual/automatic) indicating whether manual or automatic completion conditions are used. In other words, whether manual or automatic completion conditions are used to set a task to a completed state in management device 16 depends on the type of task.

The following describes the differences between the processing performed by management device 16 and the processing performed by management device 6.

In step S13 of the task generation process, the generation unit 632 references the type table 1613 and determines whether a manual completion condition or an automatic completion condition is used for the task type identified in step S12. If an automatic completion condition is used, the generation unit 632 identifies the sensor information used to determine the automatic completion condition based on the work content included in the generation instruction and the identified type. For example, if the work content includes the string "Product Shelf B" and the type is "Product Replenishment," the weight sensor installed on product shelf B is used to determine the automatic completion condition. The generation unit 632 associates the task with information indicating whether the completion state is set based on the manual completion condition or the automatic completion condition, the sensor information used to determine the automatic completion condition, and the work content, deadline, and priority included in the generation instruction, and stores the task in the task table 1612. This generates a task of the identified type.

Furthermore, in step S43 of the automatic determination process, the generation unit 632 sets the work content and type of the task being generated based on the sensor information for which the generation conditions are satisfied. The generation unit 632 references the type table 1613 to determine whether manual completion conditions or automatic completion conditions are used for the set type of task. If automatic completion conditions are used, the generation unit 632 sets the sensor information for which the generation conditions are satisfied as the sensor information to be used for determining the automatic completion conditions of the task being generated. The generation unit 632 references the type table 1613 to set the deadline and priority of the task being generated. The generation unit 632 stores the task, associated with the set work content, completion conditions, sensor information, deadline, and priority, in the task table 1612.

As explained above, the management device 16 stores multiple types of tasks and, depending on the type of task, uses either manual completion conditions or automatic completion conditions to mark a task as completed. This allows the management device 16 to appropriately manage whether work to be performed in the store has been completed.

The management device 16 may also use different manual or automatic completion conditions to set a task to a completed state depending on the type of task and whether the task was generated manually or automatically. In this case, the type table 1613 stores information indicating whether to use manual or automatic completion conditions, or whether to use completion conditions based on the generation method, instead of information indicating manual or automatic.

In this case, in step S13 of the generation process, the generation unit 632 references the type table 1613 and determines whether a manual completion condition, an automatic completion condition, or a completion condition based on the generation method is used for the task of the type identified in step S12. If the type table 1613 stores information indicating that a manual completion condition or a completion condition based on the generation method is used, the generation unit 632 determines that a manual completion condition is used. If the type table 1613 stores information indicating that an automatic completion condition is used, the generation unit 632 determines that an automatic completion condition is used. If an automatic completion condition is used, the generation unit 632 identifies the sensor information used to determine the automatic completion condition based on the work content included in the generation instruction and the identified type. The generation unit 632 associates the task with information indicating whether the completion state is set based on the manual completion condition or the automatic completion condition, the sensor information used to determine the automatic completion condition, and the work content, deadline, and priority included in the generation instruction, and stores the task in the task table 1612.

Furthermore, in step S43 of the automatic determination process, the generation unit 632 sets the work content and type of the task being generated based on the sensor information for which the generation conditions are satisfied. The generation unit 632 references the type table 1613 to determine whether a manual completion condition, an automatic completion condition, or a completion condition based on the generation method is used for the set type of task. If the type table 1613 stores information indicating that a manual completion condition is used, the generation unit 632 determines that a manual completion condition is used. If the type table 1613 stores information indicating that an automatic completion condition is used or information indicating that a completion condition based on the generation method is used, the generation unit 632 determines that an automatic completion condition is used. If the automatic completion condition is used, the generation unit 632 identifies the sensor information to be used for determining the automatic completion condition based on the work content and the identified type included in the generation instruction. The generation unit 632 associates the task with information indicating whether the completion state is set based on the manual completion condition or the automatic completion condition, the sensor information used to determine the automatic completion condition, and the work content, deadline, and priority included in the generation instruction, and stores the task in the task table 1612.

This enables the management device 16 to more appropriately manage whether work to be performed in the store has been completed. In other words, whether or not completion conditions should be used for each type of task may differ depending on the type of task. For example, automatic completion conditions are set for "stock restocking" and "cleaning" task types because completion of the task can usually be determined based on sensor information. However, for a "stock restocking" task generated using a manual generation method when shelves are stocked with products other than those they should be, or a "cleaning" task generated using a manual generation method when the floor is wet and slippery but not dirty, completion of the task may not be appropriately determined based on sensor information. By setting completion conditions that take into account the task generation method in addition to the type of task, completion of the task can be appropriately determined even in such cases, thereby more appropriately managing whether or not work to be performed in the store has been completed.

In the management device 16, as in the management device 6, the setting unit 634 may set the task to a completed state when both the manual completion condition and the automatic completion condition are met. In this case, information indicating whether the manual completion condition or the automatic completion condition, or both, are used is pre-set in the type table 1613, depending on the task type. The notification unit 637 may output a notification to the store terminal 4 when the automatic completion condition is met but the manual completion condition is not met.

Those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, substitutions, and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the above-described embodiments and modifications may be implemented in any suitable combination within the scope of the present invention.

1 Store operation support system 6 Management device 631 Acquisition unit 632 Generation unit 633 Display control unit 634 Setting unit 635 Identification unit 636 Calculation unit 637 Notification unit

Claims (3)

a generation means for generating tasks indicating operations to be performed in a store by a manual generation method based on a user's operation input or an automatic generation method based on sensor information indicating the status of the store without being based on the operation input;
a setting means for setting the generated task to a completed state when a manual completion condition based on a user's operation input or an automatic completion condition based on the sensor information and not based on the operation input is satisfied;
a display control means for displaying the generated task,
the setting means changes whether to use the manual completion condition or the automatic completion condition for setting the task to a completed state depending on whether the task was generated by the manual generation method or the automatic generation method ;
The task generated by the automatic generation method is set to a completed state when both the manual completion condition and the automatic completion condition are satisfied.
A store operation support system characterized by: The device further includes a notification unit that outputs a notification prompting a user to perform an operation input when the automatic completion condition is satisfied and the manual completion condition is not satisfied.
The store operation support system according to claim 1 . A store operations support method executed by a store operations support system,
a generation step of generating tasks indicating operations to be performed in the store by a manual generation method based on a user's operation input or an automatic generation method based on sensor information indicating the store situation without based on the user's operation input;
a setting step of setting the generated task to a completed state when a manual completion condition based on a user's operation input or an automatic completion condition based on the sensor information but not based on the operation input is satisfied,
In the setting step, whether the manual completion condition or the automatic completion condition is used to set the task to a completed state is determined depending on whether the task was generated by the manual generation method or the automatic generation method ;
The task generated by the automatic generation method is set to a completed state when both the manual completion condition and the automatic completion condition are satisfied.
A store operation support method characterized by: