JP7845006B2 - Information processing device, information processing method, and program - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program.

In recent years, self-checkout systems have been introduced in stores such as supermarkets and drugstores, allowing customers to operate their own payment terminals to complete the transaction using cash or credit cards. Self-checkout systems can reduce customer waiting times, even in situations where, for example, there are few cashiers.

As an example of such a self-checkout system, Patent Document 1 discloses a POS system in which a store employee scans the code information attached to the product the customer wishes to purchase and issues a payment receipt. The customer then reads this payment receipt into a POS register and completes the payment procedure according to the instructions displayed on the screen.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2011-158993

However, with the technologies described above, only one payment method—cash, electronic money, credit card, etc.—is selected and used for the transaction during a single accounting procedure. Therefore, if a customer wanted to use different payment methods for each item, they would have to go through the cumbersome process of performing separate accounting procedures for each payment method.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its objective is to provide a novel and improved technology that can improve user convenience during accounting.

To solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, an information processing device is provided comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires product information including price information for one or more products; a settlement processing unit that performs settlement processing using a plurality of different settlement methods; and a settlement control unit that, for each of the one or more products, selects one of the plurality of settlement methods and causes the settlement processing unit to perform settlement processing for the amount of the product selected for each of the plurality of settlement methods based on the price information, wherein the product information includes the type of product, the plurality of settlement methods include a first settlement method and a second settlement method, and the settlement control unit selects either the first settlement method or the second settlement method based on the type of each of the one or more products .

The payment control unit may, based on the user's selection, select either the first payment method or the second payment method for each of the one or more products.

The information processing device may further include a display control unit that generates a payment method selection screen for receiving user input regarding the selection of one or more payment methods for each product, and displays it on the output unit.

The payment control unit may calculate a first total amount, which is the sum of the amounts of the selected items, each time the user selects the first payment method. The display control unit may then display the calculated first total amount on the output unit.

The acquisition unit acquires balance information indicating the available payment amount set for the first payment method. The payment control unit, when a user newly inputs a selection operation to select the first payment method for one or more products other than those for which the first payment method has already been selected, determines whether the second total amount, which is the sum of the amount for the product for which the first payment method has already been selected and the amount for the other product, exceeds the available payment amount. If the display control unit determines that the second total amount exceeds the available payment amount, it may display a screen on the payment method selection screen indicating that the first payment method cannot be selected for the other product on the output unit.

The first payment method may be a payment method other than cash, and the second payment method may be a cash payment method. The payment control unit may cause the payment processing unit to execute the payment processing for the first payment method, and after that, cause the payment processing unit to execute the payment processing for the second payment method.

The first payment method may be a payment method other than cash, and the second payment method may be a cash payment method. The payment control unit may select the first payment method as the payment method for goods of a predetermined type when each of the one or more goods is of a predetermined type.

The payment control unit may calculate a reward value to be given to the user based on the payment amount for the predetermined type of product using the first payment method.

To solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, an information processing device is provided, comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires product information including price information for each of one or more products; a settlement processing unit that performs settlement processing using a plurality of settlement means, including a first settlement means and a second settlement means different from the first settlement means; and a settlement control unit that, based on the price information, identifies one or more products from among the one or more products such that the total amount of the one or more products falls within a predetermined range; selects the first settlement means as the settlement means for the identified products; selects the second settlement means as the settlement means for products other than the identified products among the one or more products; and causes the settlement processing unit to perform settlement processing for the amounts of the selected products for each of the plurality of settlement means based on the price information.

To solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, an information processing device is provided , comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires product information including price information for one or more products and acquires balance information indicating the amount payable set in the first payment means; a payment processing unit that performs payment processing using a plurality of payment means, including the first payment means and a second payment means different from the first payment means; and a payment control unit that , based on the price information and balance information for one or more products, identifies one or more products from among the one or more products whose total amount is less than or equal to the payable amount, selects the first payment means as the payment means for the identified products, selects the second payment means as the payment means for products other than the identified products from among the one or more products, and causes the payment processing unit to perform payment processing for the amounts of the selected products for each of the plurality of payment means based on the price information.

The settlement control unit may select the type of settlement means to be used as the first settlement means and the second settlement means based on user input.

Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is an information processing method performed by a computer, which includes: acquiring product information including price information for one or more products; performing payment processing using a plurality of different payment methods; selecting one of the plurality of payment methods for each of the one or more products; and performing payment processing for the amount of the selected product for each of the plurality of payment methods based on the price information , wherein the product information includes the type of product, the plurality of payment methods include a first payment method and a second payment method, and the information processing method includes selecting the first payment method or the second payment method based on each of the types of the one or more products .

Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, a program is provided which allows a computer to function as an acquisition unit that acquires product information including price information for one or more products, a payment processing unit that performs payment processing using a plurality of different payment methods, and a payment control unit that, for each of the one or more products, selects one of the plurality of payment methods and causes the payment processing unit to perform payment processing for the amount of the product selected for each of the plurality of payment methods based on the price information, wherein the product information includes the type of product, the plurality of payment methods include a first payment method and a second payment method, and the payment control unit selects either the first payment method or the second payment method based on the type of each of the one or more products .

As explained above, the present invention makes it possible to improve user convenience during the accounting process.

This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the outline of an information processing device 1000 according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 1000 according to this embodiment. This is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the control unit 1020 of the information processing device 1000 according to this embodiment. This is a flowchart illustrating the first half of an example of the operation of the information processing system according to this embodiment. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a product registration screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a product registration screen that has been updated by the display control unit 1028 after product information has been registered. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a payment method selection screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the installment payment method selection screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. This is the first flowchart illustrating the first operational example of the information processing system according to this embodiment during installment settlement. This is the second flowchart illustrating the first operational example of the information processing system according to this embodiment during installment settlement. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a payment method selection screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the payment method selection screen after the user has selected payment methods for all products. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a cash input screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040 after cash has been inserted. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the change dispensing screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a receipt issuance screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an electronic money settlement screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a receipt issuance screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a receipt issued by the payment control unit 1024. This is the first flowchart illustrating a second example of operation during installment settlement of the information processing system according to this embodiment. This is a second flowchart illustrating a second example of operation during installment settlement of the information processing system according to this embodiment. This is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the payment method selection screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the payment method selection screen after the user has selected payment methods for all products. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a credit card input screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. This is an example of a PIN entry screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a credit payment screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. This is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the receipt issuance screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. This is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a receipt issued by the payment control unit 1024. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a payment method re-selection screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040 when card payment is not possible. This flowchart illustrates an example of the operation of the information processing system during batch settlement according to this embodiment. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a payment method selection screen for lump-sum payment displayed on the operation display unit 1040. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a payment method selection screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040 in a first modified example according to this embodiment. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a payment method selection screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040 in the second modified example. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a payment method selection screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040 in the third modified example. This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a payment method selection screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040 in the fourth modified example.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, thus omitting redundant explanations.

Furthermore, in this specification and drawings, multiple components having substantially identical functional configurations may be distinguished by adding different numbers after the same reference numeral. However, if there is no need to specifically distinguish each of multiple components having substantially identical functional configurations, each of the multiple components will be assigned only the same reference numeral.

<1. Overview of Information Processing Device 1000 According to One Embodiment of the Precedent>
Embodiments of the present invention can be applied to various information processing devices that accept payment processing at the time of product purchase through user operation. Examples of various information processing devices include self-checkout registers or self-payment machines used in retail stores such as supermarkets or drugstores. Alternatively, the above-mentioned information processing device may be a smartphone, mobile phone, or personal computer. In this specification, we will mainly describe an example in which embodiments of the present invention are applied to self-payment machines used in retail stores such as supermarkets, but as stated above, the application of embodiments of the present invention is not limited to self-payment machines used in retail stores. Below, we will first describe the outline of the information processing device 1000 in the embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the outline of an information processing device 1000 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The information processing device 1000 is a customer-operated terminal that executes monetary transactions based on the operations of a user attempting to purchase goods in a supermarket or similar establishment. The information processing device 1000 may be installed in a variety of facilities, such as supermarkets, drugstores, convenience stores, hotels, shopping centers, hospitals, amusement parks, and restaurants. Note that the user of the information processing device 1000 does not necessarily have to be the customer themselves; it may also be a facility staff member (for example, a retail store employee).

The information processing device 1000 has the function of processing the payment for the goods the user wishes to purchase based on the user's operation. Furthermore, the information processing device 1000 has the function of requesting payment by communicating with a credit card company system or the system of an electronic payment service provider (such as various electronic money providers), which are not shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 1, such an information processing device 1000 includes an operation display unit 1040, a barcode reader 1050, a contactless IC (Integrated Circuit) card reader 1060, a contact-type IC card reader 1070, a key operation unit 1080, a printing unit 1090, and an automatic change dispenser 1100. A detailed explanation of these configurations will be provided in section <2. Functional Configuration Examples>.

(Organizing the issues)
In conventional self-checkout machines, only one payment method is selected from cash, electronic money, credit cards, etc., for each transaction. Therefore, if a user wants to use different payment methods for different items, they have to go through the trouble of performing separate transactions for each payment method. One example of such a situation is when a user wants to pay with electronic money, but the total amount of the items exceeds the balance or limit of their electronic money, forcing them to use a combination of electronic money and other payment methods. Another example is when a user is asked to purchase an item on behalf of another person using cash, and wants to pay for that item and their own items at once, but wants to use different payment methods for each item.

Therefore, the present invention was created with the above circumstances as a key consideration. According to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to improve user convenience during accounting. The functional configuration and operation of the information processing device 1000 according to this embodiment will be described in detail below.

<2. Example of Functional Configuration>
Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 1000 according to this embodiment. The information processing device 1000 has the function of reading product information and payment method information used by the user for accounting based on user operation and processing accounting. As shown in Figure 2, the information processing device 1000 according to this embodiment includes a communication unit 1010, a control unit 1020, a storage unit 1030, an operation display unit 1040, a barcode reader 1050, a contactless IC card reader 1060, a contact-type IC card reader 1070, a key operation unit 1080, a printing unit 1090, and an automatic change dispenser 1100.

(Communications Department 1010)
The communication unit 1010 has the function of communicating with other devices in accordance with the control of the control unit 1020. The communication unit 1010 is implemented by a communication interface consisting of, for example, a device for connecting to a communication network such as the Internet. The communication unit 1010 may also be a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) compatible communication device or a wired communication device for wired communication. For example, the communication unit 1010 has the function of transmitting a payment request by communicating with a credit card company system or an electronic payment service provider's system according to the type of payment method read by the contactless IC card reader 1060 or the contact IC card reader 1070.

(Control unit 1020)
The control unit 1020 has the function of controlling the overall operation of the information processing device 1000. The control unit 1020 includes an arithmetic unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and its function can be realized by loading a program stored in ROM (Read Only Memory) into RAM (Random Access Memory) and executing it by the arithmetic unit. At this time, a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded may also be provided. Alternatively, these blocks may be configured with dedicated hardware, or they may be realized by a combination of multiple hardware components.

Here, Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the control unit 1020 of the information processing device 1000 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, the control unit 1020 has the functions of an acquisition unit 1022, a settlement control unit 1024, a settlement processing unit 1026, and a display control unit 1028.

(Acquisition unit 1022)
The acquisition unit 1022 has the function of acquiring detection results of user operations detected in the operation display unit 1040 and the key operation unit 1080. For example, the acquisition unit 1022 acquires detection results from the operation display unit 1040 of the user's operation to select a payment method for each product. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 1022 acquires input values of the PIN used for credit card payment entered in the key operation unit 1080 from the key operation unit 1080.

Furthermore, the acquisition unit 1022 has the function of acquiring product information obtained by the barcode reader 1050, etc. The product information may include the name of each product, price information, and product type. The acquisition unit 1022 supplies the acquired product information to the payment control unit 1024 and the display control unit 1028.

Furthermore, the acquisition unit 1022 has the function of acquiring payment method information read by the contactless IC card reader 1060 and the contact-type IC card reader 1070. As described above, the payment method information is various information used for payment by a payment method such as a credit card or electronic money read by the contactless IC card reader 1060 or the contact-type IC card reader 1070. For example, the payment method information includes at least name information and the type of payment method. Also, if the contact-type IC card reader 1070 reads payment method information from a credit card, the payment method information may further include information indicating the credit card number and expiration date. Alternatively, if the contactless IC card reader 1060 reads payment method information related to electronic money, the payment method information may further include information indicating the balance or usage limit of the electronic money. The spending limit could be, for example, the daily spending limit for electronic money, or it could be the spending limit for a specified period, such as one week or one month.

(Payment control unit 1024)
The payment control unit 1024 has the function of selecting one of several payment methods for each of the one or more products registered by the user, based on the product information acquired from the acquisition unit 1022. Furthermore, the payment control unit 1024 controls the payment processing unit 1026 to perform the payment processing for the amount of the selected product for each payment method, based on the amount information of each product acquired from the acquisition unit 1022. At this time, the payment methods may include two or more payment methods of different types. For example, the payment method may be one of cash payment, credit card payment, or electronic money payment, or a combination of two or more. Cash payment, credit card payment, or electronic money payment are examples of the first or second payment method.

As an example of payment method selection, the payment control unit 1024 selects a payment method for each of the one or more products based on the user's selection operation detected by the operation display unit 1040. More specifically, consider a case where the one or more products are two products, product A and product B, and the user inputs an operation to select cash payment as the payment method for product A, and the user inputs an operation to select electronic money payment as the payment method for product B. In such a case, the payment control unit 1024 selects cash payment as the payment method for product A and electronic money payment as the payment method for product B, based on the user's selection operation detected by the operation display unit 1040.

For example, a user of the information processing device 1000 can select a payment method for each product on the payment method selection screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040, which accepts the user's selection operation for each product. Details of this payment method selection screen and the user's selection operation will be explained in detail later in the operation example.

As another example of payment method selection, the payment control unit 1024 may automatically select one or more payment methods for each registered product based on the amount information or product type contained in the product information acquired from the acquisition unit 1022. In this case, the payment control unit 1024 may also automatically select the one or more payment methods for each product based on the balance information contained in the payment method information read by the contactless IC card reader 1060, acquired from the acquisition unit 1022. For example, the payment control unit 1024 may identify products whose price falls within the range of the electronic money balance related to the payment method information read by the contactless IC card reader 1060, and select electronic money as the payment method for those products. Such selection of payment methods for each product by the payment control unit 1024 will be explained in more detail later in the operation examples.

(Payment processing unit 1026)
The settlement processing unit 1026 has the function of processing settlements for each payment method in accordance with the control of the settlement control unit 1024. For example, the settlement processing unit 1026 processes settlements for each payment method by sending a settlement request to the system of a credit card company or electronic payment service provider via the communication unit 1010. The settlement processing unit 1026 also receives the settlement results from the system of the credit card company or electronic payment service provider via the communication unit 1010 and supplies them to the settlement control unit 1024. Alternatively, the settlement control unit 1024 may process cash payments by controlling the operation of the automatic change dispenser 1100.

(Display control unit 1028)
The display control unit 1028 has the function of generating various screens to be output to the operation display unit 1040. The display control unit 1028 also controls the display of the generated screens by the operation display unit 1040 by outputting the generated screens to the operation display unit 1040. For example, the display control unit 1028 causes the operation display unit 1040 to display a payment method selection screen. Alternatively, the display control unit 1028 generates a list screen of products read by the barcode reader 1050 based on product information acquired from the acquisition unit 1022, and displays it on the operation display unit 1040 in a manner that is visible to the user.

(Storage unit 1030)
The storage unit 1030 stores the program and calculation parameters used by the control unit 1020. The storage unit 1030 may also temporarily store the program used in the execution of the control unit 1020, and parameters that change as appropriate during its execution. Such a storage unit 1030 may be composed of memory such as RAM, a hard disk drive, or flash memory.

(Operation display section 1040)
As described above, the operation display unit 1040 combines the functions of a display unit that displays a guidance screen for user operation and an operation detection function that detects user operation. The display unit function can be realized by, for example, a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display device, a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, or an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) device. The operation detection function can be realized by, for example, a touch panel, and may also include the function of an input unit where information is input by the user. In Figure 1, an example is shown in which the display unit function and the operation detection function are integrated into the information processing device 1000, but the display unit function and the operation detection function may be configured separately. Such an operation display unit 1040 is an example of an output unit.

(Barcode reader 1050)
As described above, the barcode reader 1050 has the function of reading the barcode of a product held over the barcode reader 1050 by the user and acquiring product information based on the read barcode. Product information may include, for example, the name, price, and type of the product. A user of the information processing device 1000 can register product information about the product they wish to purchase in the information processing device 1000 by holding the barcode attached to the product over the barcode reader 1050. Here, we mainly assume that the product information is contained in the barcode itself. However, the acquisition of product information is not limited to this, and the barcode may also contain a product code for identifying the product, in which case the barcode reader 1050 may output the product code to the control unit 1020, and the control unit 1020 may acquire product information corresponding to the product code from master information based on the product code. Alternatively, product information may be acquired by an RFID (Radio Frequency Identifier) reader capable of reading product information stored in an RF (Radio Frequency) tag attached to the product. The barcode reader 1050 supplies the read product information to the control unit 1020. Alternatively, product information may be acquired by the control unit 1020 acquiring product information corresponding to a product code from master information based on the product code of a product selected by the user from among multiple products displayed on the operation display unit 1040. Alternatively, product information may be acquired by the control unit 1020 acquiring product information corresponding to a product code from master information based on a product code entered by the user in the key operation unit 1080, which will be described later. Acquisition of product price among the product information may be achieved by the control unit 1020 acquiring the product price entered by the user in the key operation unit 1080.

(Contactless IC card reader 1060)
The contactless IC card reader 1060 reads payment method information necessary for payment processing using an IC card, such as a prepaid electronic money card, from an IC card held over the contactless IC card reader 1060. The payment method information may include, for example, name information, type of payment method, and balance information. In addition to IC cards, the contactless IC card reader 1060 may also read payment method information from a smartphone or smart device by communicating with the smartphone or smart device via short-range wireless communication. The contactless IC card reader 1060 supplies the read payment method information to the control unit 1020.

(Contact-type IC card reader 1070)
The contact-type IC card reader 1070 has a card slot and a function to read payment method information recorded on a credit card inserted into the card slot by a user. The contact-type IC card reader 1070 supplies the read payment method information to the control unit 1020.

(Key operation unit 1080)
The key operation unit 1080 has the function of accepting input operations from the user. In the example shown in Figure 1, the key operation unit 1080 is a numeric keypad corresponding to the numbers 0 to 9. Alternatively, the key operation unit 1080 may be implemented by a hardware keyboard that supports character input, or by a touch panel. For example, the user can input the PIN required for credit card payment into the information processing device 1000 by operating the key operation unit 1080.

(Printing Department 1090)
The printing unit 1090 prints transaction details onto a medium (e.g., printing paper) at the end of the accounting process, and outputs the printed medium as a receipt.

(Automatic change dispenser 1100)
The automatic change dispenser 1100 consists of a banknote change dispenser 1102 and a coin change dispenser 1104, and, under the control of the settlement processing unit 1026, it receives cash from users and dispenses change to users. The banknote change dispenser 1102 includes a banknote deposit/withdrawal slot 1102a, which is the deposit and withdrawal slot for banknotes by the user. The coin change dispenser 1104, as shown in Figure 1, includes a coin deposit slot 1104a, which is the deposit slot for coins by the user, a coin withdrawal slot 1104b, which is the withdrawal slot for coins to users, and a coin reject slot 1104c for ejecting rejected coins.

Furthermore, the automatic change dispenser 1100 may include a change control unit (not shown). The change control unit has the function of counting the cash inserted into the banknote change dispenser 1102 and the coin change dispenser 1104. The change control unit also outputs the counting result to the settlement processing unit 1026. Such a change control unit may include an arithmetic unit such as a CPU, and its function may be realized by a program stored in ROM being loaded into RAM and executed. In this case, a computer-readable recording medium containing the program may also be provided. Alternatively, these blocks may be configured with dedicated hardware, or they may be realized by a combination of multiple hardware components.

The functional configuration example of the information processing device 1000 according to this embodiment has been described above with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Next, examples of operation and screen displays of the information processing device 1000 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 27.

<3. Example of Operation>
Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating the first half of an example of the operation of the information processing system according to this embodiment. First, the display control unit 1028 of the information processing device 1000 generates a product registration screen based on the product information acquired by the barcode reader 1050 and displays it on the operation display unit 1040 (S101). The user can register the product information of the product they wish to purchase in the information processing device 1000 by having the barcode reader 1050 read the barcode attached to the product, following the instructions displayed on the product registration screen. The display control unit 1028 generates the product registration screen based on the registered product information and displays it on the operation display unit 1040. The product registration screen displays information such as the product name, quantity, and price. The user can perform the product information registration work while checking the product registration screen.

Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a product registration screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. As shown in Figure 5, the product registration screen D1 includes the instruction "Please scan the product barcode" and a product list T1.

Product list table T1 contains the following fields, arranged from right to left, starting from the first column: number, product name, quantity, and price. The bottom row of the table shows the total price. In the example shown in Figure 5, since the user has not yet registered any product information, it is clear that nothing is displayed in the product name, quantity, price, and total price columns of product list table T1.

Next, the user registers the product information of the product they wish to purchase in the information processing device 1000 by scanning the barcode attached to the product with the barcode reader 1050 (S102). At this time, the barcode reader 1050 reads the barcode and acquires product information, and each time, it supplies that product information to the control unit 1020. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 1022 of the control unit 1020 supplies the product information acquired from the barcode reader 1050 to the display control unit 1028. The display control unit 1028 updates the display on the product registration screen based on the product name and price information included in the product information. For example, the display control unit 1028 displays the product name, quantity, and price of each registered product on the product registration screen. Furthermore, the display control unit 1028 calculates the total price of all registered products and displays that total price in the total price field on the product registration screen.

In this example, it is assumed that in step S102, the barcode reader 1050 reads the barcodes attached to five products: product A, product B, product C, product D, and product E.

Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a product registration screen updated by the display control unit 1028 after product information has been registered. As shown in Figure 6, compared to product registration screen D1, product registration screen D2 displays the product names, quantities, and prices of five items numbered 1 through 5 in the product list table T1. Furthermore, the bottom row of product list table T1 displays the total price of the five registered products, A through E.

Furthermore, it can be seen that the product registration screen D2 shown in Figure 6 displays the back button B1 and the checkout button B2, compared to the product registration screen D1. The display control unit 1028 displays the back button B1 and the checkout button B2 on the product registration screen when one or more products have been registered. When the operation display unit 1040 detects that the back button B1 has been pressed, the display control unit 1028 transitions the screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040 to the product registration screen D1, which shows the state where no products have been registered.

The display control unit 1028 continues to reflect the product information registered by the user on the product registration screen until the operation display unit 1040 detects that the payment button B2 has been pressed (S103/NO).

When the operation display unit 1040 detects that the payment button B2 has been pressed (S103/YES), the display control unit 1028 transitions the screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040 to a payment method selection screen that accepts the user's selection operation for lump-sum payment or installment payment (S104).

Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a payment method selection screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. As shown in Figure 7, the payment method selection screen D3 includes guidance text M1, amount display M2, a lump-sum payment button B3, and a split payment button B4.

The guidance text M1 prompts the user to choose between a lump-sum payment or installment payments. The amount display M2 shows the total amount (3,597 yen) shown on the product registration screen D2, and the total quantity of the registered products (5 items).

When the operation display unit 1040 detects that the batch payment button B3 shown on the payment method selection screen D3 has been pressed (S105/YES (Batch)), the display control unit 1028 controls the screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040 to transition to a screen for settling all registered products using a single payment method. In this case, the information processing system according to this embodiment proceeds to flowchart F5 shown in Figure 30 and performs accounting processing using batch payment. In this specification, batch payment refers to the information processing device 1000 performing payment processing for all products for which product information has been registered using the same single payment method. For example, if batch payment is selected, the information processing device 1000 performs cash payment processing for all five products A to E for which product information has been registered in the information processing device 1000. An example of operation when batch payment is selected in S105 will be described in detail later.

When the operation display unit 1040 detects that the split payment button B4 shown on the payment method selection screen D3 has been pressed (S105/NO (Split)), the display control unit 1028 transitions the screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040 to the split payment method selection screen (S106). In this specification, "split payment" refers to the payment control unit 1024 selecting one payment method from among several payment methods for each product for which product information has been registered, and then having the payment control unit 1024 instruct the payment processing unit 1026 to perform the payment processing based on the amount information of the product selected for each payment method. For example, if split payment is selected, the information processing device 1000 may select cash payment for products A to C and other payment methods (e.g., electronic money) for products D and E, out of the five products A to E for which product information has been registered.

Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the installment payment method selection screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. As shown in Figure 8, the installment payment method selection screen D4 includes guidance text M3, a cash and electronic money button B5, and a cash and credit button B6. Note that the credit button can also be referred to as the credit card button.

The guidance message M3 prompts the user to select a payment method for installment payments. In this specification and the drawings, the payment method may also be referred to as the payment method on the example screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. For example, in the example shown in Figure 8, the guidance message M3 displays the text, "Please select a payment method for installment payments."

On this payment method selection screen D4, the user can choose two or more payment methods to use for settlement. In this example, as shown in Figure 8, the user can choose either a combination of cash and electronic money, or a combination of cash and credit.

When the cash and electronic money button B5 is pressed (S107/A: cash and electronic money), the information processing system according to this embodiment proceeds to flowchart F1 shown in Figure 9. Alternatively, when the cash and credit button B6 is pressed (S107/B: cash and credit), the information processing system according to this embodiment proceeds to flowchart F3 shown in Figure 20. The operation of this information processing system when proceeding to flowchart F1 and flowchart F3 will be described in detail later.

The first half of the operation example of the information processing system according to this embodiment has been described with reference to Figure 4. Next, the second half of the operation example of the information processing system according to this embodiment will be described according to the branching described in S105 or S107.

(A: Example of operation when making a split payment using cash and electronic money)
Next, with reference to Figures 9 and 10, the latter half of the first example of operation of the information processing system according to this embodiment will be described. This example of operation is the case when, in S107 of the flowchart shown in Figure 4, the user selects cash and electronic money as the payment method for installment payments (S107/A (cash and electronic money)).

Figure 9 is the first flowchart illustrating the first operational example of the information processing system according to this embodiment during installment payment. Figure 10 is the second flowchart illustrating the first operational example of the information processing system according to this embodiment during installment payment. First, as shown in Figure 9, the display control unit 1028 displays a screen on the operation display unit 1040 instructing the user to have the IC card related to the electronic money they wish to use read by the contactless IC card reader 1060 (S109). The information processing device 1000 waits until the contactless IC card reader 1060 reads the payment method information necessary for payment processing using the IC card from the IC card (S110/NO).

When the contactless IC card reader 1060 reads payment method information from the IC card (S110/YES), the display control unit 1028 generates a payment method selection screen that accepts the user's selection of a payment method for each product. The display control unit 1028 then displays this payment method selection screen on the operation display unit 1040 (S111). At this time, electronic money is an example of the first payment method. Cash is an example of the second payment method.

Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a payment method selection screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. As shown in Figure 11, the payment method selection screen D5 includes a product list T2, a cash payment amount display M4, an electronic money payment amount display M5, a balance display M6, and a back button B7.

Product list T2, as shown in Figure 11, includes the item number, item name, quantity, price, and payment method. Note that the item number, item name, quantity, and price in Figure 11 are the same as those in product list T1, as explained above with reference to Figure 6; therefore, a detailed explanation is omitted here.

In the product list T2, compared to the product list T1 shown in Figure 6, it can be seen that the payment methods are newly displayed in the two rightmost columns. Payment methods refer to the payment methods for each product. In the example shown in Figure 11, a cash button and an electronic money button are displayed for each product numbered 1 to 5. The user can select either cash or electronic money as the payment method for each product by pressing the cash button or electronic money button on the product list T2 displayed on the operation display unit 1040. In the example shown in Figure 11, no payment method has yet been selected for any of the products.

The cash payment amount display M4 shows the total amount for items where cash has been selected as the payment method in the product list T2. When the operation display unit 1040 detects that the cash button has been pressed for any item, the display control unit 1028 calculates the total amount for all items for which cash has been selected and updates the display of the cash payment amount display M4 to that total amount. In the example shown in Figure 11, since cash has not yet been selected for any items, the cash payment amount display M4 shows 0 yen.

The electronic money payment amount display M5 shows the total amount for products in the product list T2 for which electronic money has been selected as the payment method. When the display control unit 1028 detects that the electronic money button has been pressed for any product, it calculates the total amount (first total amount) for all products for which electronic money has been selected. The display control unit 1028 then updates the electronic money payment amount display M5 to this total amount. In the example shown in Figure 11, since electronic money has not yet been selected for any product, the electronic money payment amount display M5 shows 0 yen.

The balance display M6 shows the available payment amount set for the payment method related to the payment method information acquired by the contactless IC card reader 1060. In this example, the balance display M6 shows the balance of the electronic money. The display control unit 1028 generates the display of the balance display M6 in the payment method selection screen D5 based on the balance information included in the payment method information. In the example shown in Figure 11, it is understood that the balance display M6 shows that the balance of the electronic money is 2,700 yen.

The back button B7 is pressed when the user wants to cancel the selection of payment methods for each product and return to the previous display screen. When the back button B7 is pressed, the display control unit 1028 may transition the screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040 to the split payment method selection screen D4 shown in Figure 8, and then repeat the process from S106 onwards. Alternatively, when the back button B7 is pressed, the display control unit 1028 may transition the screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040 to the payment method selection screen D3 shown in Figure 7, or the product registration screen D2 shown in Figure 6.

The user selects the payment method for each product by pressing either the cash button or the electronic money button displayed in the payment method section of the payment method selection screen D5 (S112). In this example, it is assumed that the user selected electronic money as the payment method for products A and C. It is also assumed that the user selected cash as the payment method for products B, D, and E.

Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the payment method selection screen after the user has selected a payment method for all items. As shown in Figure 12, the payment method selection screen D6 includes a product list T2, a cash payment amount display M4, an electronic money payment amount display M5, a balance display M6, a back button B7, and a checkout button B8.

As shown in Figure 12, in the payment method selection screen D6, compared to the payment method selection screen D5 shown in Figure 11, the electronic money buttons for product A and product C are highlighted. Furthermore, the cash buttons for product B, product D, and product E are highlighted.

Furthermore, on the payment method selection screen D6, the cash payment amount display M4 shows 954 yen. Therefore, it is understood that the display control unit 1028 calculates the total amount for products B, D, and E for which cash was selected as the payment method, and this total is displayed in the cash payment amount display M4.

Furthermore, on the payment method selection screen D6, the electronic money payment amount display M5 shows 2,643 yen. Therefore, it is understood that the display control unit 1028 calculated the total amount for product A and product C, for which electronic money was selected as the payment method, and this total was displayed on the electronic money payment amount display M5. Note that the balance display M6 remains unchanged from the display on the payment method selection screen D5.

Furthermore, on the payment method selection screen D6, the checkout button B8 is newly displayed compared to the payment method selection screen D5. The display control unit 1028 displays the checkout button B8 on the payment method selection screen D6 when a payment method has been selected for all products displayed in the product list T2.

The display control unit 1028 will not transition the display screen of the operation display unit 1040 to the next screen until it detects that the settlement button B8 on the payment method selection screen D6 has been pressed (S113/NO).

When the operation display unit 1040 detects that the payment button B8 on the payment method selection screen D6 has been pressed (S113/YES), the operation display unit 1040 outputs the detection results of the user's selection of payment methods for each product to the payment control unit 1024. Based on the outputted detection results of the user's selection, the payment control unit 1024 selects either cash or electronic money as the payment method for each of the one or more products for which product information has been registered. In this example, as shown in the payment method selection screen D6 of Figure 12, it is detected that the user selected electronic money as the payment method for products A and C. Furthermore, it is detected that the user selected cash as the payment method for products B, D, and E. Therefore, the payment control unit 1024 selects electronic money as the payment method for products A and C. The payment control unit 1024 also selects cash as the payment method for products B, D, and E.

Next, the payment control unit 1024 determines whether the total amount of the selected electronic money is within the usage limit. If it is determined that the total amount of the selected electronic money exceeds the usage limit (S114/NO), the processes S112 and S113 are performed again. At this time, the payment control unit 1024 outputs the result of the determination in S114 to the display control unit 1028. The display control unit 1028 may update the display on the operation display unit 1040 based on the result of the determination. For example, the display control unit 1028 may display guidance text on the payment method selection screen D6 prompting the user to select a different payment method for the items. For example, the display control unit 1028 may display the text, "You have exceeded the electronic money usage limit. Please select a different payment method," on the payment method selection screen D6.

If the total amount of the selected electronic money is determined to be within the usage limit (S114/YES), the payment control unit 1024 determines whether the electronic money balance is equal to or greater than the total amount of the selected electronic money. If the electronic money balance is determined to be less than the total amount of the selected electronic money (S115/NO), the processes S112, S113, and S114 are repeated. At this time, the payment control unit 1024 outputs the result of the determination in S115 to the display control unit 1028. Based on the result of this determination, the display control unit 1028 may update the display of the payment method selection screen D6 shown on the operation display unit 1040. For example, the display control unit 1028 may display the message, "Your electronic money balance is insufficient. Please select a different payment method," on the payment method selection screen D6.

If the electronic money balance is determined to be equal to or greater than the total amount of the selected items (S115/YES), the payment control unit 1024 outputs an instruction to the payment processing unit 1026 to perform the payment processing for the selected items using either cash or electronic money, based on the price information of each item. Simultaneously, the payment control unit 1024 outputs the result of the determination that the electronic money balance is equal to or greater than the total amount of the items to the display control unit 1028. Based on the above instruction, the payment processing unit 1026 controls the operation of the automatic change dispenser 1100 and first performs the cash payment processing. Furthermore, when the display control unit 1028 receives the result of the determination from the payment control unit 1024, it displays the cash input screen (S116).

Figure 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a cash insertion screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. As shown in Figure 13, the cash insertion screen D7 may include a schematic diagram of the information processing device 1000 that emphasizes the positions of the banknote slot 1102a and the coin slot 1104a. Such a schematic diagram allows the user to visually understand where to insert the cash.

Furthermore, the cash input screen D7 includes the cash payment amount display M7. It is understood that the cash payment amount display M7 displays the amount (954 yen) that was displayed in the cash payment amount display M4 on the payment method selection screen D6.

The automatic change dispenser 1100 waits in accordance with the control of the settlement processing unit 1026 until cash is inserted (S117/NO). Upon detecting that cash has been inserted into the banknote slot 1102a and the coin slot 1104a, the automatic change dispenser 1100 counts the inserted cash and outputs the counting result to the settlement processing unit 1026 and the display control unit 1028. Based on the counting result, the display control unit 1028 displays the amount received on the cash insertion screen, indicating the counting result of the inserted cash (S118).

The settlement processing unit 1026 and the display control unit 1028 repeat the processes in S117 and S118 until the amount received is equal to or greater than the cash accounting amount displayed in the cash accounting amount display M7 (S119/NO). If the amount received is equal to or greater than the cash accounting amount displayed in the cash accounting amount display M7 (S119/YES), the display control unit 1028 displays a confirmation button on the cash input screen (S120).

Figure 14 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040 after cash is inserted. Note that the cash accounting amount display M7 in Figure 14 is as explained above with reference to Figure 13, so a detailed explanation is omitted here.

As shown in Figure 14, the cash input screen D8 includes a deposit amount display M8, a change amount display M9, and a confirmation button B9. The deposit amount display M8 is the deposit amount displayed by the display control unit 1028 based on the counting result of the inserted cash. In the example shown in Figure 14, the deposit amount display M8 shows 1,000 yen. Therefore, the user understands that 1,000 yen in cash has been inserted.

Furthermore, if the amount received exceeds the cash transaction amount, the display control unit 1028 displays the change amount as the change amount display M9. In the example shown in Figure 14, a cash transaction amount of 954 yen was paid with 1,000 yen inserted, and the change amount display M9 shows 46 yen.

The confirmation button B9 appears when the amount received is equal to or greater than the cash payment amount. The user confirms the information displayed in the cash payment amount display M7, the amount received display M8, and the change amount display M9, and then presses the confirmation button B9.

The information processing device 1000 waits until the operation display unit 1040 detects that the confirmation button displayed in S120 has been pressed (S121/NO). Once it is detected that the confirmation button has been pressed (S121/YES), the information processing device 1000 proceeds to flowchart F2 shown in Figure 10.

Proceed to Figure 10 and continue the explanation. When it is detected that the confirmation button has been pressed in S121 (S121/YES), the payment processing unit 1026 determines whether there is change available. If there is no change available (S122/NO), the information processing device 1000 proceeds to S126.

If change is available (S122/YES), the automatic change dispenser 1100 dispenses the change from the banknote slot 1102a and the coin slot 1104b according to the control of the settlement processing unit 1026 (S123). Simultaneously with the dispensing of the change, the display control unit 1028 displays the change dispensing screen on the operation display unit 1040 (S124).

Figure 15 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the change dispensing screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. As shown in Figure 15, the change dispensing screen D9 newly displays the phrase "Please take your change" compared to the cash input screen D8. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 15, the change dispensing screen D9 may include a schematic diagram of the information processing device 1000 in which both or either the banknote input/output slot 1102a and the coin output slot 1104b are highlighted. Also, similar to the cash input screen D8, the change dispensing screen D9 displays the cash transaction amount, the amount received (amount deposited), and the change amount (change).

The automatic change dispenser 1100 determines that the user has received their change when it detects that there is no cash remaining in either or both of the banknote input/output slot 1102a and the coin output slot 1104b. The automatic change dispenser 1100 waits until it determines that the user has received their change (S125/NO).

When the automatic change dispenser 1100 determines that the receipt of change has been completed (S125/YES), it notifies the settlement processing unit 1026 and the display control unit 1028 that the receipt of change has been completed. Upon receiving this notification, the settlement processing unit 1026 notifies the settlement control unit 1024 that the cash payment process has been completed.

When the settlement control unit 1024 receives notification from the display control unit 1028 that the cash settlement process has been completed, it issues a cash settlement receipt (S126). More specifically, the settlement control unit 1024 generates a cash settlement receipt containing details of the cash transaction, such as the cash settlement amount, the amount of cash deposited, and the amount of change. The settlement control unit 1024 then prints the generated cash settlement receipt using the printing unit 1090. Simultaneously with the printing of the cash settlement receipt by the printing unit 1090, the display control unit 1028 displays the receipt issuance screen on the operation display unit 1040 (S127).

Figure 16 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a receipt issuance screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. As shown in Figure 16, the receipt issuance screen D10 may include user guidance text such as "Please take your receipt." Furthermore, as shown in Figure 16, the receipt issuance screen D10 may include a schematic diagram of the information processing device 1000 highlighting the location of the printing unit 1090 where the receipt is dispensed. Also, similar to the change dispensing screen D9, the receipt issuance screen D10 may display the cash payment amount, the amount received (amount received), and the amount of change (change).

The printing unit 1090 determines whether the printed receipt has been received by the user by detecting whether the receipt remains in the output port of the printing unit 1090. The printing unit 1090 waits until it is determined that the receipt has been received by the user (S128/NO). Once it is determined that the receipt has been received by the user (S128/YES), the printing unit 1090 notifies the payment control unit 1024 and the display control unit 1028. Upon receiving this notification, the display control unit 1028 displays the electronic money payment screen on the operation display unit 1040 (S129).

Figure 17 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an electronic money settlement screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. As shown in Figure 17, the electronic money settlement screen D11 includes guidance text prompting the user to confirm the amount to be settled using electronic money. In the example shown in Figure 17, the text "Please confirm the electronic money settlement details" and "If correct, please press the confirmation button" are displayed.

Furthermore, the electronic money settlement screen D11 includes an electronic money settlement amount display M10, an electronic money type display M11, a balance display M12 after settlement, and a confirmation button B10. The electronic money settlement amount display M10 shows the total amount for the items for which electronic money was selected as the payment method in flowchart F1, S111. In the example shown in Figure 17, it can be understood that the same amount (2,643 yen) as the electronic money settlement amount display M5 displayed on the payment method selection screen D6 in Figure 12 is displayed in the electronic money settlement amount display M10.

The electronic money type display M11 shows the type of electronic money and identification information such as the member number, based on the payment method information related to the electronic money read by the contactless IC card reader 1060 in step S110 of flowchart F1. In the example shown in Figure 17, it can be seen that the text "ABC Money (Electronic Money)" indicating the type of electronic money and the member number are displayed.

The post-settlement balance display M12 shows the balance information for the electronic money read by the contactless IC card reader 1060 in step S110 of flowchart F1, and displays both the balance before and after settlement. In the example shown in Figure 17, it is understood that the balance of the electronic money before settlement is displayed as 2,700 yen. Furthermore, it is understood that the balance after settlement is displayed as the amount obtained by subtracting the electronic money transaction amount (2,643 yen) from the balance before settlement (2,700 yen), resulting in a balance of 57 yen.

The user confirms the information displayed in the electronic money payment amount display M10, the electronic money type display M11, and the balance after settlement display M12, and then presses the confirmation button B10.

The payment processing unit 1026 waits until the operation display unit 1040 detects that the confirmation button B10 displayed on the electronic money settlement screen D11 has been pressed (S130/NO). Once the operation display unit 1040 detects that the confirmation button B10 has been pressed (S130/YES), the payment processing unit 1026 performs the electronic money payment processing. More specifically, based on the electronic money payment method information acquired by the acquisition unit 1022, the payment processing unit 1026 transmits a payment request using the electronic money to the system of the electronic money payment service provider. Upon receiving the payment result from the payment service provider's system, the payment processing unit 1026 notifies the payment control unit 1024 whether the electronic money payment processing has been completed based on the payment result. In this example, it is assumed that the electronic money payment has been successfully completed.

When the payment control unit 1024 receives notification from the payment processing unit 1026 indicating that the electronic money payment process has been completed, it issues an electronic money payment receipt (S131). More specifically, the payment control unit 1024 generates an electronic money payment receipt containing details of the electronic money transaction, such as the electronic money payment amount and the balance after settlement. The payment control unit 1024 then prints the generated electronic money payment receipt using the printing unit 1090. Simultaneously with the printing of the electronic money payment receipt by the printing unit 1090, the display control unit 1028 displays the receipt issuance screen on the operation display unit 1040 (S132).

Figure 18 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a receipt issuance screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. As shown in Figure 18, the receipt issuance screen D12 may include user guidance such as "Please take your receipt." Furthermore, the receipt issuance screen D12 may display the electronic money payment amount, the type of electronic money, the balance of the electronic money before settlement, and the balance of the electronic money after settlement, similar to the electronic money settlement screen D11.

Figure 19 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a receipt issued by the payment control unit 1024. The cash payment receipt R1 and electronic money payment receipt R2 shown in Figure 19 are receipts issued in the information processing system according to this embodiment when installment payments are made using cash and electronic money.

The cash receipt R1 is issued in S126 as described above. As shown in Figure 19, the cash receipt R1 may display the name of the retail store, etc., where the information processing device 1000 is installed, and the date and time. Furthermore, the cash receipt R1 includes details of the goods for which cash was selected as the payment method in S112 as described above. In the example shown in Figure 19, it is understood that the cash receipt R1 displays the names, quantities, and prices of three goods: goods B, goods D, and goods E. Furthermore, it is understood that the total number of items and the total price of the goods for which cash was selected as the payment method are displayed at the bottom of these details. Finally, it is understood that the amount of cash received and the change amount are displayed at the very bottom of the cash receipt R1.

The electronic money receipt R2 is issued in S131 as described above. As shown in Figure 19, the electronic money receipt R2 may display the name of the retail store and the date and time, similar to the cash receipt R1. Furthermore, the electronic money receipt R2 includes details of the products for which electronic money was selected as the payment method in S112 as described above. In the example shown in Figure 19, the names, quantities, and amounts of two products, Product A and Product C, are displayed. Furthermore, at the bottom of these details, the total number of items and the total amount for the products for which electronic money was selected as the payment method are displayed. Finally, at the very bottom of the electronic money receipt R2, identification information such as the type of electronic money and membership number, the electronic money payment amount, and the remaining balance of the electronic money after settlement are displayed.

The above describes an example of the operation when the user selects cash and electronic money as the payment method for installment payments in step S107 of the flowchart shown in Figure 4, with reference to Figures 9 and 10.

(B: Example of operation when paying in installments using cash and credit card)
Next, with reference to Figures 20 and 21, the second half of the operation example of the information processing system according to this embodiment will be described. This operation example is the case where, in S107 of the flowchart shown in Figure 4, the user selects cash and credit card as the payment method for installment payments (S107/B: cash and credit).

Figure 20 is the first flowchart illustrating a second operational example of the information processing system according to this embodiment during installment settlement. Note that steps S116 to S128 in Figure 20 are as described above with reference to Figures 9 and 10, so a detailed explanation is omitted here. Figure 21 is the second flowchart illustrating a second operational example of the information processing system according to this embodiment during installment settlement.

First, as shown in Figure 20, the display control unit 1028 displays the payment method selection screen on the operation display unit 1040 (S134).

Figure 22 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the payment method selection screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. As shown in Figure 22, the payment method selection screen D13 includes a product list T3, a total amount display M13, and a back button B11.

Product list T3, like product list T2 explained above with reference to Figure 11, includes the number, product name, quantity, price, and payment method. Furthermore, among the items in product list T3 shown in Figure 22, the number, product name, quantity, and price are the same as those in product list T2. However, unlike product list T2, the payment method section displays both cash and credit card buttons. In the example shown in Figure 22, it can be seen that no payment method has yet been selected for any of the products.

The total amount displayed in the M13 section shows the total amount for items where either cash or credit card payment was selected.

The back button B11 is pressed when the user wants to cancel the selection of payment methods for each product and return to the previous display screen. When the back button B11 is pressed, the display control unit 1028 may transition the screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040 to the split payment method selection screen D4 shown in Figure 8, and then repeat the process from S106 onwards.

The user selects the payment method for each product by pressing either the cash button or the credit button displayed in the payment method section of the payment method selection screen D13 (S135). In this example, it is assumed that the user has selected credit card for product C. It is also assumed that the user has selected cash for all other products.

Figure 23 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the payment method selection screen after the user has selected a payment method for all products. As shown in Figure 23, it can be seen that the cash payment amount display M14 and the credit card payment amount display M15 are updated on the payment method selection screen D14 compared to the payment amount display M13 on the payment method selection screen D13. Furthermore, the payment method selection screen D14 newly includes a checkout button B12 compared to the payment method selection screen D13. The display control unit 1028 displays the checkout button B12 on the payment method selection screen D14 when a payment method has been selected for all products displayed in the product list T3.

The display control unit 1028 will not transition the display screen of the operation display unit 1040 to the next screen until it detects that the payment button B12 on the payment method selection screen D14 has been pressed (S136/NO).

When the operation display unit 1040 detects that the payment button B12 on the payment method selection screen D14 has been pressed (S136/YES), the operation display unit 1040 outputs the detection result of the user's selection of payment method for each product to the payment control unit 1024. Based on the outputted detection result of the user's selection, the payment control unit 1024 selects either cash or credit card as the payment method for each of the one or more products for which product information has been registered. In this example, as shown in the payment method selection screen D14 of Figure 23, the operation display unit 1040 detects that the user has selected credit card as the payment method for product C. Furthermore, the operation display unit 1040 detects that the user has selected cash as the payment method for products A, B, D, and E. Therefore, the payment control unit 1024 selects credit card as the payment method for product C. The payment control unit 1024 also selects cash as the payment method for products A, B, D, and E.

The payment control unit 1024 outputs an instruction to the payment processing unit 1026 to perform payment processing for the selected amount of each product, based on the price information of each product, for each payment method (cash or credit card). Simultaneously, the payment control unit 1024 outputs the result of the payment method selection to the display control unit 1028. Based on the above instruction, the payment processing unit 1026 controls the operation of the automatic change dispenser 1100 and first performs cash payment processing. Subsequently, the processes S116 to S128 are performed.

In S128, if it is determined that the user has completed receiving the cash payment receipt (S128/YES), the information processing device 1000 proceeds to flowchart F4 shown in Figure 21.

Let's continue the explanation by referring to Figure 21. First, when the display control unit 1028 receives notification from the printing unit 1090 that the receipt has been received by the user, it displays a credit card insertion screen on the operation display unit 1040, instructing the user to insert the credit card they wish to use into the contact-type IC card reader 1070 (S150).

Figure 24 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a credit card input screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. As shown in Figure 24, the credit card input screen D15 may include guidance text prompting the user to insert a credit card, and a display of the total amount for the items for which credit card payment was selected.

The contact-type IC card reader 1070 waits until it detects that a credit card has been inserted (S151/NO).

When the contact-type IC card reader 1070 detects that a credit card has been inserted (S151/YES), it reads the payment method information (card information) from the credit card (S152). The contact-type IC card reader 1070 then supplies the acquired payment method information to the acquisition unit 1022. Next, the display control unit 1028 displays the PIN input screen on the operation display unit 1040 (S153).

Figure 25 shows an example of a PIN entry screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. As shown in Figure 25, the PIN entry screen D16 may include the total amount of the selected items. Furthermore, the PIN entry screen D16 may display the type of credit card based on the payment method information read by the contact-type IC card reader 1070 in S152. Additionally, the PIN entry screen D16 may include a display of the number of installments.

The user enters their PIN by operating the key operation unit 1080, following the instructions on the PIN entry screen D16 displayed on the operation display unit 1040. The key operation unit 1080 waits until it detects that the user has entered the PIN (S154/NO).

When the key operation unit 1080 detects that a PIN has been entered by the user (S154/YES), it outputs the detected PIN input value to the payment processing unit 1026. The payment processing unit 1026 then queries the credit card company's system based on the PIN input value and the amount information and payment method information for each product obtained by the acquisition unit 1022 (S155).

When the settlement processing unit 1026 receives a confirmation from the credit card company's system that payment is possible (S156/YES), it notifies the settlement control unit 1024 and the display control unit 1028 of the confirmation. Upon receiving this notification from the settlement processing unit 1026, the display control unit 1028 displays the credit card settlement screen on the operation display unit 1040 (S157).

Figure 26 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a credit payment screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. As shown in Figure 26, the credit payment screen D17 includes a credit payment amount display M16, a credit information display M17, and a confirmation button B13. The user confirms the information displayed in the credit payment amount display M16 and the credit information display M17, and then presses the confirmation button B13.

The payment processing unit 1026 waits until the operation display unit 1040 detects that the confirmation button B13 displayed on the credit payment screen D17 has been pressed (S158/NO). Once the operation display unit 1040 detects that the confirmation button B13 has been pressed on the credit payment screen D17 (S158/YES), the payment processing unit 1026 performs the credit card payment processing. More specifically, the payment processing unit 1026 transmits a payment request to the credit card company's system based on the credit card payment method information acquired by the acquisition unit 1022. Upon receiving the payment result from the credit card company's system, the payment processing unit 1026 notifies the payment control unit 1024 whether the credit card payment processing has been completed based on the payment result. In this example, it is assumed that the credit card payment has been successfully completed.

When the payment control unit 1024 receives notification from the payment processing unit 1026 indicating that the credit card payment processing is complete, it issues a credit card payment receipt (S159). More specifically, the payment control unit 1024 generates a credit card payment receipt containing details of the credit card transaction, such as the credit card payment amount. The payment control unit 1024 then prints the generated credit card payment receipt using the printing unit 1090. Simultaneously with the printing of the credit card payment receipt by the printing unit 1090, the display control unit 1028 displays the receipt issuance screen on the operation display unit 1040 (S160).

Figure 27 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the receipt issuance screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. As shown in Figure 27, the receipt issuance screen D18 includes the display of information such as the credit payment amount, the type of credit card or company name (e.g., ABC Credit), and the number of installments (single payment).

Figure 28 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a receipt issued by the payment control unit 1024. The cash payment receipt R3 and credit card payment receipt R4 shown in Figure 28 are receipts issued in the information processing system according to this embodiment when installment payments are made using cash and credit cards.

Cash receipt R3 is issued at S126 of flowchart F3. Cash receipt R3 may contain the same items as cash receipt R1, as described above with reference to Figure 19. For example, cash receipt R3 includes details of items for which cash was selected as the payment method in S135 as described above. In the example shown in Figure 28, cash receipt R3 displays the names, quantities, and prices of four items: item A, item B, item D, and item E. Furthermore, at the bottom of these details, the total number of items and the total price for items for which cash was selected as the payment method are displayed.

The credit card receipt R4 is issued in S159 as described above. As shown in Figure 28, the credit card receipt R4 includes details of the items for which credit card was selected as the payment method in S135 as described above. In the example shown in Figure 28, it is understood that the name, quantity, and price of item C are displayed. Furthermore, it is understood that the total number of items and the total amount of the items for which credit card was selected as the payment method are displayed at the bottom of the details. Furthermore, it is understood that the bottom of the credit card receipt R4 displays identification information such as the type of credit card and member number, the authorization number assigned by the credit card company, the payment type (number of installments), and the payment amount.

The printing unit 1090 determines whether the printed receipt has been received by the user. The printing unit 1090 waits until it is determined that the receipt has been received by the user (S161/NO). Once it is determined that the receipt has been received by the user (S161/YES), the information processing device 1000 terminates the processing of installment payments by cash and credit card.

After the settlement processing unit 1026 makes an inquiry to the credit card company in S155, if the settlement processing unit 1026 receives an inquiry result from the credit card company indicating that the payment is not possible (S156/NO), the settlement processing unit 1026 outputs the inquiry result to the operation display unit 1040 and the display control unit 1028.

When the display control unit 1028 receives the inquiry result from the payment processing unit 1026, it displays a payment method re-selection screen for when card payment is not possible on the operation display unit 1040. On this payment method re-selection screen, the user can re-select the payment method for the item whose payment could not be completed due to the card payment failure. At this time, the display control unit 1028 may generate a display on the payment method re-selection screen that prevents the selection of a credit card as the payment method for that item.

Figure 29 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a payment method re-selection screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040 when card payment is unsuccessful. As shown in Figure 29, the payment method re-selection screen D19 may include guidance text M19 indicating that credit card payment was unsuccessful and prompting the user to re-select a payment method. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 29, the payment method re-selection screen D19 includes a product list T4, the total amount paid M20, the outstanding amount M21, a back button B15, and a checkout button B16.

As shown in Figure 29, in the payment method section of the product list T4, compared to the product list T3 shown in Figure 23, the words "Payment Completed" may be displayed for products for which cash payment has been completed. Furthermore, for product C, for which credit card was selected as the payment method in product list T3, the credit button B14 will be disabled, and only the cash button will be clickable. The user can change the payment method for product C in product list T4 to cash, but cannot select credit card, which was previously unusable, as the payment method for product C.

Furthermore, the display control unit 1028 may display the total amount of items for which cash payment has been completed, as shown in the payment method re-selection screen D19, as the "Amount Paid" (M20). Alternatively, the display control unit 1028 may display the total amount of items for which payment was not completed due to credit card payment failure, as shown in the "Amount Unpaid" (M21).

Next, the processes S135, S136, and S116-S128 of flowchart F3 are executed in order. This operation allows the user to select the other payment method, such as cash, for a product if one of the selected payment methods (e.g., credit card) becomes unavailable during installment payments.

The second half of the operation example of the information processing system according to this embodiment has been described above with reference to Figures 20 and 21.

(C: Example of operation during lump-sum payment)
Next, with reference to Figure 30, the latter half of the third example of operation of the information processing system according to this embodiment will be explained. This example of operation is an example of operation when the user selects lump-sum payment at S105 in the flowchart shown in Figure 4 (S105/YES (lump-sum)).

Figure 30 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the information processing system during batch settlement according to this embodiment. Note that in Figure 30, steps S109 and S110 are as described above with reference to Figure 9, so a detailed explanation is omitted here.

First, the display control unit 1028 displays a payment method selection screen for lump-sum payment on the operation display unit 1040, which accepts the user's selection of the payment method to be used for lump-sum payment (S201).

Figure 31 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a payment method selection screen for lump-sum payment displayed on the operation display unit 1040. As shown in Figure 31, the lump-sum payment method selection screen D20 includes a cash button B17, an electronic money button B18, and a credit card button B19. The lump-sum payment method selection screen D20 may also include guidance text prompting the user to select a payment method for lump-sum payment, and a display of the total number of items and the total amount related to the registered product information. In the example shown in Figure 31, the text "Please select a payment method" is displayed. Furthermore, in the middle section of the lump-sum payment method selection screen D20, the text "Total 5 items" indicating the total number of items and the text "3,597 yen" indicating the total amount of items are displayed.

The user can select the payment method to be used for lump-sum payment from cash, electronic money, or credit card (lump-sum payment) by pressing the cash button B17, electronic money button B18, or credit card button B19 displayed on the lump-sum payment method selection screen D20. Note that while the example shown in Figure 31 shows a case where credit card payments are limited to lump-sum payments, the information processing device 1000 may allow the user to select payment methods other than lump-sum payments.

When the operation display unit 1040 detects that the cash button B17 has been pressed (S202/YES), the processes S116 to S121 of the flowchart F1 described above with reference to Figure 9 are executed.

Next, the processes S122 to S128 of flowchart F2, as explained above with reference to Figure 10, are executed. As a result of these operations, cash payment processing is performed for all products A through E for which product information has been registered.

If the operation display unit 1040 does not detect that the cash button B17 has been pressed (S202/NO), the process proceeds to S204. If the operation display unit 1040 detects that the electronic money button B18 has been pressed (S204/YES), S109 and S110 are executed. Subsequently, the processes S129 to S133 of flowchart F2, as explained above with reference to Figure 10, are executed. Through these operations, electronic money payment processing is performed for all products A to E for which product information has been registered.

If the operation display unit 1040 does not detect that the electronic money button B18 has been pressed (S204/NO), the process proceeds to S206. If the operation display unit 1040 detects that the credit button B19 has been pressed (S206/YES), steps S150 to S171 of flowchart F4, as explained above with reference to Figure 21, are executed. Through these operations, credit card payment processing is performed for all products A through E for which product information has been registered.

If the operation display unit 1040 does not detect that the credit button B19 has been pressed (S206/NO), the process from S202 onwards is repeated.

The third and final part of the operation example of the information processing system according to this embodiment has been described above with reference to Figure 30.

In the above example, the operation of the information processing device 1000 during split payments using cash and electronic money was described in a case where the cash payment was processed first, followed by the electronic money payment. However, the information processing device 1000 may also process the electronic money payment first, followed by the cash payment. Similarly, in the operation of split payments using cash and credit cards, the information processing device 1000 may process the credit card payment first, followed by the cash payment. In this case, even if electronic money or credit card payment is not possible, selecting cash as the payment method for all items will complete the cash payment processing by the payment processing unit 1026 in a single step. Therefore, for the user, the hassle of performing cash payment-related actions such as inserting cash and receiving change twice is eliminated, further improving convenience at checkout. Furthermore, it is expected that the time required for each user to complete checkout will be shortened.

<4. Effects>
According to the present invention described above, various effects can be obtained. For example, the settlement control unit 1024 of the information processing device 1000 according to this embodiment selects one payment method from among multiple payment methods such as cash, electronic money, and credit card for each product related to one or more products related to product information acquired by the acquisition unit 1022. Furthermore, the settlement control unit 1024 causes the settlement processing unit 1026 to perform settlement processing for the amount of the product selected for each of the multiple payment methods based on the amount information of each product included in the product information acquired by the acquisition unit 1022. With this configuration, settlement processing can be performed using different payment methods for each product for one or more products registered in the information processing device 1000. Therefore, if a user using a self-checkout machine wants to use different payment methods for each product, they do not have to go through the trouble of performing separate accounting procedures for each payment method. Furthermore, the time required for accounting procedures is shortened compared to when separate accounting procedures are performed for each payment method. Therefore, the convenience of the user at the time of payment can be further improved.

<5. Variant Example>
(First variation)
In the above example, in the operation when the user selects to pay in installments using cash and electronic money, if it is determined that the total amount of the products for which electronic money has been selected exceeds the usage limit or balance of the electronic money, the display control unit 1028 transitions the screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040 to the payment method selection screen. Furthermore, the display control unit 1028 displays a message on the payment method selection screen indicating that the total amount exceeds the usage limit or balance of the electronic money, and prompting the user to select a different payment method. However, the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, in S112 of flowchart F1, if the operation display unit 1040 detects that a selection operation to select electronic money has been newly entered for a product other than the product for which electronic money has already been selected, it may notify the payment control unit 1024. The payment control unit 1024 may, each time it receives such notification, determine whether the sum of the amount of the product for which electronic money has already been selected and the amount of the product for which electronic money has been newly selected (the second total amount) exceeds the usage limit or balance of the electronic money. Furthermore, if it is determined that the total exceeds the usage limit or the electronic money balance, the display control unit 1028 may display a payment method selection screen on the operation display unit 1040 in which electronic money cannot be selected for products other than those for which electronic money has already been selected.

Figure 32 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a payment method selection screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040 in a first modified example according to this embodiment. The payment method selection screen D21 shown in Figure 32 is displayed on the operation display unit 1040 in accordance with the control of the display control unit 1028 at S112 of flowchart F1. As shown in Figure 32, the payment method selection screen D21 indicates that electronic money has already been selected for products A and C. It also indicates that cash has already been selected for products B and D. Here, we assume that no payment method has yet been selected for product E.

If the user then presses the electronic money button B20 and selects electronic money for product E, the payment control unit 1024 calculates the total amount for product E plus products A and C, for which electronic money has already been selected. Furthermore, the payment control unit 1024 determines whether the calculated total amount exceeds the electronic money balance of 2,700 yen. In the example shown in Figure 32, the payment control unit 1024 determines that the total amount exceeds the electronic money balance. Therefore, the display control unit 1028 generates a display indicating that the electronic money button B20 is unavailable and displays it on the operation display unit 1040. In the example shown in Figure 32, a diagonal line is displayed on the electronic money button B20. Additionally, the user is unable to select electronic money as the payment method for product E on the payment method selection screen D21.

This configuration eliminates the need for users to unknowingly select electronic money as the payment method for each item, preventing situations where they have to re-select the payment method for each item after a balance shortage message appears following the press of the checkout button.

(Second variation)
Furthermore, the above describes an example of payment method selection by the payment control unit 1024, in which the payment control unit 1024 selects a payment method for each of one or more products based on the user's selection operation detected by the operation display unit 1040. However, the present invention is not limited to this example. As another example of payment method selection, the payment control unit 1024 may automatically select a payment method for each product based on the amount information and balance information of the payment method such as electronic money included in the product information acquired from the acquisition unit 1022.

For example, in step S110 of flowchart F1, as explained with reference to Figure 9, the payment control unit 1024 may perform the payment method selection process in the following order after the electronic money reading by the contactless IC card reader 1060 is completed. First, the payment control unit 1024 obtains the amount information and the balance information of the electronic money for one or more registered products from the acquisition unit 1022. Based on the amount information and balance information, the payment control unit 1024 identifies one or more products from among the registered products whose total amount is less than or equal to the payable amount indicated by the balance information. The payment control unit 1024 selects electronic money as the payment method for the identified products. The payment control unit 1024 also selects cash as the payment method for other products not identified. Based on the payment method selection results for each product by the payment control unit 1024, the display control unit 1028 generates a payment method selection screen and displays it on the operation display unit 1040.

Figure 33 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a payment method selection screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040 in the second modified example. The payment method selection screen D22 shown in Figure 33 is displayed on the operation display unit 1040 at S111 of flowchart F1. As shown in Figure 33, the payment method selection screen D22 further includes guidance text M22 compared to the payment method selection screen D5 described with reference to Figure 11. Furthermore, compared to the payment method selection screen D5, the payment method selection screen D22 indicates that either cash or electronic money has already been selected as the payment method for each of the products numbered 1 to 5. For example, for product A, the electronic money button B30 is highlighted. Similarly, for product C, the electronic money button is highlighted. Also, for each product other than product A and product C, the cash button is highlighted.

First, the payment control unit 1024 obtains balance information from the acquisition unit 1022 indicating that the electronic money balance is 2,700 yen. The payment control unit 1024 identifies one or more products from products A to E whose total amount is 2,700 yen or less. At this time, the payment control unit 1024 may also identify one or more products from products A to E whose total amount is 2,700 yen or less and is the largest. In the example shown in Figure 33, the payment control unit 1024 identifies products A and C from products A to E because the total amount of product A (768 yen) and product C (1,875 yen), which is 2,643 yen, is 2,700 yen or less and is the largest. The payment control unit 1024 selects electronic money as the payment method for the identified products A and C. Furthermore, the payment control unit 1024 selects cash as the payment method for each product other than products A and C. The display control unit 1028 generates the payment method selection screen D22 shown in Figure 33 based on the payment method selection results for each product by the payment control unit 1024, and displays it on the operation display unit 1040. The user may check the contents of the payment method selection screen D22 displayed on the operation display unit 1040 and change the payment method for each product as appropriate.

According to this second modification, when a payment method with a set payment limit, such as prepaid electronic money, is used, the payment control unit 1024 identifies a combination of products that falls within the range of the payment limit. Furthermore, the payment control unit 1024 selects the aforementioned payment method, such as prepaid electronic money, as the payment method for the identified products. Based on the payment method selection results for each product by the payment control unit 1024, the display control unit 1028 generates a payment method selection screen so that the payment methods for each product are initially displayed as selected. This configuration further improves user convenience during checkout.

(Third variation)
Alternatively, as another example of payment method selection, the payment control unit 1024 may perform the payment method selection process based on the amount information of each product acquired by the acquisition unit 1022 and a predetermined amount set in advance. For example, the user of the information processing device 1000 may have previously set the predetermined amount to 1,000 yen for electronic money payments. For example, if the user selects cash and electronic money in S106 of the flowchart shown in Figure 4, the display control unit 1028 may display a screen on the operation display unit 1040 that accepts the user's operation to set the predetermined amount before proceeding to the process in S109. Furthermore, the control unit 1020 may store the predetermined amount set on the screen in the storage unit 1030 in association with the identification information of the electronic money acquired in the processes of S109 to S110. With this configuration, the information processing device 1000 can refer to the storage unit 1030 and read the predetermined amount information of the electronic money each time the same electronic money is read by the contactless IC card reader 1060. Furthermore, the payment control unit 1024 may identify one or more products from among one or more products whose total amount falls within the predetermined amount range, based on the amount information of one or more products for which product information has been registered. For example, the payment control unit 1024 may identify one or more products from among one or more products whose total amount is 1,000 yen or less, which falls within the predetermined amount range.

Figure 34 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a payment method selection screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040 in the third modified example. The payment method selection screen D23 shown in Figure 34 is displayed on the operation display unit 1040 at S111 of flowchart F1. As shown in Figure 34, the payment method selection screen D23 further includes guidance text M23 compared to the payment method selection screen D5 described with reference to Figure 11. Furthermore, compared to the payment method selection screen D5, the payment method selection screen D23 indicates that either cash or electronic money has already been selected as the payment method for each of the products numbered 1 to 5. For example, for product A, the electronic money button B31 is highlighted. Similarly, for product D, the electronic money button is highlighted. Also, for each product other than product A and product D, the cash button is highlighted.

First, the payment control unit 1024 identifies products A to E whose total price falls within a predetermined range (1,000 yen). At this time, the payment control unit 1024 may also identify the product among products A to E whose total price is 1,000 yen or less and is the largest within the predetermined range. In the example shown in Figure 34, the payment control unit 1024 identifies products A (768 yen) and D (132 yen) because their combined total price (900 yen) is 1,000 yen or less and is the largest within the predetermined range. The payment control unit 1024 selects electronic money as the payment method for the identified products A and D. The payment control unit 1024 also selects cash as the payment method for each product other than products A and D. Based on the payment method selection results for each product by the payment control unit 1024, the display control unit 1028 generates the payment method selection screen D23 shown in Figure 34 and displays it on the operation display unit 1040. The user may check the contents of the payment method selection screen D23 displayed on the operation display unit 1040 and change the payment method for each product as appropriate.

(Fourth variation)
Furthermore, as another example of payment method selection, the payment control unit 1024 may perform the payment method selection process based on one or more types of products for which product information has been registered. For example, suppose the user has selected a split payment using a combination of cash and electronic money. The payment control unit 1024 may select electronic money as the payment method for products of a predetermined type if one or more types of products are of a predetermined type. Furthermore, the payment control unit 1024 may calculate a reward value to be given to the user according to the amount of payment made by electronic money for products of the predetermined type. The reward value may be a cash amount or a value (points) that can be exchanged for a cash amount.

Figure 35 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a payment method selection screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040 in the fourth modified example. The payment method selection screen D24 shown in Figure 35 is displayed on the operation display unit 1040 at S111 of flowchart F1. As shown in Figure 35, the payment method selection screen D24 further includes guidance text M24 and reward value display M25 compared to the payment method selection screen D5 described with reference to Figure 11. The guidance text M24 includes the type of product "foodstuffs" and the type of payment method "electronic money," for which the user will receive a reward value upon payment. Furthermore, the product list T5 included in the payment method selection screen D24 further includes a type column compared to the product list T2 included in the payment method selection screen D5.

The "Type" field in the product list T5 represents information indicating the type of each product. The display control unit 1028 generates the "Type" display for the product list T4 based on the product type included in the product information acquired from the acquisition unit 1022. In the example shown in Figure 35, it is understood that products A and B are food products. Furthermore, product C is understood to be an electrical appliance. Additionally, products D and E are understood to be miscellaneous goods.

Furthermore, on the payment method selection screen D24, compared to the payment method selection screen D5, it is understood that either cash or electronic money has already been selected as the payment method for each of the products numbered 1 to 5. For example, it is understood that the electronic money button B32 is highlighted for products A and B. Also, it is understood that the cash button is highlighted for products C through E.

First, the payment control unit 1024 identifies products A through E that belong to a predetermined type. For example, suppose the predetermined type is food products. In this case, the payment control unit 1024 identifies products A and B, which belong to the food product category. The payment control unit 1024 selects electronic money as the payment method for the identified products A and B. Furthermore, the payment control unit 1024 selects cash as the payment method for products C through E, which do not belong to the food product category.

Furthermore, the payment control unit 1024 may calculate the reward value to be given to the user based on the monetary information of products A and B, which are of the food type. For example, if electronic money is selected as the payment method for a food product, the payment control unit 1024 may multiply the price of the product by a predetermined percentage (hereinafter also referred to as the "reward return rate"), such as 2.5%, and then round off the result of the multiplication to calculate the reward value to be given to the user. In the example shown in Figure 35, it is assumed that 25 points, which is the value obtained by rounding down the decimal part of the result of multiplying the total price of products A and B by the example reward return rate of 2.5%, is calculated as the reward value to be given to the user.

The display control unit 1028 generates the payment method selection screen D24 shown in Figure 35 based on the payment method selection results for each product and the reward value calculation results by the payment control unit 1024, and displays it on the operation display unit 1040. At this time, the display control unit 1028 displays the reward value display M25 within the payment method selection screen D24 based on the reward value calculation results. The user may check the contents of the payment method selection screen D24 displayed on the operation display unit 1040 and change the payment method for each product as appropriate. The provision of rewards to the user according to the calculated reward value may be performed automatically by the information processing device 1000. For example, the information processing device 1000 may add the calculated reward value to the reward value already associated with the user. Alternatively, the information processing device 1000 may issue a medium (e.g., paper media) on which the reward value is written.

This configuration further improves user convenience during checkout. Furthermore, it offers advantages to the owners or managers of retail stores that install the information processing device 1000, as it allows them to encourage the use of specific payment methods by providing incentives such as points to users. Therefore, the present invention can be applied, for example, when the owners or managers of retail stores that install the information processing device 1000 have a business need to promote the use of a particular payment method.

(Fifth variation)
Furthermore, in "A: Example of operation when settling in installments using cash and electronic money" described above, referring to flowchart F1 shown in Figure 9, it was assumed that the electronic money reading process by the contactless IC card reader 1060 (S109 and S110) is performed before the user selects the payment method for each product on the payment method selection screen displayed in S111. However, the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the information processing device 1000 may execute the processes of S109 and S110 after the user has completed selecting the payment method for each product and the payment amount for each payment method used for installment settlement has been determined.

<6. Conclusion>
Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the attached drawings, the present invention is not limited to these examples. It is clear to any person with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs that various modifications or alterations can be conceived within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, and these are also understood to fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which the payment method that the user can select in the information processing device 1000 is cash, electronic money, or a credit card. However, the present invention is not limited to such examples. For example, the payment method that the user can select in the information processing device 1000 may include code-based payment methods such as QR code (registered trademark) payment. Furthermore, the above payment method may also include monetary vouchers such as gift certificates, gift cards, and beer vouchers.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, when the user selects installment payment, the payment method is selected from either cash and electronic money, or cash and credit card. However, the present invention is not limited to such examples. For example, the information processing device 1000 may allow the user to select a combination of electronic money and a credit card, two electronic money systems of different types or registered contents, or a combination of two credit cards of different types or registered contents as different payment methods for use in installment payment. In this specification, the following combinations are included in the definition of different payment methods. First, the combination of cash and electronic money, or the combination of cash and a credit card, as described in the above embodiment, are included in the definition of different payment methods. Furthermore, a combination of two electronic money systems from different payment function providers is included in the definition of different payment methods. Also, two credit cards from different provider brands that offer payment functions are included in the definition of different payment methods. A provider brand refers to a credit card brand, such as the VISA® brand or the JCB® brand. Furthermore, even if the provider brand is the same, two credit cards from different issuing companies or financial institutions are also included in the definition of different payment methods. Furthermore, even if two credit cards are from the same brand and issued by the same company or financial institution, two credit cards with different registration information (e.g., cardholder name or billing address) are considered different payment methods.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which, when the user selects installment payment, installment payment is performed using two payment methods. However, the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the information processing device 1000 may allow the user to select three or more different payment methods when installment payment is selected.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, if a user selects electronic money as the payment method for any of the products, but the payment becomes impossible due to insufficient balance or exceeding the upper limit, the display control unit 1028 displays a payment method selection screen on the operation display unit 1040 to guide the user to re-select the payment method for each product. However, the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the information processing device 1000 may allow the user to charge the balance of the electronic money read by the contactless IC card reader 1060 on the payment method selection screen displayed on the operation display unit 1040. In this case, the payment processing unit 1026 may control the operation of the automatic change dispenser 1100 to accept the cash insertion of the desired charge amount from the user, and also send a request to the electronic money payment service provider's system to process the charge of the electronic money balance.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, at S110 in the flowchart shown in Figure 9, it was assumed that the contactless IC card reader 1060 reads the payment method information from the IC card, thereby acquiring the electronic money payment method information. However, the information processing device 1000 may operate as follows as a method for reading the electronic money payment method information. As an example, at S109, the display control unit 1028 displays a screen on the operation display unit 1040 that guides the user to have the IC card related to the electronic money they wish to use read by the contactless IC card reader 1060. At the same time, the display control unit 1028 may display guidance text and a type selection button on the screen to prompt the user to select the type of electronic money they wish to use. When the operation display unit 1040 detects that the user has selected the type of electronic money, the operation display unit 1040 may output the detection result to the control unit 1020. The payment control unit 1024 may output an instruction to the payment processing unit 1026 to execute payment processing based on the electronic money payment method information read by the contactless IC card reader 1060 and the detection results output from the operation display unit 1040. This configuration allows the payment control unit 1024 to determine the payment service provider to which the payment request should be sent to the payment processing unit 1026, based on the type of electronic money selected by the user.

Alternatively, when the contactless IC card reader 1060 reads payment method information from the IC card, the payment control unit 1024 may select one of a predetermined type of electronic money without accepting a user's operation to select the type of electronic money, and request payment processing from the payment processing unit 1026. The predetermined type may be set in advance by the operator of the information processing device 1000 when the information processing device 1000 is installed. In this case, the payment processing unit 1026 uses the payment method information acquired by the contactless IC card reader 1060 as payment method information for the predetermined type of electronic money and performs payment processing. If the payment processing unit 1026 receives a payment result indicating that payment is not possible from the system of the predetermined type of electronic money, it outputs the payment result to the display control unit 1028. When the payment processing unit 1026 outputs a payment result indicating that payment is not possible, the display control unit 1028 may display guidance text and a type selection button on the operation display unit 1040 prompting the user to select the type of electronic money they wish to use.

Alternatively, when the contactless IC card reader 1060 reads payment method information from the IC card, the payment control unit 1024 may determine the type of electronic money related to the payment method information based on the read payment method information. Furthermore, the payment control unit 1024 may determine whether the type of electronic money is one that can be processed by the payment processing unit 1026.

Alternatively, if the medium (e.g., a smartphone) held over the contactless IC card reader 1060 by the user contains information on multiple types of electronic money payment methods, and the contactless IC card reader 1060 reads information on multiple types of electronic money payment methods, the display control unit 1028 may display guidance text and type selection buttons on the operation display unit 1040, prompting the user to select the type of electronic money they wish to use, as described above.

Furthermore, the above embodiments described an example in which the present invention is applied to self-checkout machines installed in retail stores such as supermarkets or drugstores. However, as explained above, the preferred application of the present invention is not limited to self-checkout machines installed in retail stores. For example, the present invention can also be applied to online payment systems used in online stores, etc.

Furthermore, the effects described herein are merely descriptive or illustrative and not limiting. In other words, the technology according to the present invention may produce other effects that will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description herein, in addition to or instead of the effects described above.

Furthermore, the steps in the operation of the information processing device 1000 according to this embodiment do not necessarily have to be processed chronologically in the order shown in the flowchart. For example, each step in the operation of the information processing device 1000 may be processed in an order different from that shown in the flowchart, or may be processed in parallel.

Furthermore, it is possible to create one or more programs that enable the CPU, ROM, RAM, and other hardware components built into the computer to perform functions equivalent to those of the information processing device 1000 described above.

1000 Information Processing Device 1010 Communication Unit 1020 Control Unit 1022 Acquisition Unit 1024 Settlement Control Unit 1026 Settlement Processing Unit 1028 Display Control Unit 1030 Storage Unit 1040 Operation Display Unit 1050 Barcode Reader 1060 Contactless IC Card Reader 1070 Contact IC Card Reader 1080 Key Operation Unit 1090 Printing Unit 1100 Automatic Change Dispenser 1102 Banknote Change Dispenser 1102a Banknote In/Out Slot 1104 Coin Change Dispenser 1104a Coin In/Out Slot 1104b Coin Out Slot 1104c Coin Reject Slot

Claims (13)

An acquisition unit that acquires product information, including price information, for one or more products,
A payment processing unit that processes payments using multiple different payment methods,
For each of the one or more products, select one payment method from the multiple payment methods:
A payment control unit that causes the payment processing unit to perform payment processing for the amount of the selected product for each of the multiple payment methods based on the amount information,
Equipped with ,
The aforementioned product information includes the type of product,
The aforementioned plurality of payment methods include a first payment method and a second payment method,
The payment control unit selects either the first payment method or the second payment method based on the type of each of the one or more products.
Information processing device. The payment control unit selects either the first payment method or the second payment method for each of the one or more products based on the user's selection operation.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 . The system further includes a display control unit that generates a payment method selection screen for which the user selects one or more payment methods for each product, and displays it on the output unit.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 . The payment control unit calculates a first total amount, which is the sum of the amounts of the products for which the first payment method has been selected, each time the user performs the operation to select the first payment method.
The display control unit causes the calculated first total amount to be displayed on the output unit.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 3 . The acquisition unit acquires balance information indicating the amount payable in the first payment means,
The settlement control unit, when a user newly inputs a selection operation to select the first payment method for one or more products other than the product for which the first payment method has already been selected, determines whether the second total amount, which is the sum of the amount for the product for which the first payment method has already been selected and the amount for the other product, exceeds the available payment amount.
If the display control unit determines that the second total amount exceeds the amount payable, it causes the output unit to display a screen on the payment method selection screen indicating that the first payment method cannot be selected for the other products.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 3 . The first payment method is a payment method other than cash.
The second payment method is a cash payment method.
The settlement control unit causes the settlement processing unit to execute the settlement process for the first settlement means, and after the settlement process, causes the settlement processing unit to execute the settlement process for the second settlement means.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 . The first payment method is a payment method other than cash.
The second payment method is a cash payment method.
The settlement control unit selects the first settlement means as the settlement means for each of the one or more types of goods if each of those goods is of a predetermined type.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 . The settlement control unit calculates a reward value to be given to the user according to the settlement amount of the predetermined type of product by the first settlement means.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 7 . An acquisition unit that acquires product information, including price information, for one or more products,
A settlement processing unit that performs settlement processing using multiple settlement means, including a first settlement means and a second settlement means different from the first settlement means,
Based on the aforementioned monetary information, one or more items are selected from the one or more items such that the total amount of one or more items falls within a predetermined range.
The first payment method is selected as the payment method for the specified product .
The second payment method is selected as the payment method for products other than the specified product among the one or more products mentioned above.
A payment control unit that causes the payment processing unit to perform payment processing for the amount of the selected product for each of the multiple payment methods based on the amount information,
An information processing device equipped with the following features . An acquisition unit acquires product information, including price information, for one or more products, and acquires balance information indicating the available payment amount set for the first payment method.
A settlement processing unit that performs settlement processing using a plurality of settlement means, including the first settlement means and a second settlement means different from the first settlement means,
Based on the amount information and balance information of the one or more products, one or more products are identified from the one or more products whose total amount is less than or equal to the available payment amount.
The first payment method is selected as the payment method for the specified product .
The second payment method is selected as the payment method for products other than the specified product among the one or more products mentioned above.
A payment control unit that causes the payment processing unit to perform payment processing for the amount of the selected product for each of the multiple payment methods based on the amount information,
An information processing device equipped with the following features . The settlement control unit selects the type of settlement means to be used as the first settlement means and the second settlement means based on user operation.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 9 or 10 . For one or more products, obtain product information including the price information for each product,
The process of processing payments using multiple different payment methods,
For each of the one or more products mentioned above, one payment method is selected from the multiple payment methods mentioned above.
Based on the aforementioned amount information, the payment process for the selected amount of the product is performed for each of the multiple payment methods.
A computer-based information processing method , including,
The aforementioned product information includes the type of product,
The aforementioned plurality of payment methods include a first payment method and a second payment method,
The information processing method includes selecting the first payment method or the second payment method based on the type of each of the one or more products.
Information processing methods. Computers,
An acquisition unit that acquires product information, including price information, for one or more products,
A payment processing unit that processes payments using multiple different payment methods,
For each of the one or more products, select one payment method from the multiple payment methods:
A payment control unit that causes the payment processing unit to perform payment processing for the amount of the selected product for each of the multiple payment methods based on the amount information,
To make it function as ,
The aforementioned product information includes the type of product,
The aforementioned plurality of payment methods include a first payment method and a second payment method,
The payment control unit selects either the first payment method or the second payment method based on the type of each of the one or more products.
program.