INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE, INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM, CONTROL METHOD FOR AN INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE, AND A PROGRAM

• US 20110087535A1
• Filed: 09/24/2010
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Yoshizawa, Junichi, Hama, Takashi, Nakamura, Jinichi, Aonuma, Masashi
• Application Number:
  US12/889,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20110087535A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 3/003 Anti-theft control theft alarms G08B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19613 Recognition of a predetermined image pattern or behaviour pattern indicating theft or intrusion

Abstract

An information processing device, an information processing system, a control method for an information processing device, and a program can detect POS terminal operations without modifying the POS terminal. An output data acquisition unit 21 acquires output data that is output from a POS terminal 1. An operation determination unit 22 evaluates the operation of the POS terminal 1 based on the acquired output data. A data conversion unit 23 converts the result from the operation determination unit 22 to data in a specific format that can be interpreted by a store management server 5. A converted data output unit 24 outputs the converted data converted by the data conversion unit 23 to the store management server 5.

Claims

1. An information processing device comprising:

an output data acquisition unit that acquires output data output from a POS terminal;

an operation evaluation unit that determines the POS terminal operation based on the acquired output data;

a data conversion unit that converts the result of the operation evaluation unit to data in a specific format that can be interpreted by an external device; and

a converted data output unit that outputs the converted data converted by the data conversion unit to the external device.

2. The information processing device described in claim 1, wherein:

the operation evaluation unit references a conversion table that can be rewritten according to the POS terminal specification to determine the POS terminal operation.

3. The information processing device described in claim 1, wherein:

the output data is print data for issuing a receipt; and

the information processing device also has a print unit for printing the print data on paper.

4. The information processing device described in claim 1, wherein:

the output data is display data for a customer display; and

the information processing device also has a display data output unit that outputs the display data on the customer display.

5. The information processing device described in claim 1, wherein:

the operation evaluation unit determines if the POS terminal operation is an operation for executing an exception process of a transaction process; and

the converted data output unit outputs exception process information related to the exception process as the converted data when the operation evaluation unit determines that the POS terminal operation was an operation for executing an exception process.

6. The information processing device described in claim 5, further comprising:

an imaging result acquisition unit that acquires imaging results from an imaging device for imaging a checkout counter area where the POS terminal is installed;

wherein the converted data output unit outputs imaging results from the imaging device during a specified time before or after the decision by the operation evaluation unit when the operation evaluation unit determines that the POS terminal operation was an operation for executing an exception process.

7. The information processing device described in claim 6, wherein:

the operation evaluation unit determines the exception process type; and

the specified time before or after the operation evaluation unit decision is determined according to the exception process type.

8. The information processing device described in claim 6, wherein:

the operation evaluation unit determines the transaction amount of the exception process; and

the specified time before or after the operation evaluation unit decision is determined according to the transaction amount of the exception process.

9. The information processing device described in claim 6, wherein:

the external device has a database that relationally stores the exception process information and the imaging results from the imaging device.

10. An information processing system comprising the information processing device described in claim 1 and an external device, wherein:

the operation evaluation unit includes an employee/customer determination unit that evaluates at least one of an employee operating the POS terminal and a customer of a transaction process of the POS terminal; and

the external device includes

an exception process-related information recording unit that generates and records in a database exception process-related information that relates an employee ID of the employee or a customer ID of the customer evaluated by the employee/customer determination unit and specific parameters including the exception process type when information indicating an exception process of the transaction process is contained in the converted data acquired from the information processing device, and

a history information output unit that summarizes and outputs the exception process-related information stored in the database by employee ID or customer ID as history information.

11. The information processing system described in claim 10, wherein:

the external device further comprises

a search key specification unit that specifies as a search key at least one of the employee ID, the customer ID, the exception process type, a date and time of the exception process, an exception process number, a product processed in the exception process, the presence of a customer at the checkout counter where the POS terminal is located, and employee location, and

an exception process-related information extraction unit that extracts from the database the exception process-related information matching the specified search key; and

the history information output unit summarizes the exception process-related information extracted by the exception process-related information extraction unit and outputs the history information.

12. The information processing system described in claim 10, wherein:

the external device also has a fraud evaluation unit that determines the possibility of fraud by at least one of the employee and the customer based on surveillance results from a surveillance unit that monitors at least one of the employee and the customer; and

the history information output unit summarizes the exception process-related information of the subject employee or customer and outputs history information when information indicating an exception process is contained in the acquired converted data and the fraud evaluation unit determines there is a possibility of fraud.

13. The information processing system described in claim 10, wherein:

the history information output unit sends the history information to a predetermined administrator using e-mail or a web application.

14. The information processing system described in claim 12, wherein:

the surveillance unit includes an imaging unit that images at least one of the employee and the customer; and

the history information output unit outputs the imaging result of the imaging unit at the time fraud was detected by the fraud evaluation unit with the history information.

15. The information processing system described in claim 14, wherein:

the external device also has

a time-of-purchase information recording unit that records time-of-purchase information based on the converted data acquired at the time of product purchase related to the imaging result of the imaging unit at the time of purchase in the database; and

the history information output unit outputs with the history information the imaging result of the imaging unit at the time the product subject to the exception process was purchased.

16. The information processing system described in claim 15, wherein:

when the type of exception process is a product return process for returning a product,

the fraud evaluation unit references the imaging result of the imaging unit or the exception process-related information during the product return process, and the imaging result of the imaging unit or the time-of-purchase information from when the product subject to the return process was purchased, and determines there is a possibility of fraud when the customer of the return process and the customer at the time of purchase are not the same person.

17. The information processing system described in claim 12, wherein:

the fraud evaluation unit determines there is a possibility of fraud when the presence of a customer is evaluated from the surveillance results of the surveillance unit during the exception process and a customer is not present.

18. The information processing system described in claim 12, wherein:

when the type of exception process is a special discount process that discounts products for specific people,

the fraud evaluation unit determines if the customer is one of said specific people based on the surveillance result during the special discount process, and determines there is a possibility of fraud when the customer is not one of said specific people.

19. A control method for an information processing device that is used connected to a POS terminal and an external device, comprising as steps executed by the information processing device:

an output data acquisition step that acquires output data output from a POS terminal;

an operation evaluation step that determines the POS terminal operation based on the acquired output data;

a data conversion step that converts the result of the operation evaluation step to data in a specific format that can be interpreted by the external device; and

a converted data output step that outputs the converted data converted by the data conversion step to the external device.

20. A program for causing a computer to execute the steps of the information processing device control method described in claim 19.