STORE SYSTEM, CONTROL METHOD THEREOF, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM STORING A CONTROL PROGRAM THEREOF

• US 20140019311A1
• Filed: 03/21/2012
• Published: 01/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Tanaka, Akio
• Application Number:
  US14/008,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20140019311A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/009 User recognition or proximity detection
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/0235 the arrangements being full-front touchscreens

Abstract

It comprises a front yard including a display unit that displays commodity images, a receiving unit that receives selection of a commodity desired by the purchaser from among commodities corresponding to the displayed commodity images, an association instruction unit that acquires purchaser identification information identifying the purchaser and makes an instruction to associate commodity identification information identifying the selected commodity and the acquired purchaser identification information with each other, and a handover unit that hands over the selected commodity to the purchaser, and a backyard adjacent to the front yard, the backyard including, a commodity storage unit that stores the commodities corresponding to the commodity images, and a sending unit that takes out the selected commodity from the commodity storage unit on the basis of the associated commodity identification information and purchaser identification information and sends the taken-out commodity as the commodity desired by the purchaser to the handover unit.

Claims

1. A store system comprising:

a front yard comprising;

a display unit that displays a plurality of commodity images;

a receiving unit that receives, from a purchaser, selection of a commodity desired by the purchaser from among commodities corresponding to the displayed commodity images;

an association instruction unit that acquires, from the purchaser, purchaser identification information identifying the purchaser and makes an instruction to associate commodity identification information identifying the selected commodity and the acquired purchaser identification information with each other; and

a handover unit that hands over the selected desired commodity to the purchaser; and

a backyard adjacent to the front yard, the backyard comprising;

a commodity storage unit that stores the commodities corresponding to the commodity images; and

a sending unit that takes out the selected commodity from the commodity storage unit on the basis of the associated commodity identification information and purchaser identification information and sends the taken-out commodity as the commodity desired by the purchaser to the handover unit.

2. The store system according to claim 1, wherein

the receiving unit receives selection of two or more commodities from the purchaser,

the association instruction unit makes an instruction to associate pieces of commodity identification information of the selected commodities and the acquired purchaser identification information with each other, and

the sending unit takes out all the selected commodities from the commodity storage unit on the basis of the associated pieces of commodity identification information of the commodities and purchaser identification information and sends all the taken-out commodities collectively to the handover unit.

3. The store system according to claim 2, further comprising a storage unit that stores commodity selection information obtained by associating the commodity identification information and the purchaser identification information with each other one-on-one and sending information which is a list of pieces of commodity identification information of the selected two or more commodities corresponding to each of the purchaser identification information, wherein

each time the purchaser selects a commodity, the association instruction unit makes an instruction to associate commodity identification information of the selected commodity and the acquired purchaser identification information with each other and stores the associated information as commodity selection information in the storage unit, and

the sending unit reads pieces of commodity selection information from the storage unit, organizes pieces of commodity identification information corresponding to the purchaser identification information, stores the organized information as sending information in the storage unit, and takes out all commodities selected by the purchaser from the commodity storage unit on the basis of the sending information.

4. The store system according to claim 1, wherein the front yard further comprises refund unit, wherein

after the purchaser makes payment for the desired commodity and the handover unit hands over the desired commodity, the refund unit receives the desired commodity and, if no abnormality is found when the received commodity is checked, makes a refund for the commodity to the purchaser.

5. The store system according to claim 1 wherein the receiving unit receives, from the purchaser, a request to output related information related to the commodities corresponding to the displayed commodity images and makes an instruction to output the related information.

6. The store system according to claim 5, wherein the receiving unit makes an instruction to output, as the related information, a physical quantity which stimulates the sense of sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch related to the commodities.

7. The store system according to claim 1, wherein

the display unit is divided into a plurality of regions,

the association instruction unit comprises a plurality of association instruction unit, and the plurality of association instruction unit are disposed in the regions, respectively, and

when the purchaser selects a commodity image displayed in one of the regions of the display unit, association instruction unit disposed in the region acquires the purchaser identification information from the purchaser and makes an instruction to associate the acquired purchaser identification information and commodity identification information of a commodity corresponding to the selected commodity image with each other.

8. The store system according to claim 1, wherein

the receiving unit and the association instruction unit comprise a plurality of receiving unit and a plurality of association instruction unit, respectively, and

the plurality of receiving unit and the plurality of association instruction unit are disposed on the display unit at predetermined intervals.

11. The store system according to claim 1, further a comprising delivery unit that delivers the desired commodity to the purchaser using transportation unit, wherein

the front yard receives, from the purchaser, selection as to whether to deliver the desired commodity, and

when the front yard receives selection indicating that the desired commodity is to be delivered, the sending unit sends the taken-out commodity to the delivery unit.

12. The store system according to claim 1, wherein

the display unit displays the commodity images on a display device, and

the receiving unit comprises:

a plurality of first electrodes disposed along a first direction on the display device; and

a first control apparatus configured to provide signals having a predetermined frequency to the first electrodes and to detect a first coordinate corresponding to a position selected by the purchaser in the first direction on the basis of changes in the signals, and

the receiving unit receives a commodity corresponding to a commodity image identified based on the first coordinate, as having been selected by the purchaser.

13. The store system according to claim 12, wherein

the first control apparatus measures power generated by the signals provided to the first electrodes and calculates the first coordinate using measurement results of the first electrodes, and

the receiving unit identifies a commodity image displayed in a position corresponding to the first coordinate on the display device and receives a commodity corresponding to the identified commodity image, as having been selected.

14. The store system according to claim 12, wherein the association instruction unit acquires the purchaser identification information from the detected first coordinate and makes an instruction to associate the commodity identification information and the acquired purchaser identification information with each other.

15. The store system according to claim 12, wherein

the receiving unit comprises:

a plurality of second electrodes disposed along a second direction on the display device; and

a second control apparatus configured to detect a second coordinate corresponding to a position selected by the purchaser in the second direction on the basis of changes in signals on the second electrodes, and

the receiving unit receives a commodity corresponding to a commodity image identified based on the first and second coordinates as having been selected by the purchaser.

16. The store system according to claim 15, wherein the second control apparatus detects the second coordinate using power provided by the first control apparatus.

17. The store system according to claim 15, wherein

after detecting the first coordinate, the first control apparatus selects a first electrode corresponding to the first coordinate and provides the signal to the selected first electrode,

the second control apparatus measures, with respect to each of the second electrodes, power generated by the signal provided to the selected first electrode and calculates the second coordinate using measurement results of the second electrodes, and

the receiving unit identifies a commodity image corresponding to the first and second coordinates among the commodity images and receives a commodity corresponding to the identified commodity image, as having been selected by the purchaser.

18. The store system according to claim 15, wherein the association instruction unit acquires the purchaser identification information from the detected first and second coordinates and makes an instruction to associate the commodity identification information and the acquired purchaser identification information with each other.

19. The store system according to claim 12, wherein

the first control apparatus comprises:

a shift register; and

a plurality of transmission/reception circuits disposed at ends of the first electrodes,

the transmission/reception circuit comprises;

a transmission amplifier circuit;

a first changing unit configured to change a polarity of a transmission signal on the basis of a signal from the shift register; and

a second changing unit configured to change a channel of a reception signal on the basis of a signal from the shift register.

20. The store system according to claim 15, wherein

the first electrodes are vertical electrodes that vertically cross a surface of the display device and are horizontally disposed at predetermined intervals,

the second electrodes are horizontal electrodes that horizontally cross the surface of the display device and are vertically disposed at predetermined intervals,

the first control apparatus is an X-side control apparatus configured to provide high-frequency signals to the vertical electrodes and to measure changes in the high-frequency signals,

the second control apparatus is a Y-side control apparatus configured to measure high-frequency signals from the horizontal electrodes, and

the receiving unit comprises:

a vertical electrode connecting line connected to the X-side control apparatus;

a vertical electrode connecting line switch connecting the vertical electrode connecting line and the vertical electrodes;

a horizontal electrode connecting line connected to the Y-side control apparatus;

a horizontal electrode connecting line switch connecting the horizontal electrode connecting line and the horizontal electrodes;

plurality of inter-vertical electrodes switch connecting two vertical electrodes; and

plurality inter-horizontal electrodes switch connecting two horizontal electrodes.

9. A method for controlling a store system, the store system including a front yard that receives, from a purchaser, selection of a commodity desired by the purchaser and hands over the selected, desired commodity to the purchaser and a backyard adjacent to the front yard, the backyard including a commodity storage unit that stores a plurality of commodities, the method comprising:

displaying a plurality of commodity images on a display apparatus included in the front yard;

in the front yard, receiving, from a purchaser, selection of a commodity desired by the purchaser from among commodities corresponding to the displayed commodity images;

in the front yard, acquiring purchaser identification information identifying the purchaser;

in the front yard, associating commodity identification information identifying the selected commodity and the acquired purchaser identification information with each other;

in the backyard, taking out the selected commodity from the commodity storage unit on the basis of the associated commodity identification information and purchaser identification information; and

in the backyard, sending the taken-out commodity as the commodity desired by the purchaser to the front yard.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a control program for causing a computer to perform a process of controlling a store system, the store system including a front yard that receives, from a purchaser, selection of a commodity desired by the purchaser and hands over the selected, desired commodity to the purchaser and a backyard adjacent to the front yard, the backyard including a commodity storage unit that stores a plurality of commodities, the process comprising:

displaying a plurality of commodity images on a display apparatus included in the front yard;

in the front yard, receiving, from a purchaser, selection of a commodity desired by the purchaser from among commodities corresponding to the displayed commodity images;

in the front yard, acquiring purchaser identification information identifying the purchaser;

in the front yard, associating commodity identification information identifying the selected commodity and the acquired purchaser identification information with each other;

in the backyard, taking out the selected commodity from the commodity storage unit on the basis of the associated commodity identification information and purchaser identification information; and

in the backyard, sending the taken-out commodity as the commodity desired by the purchaser to the front yard.

21-39. -39. (canceled)