CONTROL METHOD FOR DISPLAYING MERCHANDISING INFORMATION ON INFORMATION TERMINAL

• US 20150348060A1
• Filed: 12/27/2013
• Published: 12/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: OGAWA, Kento, TANIGAWA, Toru
• Granted Patent: US 10,163,115 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/40 Software arrangements specially adapted for pattern recognition, e.g. user interfaces or toolboxes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/945 User interactive design; Environments; Toolboxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16

Abstract

An MD management device manages action statistics associated with each of a plurality of shelving units. Action statistics for one shelving unit indicate actions that store visitors make near the shelving unit. An information terminal device acquires, from the MD management device merchandising information for each shelving unit. Merchandising information for one shelving unit includes a value of statistics for the shelving unit. The information terminal device displays a store screen including one or more shelving unit icons each representing one of one or more shelving units located in a store. Further, the information terminal device displays a graphic item in the vicinity of each shelving unit icon. The graphic item is displayed in a display state that is in accordance with the value of statistics for the corresponding shelving unit.

Claims

1-24. -24. (canceled)

25. A control method of controlling an information terminal that has a display for displaying a store screen representing a store having at least one shelving unit for displaying merchandise, the control method comprising:

causing a computer of the information terminal to display the store screen, the store screen including at least one shelving unit object representing the at least one shelving unit; and

overlaying a first graphic item and a second graphic item on or near the shelving unit object each in a predetermined display state, the first graphic item and the second graphic item each corresponding to one of a plurality of types of merchandising information, the plurality of types of merchandising information acquired from a management device, wherein

the predetermined display state of at least one of the first graphic item and the second graphic item is in accordance with a value of statistics indicated by a corresponding one of the types of merchandising information, the statistics pertaining to an action that store visitors make near the shelving unit.

26. The control method of claim 25, wherein

the store is provided with a human-detecting sensor detecting presence and actions of store visitors near the shelving unit,

the statistics are composed of a plurality of types of statistics each corresponding to a different type of action made by store visitors, and

the control method further comprises

each time the human-detecting sensor transmits an action log indicating that a store visitor has made a predetermined action near the shelving unit, updating one of the plurality of types of statistics that corresponds to the predetermined action.

27. The control method of claim 26, wherein

one of the plurality of types of statistics indicates a number of times store visitors approach the shelving unit and stop at the shelving unit, and

when the human-detecting sensor transmits an action log indicating that a store visitor has approached the shelving unit and stopped at the shelving unit, the number of times is updated by increasing, in accordance with the transmitted action log, a current value of the number of times managed by the management unit.

28. The control method of claim 26, wherein

one of the plurality of types of statistics indicates an amount of time for which store visitors have stopped at the shelving unit, and

when the human-detecting sensor transmits an action log indicating that a store visitor has approached the shelving unit and stopped at the shelving unit, the amount of time is updated by increasing, in accordance with a difference between a time point indicating that the store visitor has approached the shelving unit and stopped at the shelving unit and a time point indicating that the store visitor has departed from the shelving unit, a current value of the amount of time managed by the management unit.

29. The control method of claim 26, wherein

one of the plurality of types of statistics indicates a number of times store visitors have reached for the shelving unit, and

when the human-detecting sensor transmits an action log indicating that a store visitor has reached for the shelving unit, the number of times is updated by increasing, in accordance with the transmitted action log, a current value of the number of times managed by the management unit.

30. The control method of claim 25, wherein

one of the first graphic item and the second graphic item is dependent upon one of a number of times store visitors have approached the shelving unit and stopped at the shelving unit, an amount of time for which store visitors have stopped at the shelving unit, and a number of times store visitors have reached for the shelving unit, and another one of the first graphic item and the second graphic item is dependent upon a sold quantity of merchandise on the shelving unit.

31. The control method of claim 25, wherein

the predetermined display state of each of the first graphic item and the second graphic item has a plurality of levels, one of which is applied according to which of a plurality of numerical ranges a corresponding value belongs to, the corresponding value being the value of statistics for one of the first graphic item and the second graphic item and being a sold quantity for another one of the first graphic item and the second graphic item, and

threshold values defining the numerical ranges are the same for the first graphic item and the second graphic item.

32. The control method of claim 25, wherein

the predetermined display state of each of the first graphic item and the second graphic item has a plurality of levels, one of which is applied according to which of a plurality of numerical ranges a corresponding value belongs to, the corresponding value being the value of statistics for both the first graphic item and the second graphic item, and

a start value of a numerical range of a highest level is based on a maximum one of values of statistics for a plurality of shelving units,

a start value of a numerical range of a lowest level is based on a result of dividing the start value of the numerical range of the highest level by a number of levels included in the plurality of levels, and

a start value of a numerical range that is not the highest level or the lowest level is based on a multiple of the start value of the numerical range of the lowest level.

33. The control method of claim 32, wherein

an end value of a given one of the plurality of numerical ranges is based on a result of adding the start value of the numerical range of the lowest level to a start value of the given one of the plurality of numerical ranges.

34. The control method of claim 25 further comprising:

in response to an operation performed by a user for selecting one shelving unit object in the store screen, putting the selected shelving unit object in selected state; and

when putting one shelving unit object in the store screen in the selected state, displaying a merchandising information screen displaying merchandising information for one shelving unit represented by the selected shelving unit, the merchandising information screen displaying a numerical value of statistics and a character string indicating a type of the numerical value, the numerical value of statistics being a numerical representation of a value of statistics that the predetermined display state of at least one of a first graphic item and a second graphic item corresponding to the merchandising information for the one shelving unit is in accordance with.

35. The control method of claim 34 further comprising

when putting one shelving unit object in the store screen in the selected state, displaying an auxiliary store screen including at least one shelving unit object, wherein

the at least one shelving unit object in the auxiliary store screen corresponds one-to-one with the at least one shelving unit object in the store screen, and

the character string and the numerical value in the merchandising information screen and the at least one shelving unit object in the auxiliary store screen are displayed without overlapping one another.

36. The control method of claim 35, wherein

when putting one shelving unit object in the store screen in the selected state, the auxiliary store screen and the merchandising information screen are displayed on the display at a same time so as to overlap with the store screen, and

the control method further comprises

when the auxiliary store screen and the merchandising information screen overlap with the store screen, putting the at least one shelving unit object in the store screen in non-selectable state.

37. The control method of claim 35 further comprising

when putting one shelving unit object in the store screen in the selected state, causing a display state of a shelving unit object in the auxiliary store screen that corresponds to the selected shelving unit object to transition to a display state differing from a display state of another shelving unit object in the auxiliary store screen.

38. The control method of claim 35 further comprising

when putting one shelving unit object in the auxiliary store screen in selected state, updating the merchandising information screen so as to display a numerical value of statistics and a character string indicating a type of the numerical value for one shelving unit represented by the selected shelving unit object in the auxiliary store screen.

39. The control method of claim 34 further comprising:

with a first graphic item and a second graphic item corresponding to one shelving unit object being displayed, when a selection of another shelving unit object is detected, deleting the first graphic item and the second graphic item and displaying, at a same time, the store screen and a merchandising information screen displaying merchandising information for one shelving unit corresponding to the selected shelving unit object; and

causing a display state of the selected shelving unit object to transition to a display state differing from a display state of another shelving unit object.

40. The control method of claim 25 further comprising

with a first graphic item and a second graphic item corresponding to one shelving unit object being displayed, when a selection of another shelving unit object is detected, deleting the first graphic item and the second graphic item.

41. The control method of claim 25 further comprising

with first graphic items and second graphic items corresponding to two or more shelving unit objects being displayed, when a selection of one of the two or more shelving unit objects is detected, continuing to display a first graphic item and a second graphic item corresponding to the selected shelving unit object and deleting each first graphic item and each second graphic item corresponding to each shelving unit object, among the two or more shelving unit objects, other than the selected shelving unit object.

42. The control method of claim 25 further comprising

with a first graphic item and a second graphic item corresponding to one shelving unit object being displayed, when a selection of another shelving unit object is detected, continuing to display the first graphic item and the second graphic item.

43. The control method of claim 25, wherein

a first graphic item and a second graphic item are overlaid with respect to each of all shelving unit objects in the store screen, and

the control method further comprises

with first graphic items and second graphic items corresponding to all shelving unit objects being displayed, when a selection of one shelving unit object is detected, continuing to display the first graphic items and the second graphic items regardless of the detection of the selection.

44. The control method of claim 25 further comprising:

receiving a selection of two or more shelving unit objects on the store screen, and

in response to a selection of two or more shelving unit objects on the store screen, displaying a first graphic item and a second graphic item corresponding to each of the two or more selected shelving unit objects, and displaying a numerical value obtained by summing values of statistics for the two or more selected shelving unit objects.

45. The control method of claim 25 further comprising:

receiving a selection of two or more shelving unit objects on the store screen; and

in response to a selection of two or more shelving unit objects on the store screen, displaying, on or near each of the two or more selected shelving unit objects, a first graphic item and a second graphic item corresponding to the selected shelving unit object.

46. The control method of claim 25 further comprising:

when receiving a selection of one shelving unit object on the store screen by a user, putting the selected shelving unit object in selected state; and

displaying a select-all button when a genre of merchandise on a shelving unit represented by the selected shelving unit object satisfies a predetermined condition, wherein

the predetermined condition is that merchandise belonging to the genre is on at least one shelving unit other than the shelving unit represented by the selected shelving unit object, and

pressing of the all-select button puts shelving unit objects corresponding to shelving units with merchandise belonging to the genre in selected state.

47. A control method of controlling an information terminal that has a display for displaying a store screen representing a store having a plurality of shelving units for displaying merchandise, the control method comprising:

causing a computer of the information terminal to display the store screen, the store screen including a plurality of shelving unit objects representing the plurality of shelving units;

in response to an operation performed by a user for selecting one shelving unit object on the store screen, putting the selected shelving unit object in selected state; and

when putting the selected shelving unit object in the selected state, displaying an auxiliary store screen and a merchandising information screen displaying merchandising information for a shelving unit represented by the selected shelving unit object, wherein

the merchandising information screen displays a numerical value of statistics and a character string indicating a type of the numerical value, the statistics pertaining to an action that store visitors make near the selected shelving unit object,

the auxiliary store screen includes a plurality of shelving unit objects corresponding one-to-one with the plurality of shelving unit objects in the store screen, and

the character string and the numerical value in the merchandising information screen and the plurality of shelving unit objects in the auxiliary store screen are displayed without overlapping one another.

48. A control method of controlling an information terminal that has a display for displaying a store screen representing a store having at least one shelving unit for displaying merchandise, the control method comprising:

causing a computer of the information terminal to display the store screen, the store screen including at least one shelving unit object representing the at least one shelving unit;

when receiving a selection of one shelving unit object on the store screen by a user, putting the selected shelving unit object in selected state; and

displaying a select-all button when a genre of merchandise on a shelving unit represented by the selected shelving unit object satisfies a predetermined condition, wherein

the predetermined condition is that merchandise belonging to the genre is on at least one shelving unit other than the shelving unit represented by the selected shelving unit object, and

pressing of the all-select button puts shelving unit objects corresponding to shelving units with merchandise belonging to the genre in selected state.