JP4932306B2 - Product sales data processing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a merchandise sales data processing apparatus such as an ECR (Electronic Cash Register) or a POS (Point of Sales) terminal, and can particularly perform merchandise discount processing without error. The present invention relates to a merchandise sales data processing apparatus.

  Conventionally, in stores such as supermarkets, a product label on which a barcode representing product code information is printed is attached to the product, or the product code is printed on the surface of the product during the product shipping process and delivered to the store. . This bar code is read by a bar code reader of a cash register, and product code information is recognized and used for production of purchased products and management of sales.

  By the way, as for products such as fresh food, when the expiration date or expiry date approaches after being displayed on the sales floor, the price of the product is reduced to promote early sales. When using the above-mentioned product labels, a label written so that the discount rate and discount amount for the original product sales price can be recognized by the purchaser or cash register operator at the time of the above-mentioned early sale or special price sale. Affix it. At this time, the label is attached so as not to hide the barcode displaying the product code on the product displaying the barcode. In the same case, as described in Patent Document 1, a new barcode that displays information about price reduction may be pasted so as not to hide the barcode on which the product code is displayed.

  In the former case, after the bar code displaying the product code is read by the bar code scanner by the cash register operator, the discount rate or discount amount is entered by key entry, and the discount price is registered with respect to the original price. .

  In the latter case, after reading the barcode containing the product code information with the barcode scanner, the barcode indicating the discount rate or discount amount is read with the barcode scanner, and the price is reduced in the cash register. Calculate the price and perform the registration process.

  In addition, a code (combination code) in which the product code number and the discount amount are combined is attached to the product, and this combination code is read by the code scanner, so that the unit price specified from the product code number is reduced to the discount amount. Based discounts may be executed. Patent Document 2 discloses a technique in which the date of manufacture of a product is incorporated in a combination code and the discount amount is changed with the passage of time.

JP 2002-150434 A JP-A-8-329350

  By the way, when performing discount sales using the technology of Patent Document 1, the bar code scanner does not scan the bar code (discount code) including the discount information displayed on the merchandise by the bar code scanner operator. It may happen that only the bar code that displays is scanned and the scanning operation ends there. In such a case, the product that is originally targeted for discounting is processed without discounting, causing damage to the customer.

  An object of the present invention is to sell products capable of preventing a situation in which discount processing is not performed due to poor symbol code reading, etc. even though the product sales data processing is performed on a product to be discounted. A data processing apparatus is provided.

The product sales data processing apparatus according to the present invention includes means for detecting product data from information extracted from the read image, means for detecting discount information for designating discount contents from the information, and association with product data The unit price information of the product corresponding to the detected product data and the discount determination information of the product are referred to by referring to the product data file including the unit price information of the selected product and the discount determination information indicating whether the product is discounted. When the information includes discount information, and the product is determined to be a discount target product based on the discount determination information, a discount price is calculated based on the unit price of the acquired product and the discount information. means for calculating, when the pre-Symbol discount discrimination information the product is not to be discounted Shipping, selling price based on the unit price information of the product included in the product data Means for setting, the discounted determination information the product is a case that is to be discounted Shipping, when not detecting the discount information, those having means for issuing a warning, the.

  According to the present invention, when performing a discount process for a discount target product with a product code and a discount code as a code symbol when performing the registration operation of the product, the symbol is displayed regardless of the discount target product. It is possible to prevent a situation in which the discount process is not performed due to a code reading failure or the like, and it is possible to reliably perform the discount process for the product.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The merchandise sales data processing apparatus of this embodiment is applied to a cash register which is a POS terminal used in a supermarket or the like.

  First, a merchandise sales form to which the merchandise sales data processing apparatus according to this example is applied will be described. In this sales mode, non-discounted products that are not discounted and discounted products that are eligible for discounting are sold together, and the buyer of the product can arbitrarily select non-discountable products and discountable products. Select and checkout.

  In this example, only the product barcode label for displaying the product code is attached to the non-discounted product, and the discounted product is discounted separately from the product barcode label 80 indicating the product code and the product barcode. A discount barcode label 90 displaying a discount code indicating a rate or a discount amount is attached (see FIG. 4).

  Next, the configuration of the merchandise sales data processing apparatus according to this example will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a cash register according to an embodiment. A cash register 1 disposed at a checkout location of a store includes a housing 2, and each part is accommodated in the housing 2, while each part is exposed to the outside of the housing 2. On the upper surface of the housing 2, a keyboard 3, a cashier display 4, a customer display 5, a receipt issuing port 6, and a bill holder 7 for temporarily placing bills deposited from customers are arranged. Yes. When viewed from the cashier who is the operator of the cash register 1, the cashier display 4 is located on the front, the keyboard 3 is located below, the receipt issuing slot 6 and the bill holder 7 are located on the left, respectively. It is organized so that product information can be easily entered. The customer display 5 is provided at a higher position than the cashier display 4 and is arranged so that it can be easily seen by the customer. Inside the housing 2, a printer 6a (see FIG. 3) for printing a receipt is provided. The printer 6a is a receipt / journal printer, which issues receipts in transaction units in accordance with merchandise sales data processing, and prints on journal paper in parallel.

  The cash register 1 is placed on a drawer 8 that is a device for storing coins and banknotes received from a shopper. A drawer 9 is provided inside the drawer 8 and is withdrawn to the front during the closing process and stores money received from the shopper.

  The cash register 1 is connected to a hand-held imaging device 10 that incorporates, for example, a CCD camera for imaging a predetermined area. A code symbol image is extracted from the image picked up by the image pickup device 10 by the image extracting unit 22 arranged in the cash register 1, and analyzed by the barcode decoder 23 to obtain information (see FIG. 2).

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a POS system in which cash registers are arranged. In this example, the cash register 1 includes a bar code processing unit 20 that reads bar code information from an image from the imaging device 10 in addition to a cash register unit 30 that realizes the original function of the cash register. The cash register 1 according to the above has a cache register unit 30 and a barcode processing unit 20 stored in the housing 2.

  Further, in the POS system in which the cash register 1 according to this example is arranged, the cash register 1 is connected to the store server 40. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the store server 40 is depicted as having only one cash register 1 connected thereto, but the cash register 1 may be connected to a plurality of store servers 40.

  In this example, the barcode processing unit 20 includes a barcode processing control unit 21 that controls the entire processing of the barcode processing unit 20, an image extraction unit 22 that extracts a barcode image from the image from the imaging device 10, and A barcode decoder 23 that acquires product information or code information that is discount information from the barcode image extracted by the image extraction unit 22, an imaging device interface 24 to which the imaging device 10 is connected, and the cash register unit 30. And a reading result output interface 25 for sending code information.

  The cash register unit 30 includes a cash register control unit 50 that performs overall control of the cash register 1, a first memory region 31 and a second memory region 32 that are used for calculation of a discount price, a sales buffer 33, and a barcode processing unit. 20 includes a read result input interface 34 for fetching the read result from 20, and a cash register interface 35 for exchanging data with the store server 40.

  Furthermore, the store server 40 includes a store server control unit 41 that controls the entire store server 40, unit price information of a product associated with a product code of a product to be sold, and whether the product is a discount target. A product database 42 including a product data file including discount discrimination information indicating the data, and a store server interface 43 that exchanges data with the cash register unit 30.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical connection of the cash register. In this example, the cash register unit 30 built in the cash register 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 51 that executes various operations and control of each unit, and a RAM that stores various data in a rewritable manner as the cash register control unit 50. (Random Access Memory) 53 and a ROM (Read Only Memory) 52 for storing computer programs and the like. In addition to the CPU 51, ROM 53, and RAM 53 on the bus line 57, the keyboard 3, the cashier display 4, and the customer The display 5, the printer 6a, and the drawer 8 are connected.

  The RAM 53 functions as various work areas such as the first memory area 31 and the second memory area 32 by using a function of storing variable data in a rewritable manner, and a sales buffer 33 and a print buffer are formed. Is done.

  Further, the cash register unit 30 includes a speaker 54 for outputting sound, a buzzer 55 for generating a beep sound, and a hard disk drive 56 for storing a processing program.

  Note that the code symbols recognized by the imaging apparatus 10, the image extraction unit 22, and the barcode decoder 23 according to this example are described in a plurality of types of code systems such as JAN and Code 128.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a product to which a product barcode label and a discount barcode label are attached. In this example, a product barcode label 80 and a discount barcode label 90 are affixed to a lid 71 of a lunch box 70 that is a discount target product. In this example, the product barcode label 80 displays a product barcode 83 together with a product name, price display 81, and expiration date display 82. The discount bar code label 90 displays a discount rate display 91 and a discount bar code 92.

  In this example, the imaging device 10 is a CCD camera, and by photographing a predetermined part of a product with the imaging device 10, as shown in FIG. 4, a certain area, for example, a product barcode label 80 and a discount barcode label 90 is obtained. The image of the area 101 including the above is acquired by the raster scan method. In addition, since the imaging apparatus 10 according to the present example is a handheld type, the range of the acquired image is not necessarily an area including the product barcode label 80 and the discount barcode label 90, but only the discount barcode label 90. May be an area 102 including only the product barcode 83 of the product barcode label 80, or may not include a barcode at all.

  As for the products to be imaged, in principle, the product barcode label 80 and the discount barcode label 90 are attached as a pair to the discount target product, and only the barcode label 80 is attached to the non-discount product. Yes. The product barcode label 80 and the discount barcode label 90 are not necessarily affixed in accordance with the above-mentioned principle, and the discount barcode label 90 may be affixed to a non-discount product or the discount bar code may be applied to a discount product due to a mistake. There may be various cases where the code label 90 is not attached.

  Here, various codes read by the imaging apparatus 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

  FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the product barcode 83. The merchandise bar code 83 is a 13-digit merchandise code number 84 encoded in the JAN format and converted into a code symbol, and a number indicating the merchandise code number may be printed together. In the example of FIG. 4, a product code number is not printed on the product barcode label 80. Note that the 13th digit is a check digit to prevent misreading.

  FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the discount barcode 92. The discount barcode 92 shown in FIG. 6A is a code symbol that is encoded in the Code128 format in combination with a flag 93 indicating a discount method and a discount amount 94a that is discount information 94 for discount processing. Yes, numbers indicating these pieces of information can be printed together. Note that the alphabetical character at the end is a check digit for preventing misreading in English based on the Code128 format. In the example of FIG. 4, no number is printed on the discount barcode label 90.

  A discount bar code 92 shown in FIG. 6B shows a flag 93, a discount rate 94b and an inspection number as discount information 94.

  Here, the flag 93 and the discount information 94 will be described. The flag 93 indicates whether the 4-digit number discount information 94 is a discount amount 94a or a discount rate 94b by “0” or “1”. For example, in FIG. 6A, since the flag 93 is “0”, the discount information 94 indicates the discount amount 94a, and “0100” indicates that the discount amount 94a is 100 yen. That is, the price is reduced by 100 yen from the unit price of the product specified by the product code number 84. On the other hand, in FIG. 6B, since the flag 93 is “1”, the discount information 94 indicates the discount rate 94b, and “0100” means that the discount rate 94b is 0.100, that is, 10%. The product code number 84 indicates a 10% discount for the unit price of the specified product.

  And the discount barcode label 90 is affixed with the product barcode label 80 in a state where the label of the discount barcode 92 is visible as shown in FIG.

  The merchandise sales data processing apparatus according to the present example is used for the merchandise with the two types of labels attached as described above.

  The product data file 110 is stored in the product database 42 of the store server 40. The product data file 110 stores the product name, unit price, and discount determination information corresponding to the product code number of each product. .

  FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a product data file. The product data file 110 stores a product name 112, a unit price 113, and discount determination information 114 in association with the product code number 111. The product data file 110 is developed and used in the RAM 53 when the cash register 1 is activated and when the cache register 1 is rewritten. The product data file 110 is automatically and sequentially updated by the store server control unit 41 that performs data communication with the cash register 1. In particular, the discount determination information 114 is updated as needed at the start of the discount. That is, the discount discriminating information 114 is rewritten before the merchandise bar code label 80 is attached to the merchandise and the merchandise discount is started.

  Next, processing performed by the CPU 51 of the cash register unit 30 based on a program stored in the hard disk drive 56 will be described.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an outline of merchandise sales data processing executed by the CPU. First, at the time of payment, an image is acquired by the imaging device 10, and the barcode is read by the barcode processing unit 20 (step ST10). Then, it is determined whether or not a discount is performed based on the read barcode (ST20). Discount processing is performed for products that should be discounted (ST30), and for products that are not discounted, normal processing is performed at a price specified by unit price 113 (ST40). Step ST50) is performed, and the tightening process (ST60) is performed based on the total amount processed.

  Next, barcode reading processing will be described.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a flow of barcode processing executed by the barcode processing unit 20.

  First, when the imaging device 10 reads an area to which the product barcode label 80 and the discount barcode label 90 are attached (ST101), a barcode area is extracted from the image read by the image extraction unit 22 for the read image (step 101). ST102). This extraction is performed by a known method such as scanning the acquired image data, extracting a change in shading of the area, and determining the barcode area.

  Next, data displayed by the barcode image is extracted from the barcode image by the barcode decoder 23 (ST103) and stored. After all the bar codes are extracted, the bar code data is sequentially sent from the reading result output interface 25 to the cash register unit 30 via the reading result input interface 34.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of merchandise sales data processing executed by the cash register.

The cash register unit 30 confirms that there is a product barcode (step ST201), and if there is no product barcode, error processing (step ST210) is performed. Next, the cash register control unit 50 stores the product code in the first memory area 31, acquires the unit price 113 in the product data file 110 expanded in the RAM 53 based on the product code, and obtains the first memory area 31. (ST204). At the same time, it is confirmed that the product of the discount determination information 114 is a discount target product, that is, the value is “1” (step ST205).
At this time, when the target product is a non-discount target product, that is, when the value of the discount determination information 114 is “0”, a normal process that does not perform the discount process is performed (step ST40).

  Further, the cash register control unit 50 confirms that there is a discount barcode (ST206), and stores the discount amount or discount rate obtained from the discount barcode in the second memory area 32 (step ST207). Then, the sales price is determined from the price stored in the first memory area 31 and the discount amount or discount rate stored in the second memory area 32 (step ST208), the product is registered in the product purchase list, and the sales are also made. The price is accumulated in the sales buffer 33 (ST209).

  Here, in this example, when the product is a discount target product with reference to the product barcode, that is, when the value of the discount determination information 114 is “1” but there is no discount code, a reading warning is given. (ST211). The reading warning can be performed by sound from the speaker 54 and the buzzer 55 or an image displayed on the cashier display 4. When the reading warning is generated in this way, the operator of the cash register 1 excludes the product from the purchase target product, visually checks the pasted state of the product barcode label 80 and the discount barcode label 90 of the product, and The image pickup apparatus 10 performs a predetermined process such as reading by changing the reading range, inputting a product price from the keyboard 3, and excluding the product from the purchase target.

  This reading warning process is performed when the discount barcode label 90 is not included in the image picked up by the image pickup apparatus 10, and it is considered that the region 103 in FIG. 4 is picked up. Such a situation also occurs when the discount barcode label 90 is not affixed to the product even though the discount discrimination information 114 of the product data file 110 is rewritten with a discount for the product as a discount target. In any case, in such a case, the purchaser purchases the discount target product without discounting. In this example, such a situation can be prevented in advance.

  Next, the discount processing of the sales price will be described.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the procedure for determining the selling price.

  In this example, the cash register control unit 50 determines whether the discount is discounted or the discount rate by determining the value of the flag 93 described in the discount barcode label 90 (step ST208-1). . That is, when the value of the flag 93 is “0”, a discount is performed on the price acquired immediately before by a discount amount (step ST208-2). On the other hand, when the value of the flag 93 is “1”, the price acquired immediately before is discounted by the discount rate (step ST208-3).

  That is, if the flag 93 is “0” and the discount information 94 is “0100” (see FIG. 6A), the discounted price is 100 yen discounted from the unit price of 500 yen to 400 yen. On the other hand, when the flag 93 of the read discount barcode 92 is not “0” but “1”, the discount information 94 of the discount barcode 92 indicates the discount rate 94b (FIG. 6B). (See), a process of subtracting an amount corresponding to the unit price discount rate 94b from the unit price of the product acquired immediately before. In other words, if the unit price is 500 yen and the discount rate 94b is “0100”, “0100” of the discount rate 94b indicates 10%. Therefore, 50 yen corresponding to 10% of 500 yen is reduced from the unit price 500 yen. A discount process for setting the price to 450 yen is executed.

  As described above, in this example, the product barcode label 80 and the discount barcode label 90 are attached to the product, both codes are read, and the product is a discount target in the discount determination information 114 of the product data file 110. In such a case, a discount process is performed on the price.

  In this case, when discount processing is executed or a new input is made from the keyboard, the product is added to the purchase list and the amount is stored in the sales buffer 33.

  Along with such processing, the cash register 1 generates a reading sound from the speaker 54 and the buzzer 55 and displays the product data such as the product name and unit price on the cashier display 4 and the customer display 5.

  The above-described processing is repeated until it is determined that the deposit / cash key on the keyboard 3 has been operated to declare the closing. In this example, in the closing process, print data composed of the total sales amount and the like is generated based on the product sales data stored in the sales buffer 33 of the RAM 53 and stored in the print buffer of the RAM 53. Further, a drawer opening signal is output to the drawer 8 and the drawer 9 is opened. The product sales data stored in the sales buffer is stored in the sales file of the product database 42. The print data is printed by the printer 6a and issued as a receipt from the receipt issuing port 6.

As a result, the series of operations is completed, and the next new process is executed. As described above, according to the cash register according to the present example, the discount target to which the product code and the discount code are attached as the code symbols. Product discount processing can be performed reliably, and by reading the discount code, it is possible to prevent the situation where products that should be discounted are sold without being discounted, reducing the loss of buyers. Can be prevented.

  In the above example, the case where an imaging device is used as a code reading device that reads a code symbol has been described as an example. However, a barcode scanner using a laser beam that has been conventionally used as a code reading device is used and is attached to a product. The bar codes may be read sequentially.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a flow of merchandise sales data processing executed by the cash register control unit according to the example using the barcode scanner.

  In this example, in the barcode reading process (ST10), barcodes are sequentially read (ST121), information is extracted from the read barcodes (ST122) and stored (ST123), and the stored information is cached. Assume that the processing shown in FIG. 10 (steps ST201 to ST211) and the processing shown in FIG. 11 (ST208-1 to ST208-3) are executed in the same manner as in the first example described above.

  This example can also prevent the purchaser's loss as in the first example.

  In each of the above examples, a hand-held image pickup device or a barcode reader is used for reading the barcode, but a fixed reader can be used. In the second example, when the information read from the bar code is processed, the bar code is accumulated and then sent to the cash register unit. However, as soon as the bar code can be read, the bar code is sent to the cash register unit. The subsequent processing may be performed on the cash register unit side.

It is a perspective view which shows the cash register which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the POS system by which a cash register is arrange | positioned. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a cash register. It is a schematic diagram which shows the goods on which the barcode is displayed. It is a schematic diagram which shows a goods barcode. It is a schematic diagram which shows a discount barcode. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the content of a goods data file. It is a flowchart which shows the outline of the merchandise sales data process which a cash register performs. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the barcode process which a barcode process part performs. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the merchandise sales data processing which a cash register performs.

It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a discount price determination process. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the merchandise sales data process which the cash register control part which concerns on another example performs.

Explanation of symbols

1 Cash register (product sales data processing device)
10 Imaging device (code reader)
83 Product Barcode 92 Discount Barcode 110 Product Data File 113 Unit Price 114 Discount Discrimination Information

Claims (3)

Means for detecting product data from information extracted from the read image;
Means for detecting discount information specifying discount content from the information;
The unit price information of the product corresponding to the detected product data and the product with reference to the product data file including the unit price information of the product associated with the product data and the discount determination information indicating whether the product is a discount target Means for obtaining discount discrimination information of
Means for calculating a discount price based on the unit price of the acquired product and the discount information when discount information is included in the information and the product is determined to be a discount target product by the discount determination information ;
When the pre-Symbol discount discrimination information the product is not to be discounted Shipping, means for setting a sales price based on the unit price information of the product included in the product data,
Means for issuing a warning when the product is a product to be discounted by the discount determination information and the discount information is not detected;
A product sales data processing apparatus characterized by comprising: The means for calculating the discount price is a discount based on a discount amount or a discount rate for the unit price of the acquired product based on a flag that determines whether to discount or discount at a discount amount included in the discount information. I do,
The merchandise sales data processing apparatus according to claim 1. A reading device for reading the image;
The reading device includes an imaging device that reads, as image information, an area where a code symbol in a product is arranged
An image extraction device for extracting a code symbol from the obtained image information;
The merchandise sales data processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

Images