KR20200022341A - Method and system for managing manless store - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for managing an unmanned store which can prevent theft and loss and the like of a product. The system for managing an unmanned store comprises: a product tag having product identification information of a product and attached to the plurality of products displayed on a sales stand; a display reader obtaining the product identification information from the product tag and detecting signal strength of the product tag; and a management server, as a management server, to which the signal strength, detected by the display reader, is applied, detecting a change in the signal strength of the product tag changed due to movement of the product or contact with regard to the product.

Description

Unmanned store management method and system {METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING MANLESS STORE}

Embodiments of the present invention relate to unattended store payment techniques.

Recently, a rise in labor costs has created a demand for a workforce reduction solution for self-employed workers, and the development of special purpose distribution channels such as small stores and large stores has increased the need for an unmanned settlement system.

Korea Registration Utility Model Publication No. 20-0433365 (2006.12.11)

An embodiment of the present invention is to provide a new technique for the management and payment of unmanned stores.

The unmanned store management system according to the spirit of the present invention includes a product tag having product identification information of a product and attached to a plurality of products displayed on a sales stand; A display reader for acquiring the product identification information from the product tag and detecting a signal strength of the product tag; And a management server to which the signal strength detected by the display reader is transmitted, wherein the management server senses a change in signal strength of the product tag that changes due to movement of the product or contact with the product.

When the change in the transmitted signal strength is detected, the management server may include an interest product storage unit that counts and records the interest of the corresponding product.

A payment reader for acquiring product identification information from the product tag and transmitting payment information including the obtained product identification information and product quantity information to the management server; Receiving payment start approval information from the management server that received the payment information, to obtain product identification information and product quantity information related to the payment, and placed on the checkout based on the product identification information and product quantity information related to the payment A payment terminal that calculates a total price of the product, obtains customer payment information from a customer, performs payment on the calculated total price of the product, and transmits a payment completion signal to the management server; When the payment completion signal is received by the management server, the product storage unit may count and record the purchase degree of the corresponding product.

It may further include a product detection unit for detecting the access or contact of the customer's product.

The interest product storage unit may detect the approach or contact by the product detection unit, and count and record an interest level for the product of which the change in the signal strength is detected.

The product detection unit may include at least one sensor of a motion sensor for detecting a motion approaching a product, an infrared sensor for sensing a motion approaching a product through infrared rays, and a weight sensor for sensing the weight of the product. .

The display reader may be provided to receive the product identification information of the product detected the approach or contact by the product detection unit from the management server, to detect the signal strength of the product tag with the received product identification information. .

And a photographing unit for photographing a customer accessing or contacting the product and transmitting the photographed information to the management server, wherein the management server generates customer's gender and age information from an image transmitted from the photographing unit. It can include;

The customer recognition unit may include a model storage unit for storing machine learning models in which relationships between face images of people stored in a database and gender and age of the people are pre-learned; And an information generator configured to generate gender and age-specific information of the customer through the machine learning model based on the face image of the customer recognized by the photographing unit. The interest product storage unit may include the counted interest and the The generated gender and age-specific information may be stored together.

An unmanned store management method according to the spirit of the present invention is a method performed in a computing device having one or more processors, and a memory for storing one or more programs executed by the one or more processors, the product identification information from the display reader Receiving signal strength information of a product tag; Detecting a change in signal strength based on the received signal strength information; If the change in the signal strength is detected, counting and storing the degree of interest of the product.

When the payment completion signal is received from the payment terminal for the goods for which the interest is counted, counting and storing the purchase degree of the corresponding goods; may further include a.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a product is scanned from a merchandise stand by a first scanner to identify a product that has been removed from the merchandise, and a product that is placed on the cash register is scanned by a second scanner to remove the merchandise from the merchandise. By checking whether the coincides with the payment and performing payment, even if there is no manager in the store, payment is possible for the product sold in the store, and theft and loss of the product can be prevented.

In addition, the interest and purchase degree of the goods displayed on the shelves are stored, thereby facilitating inventory management and supply of preferred products.

In addition, the interest of the product can be classified by gender and age, so that it is easy to grasp the purchase propensity and business rights analysis for various customer groups.

1 is a view showing the configuration of an unmanned shop management system according to an embodiment of the present invention
2 is a flowchart illustrating a method for managing an unmanned store according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a diagram showing the configuration of an unmanned shop payment system according to another embodiment of the present invention
4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for managing an unmanned store according to another embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a block diagram for illustrating and describing a computing environment including a computing device suitable for use in example embodiments.
6 is a view showing the configuration of an unmanned store payment system according to another embodiment of the present invention
7 is a flowchart illustrating a method for managing an unmanned store according to another embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a flowchart illustrating an unmanned store management method according to another embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a view showing the configuration of an unmanned store payment system according to another embodiment of the present invention
10 is a flowchart illustrating an unmanned store management method according to another embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a view showing the configuration of an unmanned shop payment system according to another embodiment of the present invention
12 is a block diagram of a management server of an unmanned shop payment system according to another embodiment of the present invention.
13 is a flowchart for explaining an unmanned store management method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following detailed description is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of the methods, devices, and / or systems described herein. However, this is only an example and the present invention is not limited thereto.

In describing the embodiments of the present invention, when it is determined that the detailed description of the known technology related to the present invention may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, terms to be described below are terms defined in consideration of functions in the present invention, and may be changed according to intention or custom of a user or an operator. Therefore, the definition should be made based on the contents throughout the specification. The terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing embodiments of the invention only and should not be limiting. Unless expressly used otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural forms of meaning. In this description, expressions such as "comprises" or "equipment" are intended to indicate certain features, numbers, steps, actions, elements, portions or combinations thereof, and one or more than those described. It should not be construed to exclude the presence or possibility of other features, numbers, steps, actions, elements, portions or combinations thereof.

In the following description, the terms "transfer", "communication", "transmit", "receive", and the like in the sense of a signal or information are not only to directly convey the signal or information from one component to another component, It also includes passing through other components. In particular, "transmitting" or "transmitting" a signal or information to one component indicates the final destination of the signal or information and does not mean a direct destination. The same is true for the "reception" of a signal or information. In addition, in this specification, "relating" two or more pieces of data or information means that if one data (or information) is obtained, at least a portion of the other data (or information) can be obtained based thereon.

In addition, terms such as first and second may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The terms may be used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another component. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first component may be referred to as the second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as the first component.

1 is a view showing the configuration of an unmanned shop management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the unmanned shop management system 100 may include a first scanner 102, a second scanner 104, a management server 106, and a payment terminal 108. The first scanner 102, the second scanner 104, and the payment terminal 108 are each communicatively connected with the management server 106 via the communication network 150.

In some embodiments, communication network 150 may comprise the Internet, one or more local area networks, wide area networks, cellular networks, mobile networks, other types of networks, or such networks. Combinations thereof.

The first scanner 102 can scan the goods 60 displayed on the merchandise. The first scanner 102 may be mounted in a location capable of scanning all goods 60 displayed on the merchandise in an unmanned store. When a plurality of sales stands are provided in an unmanned store, the first scanner 102 may be provided for each sales stand.

Here, the RFID tag 60a may be attached to each product displayed on the sales stand. The product identification information associated with the corresponding product may be recorded in the RFID tag 60a. The product identification information may include, for example, a product identification code, a product name, a product price, a product manufacturing date, a product distribution date, and manufacturer information.

The first scanner 102 may scan the goods 60 displayed on the merchandise according to a predetermined cycle and receive product identification information of the corresponding goods from the RFID tag 60a attached to each goods 60. The first scanner 102 may transmit the first scan information to the management server 106. Here, the first scan information may include merchandising identification information, merchandise identification information scanned at the merchandising station, merchandise quantity information for each merchandise, and the like. In an exemplary embodiment, an ultra high frequency (UHF) scanner may be used as the first scanner 102, but the type of the first scanner 102 is not limited thereto.

The second scanner 104 may scan the goods 60 placed on the cash register. The second scanner 104 may be mounted at a location capable of scanning goods 60 placed on the cash register in the unattended store. In an exemplary embodiment, the second scanner 104 may be arranged to scan the counter top according to a preset period. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the second scanner 104 may scan the product 60 placed on the checkout counter when the sensor (for example, a weight sensor or the like) detects that the product 60 is placed on the checkout counter. It may be. The second scanner 104 may transmit the second scan information to the management server 106. The second scan information may include product identification information and product quantity information scanned at the cash register. In an exemplary embodiment, an ultra high frequency (UHF) scanner may be used as the second scanner 104, but the type of the second scanner 104 is not limited thereto.

Management server 106 may be a server computing device for managing sales of unattended stores. The management server 106 may store product identification information of each product 60 arranged in an unmanned store. In this case, the management server 106 may store the product identification information and the product quantity information of each product 60 displayed on the sales floor for each sales floor in the unmanned store.

The management server 106 may compare the previously stored product-related information (product identification information and product quantity information for each store) and the first scan information to identify the product that has been removed from the store. That is, when the management server 106 receives the first scan information from the first scanner 102, the management server 106 checks the merchandise identification information included in the first scan information, extracts the merchandise identification information displayed on the merchandise, and extracts the extracted merchandise identification information. Commodity identification information and commodity identification information included in the first scan information may be compared to identify the commodity that has been removed from the sales floor.

In addition, the management server 106 may check whether the product identification information and the product quantity information of the product deviated from the merchandise and the second scan information (that is, the product identification information and the product quantity information scanned at the checkout counter) match. The management server 106 may transmit the payment start approval information to the payment terminal 108 when the product identification information, the product quantity information, and the second scan information of the goods separated from the sales floor match. That is, when a customer who visits an unmanned store coincides with the merchandise taken from the merchandise and the merchandise placed on the cash register, the management server 106 may transmit the payment start approval information indicating that the payment may be made to the payment terminal 108. .

The management server 106 may check whether the second scan information is received from the second scanner 104 within a predetermined time from the point of time when the product has been removed from the predetermined sales floor. When the second scan information is not received within the preset time, the management server 106 may transmit an alarm signal to a preset manager terminal (not shown).

When the management server 106 receives the payment completion signal from the payment terminal 108, the management server 106 may update the product stock information in the unmanned store. That is, when the management server 106 receives the payment completion signal from the payment terminal 108, it is determined that the goods deviated from the sales stand are sold and the product stock information (the number of products are displayed on which sales stand and how many The dog was sold, etc.).

The management server 106 may check whether the goods separated from the predetermined sales stand are displayed on the sales stand again. That is, after confirming that the product has been removed from the sales stand, the first scan information is received from the first scanner 102 and compared with the stored product related information. When included in the scan information (when it is determined that the product determined to have been removed from the sales floor is displayed on the sales floor again), the management server 106 may count and record the degree of interest of the customer with respect to the goods.

The payment terminal 108 may be installed near a cashier or cashier in an unmanned store. When the payment terminal 108 receives payment start approval information from the management server 106, the payment terminal 108 may provide a service for payment to the customer. Specifically, when the payment terminal 108 receives the payment start approval information, the product identification information and the goods related to the payment from any one of the first scanner 102, the second scanner 104, and the management server 106. Quantity information can be obtained.

The payment terminal 108 may calculate the total price of the goods placed on the checkout based on the product identification information and the product quantity information related to the payment. The payment terminal 108 may display the total price of the calculated product to the customer. The payment terminal 108 may acquire customer payment information (for example, credit card information, etc.) from the customer and proceed with payment for the total price of the calculated product. When the payment is completed, the payment terminal 108 may transmit a payment completion signal to the management server 106.

Meanwhile, the unmanned shop management system 100 may further include a third scanner 114 installed at the entrance of the unmanned shop. The third scanner 114 may be installed toward the interior of the driverless store at the entrance of the driverless store. The third scanner 114 may receive product identification information of the corresponding product from the product 60 recognized near the entrance of the unmanned store. The third scanner 114 may transmit the third scan information to the management server 106. The third scan information may include product identification information of a product recognized near a doorway of an unmanned store.

If the product deviated from the predetermined sales floor and the product included in the third scan information match, and the management server 106 does not receive the payment completion signal for the product from the payment terminal 108, the management server 106 An alarm signal may be generated to an administrator terminal (not shown). In addition, the management server 106 may lock the doorway of the unmanned store.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a product that is separated from a merchandise stand is scanned by scanning a merchandise of each merchandise through the first scanner 102, and a merchandise placed on the cash register is scanned by a second scanner 104. By checking whether or not the goods matched with the merchandise removed from the merchandise, payment is possible, even if there is no manager in the store, payment is possible for the merchandise sold in the store, and theft and loss of the product can be prevented.

On the other hand, the management server 106 is a complete list (product identification information and product quantity information) of the goods that have been removed from each sales stand of the unmanned store for a predetermined unit time (for example, 1 minute or 3 minutes, etc.) It is also possible to compare whether or not the entire list (commodity identification information and commodity quantity information) matches. In this case, when the total list of the products separated from each sales floor and the complete list of the paid products do not match during the predetermined unit time, the management server 106 may generate an alarm signal to the manager terminal (not shown).

That is, when a plurality of customers use the unmanned store at the same time, in order to prevent the loss or theft of the product, the entire list of the products that have been removed from each sales stand of the unmanned store for the predetermined unit time and the total list of the settlement products Can be compared.

In addition, the management server 106 may classify the products located within a predetermined distance among the products separated from the sales stand in the unmanned store into one product cluster. For example, the second scanner 104 may transmit the measured product distance information to the management server 106 by measuring a distance from the product tag 60a attached to the products 60 located near the checkout counter. The management server 106 may classify goods located within a predetermined distance based on the product distance information received from the second scanner 104 into one product cluster. Here, the products classified into a predetermined product group may be products owned by one customer. That is, the preset distance may be set to a distance in which one customer may carry a plurality of products.

The management server 106 may check whether the products classified into the same product cluster are completed within a predetermined time. The management server 106 may generate an alarm signal when all products classified into the same product group are not completely paid within a predetermined time.

In addition, the sales stand may be provided with a locking device for fixing the goods 60 to the mounting structure (not shown). The locking device may be provided to be unlocked when the payment for the corresponding product 60 is completed.

2 is a flowchart illustrating an unmanned store management method according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the flowchart shown, the method is divided into a plurality of steps, but at least some of the steps may be performed in a reverse order, in combination with other steps, omitted together, divided into detailed steps, or not shown. One or more steps may be added and performed.

Referring to FIG. 2, the management server 106 receives first scan information from the first scanner 102 (S 101). The first scan information may include merchandising identification information of a merchandise on which the first scanner 102 scans and merchandise identification information of goods scanned on the merchandise.

Next, the management server 106 compares the first scan information and the pre-stored product-related information to determine whether there is a product that has been removed from the sales platform (S 103).

When the management server 106 receives the first scan information from the first scanner 102, the management server 106 checks the merchandise identification information included in the first scan information and displays the merchandise identification information displayed on the merchandise in the pre-stored merchandise related information. The extracted product identification information and the extracted product identification information included in the first scan information may be compared to identify a product that has been removed from the sales stand.

As a result of checking in step S 103, if there is a product that has been removed from the sales floor, the management server 106 checks whether the second scan information is received from the second scanner 104 (S 105). For example, the management server 106 may check whether the second scan information is received from the second scanner 104 within a predetermined time from the time point of confirming the product deviated from the sales floor.

When the second scan information is received as a result of the checking in step S 105, the management server 106 determines the product identification information and the product quantity information of the product deviated from the sales stand and the product identification information and the product of the product included in the second scan information. It is checked whether the quantity information matches (S107).

As a result of the check in step S 107, when the product identification information and the product quantity information of the product deviated from the merchandise and the product identification information and the product quantity information of the product included in the second scan information match, the management server 106 is the payment terminal. The payment start approval information is transmitted to 108 (S 109).

Then, the payment terminal 108 calculates the total price of the goods placed on the checkout based on the product identification information related to the payment (for example, the product identification information of the goods placed on the checkout counter), and obtains customer payment information from the customer. You can proceed with payment. When the payment is completed, the payment terminal 108 may transmit a payment completion signal to the management server 106. The payment completion signal may include product identification information and payment price of the product on which payment is made.

Next, the management server 106 checks whether a payment completion signal is received from the payment terminal 108 (S 111). As a result of the check in step S 111, when a payment completion signal is received, the management server 106 determines that the goods deviated from the sales floor are sold and updates the product stock information (S 113).

On the other hand, if the second scan information is not received as a result of the check in step S 105, the management server 106 determines that the merchandise that has been removed from the sales floor based on the first scan information received from the first scanner 102. Check whether the display is again at (S 115).

As a result of checking in step S 115, when the goods separated from the sales stand are displayed on the sales stand again, the management server 106 counts and records the customer's interest with respect to the products which have been removed from the sales stand and displayed again (S). 117).

As a result of the check in step S 115, when the goods separated from the sales stand are not displayed again on the sales stand, the management server 106 receives the third scan information from the third scanner 114, and the goods separated from the sales stand. If the product identification information and the product identification information of the third scan information is identical to generate an alarm signal (S 119).

In this case, the management server 106 may generate an alarm signal by determining that the product that has been removed from the merchandise is leaving the unmanned store in the state where the payment has not been made. In addition, the management server 106 may lock the doorway of the unmanned store. In an exemplary embodiment, the management server 106 may lock the doorway until the goods released from the merchandise are completed.

If the product identification information and the product quantity information of the product deviated from the sales stand and the product identification information and the product quantity information of the product included in the second scan information do not match, the management server 106 is confirmed. May generate an alarm signal indicating that the product information for payment does not match (S 121).

3 is a diagram showing the configuration of an unmanned store payment system according to another embodiment of the present invention. Here, a description will be given focusing on the parts that differ from the embodiment shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 3, the unmanned store payment system 200 may include a first scanner 202, a management server 206, a customer terminal 210, and a payment server 212. The first scanner 202, the customer terminal 210, and the payment server 212 are each communicatively connected with the management server 206 through the communication network 250.

The first scanner 202 may scan the merchandise 60 displayed on the merchandise according to a predetermined cycle and receive product identification information of the corresponding merchandise from the RFID tag 60a attached to each merchandise 60. The first scanner 202 may transmit the first scan information to the management server 206. Here, the first scan information may include merchandising identification information and merchandise identification information scanned by the merchandise.

The customer terminal 210 may be a terminal possessed by a customer visiting an unmanned store. The customer terminal 210 may acquire or acquire a store code 70 provided in an unmanned store. Here, the shop code 70 may be, for example, in the form of a QR code, but is not limited thereto. For example, the store code 70 may be attached to a checkout counter in an unmanned store, but is not limited thereto.

The store code 70 may include address information of a web page that provides a list of products displayed in the driverless store. Therefore, when the customer terminal 210 obtains a store code, the customer terminal 210 may display a list of products displayed in the corresponding unmanned store.

The customer terminal 210 may generate payment request information based on product identification information, product quantity information, and customer payment information of a product selected by the customer according to the input of the customer. The customer terminal 210 may transmit payment request information to the payment server 212 to request payment for a product selected by the customer.

In an exemplary embodiment, a customer who visits an unmanned store acquires a store code 70 through the customer terminal 210, selects a product from a list of products displayed on the customer terminal 210, and proceeds to payment. You can take the product at. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a customer who visits an unmanned store obtains a product from a merchandise store, acquires a store code 70 at a cash register through a customer terminal 210, displays a product list, and selects a corresponding product from the displayed product list. You can also proceed with the payment. In this case, a customer can easily purchase a product through mobile payment in an unmanned store.

The payment server 212 may make a payment for a product selected by the customer according to the payment request information received from the customer terminal 210. When the payment is completed for the product selected by the customer, the payment server 212 may transmit a payment completion signal including product identification information and product quantity information of the product selected by the customer to the management server 206.

The management server 206 may provide a product list of products displayed in the unattended store as a web page at the request of the customer terminal 210. The management server 206 may receive first scan information from the first scanner 202. The management server 206 may compare the pre-stored product-related information (product identification information for each store) and the first scan information to identify a product that has been removed from the store. The management server 206 may check whether the product identification information and the product quantity of the product deviated from the merchandise and the product identification information and the product quantity information included in the payment completion signal match.

If the product identification information and the product quantity of the product deviated from the merchandise and the product identification information and the product quantity information included in the payment completion signal match, the management server 106 indicates that the customer has taken the product whose payment has been completed from the sales stand. (Ie, it is determined that the sale of the corresponding product is completed), and the product stock information can be updated.

If the product identification information and the product quantity of the product deviated from the merchandise and the product identification information and the product quantity information included in the payment completion signal do not match, the management server 106 may be arranged to generate an alarm in the unmanned store. Can be. In this case, an alarm means for receiving an alarm signal from the management server 106 and generating an alarm may be provided in the unmanned store. In addition, the management server 106 may transmit an alarm signal to a preset manager terminal (not shown).

In addition, the management server 206 may check the goods deviated from the sales desk through the first scan information, and may generate an alarm signal when the payment completion signal is not received from the payment server 212 within a preset time. .

4 is a flowchart illustrating an unmanned store management method according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the flowchart shown, the method is divided into a plurality of steps, but at least some of the steps may be performed in a reverse order, in combination with other steps, omitted together, divided into detailed steps, or not shown. One or more steps may be added and performed.

Referring to FIG. 4, when the management server 206 receives a request for the store code information from the customer terminal 210, the management server 206 transmits a web page on which the product list in the unmanned store is posted to the customer terminal 210 (S). 201). Here, the customer terminal 210 may photograph or scan the store code 70 provided in the unmanned store and transmit a request for the store code information to the management server 206.

Next, the management server 206 receives a payment completion signal including product identification information and product quantity information of the product selected by the customer from the payment server 212 (S 203).

Next, the management server 206 receives the first scan information from the first scanner 202 (S 205), and compares the first scan information and the pre-stored product-related information to determine whether there is a product that has been removed from the sales floor. Check (S 207).

As a result of the check in step S 207, if there is a product that has been removed from the sales floor, the management server 206 is the product identification information and product quantity information and the product quantity information contained in the product completion signal and the payment completion signal Check whether or not matches (S 209).

As a result of the check in step S 209, when the product identification information and the product quantity of the product which has been removed from the sales floor and the product identification information and the product quantity information included in the payment completion signal match, the management server 206 is the product which has been removed from the sales floor. The product is determined to have been sold and the product stock information is updated (S 211).

As a result of checking in step S 209, when the product identification information and the product quantity of the product deviated from the merchandise and the product identification information and the product quantity information included in the payment completion signal do not match, the management server 206 generates an alarm signal. (S 213).

5 is a block diagram illustrating and describing a computing environment 10 that includes a computing device suitable for use in the exemplary embodiments. In the illustrated embodiment, each component may have different functions and capabilities in addition to those described below, and may include additional components in addition to those described below.

The illustrated computing environment 10 includes a computing device 12. In one embodiment, computing device 12 may be a scanner device (eg, first scanner 102, 202, second scanner 104, third scanner 114, etc.). In addition, the computing device 12 may be a computing device for payment (eg, payment terminal 108, payment server 212, etc.). In addition, computing device 12 may be a device for management of an unmanned store (eg, management servers 106, 206, etc.).

Computing device 12 includes at least one processor 14, computer readable storage medium 16, and communication bus 18. The processor 14 may cause the computing device 12 to operate according to the example embodiments mentioned above. For example, processor 14 may execute one or more programs stored in computer readable storage medium 16. The one or more programs may include one or more computer executable instructions that, when executed by the processor 14, cause the computing device 12 to perform operations in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. Can be.

Computer readable storage medium 16 is configured to store computer executable instructions or program code, program data and / or other suitable forms of information. The program 20 stored in the computer readable storage medium 16 includes a set of instructions executable by the processor 14. In one embodiment, computer readable storage medium 16 may include memory (volatile memory, such as random access memory, nonvolatile memory, or a suitable combination thereof), one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash Memory devices, or any other form of storage medium accessible by computing device 12 and capable of storing desired information, or a suitable combination thereof.

The communication bus 18 interconnects various other components of the computing device 12, including the processor 14 and the computer readable storage medium 16.

Computing device 12 may also include one or more input / output interfaces 22 and one or more network communication interfaces 26 that provide an interface for one or more input / output devices 24. The input / output interface 22 and the network communication interface 26 are connected to the communication bus 18. The input / output device 24 may be connected to other components of the computing device 12 via the input / output interface 22. Exemplary input / output device 24 may include a pointing device (such as a mouse or trackpad), a keyboard, a touch input device (such as a touchpad or touchscreen), a voice or sound input device, various types of sensor devices, and / or imaging devices. Input devices, and / or output devices such as display devices, printers, speakers, and / or network cards. The example input / output device 24 may be included inside the computing device 12 as one component of the computing device 12, and may be connected to the computing device 12 as a separate device from the computing device 12. It may be.

The following describes an unmanned store management system according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the description, detailed description of duplicated description of the same configuration as the above-described configuration will be omitted. Prior to description, the first scanner may be referred to as the display reader 302. The second scanner may be referred to as payment reader 304.

6 is a view showing the configuration of an unmanned store payment system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The unmanned store management system 300 may count at least one of interest and purchase degree of the customer for the product 60.

The display reader 302 may scan the goods 60 displayed on the merchandise according to a predetermined cycle and receive product identification information of the corresponding goods 60 from the RFID tag 60a attached to each goods 60. . The display reader 302 may transmit the received product identification information to the management server 306. In this case, the product identification information may include merchandising identification information, merchandise identification information scanned at the merchandising station, and product quantity information for each merchandise. In an exemplary embodiment, the display reader 302 may be an Ultra High Frequency (UHF) scanner, but is not limited thereto.

The display reader 302 may acquire product identification information of the corresponding product 60 from the product tag 60a and detect the signal strength of the product tag 60a. When a customer approaches, touches, moves or leaves the merchandise 60, the signal strength from the merchandise tag 60a of the merchandise 60 may change. The display reader 302 may detect signal strength information of the product tag 60a. Signal strength information of the product tag 60a detected by the display reader 302 may be transmitted to the management server 306.

The payment reader 304 may scan the goods 60 placed on the cash register. The payment reader 304 may be mounted at a location capable of scanning the goods 60 placed at the cash register in the unmanned store. In an exemplary embodiment, the payment reader 304 may be arranged to scan the top of the cashier according to a predetermined period. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the payment reader 304 may scan the product 60 placed on the checkout counter when it is detected that the product 60 is placed on the checkout counter by a sensor (for example, a weight sensor). have. The payment reader 304 may transmit the scanned information to the management server 306. The payment information may include product identification information and product quantity information scanned at the cash register. In an exemplary embodiment, the payment reader 304 may use an ultra high frequency (UHF) scanner, but the type of the payment reader 304 is not limited thereto.

The management server 306 may receive the signal strength information of the product tag 60a detected from the display reader 302. The management server 306 may check whether the signal strength change of the product tag 60a is generated from the signal strength information of the received product tag 60a. That is, the management server 306 may detect a change in signal strength received from the display reader 302. Changes in signal strength can occur in time series. In addition, the change in signal strength detected by the management server 306 may include both the case where the signal strength becomes smaller or larger. Since the signal strength of the product tag 60a may change due to a customer moving around, or the wind, the management server 306 changes the signal strength more than the set size according to the set time of the product tag 60a. Can be detected. The set time and set size can be applied differently according to the sensitivity of the signal. The management server 306 may check the product 60 that the customer approaches, contacts, moves or moves away from the merchandise based on the signal strength change of the product tag 60a.

The management server 306 may include a product of interest store. When a change in the signal strength of the product tag 60a occurs, the management server 306 may count and record a customer's interest in the corresponding product 60 by counting the interest product storage unit. That is, any one of operations in which the customer approaches, touches, moves, or moves away from the merchandise 60 may be defined as an operation in which the customer is interested. The management server 306 may detect or manage a product of interest by detecting an operation of interest of the customer. The management server 306 may count the interest of the customer and count as the product of interest. The interest product storage unit may store the interest counted based on the change in signal strength together with the product identification information of the plurality of products 60.

The management server 306 may compare the information received by the display reader 302 with the pre-stored product-related information (product identification information and product quantity information for each store) and can identify the product that has been removed from the market. That is, when the management server 306 receives the information from the display reader 302, the merchandise identification information contained in the information is checked to extract the merchandise identification information displayed on the merchandise, and the extracted merchandise identification information and the received The product identification information included in the information may be compared to identify a product that has been removed from the sales stand.

In addition, the management server 306 checks whether the product identification information and the product quantity information of the goods separated from the merchandise and the information received by the payment reader 304 (that is, the product identification information and the product quantity information scanned at the checkout counter) match. You can check whether or not. The management server 306 may transmit the payment start approval information to the payment terminal 308 when the product identification information and the product quantity information of the product separated from the merchandise and the information received by the payment reader 304 match. That is, when a customer who visits an unmanned store coincides with the goods brought from the sales desk and the goods placed on the cash register, the management server 306 may transmit payment start approval information indicating that the payment may be made to the payment terminal 308. .

The payment terminal 308 may be installed near a cashier or cashier in an unmanned store. When the payment terminal 308 receives payment start approval information from the management server 306, the payment terminal 308 may provide a service for payment to the customer. In detail, when the payment terminal 308 receives the payment start approval information, the payment terminal 308 receives product identification information and product quantity information related to payment from any one of the display reader 302, the payment reader 304, and the management server 306. Can be obtained.

The payment terminal 308 may calculate the total price of the goods placed on the checkout based on the product identification information and the product quantity information related to the payment. The payment terminal 308 may display the total price of the calculated product to the customer. The payment terminal 308 may acquire customer payment information (for example, credit card information, etc.) from the customer and proceed with payment for the total price of the calculated product. The payment terminal 308 may transmit a payment completion signal to the management server 306 when the payment is completed.

The management server 306 may receive the payment completion signal and count and record the degree of purchase for the corresponding product 60. The interest product storage unit may store the counted purchase degree.

Through this process, a product or a product group having a high interest may be searched for a plurality of product or product groups, and a product or a product group having a high interest and a high purchase degree may also be searched for.

Hereinafter will be described the operation method of the unmanned store management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, the unmanned store management system 300 will be described how to count the degree of interest in the product.

7 is a flowchart illustrating a method for managing an unmanned store according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The display reader 302 may detect the signal strength of the product tag 60a attached to the product 60. Signal strength information of the product tag 60a detected by the display reader 302 may be transmitted to the management server 306 (S310).

The management server 306 may check whether the change in the signal strength of the received product tag (60a) (S320). When a change in the signal strength of the product tag 60a occurs (S321), the management server 306 may count and record the degree of interest of the product 60 to which the product tag 60a is attached. The interest degree of the product may be stored in the product identification information and the interest product storage unit (S330).

If a change in signal strength of the product tag 60a does not occur (S322), the management server 306 may determine that there is no contact or interest of the customer and may not count the degree of interest.

Next, a description will be given of how the unmanned store management system counts customer interest and purchase.

8 is a flowchart illustrating an unmanned store management method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

How to count the interest of the customer is the same as described above.

Thereafter, the management server 306 may receive the payment completion signal by the payment terminal (S340). When the payment completion signal is transmitted to the management server 306 (S341), the management server 306 may count and record the purchase degree of the product 60 with the product tag 60a is attached. Purchase degree of the product may be stored in the interest product storage unit for each product (S350). If the payment completion signal is not transmitted to the management server (306) (S342), the management server 306 may determine that the merchandise 60 is displayed on the merchandise again, and may not count the degree of purchase.

The following describes an unmanned store management system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

9 is a view showing the configuration of an unmanned store payment system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The unmanned store management system 400 may further include a product detection unit 410.

The product detection unit 410 may remove noise information on the change in signal strength of the product tag 60a. The product detecting unit 410 may generate customer access information when the customer approaches, touches, or moves the product 60, or moves away from the merchandise. The customer access information may include information about the product 60 that the customer accesses or contacts the product 60, moves the product 60, or leaves the sales floor. Since a customer accesses, contacts, moves the product 60, or moves away from the merchandise 60, etc., may be performed for a plurality of products, one customer access information is used to identify product identification information of a plurality of products. It may include. In addition, the customer access information may include product identification information of the product in which the customer's operation is performed and its surrounding products. The product detection unit 410 may transmit the customer access information to the management server 306.

The management server 306 may receive the customer access information from the product detection unit 410 and the signal strength change information of the product tag 60a from the display reader 302.

The management server 306 may identify at least one product 60 having a change in signal strength and at least one product 60 overlapping among the at least one product 60 included in the customer access information. When the signal strength change of the product tag 60a occurs from the plurality of products 60 due to the external environment, it may be difficult to know exactly the product 60 that the customer is interested in. The management server 306 may more accurately search for the product 60 of interest to the customer through the signal strength information by the display reader 302 and the customer access information by the product detection unit 410.

The management server 306 may count the degree of interest with information superimposed from the display reader 302 and the product detection unit 410, but is not limited thereto. For example, the customer access information about the product 60 or product groups in which the customer's approach or contact is made to the product detection unit 410 may be transmitted to the management server 306. The management server 306 may transmit a detection start signal to the display reader 302 to detect a change in signal strength with respect to the product 60 in which the customer access information is generated. The display reader 302 receiving the detection start signal may detect the signal strength of the product tag 60a for the corresponding products and transmit the signal strength to the management server 306.

As described above, the signal strength measurement from the display reader 302 and the generation of information on the access or contact of the customer of the product detection unit 410 may occur at the same time according to the control method, or may have a front and rear relationship.

The management server 306 may also change the signal strength, and count and record the degree of interest of the customer with respect to the products 60 to which the customer has made access or contact. The interest of the customer may be stored in the interest product storage.

The product detection unit 410 may include at least one sensor of a motion sensor, an infrared sensor, and a weight sensor.

The motion sensor may be disposed adjacent to the product 60 to detect a motion of a customer adjacent to the product 60.

The infrared sensor may detect a motion of a customer adjacent to the product 60 through infrared light.

A plurality of motion sensors and infrared sensors may be provided to detect a customer approaching by product or area, or may be provided on a display stand to detect a customer approaching a display stand.

The weight sensor may be disposed on the display rack to detect the weight of the goods 60 for each of the plurality of goods 60 or for each area. When a product 60 is detached from the display rack, the weight sensor positioned corresponding to the product detached from the display rack may detect a weight change due to the departure of the product.

As described above, the product detection unit 410 functions as an auxiliary configuration of the display reader 302 so that the degree of interest can be accurately checked.

Hereinafter, a method of operating an unmanned store management system according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described.

10 is a flowchart illustrating an unmanned store management method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The product detection unit 410 may detect whether the customer approaches, touches, moves, or leaves the product 60. That is, the product detection unit 410 may detect an operation on the product (S410). When the operation on the product is made (S411), the product detection unit 410 may generate customer access information. The product detection unit 410 may generate customer access information by detecting a motion of the customer or by detecting a deviation of the product 60 from the display rack by weight. The product detection unit 410 may transmit the customer access information to the management server 306 (S420).

The management server 306 may transmit a detection start signal for detecting the signal strength to the display reader 302 for the product having the customer access information or the generated product and the surrounding products including the same (S430).

The display reader 302 having transmitted the detection signal detects the signal strength of the product tags 60a of the products 60 which have received the detection start signal, and transmits the signal strength to the management server 306.

The management server 306 may detect a change from the signal strength information of the received product tag 60a (S440). When a change in signal strength of the specific product tag 60a occurs (S441), the management server 306 may count and record the degree of interest of the specific product 60 to which the product tag 60a is attached (S450). .

If an operation for a product is not detected (S412) or if a change in signal strength of the product tag 60a does not occur (S442), the management server 306 may not count the degree of interest.

However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the signal strength measurement from the display reader 302 and the information generation on the access or contact of the customer of the product detection unit 410 may be transmitted to the management server 306 without having a context. have. In this case, the management server 306 may check the overlapping product among at least one product having a change in signal strength and at least one product included in the customer access information, and the interest of the corresponding product may be counted and recorded. Of course, the signal strength measurement from the display reader 302 and the generation of information on the access or contact of the customer of the product detection unit 410 may occur in a context.

The management server 306 may also generate a change in signal strength, and the interest of the customer generated based on the products 60 to which the customer is accessed or contacted may be stored in the product identification information and the interested product storage unit.

The following describes an unmanned store management system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

11 is a view showing the configuration of an unmanned shop payment system according to another embodiment of the present invention, Figure 12 is a block diagram of a management server of the unattended shop payment system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The unmanned store management system 500 may further include a photographing unit 512.

The photographing unit 512 is configured to obtain an image of a customer approaching the product 60 through a photographing apparatus such as a camera or a camcorder. The photographing unit 512 may capture a still image or a moving picture of a customer approaching the product 60. The image photographed from the photographing unit 512 may be transmitted to the management server 506.

The management server 506 may include a customer recognition unit.

When the degree of interest of the product 60 is recorded, the customer recognition unit may classify and record the recognition, age, and gender of the image of the customer who has changed the signal strength of the product tag.

The customer recognition unit may include a model storage unit 506a and an information generation unit 506b.

The model storage unit 506a may store a machine learning model obtained by pre-learning a relationship between face images, gender, and age of people stored in a database. The images of people who are the learning basis of the machine learning model are described as face images, but are not limited thereto. For example, the image that is the learning basis of the machine learning model may include a whole body image.

Machine learning model can be generated by applying the algorithm based on the image information, gender, age information of people stored in the database can be generated. The database may store image information, gender, and age information of a plurality of people. The database may accumulate information of customers using the unmanned store management system. The machine learning model is updated with newly updated information, so that its accuracy can be improved.

The machine learning model may be generated externally and stored in the model storage unit 506a. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the management server 506 may generate a machine learning model based on information stored in a database therein.

The generation of the machine learning model may include algorithms such as logistic regression, support vector machines, gradient boosting, and random forest. If the machine learning about the image of the appearance of people, and the relationship between their gender and age information is satisfied, this is satisfied, and the type of algorithm applied is not limited.

The information generation unit 506b may generate the gender and age information of the customer from the image of the customer input by the photographing unit 512 by the machine learning model stored in the model storage unit 506a.

When the management server 506 counts and records the degree of interest, the management server 506 may record the gender and age information generated by the information generation unit 506b together. That is, the interest product storage unit 506c may store the product identification information, the interest of the corresponding product, the gender of the customer who increased the interest of the corresponding product 60, and the age information. Through this process, it is possible to find out which gender and age are of high interest by product.

Hereinafter, a method of operating an unmanned store management system according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described.

13 is a flowchart illustrating an unmanned store management method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The display reader 302 may detect the signal strength of the product tag 60a attached to the product 60. Signal strength information of the product tag 60a detected by the display reader 302 may be transmitted to the management server 506 (S510).

The management server 506 may check whether the change in the signal strength of the received product tag (60a) (S520). When a change in the signal strength of the product tag 60a occurs (S521), the image of the customer who caused the change in the signal strength may be captured by the photographing unit 512 (S530). An image of a customer approaching the photographed product 60 may be transmitted to the management server 506.

The information generation unit 506b may generate gender and age information of the corresponding customer through the previously learned machine learning model based on the image transmitted to the management server 506. (S540).

The management server 506 may count and record the degree of interest of the product 60 to which the product tag 60a is attached, together with the gender and age information of the customer generated by the information generation unit 506b. Interest and gender and age information of the customer may be stored together with the interest product storage unit (S550).

If there is no change in the signal strength of the product tag 60a (S522), the management server 506 may determine that there is no contact or interest of the customer, and may not count the degree of interest.

Although exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications can be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. . Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the embodiments described, but should be defined by the claims below and equivalents thereof.

100, 200: unmanned shop management system
102, 202: first scanner
104: second scanner
106, 206: management server
108: payment terminal
210: customer terminal
212: payment server
114: third scanner

Claims (11)

A product tag having product identification information of the product and attached to a plurality of products displayed on the merchandise stand;
A display reader for acquiring the product identification information from the product tag and detecting a signal strength of the product tag;
An unmanned store management system comprising: a management server to which the signal strength detected by the display reader is transmitted, the management server detecting a change in signal strength of the product tag that changes due to a movement of a product or a contact with the product. The method of claim 1,
The management server,
When the change in the signal strength transmitted is detected, the interest product storage unit counts and recorded the interest level for the product. The method of claim 2,
A payment reader for acquiring product identification information from the product tag and transmitting payment information including the obtained product identification information and product quantity information to the management server;
Receiving payment start approval information from the management server that received the payment information, to obtain product identification information and product quantity information related to the payment, based on the product identification information and product quantity information related to the payment placed on the checkout counter A payment terminal which calculates a total price of the product, obtains customer payment information from a customer, performs payment on the calculated total price of the product, and transmits a payment completion signal to the management server;
The interest product storage unit,
When the settlement completion signal is received by the management server, the degree of purchase of the product is counted and unmanned store management system. The method of claim 2,
Unmanned store management system further comprising; product detection unit for detecting the access or contact of the customer's product. The method of claim 4, wherein
The interest product storage unit,
The approach or contact is detected by the merchandise detection unit, unmanned store management system that records the interest in the product detected the change in the signal strength is recorded. The method of claim 4, wherein
The product detection unit,
An unmanned store management system comprising at least one of a motion sensor for detecting a motion approaching a product, an infrared sensor for detecting motion approaching a product through infrared rays, and a weight sensor for sensing the weight of the product. The method of claim 4, wherein
The display reader,
The unmanned store management system is provided to receive the product identification information of the product detected the access or contact by the product detection unit from the management server, to detect the signal strength of the product tag with the received product identification information. The method of claim 2,
And a photographing unit which photographs the customer accessing or contacting the product and transmits the photographed to the management server.
The management server,
And a customer recognition unit generating gender and age information of the customer from the image transmitted from the photographing unit. The method of claim 8,
The customer recognition unit,
A model storage unit for storing a machine learning model in which a relationship between face images of people stored in a database and sex and age of the people are pre-learned;
And an information generator for generating gender and age-specific information of the customer through the machine learning model based on the face image of the customer recognized by the photographing unit.
The interest product storage unit,
And the counted interest, the generated gender, and age-specific information are stored together. One or more processors, and
A method performed in a computing device having a memory that stores one or more programs executed by the one or more processors, the method comprising:
Receiving product identification information and signal strength information of the product tag from the display reader;
Detecting a change in signal strength based on the received signal strength information;
And counting and storing an interest level of a corresponding product when the change of the signal strength is detected. The method of claim 10,
And counting and storing a purchase degree of a corresponding product when a payment completion signal is received from a payment terminal with respect to the product of which the interest is counted.

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