JPH08190672A - POS system equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To simplify and speed up operations,
It also eases the congestion of shoppers and secures a smooth flow, improves services to shoppers, and prevents product damage.
(EN) Provided is a POS system device which does not require a price tag bar code of a product. [Configuration] Individual registration card 1 for identifying a shopper, a plurality of display shelves 2 for displaying products, a host computer 3 for controlling information from the display shelves 2 and for overall control of product registration, member registration, etc. A POS system device comprising a processing POS settlement terminal 4 and a newly registered product registration terminal 5, wherein the individual registration card 1 has a memory for receiving and writing sales data such as the type and number of products. In addition, the display shelf 2 has a shopper's individual recognition unit 21,
A data transmission unit 22 and a product change amount detection unit 23 are provided, and sales data is registered in the individual registration card 1 each time a product is withdrawn, and payment is performed only by reading the individual registration card 1.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

[Field of Industrial Application] The present invention is intended for mass retailers and specialty stores.
Regarding an OS (Point of Sales) system device and a physical distribution device for sorting and distributing a large amount of goods, especially as a POS system in a product sales store, sales data is possessed by the shopper each time the shopper pulls out a product from a product display shelf. The present invention relates to a technology effective when applied to a POS system device that is registered in an individual registration card, and all payments can be made only by reading the shopper's individual registration card at the time of payment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, as a conventional POS system device for a mass retailer, it is composed of a POS scanner device 101, a product price payment device 102, etc. as shown in FIG. 9, and an operator uses a laser scanner 103 of the POS scanner device 101. On the other hand, the products 105 in the shopping cart 104 are taken out one by one, the bar code 106 is illuminated, and the products 105 are transferred from the car 104 to the car 107 and read out after being read by the laser scanning line. It has become.

[0003]

However, in the POS system device as described above, it takes a very long time for the operator to read the bar code of each product in the car one by one with the laser scanner. ,
There is a problem that the settlement process does not flow smoothly due to congestion of shoppers.

Further, since each of the products is touched by hand, there is a possibility that a load collapses, the product is damaged, or the like, and there is a risk that the products are attached with bar codes for price tags. There is also a problem that it takes time.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems caused by the operation of the scanner, to simplify and speed up the operation of the POS system, and to alleviate the stagnation and congestion of the shopper to achieve a smooth flow. It is to provide a POS system device capable of ensuring the service, improving the service to the shopper, preventing damage to the product, and eliminating the need for the price tag bar code of the product itself.

[0006] In particular, as a service improvement for shoppers, a POS that does not violate the privacy of individuals, such as not letting others know what and how many were purchased in order not to take out each product from the car. A system unit can be provided.

[0007]

In the POS system device of the present invention, sales data is registered each time a shopper pulls out a product from a product display shelf in a product sales store, and this data is read by the POS terminal device at the time of payment. In order to be able to make payments by itself, the shopper is provided with an individual registration means for identifying the shopper himself and registering the sales data of the extracted product, and the product display shelf for detecting the product's modification It is provided with an individual identification means for identifying the means and the shopper.

Further, in order to enable transmission / reception between the individual registration means of the shopper and the individual identification means of the product display shelf, for example, a transmission function of transmitting an individual frequency to the individual registration means such as an IC card having a memory. In addition, the individual identification means is also provided with a transmission function for instructing registration of sales data such as the type and number of products when products are removed.

Furthermore, the type and number of products are detected based on the change in weight, shape, etc. by means of the increase / decrease sensing means of the product display shelves which are distinguished according to the type of product, and from which position the same product is extracted. In order to make a distinction, a balance mechanism incorporating a virtual address and a matrix function is provided.

[0010]

According to the above-described POS system device, the shopper is provided with the individual registration means, and the product display shelf is provided with the addition / reduction sensing means and the individual identification means, so that the shopper removes the product from the product display shelf each time. At the same time that the increase / decrease sensing means senses the decrease of the product, the shopper is identified by the individual identification means and the sales data is registered in the individual registration means of the shopper,
At the time of payment, all payments can be performed by reading the individual registration means of the shopper into the POS terminal device.

[0011] For example, the shopper receives an individual registration card as an individual registration means for specifying the shopper when entering the store, and the individual registration card has a transmission function of transmitting an individual frequency and a display shelf. When you remove the product,
That is, the shopper has a RAM memory that can be registered and written as sales data of the product when the shopper purchases the product, and a reception function of receiving a transmission signal emitted from the display shelf. Each time you do, you can register the type and number of products in the individual registration card.

[0012] On the other hand, the display shelf itself for displaying the product itself has an adjusting means for the product, that is, an equilibrium mechanism installed on the display shelf when the shopper purchases the product, for example, a plate 4
A strain gauge is installed on each side to detect the number of products by the weight balance on the board, or the wiring of the recessed part is formed by the pressure of the products placed on the matrix of A and B, which is prepared on the pressure sensitive material. It is possible to detect a change in weight, quantity, etc. by a mechanism that makes contact and thereby detects the quantity of goods by weight.

Alternatively, a CCD camera or a laser scanner is arranged at one end of the display shelf, and information such as the type, quantity, and number of products set according to the display shelf type is obtained by synthesizing images according to the shape of the product. In addition, the software that senses the position of the product is installed in the balance mechanism in consideration of the case where a large number of shoppers flood in at this time or the product is taken at the same timing. Can be monitored. Then, the sales data can be transmitted as signals to the individual registration card of the shopper to register.

A series of operations in this store are
It is carried out for each type of merchandise, each data is constantly counted in the host computer, and when the shopper finally makes the payment, the POS terminal device only needs to read the individual registration card of the shopper and Since the accumulation is performed, payment is made at the cashier section, and the product is delivered, the operator can operate the product without touching the product during this period. The individual registration card that has completed this settlement is collected on the spot and used as a registration card that issues a new individual signal for shoppers.

In addition, when a product is added to the display shelf on the store side, for example, a changeover switch provided on the display shelf is newly added to the host computer between the time the store is closed and the time when the store is opened. It is possible to correct the quantity of the added product and to replenish the display shelf with the product in this manner.

As a result, the problem of the operation time due to the scanner operation at the time of settlement as well as the problem of the flow of the settlement process due to the stagnant congestion of shoppers due to this is solved, and the operation of the POS system at the time of settlement is simplified. Also, by speeding up, it is possible to alleviate the stagnation and congestion of shoppers and ensure a smooth flow.

Further, since the operator does not touch the merchandise at all at the time of the settlement, the purchased merchandise is not known to others, and the privacy of the individual is protected to improve the service to the shopper. It is possible to prevent obstacles such as collapse of goods and scratches.

Further, since the change of weight, quantity, etc. is sensed by the product increase / decrease sensing means provided on the product display shelf, and at the same time, the type of product is set according to the type of display shelf. You can eliminate the need for anything like a price tag barcode.

[0019]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an outline of a POS system device which is an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an external view showing an outline of an individual registration card in the POS system device of this embodiment. 3, FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an outline of a product display rack, FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an outline of an equilibrium mechanism of the product display rack, and FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing an arrangement in a store to which the POS system device of this embodiment is applied. It is a block diagram.

First, the configuration of the POS system device of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

The POS system device of this embodiment is, for example, a POS system device of a merchandise selling store that picks up a desired product from a product display shelf where the shopper displays the product and purchases the product. Registration card 1 (individual registration means) for registering sales data with a plurality of display shelves, a plurality of display shelves 2 displaying products by type, and controlling information from each display shelf 2, and registering a product, a member It is composed of a host computer 3 that controls the entire registration and the like, a POS settlement terminal 4 that performs settlement processing, and a product registration terminal 5 that newly registers a product. The host computer 3 performs settlement by a credit card or the like. Bank of
It is connected to another terminal 6.

The individual registration card 1 is a card for identifying the shopper when the shopper enters the store, and the individual registration is made in the shop by this, and the shopper actually uses the individual registration card. While moving in the store with 1, the merchandise is taken out from the display shelf 2, and the sales data such as the kind and number of merchandise required is sequentially registered in the individual registration card 1 to carry out shopping.

The individual display sections 2 receive the individual frequencies transmitted from the individual registration cards 1, respectively, and the individual recognition sections 2 receive the individual frequencies.
1 (individual identification means) is provided, and at the same time when an individual is recognized by the individual recognition unit 21, data for reversely transmitting to the individual registration card 1 and registered as sales data when a product on the display shelf 2 is purchased. A transmitter 22 is provided. The data transmission unit 22 includes an adjustment sensing unit 23 that senses the number of products by weight balance when the products are removed.
(Adjustment sensing means), and the addition / subtraction sensing unit 23 and the individual recognition unit 21 are connected to the host computer 3.

The host computer 3 has an individual recognition registration section 3 for controlling information from each display shelf 2.
1. The quantity addition / subtraction calculation unit 32 is provided, and new registration of a product is input from the product registration terminal 5 via the product registration unit 33, and all of this information is controlled by the calculation unit 34. This operation unit 34 finally performs the payment P
It is connected to the OS settlement terminal 4 and is also connected to the bank / credit / other terminal 6 for making payment by a credit card or the like via the member registration unit 35.

The POS settlement terminal 4 is a terminal device for settlement of shopping items in a store. The POS settlement terminal 4 simply reads the individual registration card 1 in which the sales data is registered, and the computing unit of the host computer 3 is read. Data transfer to and from 34 provides all payment by the shopper.

The merchandise registration terminal 5 is used for registering a new merchandise, adding a merchandise to the display shelf 2, and the like.
This is a terminal device for inputting the quantity and the like, and from this product registration terminal 5, registration of new products through the product registration unit 33 of the host computer 3 and replenishment of products to the display shelf 2 are carried out. When this product is added, the quantity of the host computer 3 is corrected by, for example, a changeover switch provided on the display shelf 2.

The bank / credit / other terminal 6 is a terminal device when paying for the payment of a purchase using a credit card such as a bank or a credit company, and through the member registration section 35 of the host computer 3, the bank or the credit company. The customer's bank number, credit sales, and other terminals 6 are accessed to inform the shopper's member number, settlement amount, and the like.

Here, the individual registration card 1 and the display shelf 2 which are the features of the POS system device of this embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, respectively.

The individual registration card 1 is an IC having a memory in which sales data of merchandise can be written as shown in FIG.
In the form of a card, the individual registration card 1 has a transmission function unit 11 for transmitting an individual frequency so that an individual at the store can be recognized. In addition, there is a shopping information reception function unit 12 that receives a signal back-transmitted from the display shelf 2 as sales data such as the type and number of products when the product is purchased.
Sales data is registered at any time.

On each of the display shelves 2, as shown in FIG. 3, the increase / decrease sensing unit 23, that is, the shopper stores the product 24a,
A balance mechanism 25 is provided to detect the number of products 24a and 24b by a change in weight when the products 24a and 24b are removed in order to purchase 24b.
Sales data such as the type and number of products 24a and 24b sensed by 5 are processed by the host computer 3, and again sent as a signal from the sales transmitter 26 of the data transmitter 22 to the individual registration card 1 to be registered.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the balance mechanism 25 mounted on each display shelf 2 is provided with strain gauges 252a to 252d on four sides of the plate 251, respectively, and the strain gauges 252a to 252d on the plate 251 are connected to each other. The weight balance allows the quantity of the products 24a to be detected.

Further, software for detecting the position of the product 24a on the display shelf 2, that is, the display, is taken into consideration in the case where a large number of shoppers flood one display shelf 2 or the product 24a is removed at the same timing. The plate 251 of the balance mechanism 25 mounted on the shelf 2 has a virtual address, for example, a strain gauge 25.
Codes A to D are arranged on 2a to 252d, respectively, and the position is read by the position detector 253 with the addresses as addresses.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described in the case where the shopper actually purchases the product in the store layout shown in FIG.

First, the shopper receives the individual registration card 1 for identifying the shopper when entering the store. As a result, individual registration is made at this store. And
The shopper having the individual registration card 1 moves, for example, as shown by the dotted line in the figure, and sequentially pulls out the necessary products from the display shelves 2 of A to J and put them in the shopping cart.

At this time, a series of work for extracting the products from the display shelf 2 is carried out for each kind of the products displayed on the display shelves 2 of A to J, and sales data such as the number of products for each kind of the product. Is constantly counted by the host computer 3, and is transmitted from the sales transmitter 26 of the data transmitter 22 to be registered in the individual registration card 1.

When a large number of shoppers rush into one display shelf 2 or when goods are taken out at the same timing, virtual images based on the symbols A to D arranged on the plate 251 of the balancing mechanism 25 are used. Even if a large number of shoppers pull out the products at the same timing at one time, it is possible to determine which shopper picked up the product from which position by the address.

When all the shopping is completed and the shopper finally makes the payment, the POS payment terminal 4 reads the individual registration card 1 of the shopper, whereby the payment of all the shopping can be carried out. As a result, the operator can complete the settlement without touching the merchandise as in the past.

After that, the shopper pays the amount of the purchased merchandise at the cashier section of the POS settlement terminal 4 and further receives the merchandise to complete the work from the shopping to the settlement. At the end of this settlement, the shopper returns the individual registration card 1, and the individual registration card 1 is operated again for a new shopper.

When paying by a credit card or the like in the payment of the shopping, the member registration unit 35 of the host computer 3 contacts the bank / credit sales / other terminal 6 to perform the payment processing at the bank or the credit sales company. Is done.

Therefore, according to the POS system device of the present embodiment, the shopper takes the necessary product from the display shelf 2 provided with the individual recognition section 21, the data transmission section 22 and the adjustment detection section 23 and possesses it. Just by loading the individual registration card 1 into the POS settlement terminal 4, the operator can easily perform the settlement operation and speed up the settlement process, eliminating congestion and smoothing the flow of shoppers. Can be

Further, since the operator does not have to take out each of the products from the basket, the shopper does not know the products purchased by others, and the products are not touched further, and the load collapses and is damaged. It does not cause problems such as.

Furthermore, since the change of weight, quantity, etc. is sensed by the product increase / decrease sensing unit 23 provided on the product display shelf 2, the product type is set at the same time according to the type of the display shelf 2, so that the product itself. No need for anything like a conventional price tag barcode.

(Embodiment 2) FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b) are a structural view and a sectional view of an essential part showing an outline of a balancing mechanism of a product display rack in a POS system device according to another embodiment of the present invention. is there.

Like the first embodiment, the POS system device according to the present embodiment is a product sales store type P in which a shopper pulls out a desired product from a product display shelf for displaying the product and purchases the product.
The OS system device is different from that of the first embodiment in that a plurality of display shelves 2 that display products according to types are provided with an increase / decrease sensing unit 23 (adjustment / decrease sensor) that senses the number of products by weight balance when the products are removed. Balancing mechanism 25 for sensing means)
The structure of a is different.

That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the balance mechanism 25a in the adjustment sensor 23 of the present embodiment has a pressure sensitive material 254.
Due to the heavy pressure of the product 24b placed on the matrixes 255a and 255b that have been assembled into the
This is a mechanism for detecting a change in weight, quantity, etc. by contacting the wiring a, and the quantity of each type of the product 24b can be known by the change in weight.

At this time, in consideration of a case where a large number of shoppers are rushing into one display rack 2 or the product 24b is removed at the same timing, for example, the matrix 255a,
The symbols A, B to Z, and 1, 2 to 0 are arranged on 255b, respectively, and the matrix function is incorporated so that the position is represented by the intersections thereof, and many shoppers are the same at one time. The position detector 256 can read the product 24b when the product 24b is pulled out at a timing.

Therefore, according to the POS system device of the present embodiment, the pressure sensing material 254 of the balancing mechanism 25a has a matrix function in which the position of the intersection is represented as an address, so that the balancing mechanism 25a of the adjustment sensor 23 can be operated. Although the structure is different, as in the first embodiment, the operator's settlement operation is simplified and speeded up, and the stagnation and congestion of the shoppers are alleviated to ensure a smooth flow, improving the service to the shoppers, and further improving the products. Prevents damage to the product and eliminates the need for the product's own price tag barcode.

(Embodiment 3) FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the outline of a product display shelf using a CCD camera in a POS system apparatus which is still another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing the mechanism of image composition. Is.

The POS system device of the present embodiment is a POS system device of a merchandise selling store that picks up a desired product from the product display shelf where the shopper displays the product and carries out the shopping, as in the first and second embodiments. The difference from the first and second embodiments is that a plurality of display shelves 2a that display products by type.
Is different in structure, and instead of sensing the weight balance when the product is removed, it senses a change in shape by the CCD camera.

That is, in the display shelf 2a of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, two CCD cameras 27a and 27b are arranged on both sides of the upper portion, and the CCD cameras 27a and 27b are arranged.
The image obtained in b is synthesized by the image synthesizer 28, and the product 2
The positions of 4a and 24b are deciphered, and a determination is made when a large number of shoppers pull out the products 24a and 24b at the same time.

In the image synthesizer 28, as shown in FIG. 8, the image A captured by the CCD camera 27a and the CCD
Two images, image B from camera 27b, are combined,
That is, the point where the addresses of the images A and B match is recognized as the position of the product 24a.

Therefore, according to the POS system device of the present embodiment, two CCD cameras 27a and 27b are used, and the point where the images of the CCD cameras 27a and 27b coincide with each other is represented as an address, so that the shape is improved. As in the case of the first and second embodiments, the operator can simplify and speed up the settlement operation as well as alleviate the stagnation and congestion of the shopper to ensure a smooth flow and provide the service to the shopper. It is possible to improve the product, prevent damage to the product, and eliminate the need for the product price tag barcode.

It is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, in the POS system device of the above-described embodiment, the case where the number of each type of product is detected by the change in weight by the strain gauge or the pressure sensitive material or the change in shape by the CCD camera has been described. The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, but can be widely applied to the case of sensing by the change of color.

The display shelves, the structure of the balancing mechanism, the layout of the stores, etc. are not limited to those shown in FIGS. 3 to 7. For example, the shape of the plate may be changed to increase the number of strain gauges or the CCD. It goes without saying that various changes can be made, such as increasing the number of cameras and sensing the change of products three-dimensionally.

In the above description, the invention made by the present inventor was mainly applied to a POS system device for a store such as a mass sales store or a specialty store, which is the field of use thereof, but the present invention is not limited to this. Instead, it can be widely applied to physical distribution devices for sorting and distributing a large amount of goods, order systems for restaurants, etc., and systems for unmanned stores such as vending machines.

[0058]

According to the present invention, all the settlements can be performed by loading the shopper's individual registration means into the POS terminal at the time of settlement, so that the POS system can be simplified to speed up the operation. It is possible to ease the congestion of shoppers and secure a smooth flow.

Further, according to the present invention, since the operator never touches the product at the time of settlement, it is possible to prevent the product from collapsing, being damaged, and the like. Since it is not known to the public, it is possible to improve the service to shoppers by protecting privacy.

Further, according to the present invention, the change of weight, shape, etc. is sensed by the product addition / reduction sensing means provided on the product display shelf, and at the same time, the product type is set according to the display shelf type. It is possible to dispense with anything similar to a price tag barcode.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an outline of a POS system device which is Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external view showing the outline of an individual registration card in the POS system device of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing an outline of a product display shelf in the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing an outline of an equilibrium mechanism of a product display shelf in the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an arrangement in a store to which the POS system device according to the first embodiment is applied.

6 (a) and 6 (b) are a configuration diagram and a cross-sectional view of an essential part showing an outline of a balancing mechanism of a product display shelf in a POS system device which is Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram showing an outline of a product display shelf using a CCD camera in a POS system device which is Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a mechanism of image combination in the third embodiment.

FIG. 9 is an external perspective view showing the outline of a POS system device which is an example of a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Individual registration card (individual registration means), 2, 2a ... Display shelf, 3 ... Host computer, 4 ... POS settlement terminal, 5
... commodity registration terminal, 6 ... bank / credit / other terminal, 11 ... transmission function unit, 12 ... shopping information reception function unit, 21 ... individual recognition unit (individual identification means), 22 ... data transmission unit, 23 ... adjustment detection unit (Adjustment sensing means), 24a, 24b ... Product, 25,
25a ... Balance mechanism, 26 ... Sales transmitter, 27a, 27b
... CCD camera, 28 ... Image synthesizer, 31 ... Individual recognition registration unit, 32 ... Quantity adjustment unit, 33 ... Commodity registration unit, 34
... operation unit, 35 ... member registration unit.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A POS system device in a merchandise store where a shopper picks up a desired product from a product display shelf for displaying a product and carries out shopping, and the shopper identifies the shopper himself, And the individual registration means for registering the sales data of the sampled goods is provided, and the product display shelf is provided with an increase / decrease detection means for detecting the increase / decrease of the product and an individual identification means for specifying the shopper, Each time a shopper pulls out a product from the product display shelf, the adjustment sensing unit senses the decrease of the product and at the same time identifies the shopper by the individual identification unit and sells the sales data to the individual registration unit of the shopper. A POS system device, characterized in that, at the time of registration and payment, the shopper's individual registration means is read into a POS terminal device for payment. 2. The POS system device according to claim 1, wherein the shopper's individual registration means is an IC card having a memory in which the sales data of the product can be written, and the individual registration means has an individual Is provided with a transmission function of transmitting an individual frequency for identifying the product display, and the individual display means of the product display shelf emits a transmission signal unique to the product when the product is removed. A transmission function is provided for instructing registration of sales data such as to the individual registration means possessed by the shopper, and it is possible to transmit and receive between the individual registration means of the shopper and the individual identification means of the product display shelf. A POS system device characterized by the following. 3. The POS system device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the product display shelves are distinguished by the type of product, and based on a change in weight, shape, etc. by each adjustment sensing means of the product display shelves. It is equipped with a balance mechanism that incorporates a virtual address and a matrix function to detect the type and number of products, and to determine from which position the same product was extracted.
OS system device.