JP2004258976A - Input method for shelf address in shelf management system and shelf management system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an input method of a shelf address capable of setting a shelf address(three items such as a shelf number, step number, and column order) at random. <P>SOLUTION: A merchandise code displayed at the display position of merchandise is read by a scanner, and any of propagating waves, such as ultrasonic waves, infrared rays and radio waves or some of those propagating waves are outputted, and the position to which the propagating waves are outputted is detected, and the shelf address of the merchandise is set based on the read merchandise code and the detected position. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a shelf management system that analyzes and manages the display position of each product when selling the product on a product display shelf at a retail store such as a supermarket.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In general, in a shelf management system for commodities performed in a retail store such as a supermarket, analysis is performed based on shelf position data (shelf number, stage number, column order, number of faces, etc.) in which each commodity is displayed to determine whether there is any problem in the arrangement position. , Can be managed.
In order to use this shelf management system, it is necessary to first input the shelf position data of each product. Conventionally, after inputting the shelf number and the stage number, the product displayed on each stage of the product display shelf is displayed. Shelf position data is input by scanning bar codes in order for each row.
[0003]
That is, the merchandise codes of the displayed merchandise are read in a predetermined order, the read merchandise code string is input to a computer system, and the computer system obtains merchandise display position data from the predetermined reading order information, and based on the obtained merchandise display position data. Product management information is output (for example, see Patent Document 1).
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent No. 2978514 [0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the input method described in Patent Document 1 described above, if scanning of a barcode of a product displayed on a product display shelf has failed, the order is shifted and all of the data of the subsequent product is incorrectly input. Become. That is, there is a problem that it is easy to make a mistake.
[0006]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems of the related art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method of inputting a shelf address that can randomly set a shelf address.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The technical means taken by the present invention to achieve the above object is to store a product code, a shelf address, and other information for each product displayed on the product display shelf and to manage the shelf address for performing shelf management. In the input method, a step of causing a scanner to approach a product code displayed at a display position of the product, and reading the product code by approaching the scanner, and any of propagating waves such as ultrasonic waves, infrared rays, radio waves, and the like. Outputting a plurality of propagation waves from the position of the scanner; detecting a position where the propagation waves are output; and setting a shelf address of a corresponding product based on the read product code and the detected position. And (Characteristic 1)
The product code read by the scanner described above is not limited to the shelf label displayed on the product display shelf, but may be a bar code printed label directly attached to the front of the display shelf or a product label attached to the product, Further, the present invention is not limited to the barcode, and may be an OCR character or a two-dimensional code.
According to the above method, when the commodity code displayed at the display position of the commodity is read by the scanner, the propagation wave is output from the scanner, and the position where the propagation wave is outputted is detected. Then, the shelf address is set based on the product code read by the scanner and the position information at which the product code is read, so that the shelf address for shelf management is randomly determined regardless of the order of the shelf row and shelf. Can be set.
[0008]
Further, a shelf management system that stores a product code, a shelf address, and other information for each product displayed on a product display shelf and performs shelf management includes a scanner unit that reads a product code displayed at a product display position. A portable reading unit having an output unit for outputting any one of the propagation waves such as ultrasonic waves, infrared rays, and radio waves or a plurality of the propagation waves when reading by the scanner unit; and the portable reading unit outputs the propagation wave. And a setting means for setting a shelf address of the product based on the product code read by the portable reading device and the position detected at that time. (Claim 2).
The scanner unit for reading the product code included in the portable reading means uses a reader corresponding to the product code system, and the information corresponding to the product code is displayed in a non-coded form, that is, a symbol such as a letter or a number. In such a case, an OCR (Optical Character Reader) or the like is used.
Further, the position detecting means for detecting the position at which the portable reading means outputs the propagation wave selects and uses a sensor corresponding to the propagation wave to be used. The detecting means is not limited to the use of a plurality of propagating waves having different speeds, and may be a detecting means using one kind of propagating waves. The position of the output source (portable reading means) is specified based on the time difference.
According to the above configuration, the reading position is detected by reading the product code at the product display position by the scanner unit, and the shelf address can be set based on the detected position information and the read product code. Thereby, the setting operation of the shelf address can be made random, and the setting operation can be easily performed.
[0009]
The position detecting means in the above system may be provided for each product display shelf, and a shelf number may be assigned to each of them. With this configuration, accurate position detection can be performed with an inexpensive configuration even when a plurality of merchandise display shelves are present and the position exceeds two dimensions.
Further, the position detecting means may be configured by arranging a plurality of sensors at an end on the front surface of the product display shelf (claim 4). Thereby, the propagation wave can be directly detected, and the sensor does not hinder the customer from taking out the product from the product display shelf.
[0010]
Further, when the shelf code is set by the setting unit, if the read product code does not exist in the product file, the product code may be set (claim 5). Thereby, for a new product, a product code is set, so that workability can be improved.
[0011]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an external view showing an outline of an apparatus in which a shelf management system of the present invention is applied to a product display in a supermarket. In the figure, 1 is a product display shelf, 2 is a product displayed on the display shelf 1, and An electronic shelf label attached to the front of the shelf, and a product code such as a bar code is displayed on the electronic shelf label 2. Reference numeral 3 denotes a portable reading unit having a scanner unit 3a for reading a product code displayed on the electronic shelf label 2 and an output unit 3b for outputting a propagation wave. Reference numeral 4 denotes an output unit 3b of the portable reading unit 3 for outputting a propagation wave. The position detecting means 4 is disposed at an end of the front surface of the product display shelf 1. Reference numeral 5 denotes a wireless device arranged on a ceiling in a store.
[0012]
The product display shelf 1 is formed with a plurality of stages in a vertical direction in order to display a plurality of products in a multi-stage manner, and furthermore, in each stage, a row indicating a display position for each type of product is divided in a horizontal direction. Have been. That is, the product display shelf 1 is configured such that display positions can be specified in a matrix form by “tiers” and “rows”.
[0013]
A 7-segment display 2a for each product, a shelf label 2b on which a bar code representing the product code and a product name are printed in front of each display position specified by the "stage" and "row" of the product display shelf 1. An electronic shelf label 2 is provided, which is configured to be able to communicate with a shelf label controller 6 via a wireless device 5 by radio or infrared as shown in the system diagram of FIG. It is configured to receive, store, and display product data such as a unit price transmitted from the bill controller 6.
Since the electronic shelf label 2 has a label 2b on which a bar code representing a product code and a product name are printed, the electronic shelf label 2 is also moved when rearranging the products.
[0014]
As shown in FIG. 1 (b), the portable reading means 3 is provided with a scanner section 3a for reading a product code displayed on a shelf label 2b of the electronic shelf label 2 on the back side of the front end of the main body 3 '. Is provided with a display unit 3c and an operation unit 3d such as a numeric keypad, and an output unit 3b for outputting a propagation wave is provided on a side surface of the main body 3 '.
The position of the output unit 3b is a position at which the scanner unit 3a outputs a propagation wave toward the end of the product display shelf 1 when the scanner unit 3a is in a posture of reading a bar code representing a product code.
The output section 3b includes an ultrasonic output section 3b 'for outputting ultrasonic waves of a predetermined wavelength and an infrared output section 3b "for outputting infrared rays of a predetermined wavelength.
Thereby, the position detecting means 4 installed at the front end of the product display shelf 1 is composed of ultrasonic sensors 4a and 4b for detecting ultrasonic waves and an infrared sensor 4c for detecting infrared rays. , 4b are installed at the upper and lower ends, and an infrared sensor 4c is installed between the upper and lower ultrasonic sensors 4a and 4b.
[0015]
As shown in the electric block diagram of FIG. 5, the portable reading means 3 is connected to a CPU 7 for controlling each block of the portable reading means 3 via a bus 8, a ROM 9, a RAM 10, a display unit 3c, an operation unit 3d, The communication unit 11, the scanner unit 3a, the ultrasonic output unit 3b ', and the infrared output unit 3b "are connected to each other.
The ROM 9 stores various programs executed by the CPU 7.
The RAM 10 stores flags and registers for the CPU 7 to operate or execute, as well as product numbers, unit price data, and the like as product data.
The display unit 3c includes a liquid crystal display, and displays read information, input information, and the like.
The operation section 3d can operate the reading means and input information, such as a numeric keypad and a function key.
The wireless communication unit 11 is a functional part that wirelessly communicates with the shelf position input controller 12, and a frequency different from the frequency at which the electronic shelf label 2 communicates with the shelf label controller 6 via the transceiver is set.
[0016]
FIG. 2 is a system diagram of the above-mentioned shelf management system. A management device 13 having a server function is connected to a cashier 14, a shelf label controller 6, and a shelf position input controller 12 via a LAN. By storing a product file 17 storing a plurality of product data such as unit prices, unit prices, display positions, sales, stocks, and the like of each product are managed.
As shown in FIG. 3, the product file stored in the management device 13 is a product code, a shelf number, a row, a row, and the number of faces for each product (displaying how many times the display width is the minimum width, for example, , "2" for two columns), product name, unit price, shelf label number, and the like. The sum of the three items of "shelf number", "stage", and "column" is referred to as a "shelf address". The "shelf address" indicates which shelf is at what level from the bottom and at what column from the left. It is configured so that it can be recognized whether the display position is.
[0017]
The shelf position input controller 12 is a so-called setting means which is composed of a computer and is used for inputting a shelf address of a product into a product file when displaying a new product or rearranging a product.
Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the shelf position input controller 12 receives the ultrasonic waves of the position detecting means 4 installed at the end of the electronic shelf label 2 and the product display shelf 1 for each "stage" and "row". An address detection table 15 in which distances L1 and L2 to the sensors 4a and 4b are set in advance is stored. For example, in FIG. 4, the row: 01 and the row: 01 are the lowest rows, the distance from the electronic shelf label installed at the display position of the first row from the left to the ultrasonic sensor 4 a is L1, and the ultrasonic sensor The distance to 4b is L2. The data of the distances L1 and L2 may be limited values, but if a range is set, the address can be specified more accurately.
[0018]
The bar code printed on the shelf label 2b attached to the electronic shelf label 2 attached to each product displayed on the product display shelf 1 is scanned by the scanner unit 3a provided in the portable reading means 3 described above. When the product code is read, the read product code is wirelessly transmitted to the shelf position input controller 12 via the wireless transceiver 16, and an ultrasonic wave of a predetermined wavelength is transmitted from the ultrasonic output unit 3b ', and an infrared light of the predetermined wavelength is transmitted to the infrared output unit 3b. And the detected infrared signal is detected by the infrared sensor 4c of the position detecting means 4 installed at the front end of the product display shelf 1, and then the ultrasonic wave is detected by the ultrasonic sensor 4a. The distance L1 between the portable reading means 3 and the ultrasonic sensor 4a is calculated from the time until the reading is performed, and similarly, the distance between the portable reading means 3 and the ultrasonic sensor 4b. L2 is calculated, the "tier" and "column" of the shelf address are specified from the distances L1 and L2 and the address detection table 15, and the shelf address of the read product code can be set in the product file.
[0019]
Next, a flow of processing from display of a new product or movement of a product to another display position together with the electronic shelf label to completion of setting of a shelf address of the product will be described with reference to the flow of FIG. .
Step 1: The operator causes the scanner unit 3a of the portable reading means 3 to approach the product code (bar code) printed and displayed on the shelf label 2b of the electronic shelf label 2 at the product display position.
Step 2: The scanner unit 3a reads the product code from the bar code, and transmits the read information to the shelf position input controller 12 wirelessly. Thereby, the shelf position input controller 12 receives the product code.
Step 3: The portable reading means 3 simultaneously outputs ultrasonic waves and infrared rays from the ultrasonic output section 3b 'and the infrared output section 3b ".
Step 4: When the infrared sensor 4c of the position detecting means 4 installed on the product display shelf 1 detects the infrared light, the timer of the shelf position input controller 12 is started by the detection signal.
Step 5: When the ultrasonic waves are received by the ultrasonic sensors 4a and 4b of the position detecting means 4 installed on the product display shelf 1, the shelf position input controller 12 receives the infrared rays and then the ultrasonic sensors 4a and 4b The time until reception is obtained from the timer. Then, the time is multiplied by the sound speed to calculate a distance L1 between the ultrasonic sensor 4a and the ultrasonic output unit 3b '(portable reading means 3). Similarly, the distance L2 between the ultrasonic sensor 4b and the ultrasonic output unit 3b '(portable reading means 3) is calculated.
Step 6... Next, the shelf position input controller 12 obtains, from the stored address detection table 15, the numbers of the “stage” and “column” corresponding to the numerical values of the distances L1 and L2 obtained in the previous step. In addition, since the position detecting means 4 which has received the infrared ray or the ultrasonic wave in step 4 or 5 has a shelf number set in advance and can be identified for each product display shelf, the position detecting means 4 of the received position detecting means 4 I understand. Therefore, the shelf address (shelf number, stage number, column order) is determined here.
Step 7: The shelf position input controller 12 writes the data obtained in Step 6 in the respective columns of the product file in the shelf number, the row number, and the column order based on the product code received in Step 2, Set the shelf address.
Here, if the received product code does not exist in the product file,
By creating an area for a new product in the product file and writing the product code, and further writing the shelf address of the product, the product code and the shelf address can be set at the same time.
[0020]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be changed without changing the gist of the invention.
(1) The position detection means is not limited to using a plurality of propagation waves having different velocities, and may be performed using one type of propagation wave. For example, sensors may be arranged at three of the four corners on the front of the merchandise display shelf, and the position of the output source of the propagation wave (the position of the electronic shelf label) may be specified based on the reception time difference between the sensors. In this case, the distances L1 and L2 in the address detection table stored in the shelf position input controller need to be tested in advance and set data based on the time difference from the third sensor.
(2) Since the sound wave used as the propagation wave is low in speed, it is easy to measure the reception time, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is theoretically possible to use infrared rays or radio waves.
(3) The bar code of the product code is not limited to the shelf label label affixed to the electronic shelf label, but may be a form in which a bar code printed label is directly affixed to the front of the shelf, or a product label.
(4) The number of faces may be transmitted by operating the operation unit 3d of the portable reading unit 3 and inputting a key. Also, after setting the shelf addresses of all the products, the product for which the shelf address is set is set to 1, and if there is an empty number (a shelf address that is not set anywhere), the previous shelf address is set. The number of faces of the product being set may be plus one.
(5) Also, the number of the ultrasonic output unit 3b 'or the infrared output unit 3b "of the portable reading unit is not limited to right and left, but may be one as long as it can output in all directions except the front direction.
[0021]
【The invention's effect】
According to the shelf address input method of the present invention, by reading the product code at the product display position, the shelf address of the product can be set, and the shelf address can be set without reading the product code in order. Can be set. Therefore, the setting operation of the shelf address is easy, and the setting can be performed accurately without erroneous input.
Further, the shelf management system for implementing the above input method can provide an input setting system with a very simple configuration accurately by the configuration according to the second aspect.
Further, according to the configuration of the third aspect, even if a plurality of commodity display shelves are present and the position exceeds two dimensions (flat surface), accurate position detection can be performed with a cheap configuration.
Further, according to the configuration of the fourth aspect, the propagating wave can be directly detected, and the sensor is convenient without obstructing the customer when taking out the product from the shelf.
Furthermore, according to the configuration of claim 5, in the case of a new product, the product code can be set at the same time, so that the work efficiency can be improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIGS. 1A and 1B schematically show a shelf management system according to the present invention, wherein FIG. 1A is an external view and FIG.
FIG. 2 is a system diagram showing a configuration of the system.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a product file.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of an address detection table.
FIG. 5 is an electric block diagram of a portable reading unit.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a flow of a shelf address setting process.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Merchandise display shelf 2 ... Electronic shelf label 3 ... Portable reading means 3a ... Scanner part 3b ... Propagation wave output part 4 ... Position detecting means 4a, 4b ... Ultrasonic sensor 4c ... Infrared sensor

Claims (5)

In a method of inputting a shelf address for storing a product code, a shelf address, and other information for each product displayed on a product display shelf and performing shelf management,
Causing the scanner to approach the product code displayed at the product display position;
Reading the commodity code by approaching the scanner, and outputting any one or a plurality of propagation waves such as ultrasonic waves, infrared rays, and radio waves from the position of the scanner;
Detecting a position where the propagation wave is output;
Setting a shelf address of the product based on the read product code and the detected position;
A shelf address input method comprising: In a shelf management system for managing a shelf by storing a product code, a shelf address, and other information for each product displayed on a product display shelf,
A scanner unit for reading a product code displayed at a display position of the product, and an output unit for outputting any one of a plurality of propagation waves such as ultrasonic waves, infrared rays, and radio waves when reading by the scanner unit; Mobile reading means,
Position detecting means for detecting a position at which the portable reading means outputs a propagation wave,
Product code read by the portable reading means, setting means for setting a shelf address of the product based on the position detected at that time,
A shelf management system comprising: 3. The shelf management system according to claim 2, wherein the position detecting means is provided for each product display shelf, and a shelf number is assigned to each of the product display shelves. 4. The shelf management system according to claim 2, wherein said position detecting means comprises a sensor provided at an end of a front surface of the product display shelf. 3. The shelf management system according to claim 2, wherein when the shelf address is set by the setting unit, if the read product code does not exist in the product file, the product code is set.

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