JPH10208152A - Automatic adjustment system using shopping cart - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically adjustment purchased articles and to secure the secrecy of the purchaser by performing a checkout process on the basis of totalized price data and releasing a card from being stopped by a register device when the total weight of the weighed articles matches the totalized weight of th articles. SOLUTION: When a card 20 is thrown in a card throw-in slot, the ID of a shopping card 1 is read out of the shopping cart 1 and sent to a processor, and the total weight of weight data corresponding to the cart 1 that the processor sends is received. Then the total weight of articles weighed by a weighing part is compared with the total weight sent from the processor and when a weight match is obtained or when the error is within a permissible range, a message of normal weighing is sent to the processor; after the processor completes the adjustment process, the card 20 is discharged, a printer is placed in operation to output purchase data on a receipt, and the shopping basket 2 is unlocked, so that only the cart 1 is automatically taken in the register.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic payment system using a shopping cart for automatically performing a charge payment process when shopping with a shopping cart at a supermarket or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when shopping at a supermarket or the like, a scanner for reading a product code (bar code) assigned to a product is provided on a shopping cart so that the total purchase price can be known. A proposal has been made in which the prices of commodities in commodity data read out based on commodity codes are totaled, and the total amount of the currently purchased commodities is displayed on a display provided in a shopping cart.

[0003]

However, when paying for a purchased product at a register, a clerk must take out the product from the shopping basket and check it, which takes time for the payment and increases the cost of the purchased product. Everything was seen by the waiters. In addition, when the user leaves the cart to search for a product, there is a risk that another person may replace the product in the cart.

[0004] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and can automatically settle the purchased goods without human intervention, and can automatically settle the purchase with a shopping cart that can ensure the confidentiality of the purchaser. The task is to provide a system.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an automatic payment system using a shopping cart according to the present invention comprises a holding section for detachably holding a shopping cart for putting in a product to be purchased, and a holding shopping cart. A control panel provided with a product opening that can be opened and closed while shielding the upper surface of the product, and reading the customer's card provided on the control panel and using the card as collateral, outputting operation keys, and using the operation keys. A shopping cart having an operation unit for operating the purchase or return of a product, a scanner for reading the product code displayed on the product, and a communication unit for transmitting the read product code to the processing device; An automatic payment system comprising a register device for locking a cart and weighing the total weight of the products put into the shopping cart and performing a payment procedure. Based on the product code sent from the cart, the processing device reads out the pre-stored product data, sums up the price data of the products sequentially for each cart, and also compiles the weight data of the products. Comparing the total weight of the weighed product with the total weight of the totaled product weight, and when the weights match, perform the charge settlement process based on the totalized price data and release the cart lock by the register device. It is characterized by.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a shopping cart. A shopping cart (hereinafter referred to as a cart) 1 has a control panel 3 having an area large enough to cover an upper surface of a shopping cart 2 at an upper part thereof. A holding section 4 for holding the shopping basket 2 is formed below the control panel 3 and is formed movably by casters 5 provided at the lower end.

[0007] The control panel 3 is provided with an input port 6 for inputting a product a to be purchased, and a shutter 7 for closing the input port 6 is provided so as to be openable and closable. The opening and closing of the shutter 7 is controlled by the control unit 8. The opening 6 is opened when purchasing the product, and the closing opening 6 is closed when the player leaves the cart and at the time of payment. In addition, the product is controlled so as not to be taken out or taken in without permission, and in the settlement stage, the customer cannot take out and put in the product a.

[0008] An operation unit 10 is provided on the upper surface of the control panel 3 behind the input port 6, and as shown in FIG.
A scanner 11 for reading a product code b displayed on a product a is disposed at a lower end of the scanner a. The operation unit 10 includes a liquid crystal display 12, a card reading device 13 that reads a customer's card and takes it in as security,
A dial key 14 that allows selection of operations such as purchase and return by inserting an operation key 22 output from a key output unit 21 when a card is taken in;
A communication unit 16 that transmits the commodity code b and the price data pd read in 1 together with the ID of the cart to the processing device 15 disposed in an office or the like and receives information transmitted from the processing device 15; And a control unit 8 for controlling the control.

The card reading device 13 is a card 20
Is inserted into the apparatus as security, and the shopping operation key 22 is output from the key output unit 21.
The operation key 22 is inserted into the slot 14 of the dial key 14.
It is configured such that a product can be purchased by inserting it into a and turning it. When the operation key 22 is set to “buy”, the insertion slot 6 is opened, and when the operation key 22 is returned to “start”, the insertion slot 6 is configured to be closed, and once inserted into the shopping cart 2 by “buy”. If the merchandise is to be returned before the settlement, the operation key 22 is set to "return", whereby the merchandise code read by the scanner 11 when the merchandise is taken out of the shopping cart 2 can be offset from the aggregated data.

When the shopping is completed and the operation key 22 is turned to "end" to make a payment, the operation key 22 is pulled out of the dial key 14 and returned to the key output section 21, and the secured card 20 is returned. , Take out the product a in the shopping basket 2 until the slot 6 is closed and the settlement is completed,
It is configured so that it cannot be added.

The display 12 displays the total price of the purchased product a, and recognizes the product information (time-limited discount product, information on today's special sale product, etc.) and the card number transmitted from the processing device. It is configured to display recommended products and new product information set for each customer based on customer data.

The selection key is formed in a card shape, and the dial key is constituted by a push button. By setting the card-shaped selection key, operations such as "buy" and "return" can be selected by the push button. It doesn't matter.

The holding section 4 is formed so that the shopping basket 2 prepared in the store can be placed thereon. The upper surface of the shopping basket 2 held by the holding section 4 is shielded by the control panel 3. An interval between the holding unit 4 and the control panel 3 is set so that the product a cannot be inserted from a place other than the formed insertion port 6.

The holding section 4 is provided with a lock mechanism for locking the shopping cart 2 held therein, and locks the shopping basket 2 when the card 20 is inserted into the card reader 13, so that the lock is not released until the settlement is completed. Is formed.

Reference numeral 19 denotes a battery for supplying power to each device in the cart, and the battery 19 is constituted by a rechargeable secondary battery.

The processing device 15 is constituted by a computer,
The storage device 17 stores the product data of all the products a in the store.
Has accumulated. This product data is composed of the unit price per unit weight of the product a in addition to the product code b, the product name, and the like at the time. The processing device 15 receives the cart ID, the product code b, and the price data pd transmitted from the cart 1, searches the product database for the corresponding product code b from the product database based on time, and searches for the product data. The price data pd received is divided by the unit price per unit weight 読 み 出 し read from the product data, and the weight data w
d is calculated, and the price data pd and the weight data wd are totaled for each cart ID. In addition, when the weight of the product a is constant, the weight data wd is set instead of the unit price, and when the product code in which the weight data is set is received, the read weight data wd may be directly totaled. .

When the shopping is completed, the cart 1 is set in the weighing device 30 to be described later, and the weighing device 3
When the ID of the cart 1 is transmitted from 0, the total weight W obtained by totalizing the weight data wd is transmitted to the weighing device 30. Then, when the total weight W and the weighing result of the weighing device 30 match, a charge settlement process is performed. In order to prevent unauthorized changes such as changing the barcode seal between products of the same weight and different codes, another code that is not known to customers who use secret codes or package colors or marks A standard may be set. If the tare of the product a is large and the weight data wd calculated from the unit price per unit weight 大 き く is significantly different from the weight of the product measured for each tare, the tare weight data is prepared in advance in the product data, and the calculated weight data wd To obtain the total weight W.

The weighing device 30 is connected online to the processing device 15 and weighs a purchased product a.
When the cart 1 is set in the weighing device 30 and the card 20 is inserted into the card insertion slot 33, the weighing bar 34 extends forward to measure the weight of the product a together with the shopping basket. Is configured. When the card 20 is inserted into the card slot 33, the control unit 32 reads the ID of the cart from the cart 1, transmits the cart ID to the processing device 15, and transmits the cart ID to the processing device 15. Weight data w corresponding to ID
d, the total weight W of the goods measured by the weighing unit 31 and the total weight W transmitted from the processing device 15 are received.
If the weights match or the error is within an allowable range, a message indicating normal weighing is transmitted to the processing device 15,
Waiting for the completion of the charge settlement processing by the processing device 15, the card 20 is ejected and the printer 36 is operated to output the purchase data to the receipt 37, the shopping cart 2 is unlocked, and the belt conveyor 35 is operated to operate the shopping cart 2
Is left in the weighing device 30 and only the cart 1 is automatically taken into the register (see FIG. 5). In FIG. 3, reference numeral 38 denotes a liquid crystal display for displaying operation instructions and the like.

The card 20 may be a credit card, a prepaid card, a house card, or an IC card. However, the change processing by cash is not performed to prevent fraud. In addition, there is an upper limit for the settlement with the same card per time and per day.

According to the automatic payment system using a cart having the above-described configuration, the customer sets the shopping basket 2 on the holding section 4 of the cart 1 and then inserts the card 20 into the card reader 13. The operation keys 22 are output from the key output unit 21 and the shopping cart 2 is locked to the cart 1. When the operation key 22 is inserted into the dial key 14 and set to "buy", the shutter 7 of the input port 6 of the control panel 3 opens,
The product a can be put into the shopping cart 2. The customer inputs the product a to be purchased from the input port 6 while the scanner 1
In step 1, the commodity code b and the price data pd are read. The read product code b and the price data pd correspond to the cart I
It is transmitted to the processing device 15 each time together with D (see FIG. 4).

The processing device 15 reads out the product data of the corresponding product a from the received product code b from the storage device 16, sums up the price data pd for each ID of the cart 1, and stores the price data pd and the unit price per unit weight ＠. , The weight data wd is calculated, and the calculated weight data wd is totaled. In addition, since the weight data wd is set instead of setting the unit price for the product a having a constant weight, when the product code in which the weight data is set is received,
The read weight data wd is directly totaled.

After completing the purchase of the product, the customer
Is turned to the end, extracted from the dial key 14, and returned to the key output unit 21. When the control unit 8 recognizes that the operation key 22 has returned to the key output unit 21, the control unit 8 closes the shutter 7 so that the product a cannot be inserted and ejects the card 20. When temporarily leaving the cart 1, the operation keys 22
May be returned to “start”, and the key 2 may be extracted from the dial key 14 and separated.

The customer moves the cart 1 and sets it on the weighing device 30. The weighing device 30 extends the bar 34 to measure the total weight of the purchased product a together with the shopping basket 2, cancels the weight of the basket 2 from the measured result to calculate the product weight, and reads the ID of the cart 1.

The control section 32 transmits the read ID of the cart 1 to the processing device 15 and requests the total weight W of the weight data wd of the corresponding cart 1. The control unit 32 compares the transmitted total weight W with the measured product weight. If the weights match, it is determined that there is no fraud, and a message indicating normal measurement is transmitted to the processing device 15. Processing unit 15
Executes the charge settlement process and transmits the purchase data to the weighing device 30 when the charge settlement process is completed. Therefore, the control unit 32 of the weighing device 30 discharges the card 20 and operates the printer 36 to receive the purchase statement. 37
Print out to Then, since the shopping cart 2 is unlocked, the shopping cart 2 is
Left above, the cart 1 is automatically loaded into the cart space for use by another customer and the battery 19 is charged.

If the weights do not match, a message prompting the customer to inspect and remove the cause is displayed on the display 38 without discharging the card 20, and the message is output by voice.

When the customer removes the cause and the weight measured by the weighing device 30 matches the total weight W from the processing device 15, the processing device 15 performs the charge settlement process as described above, and controls the weighing device 30. The unit 32 ejects the card 20 and activates the printer 36 to print out the purchase details on a receipt 37. Then, the shopping cart 2 is unlocked and the shopping cart 2 is left in the weighing device 30, and the cart 1 is automatically taken into the register.

After completing the payment, the customer carries the shopping basket 2 to the bagging corner and packs it, then returns the shopping basket 2 to a predetermined place to complete the shopping.

In the case of re-match, the cart 1 is unlocked by the weighing device 30, so that the cart 1 is moved to the manned register, and the register section may perform manual processing.

As described above, if the product purchased by the customer is correctly placed in the shopping cart, the processing device sequentially totals the product data for each cart, so that the cart is finally set on the weighing device. If the total weight transmitted from the processing device matches the weighing result of the weighing device, the cashier will be executed instantly without the need for the cashier to scan all products with the scanner, There is no need to queue up and wait for a turn, so there is no need to set up a cashier and the payment process is quicker, so that managers can work 24 hours a day with a small number of staff, and customers can shop quickly. In addition, confidentiality is ensured because others can not see the product at the time of settlement, and customers are grasped in advance because cards are used regardless of cash Rukoto can, most suitable for management by customer (discount, providing information) will be possible, significant benefits arise for both the management and the customer.

Further, by learning that the customer can pass through the register smoothly if they make correct shopping,
Unfair customers will not come to the store, and unfair customers will be able to shop quickly so that they will continue to visit the store. As a result, sound store management by excellent customers can be realized.

[0031]

According to the present invention, the cashier can execute the charge settlement processing instantly without having to scan all the goods with the scanner, so that there is no need to form a line in front of the cashier, and the cashier in charge of the cashier is not required. Since there is no need to set aside and the fee settlement process is quicker, management can be operated with fewer personnel, labor costs can be significantly reduced, and customers can make speedy shopping and secure confidentiality, Good customers can be fixed without fraud and can contribute significantly to sound store management.

When the card is inserted into the cart, the customer can be recognized from the card and the customer can be managed. Therefore, the customer's purchase tendency is analyzed and grasped from the past purchase situation of the customer, and the product information corresponding to the customer is obtained. Since it is possible to carry out a sales promotion activity to be transmitted to a cart and displayed on a display, it is possible to strongly influence a decision of a customer who is about to start shopping.

In addition, the settlement process can be performed without handling cash, and since the customer's card is secured until the settlement process is completed, a system excellent in crime prevention can be constructed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shopping cart according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of an operation unit.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a register device.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a data flow of the automatic settlement system.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing movements of a shopping cart and a shopping cart after the settlement process in the register device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Shopping cart 2 Shopping cart 3 Control panel 4 Holder 6 Slot 7 Shutter 8 Control unit 10 Operation unit 11 Scanner 15 Processing unit 16 Communication unit 20 Card 22 Operation key 30 Register device a Product b Product code

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A control unit having a holding unit for detachably holding a shopping basket into which a product to be purchased is to be inserted, a control panel provided with an opening for opening and closing a product which shields an upper surface of the held shopping basket and is provided on the control panel. An operation unit that is provided and reads a customer's card and uses the card as collateral, outputs an operation key, operates an operation key to purchase or return a product with the operation key, and a scanner that reads a product code displayed on the product. A shopping cart having a communication unit for transmitting the read product code to the processing device; and performing the checkout procedure by locking the shopping cart during checkout and weighing the total weight of the products put into the shopping cart. An automatic payment system including a register device, wherein the processing device converts product data stored in advance based on a product code transmitted from a cart. Calculates the price data of the commodities sequentially for each cart and compiles the weight data of the commodities.At the time of settlement, the total weight of the commodities measured by the register device is compared with the total weight of the compiled product weights. An automatic payment system using a shopping cart, characterized in that when a match is made, the payment processing is performed based on the aggregated price data, and the cart is unlocked by the register device.