Information processing system, information processing apparatus, information processing method, and information processing program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020242541-A1
Application number	US-201816489773-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 18, 2018
Priority date	Mar 3, 2017
Publication date	Jul 30, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A store is operated more efficiently. There is provided an information processing system including at least one image capturer, a moving unit, and a controller. The at least one image capturer included in the information processing system captures a store shelf. The moving unit included in the information processing system moves the at least one image capturer. The controller included in the information processing system controls image capturing by the at least one image capturer and movement of the at least one image capturer by the moving unit at a predetermined timing.

First claim

1 - 25 . (canceled)

26 . An information processing apparatus comprising:
a timing generator that generates, based on taking-in/out of a product in a store, a timing of image capturing of at least one image capturer that captures a store shelf and movement of the image capturer by a moving unit; and a controller that controls image capturing by the image capturer and movement of the image capturer by the moving unit at the timing.

27 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 26 , further comprising a stock determiner that determines whether there is stock of a product in a back room,
wherein said controller controls image capturing and movement of said image capturer based on a determination result by said stock determiner.

28 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 27 , wherein if said stock determiner determines that there is no stock, said controller suppresses control of image capturing of said image capturer.

29 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 27 , wherein if said stock determiner determines that there is no stock, said controller suppresses control of movement of said image capturer.

30 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 27 , wherein said controller shortens an interval of image capturing by said image capturer in a predetermined time period before a start of an event around the store.

31 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 27 , wherein said controller shortens an interval of image movement by said moving unit in a predetermined time period before a start of an event around the store.

32 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 27 , further comprising:
a stockout detector that detects stockout of a product based on an image of the store shelf captured by said image capturer; wherein said controller instructs a conveyor, that conveys a stockout product detected by said stockout detector from a back room into a store, to supply the stockout product to a predetermined position on the store shelf.

33 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 32 , further comprising a notifier that makes a notification of information of the stockout product.

34 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 33 , further comprising a display unit that displays the information of the stockout product notified from said notifier.

35 . An information processing method comprising:
generating, based on taking-in/out of a product in a store, a timing of image capturing of at least one image capturer that captures a store shelf and movement of the image capturer by a moving unit; and controlling image capturing by the image capturer and movement of the image capturer by the moving unit at the timing.

36 . The information processing method according to claim 35 , further comprising determining whether there is stock of a product in a back room,
wherein in the controlling, image capturing and movement of said image capturer are controlled based on a determination result by said stock determiner.

37 . An information processing system comprising:
at least one image capturer that captures a store shelf; a moving unit that moves said image capturer; and a controller that controls image capturing by said image capturer and movement of said image capturer by said moving unit at a predetermined timing.

38 . The information processing system according to claim 37 , further comprising a stock determiner that determines whether there is stock of a product in a back room,
wherein said controller controls image capturing and movement of said image capturer based on a determination result by said stock determiner.

39 . The information processing system according to claim 38 , further comprising:
a stockout detector that detects stockout of a product based on an image of the store shelf captured by said image capturer; and a conveyor that conveys a stockout product detected by said stockout detector from a back room into a store.

40 . The information processing system according to claim 39 , further comprising a display unit that displays the information of the stockout product, wherein said display unit is installed in said conveyor.

41 . The information processing system according to claim 37 , wherein said conveyor further includes a supplier that supplies the stockout product to a predetermined position on the store shelf.

42 . The information processing system according to claim 37 , wherein said conveyor further includes
a generator that generates a floor map based on a moving history in the store, and a conveyance path decider that decides, based on the generated floor map, a conveyance path along which the stockout product is conveyed into the store.

43 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 37 , wherein said conveyor can self-travel in the store.

Assignees

• Nec Corp

Inventors

• Kinno Dai
• Iwamoto Kota
• Taga Kanako

Classifications

• H04N23/695

  Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects · CPC title

• H04N23/661

  Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet · CPC title

• H04N7/183

  for receiving images from a single remote source · CPC title

• G06Q10/087 Primary

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title

• H04N7/18

  Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast · CPC title