Registration device, method carried out by registration device, and non-transitory computer readable medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023169460-A1
Application number	US-202318159668-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 25, 2023
Priority date	Feb 4, 2020
Publication date	Jun 1, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A registration device includes a shelf including a sensor and on which a commodity is placed, a camera configured to capture an image of a first area and a second area outside the first area, and a processor configured to start tracking of a customer who has entered the second area from outside based on the image captured by the camera, determine whether the commodity is taken from the shelf based on changes in weight measured by the sensor, upon determining that the commodity has been taken, determine whether the tracked customer performs a particular action within the first area, upon determining that the tracked customer has performed the particular action, determine whether the customer has entered the second area, and upon determining that the customer has entered the second area, register the taken commodity as a commodity being purchased by the customer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A device for displaying and registering a commodity to be purchased by a customer in a store, comprising:
a shelf on which a commodity can be displayed; a weight sensor attached to the shelf; a camera configured to capture an image of a plurality of areas on a floor of the store, the areas including a first area in front of the shelf, a second area at least partly surrounding the first area and the shelf, and a third area surrounding the second area; and a processor configured to:
determine whether a customer has entered the second area through the third area based on the image captured by the camera,
upon determining that the customer has entered the second area through the third area, start tracking of the customer,
determine whether the commodity is taken from the shelf based on changes in weight measured by the sensor,
upon determining that the commodity has been taken from the shelf, determine whether the tracked customer has performed a particular action within the first area,
after determining that the tracked customer has performed the particular action within the first area, determine whether the tracked customer has entered the third area from the first area through the second area, and
upon determining that the tracked customer has entered the third area from the first area through the second area, register the taken commodity as a commodity being purchased by the tracked customer.

2 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to identify the tracked customer as a registered customer of the store based on the image captured by the camera.

3 . The device according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to start settlement processing on the taken commodity after the identified customer has entered the third area from the first area through the second area.

4 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to, upon determining the particular action has been performed by a person who is not the tracked customer within the first area, issue a warning signal.

5 . The device according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a display configured to display an error screen when the warning signal is issued.

6 . The device according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a speaker configured to output a sound when the warning signal is issued.

7 . The device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an input device attached to the shelf and through which identification information about the tracked customer can be input.

8 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the shelf is movable on the floor of the store.

9 . The device according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a projector attached to the shelf and configured to project an image corresponding to the first area onto the floor of the store.

10 . The device according to claim 9 , wherein the first area has a rectangular shape, the second area surrounds the first area except for a part of a side that faces the shelf, and the third area surrounds the second area and the shelf except for a back side thereof.

11 . A method carried out by a device for registering a commodity displayed on a shelf for purchase by a customer in a store, the method comprising:
capturing, by a camera, an image of a plurality of areas on a floor of the store, the areas including a first area in front of the shelf, a second area at least partly surrounding the first area and the shelf, and a third area surrounding the second area; determining whether a customer has entered the second area through the third area based on the image captured by the camera; upon determining that the customer has entered the second area through the third area, starting tracking of the customer; determining whether the commodity is taken from the shelf based on changes in weight measured by a sensor attached to the shelf; upon determining that the commodity has been taken from the shelf, determining whether the tracked customer has performed a particular action within the first area; after determining that the tracked customer has performed the particular action within the first area, determining whether the tracked customer has entered the third area from the first area through the second area; and upon determining that the tracked customer has entered the third area from the first area through the second area, registering the taken commodity as a commodity being purchased by the tracked customer.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
identifying the tracked customer as a registered customer of the store based on the image captured by the camera.

13 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
performing settlement processing on the taken commodity after the identified customer has entered the third area from the first area through the second area.

14 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
upon determining the particular action has been performed by a person who is not the tracked customer, issuing a warning signal.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , further comprising:
displaying an error screen on a display when the warning signal is issued.

16 . The method according to claim 14 , further comprising:
outputting a sound when the warning signal is issued.

17 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving identification information about the tracked customer via an input device attached to the shelf.

18 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the shelf is movable on the floor of the store.

19 . The method according to claim 18 , further comprising:
projecting, by a projector, an image corresponding to the first area onto the floor.

20 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a method for registering a commodity displayed on a shelf and to be purchased by a customer in a store, the method comprising:
capturing, by a camera, an image of a plurality of areas on a floor of the store, the areas including a first area in front of the shelf, a second area at least partly surrounding the first area and the shelf, and a third area surrounding the second area; determining whether a customer has entered the second area through the third area based on the image captured by the camera; upon determining that the customer has entered the second area through the third area, starting tracking of the customer; determining whether the commodity is taken from the shelf based on changes in weight measured by a sensor attached to the shelf; upon determining that the commodity has been taken from the shelf, determining whether the tracked customer has performed a particular action within the first area; after determining that the tracked customer has performed the particular action within the first area, determining whether the tracked customer has entered the third area from the first area through the second area; and upon determining that the tracked customer has entered the third area from the first area through the second area, registering the taken commodity as a commodity being purchased by the tracked customer.

Assignees

• Toshiba Tec Kk

Inventors

• Hara Noriyoshi

Classifications

• G07F9/023

  Arrangements for display, data presentation or advertising · CPC title

• G06Q20/145

  Payments according to the detected use or quantity · CPC title

• G07G3/003

  Anti-theft control (theft alarms G08B13/00) · CPC title

• G06Q20/208

  Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing · CPC title

• G07F9/026

  for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty · CPC title