Checkout apparatus, monitoring apparatus, and monitoring method

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a checkout apparatus includes a camera interface and a processor. The camera interface acquires an image from a camera positioned to image a work region of the checkout apparatus and its surroundings in which a person performs a registration of items in a sales transaction and settlement of the sales transaction. The processor performs a registration process for registering items in the sales transaction and also a payment process for settlement of the sales transaction based on the items registered in the registration process. The processor detects whether a person has left the work region based on the image from the camera, then output an alert if it is detected that the person left the work region after performance of the registration process is started but before the payment process is completed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A checkout apparatus, comprising:
 a camera interface configured to acquire an image from a camera positioned to image a work region of the checkout apparatus and its surroundings in which a person performs a registration of items in a sales transaction and settlement of the sales transaction; and   a processor configured to:
 perform a registration process for registering items in the sales transaction; 
 perform a payment process for settlement of the sales transaction based on the items registered in the registration process; 
 detect whether a person has left the work region based on the image from the camera; and 
 output an alert if it is detected that the person left the work region after performance of the registration process is started but before the payment process is completed. 
   
     
     
         2 . The checkout apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a communication interface configured to communicate with an attendant terminal including a display screen, wherein   the processor transmits the alert to the attendant terminal via the communication interface.   
     
     
         3 . The checkout apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 the camera that is positioned to image the work region of the checkout apparatus and its surroundings.   
     
     
         4 . The checkout apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a support column mounted to a housing containing the camera interface and the processor, wherein   the camera is mounted on the support column.   
     
     
         5 . The checkout apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a product scanner configured to read a barcode on an item being registered in the sales transaction.   
     
     
         6 . The checkout apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the product scanner is a hand-held type barcode scanner. 
     
     
         7 . The checkout apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to obtain product information for the item registered in the sales transaction based on the barcode on the item. 
     
     
         8 . The checkout apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to detect a start of the registration process based on the item being scanned by the product scanner. 
     
     
         9 . The checkout apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to detect the person using the product scanner as a start of the registration process, the detection of the person using the product scanner being determined based on the image acquired via the camera interface. 
     
     
         10 . A monitoring apparatus, comprising:
 a camera interface configured to acquire images from a camera positioned to image a work region and surroundings of a checkout apparatus at which a person performs a registration of items in a sales transaction and settlement of the sales transaction; and   a processor configured to:
 detect whether a person has left the work region based on at least one image from the camera; and 
 output an alert if it is detected that the person left the work region after performance of a registration process for registering items in the sales transaction is started but before a payment process for settlement of the sales transaction is completed. 
   
     
     
         11 . The monitoring apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to detect the start of the registration process based on an image received from the camera via the camera interface. 
     
     
         12 . The monitoring apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to detect the end of the payment process based on an image received from the camera via the camera interface. 
     
     
         13 . The monitoring apparatus according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a communication interface configured to communicate with the checkout apparatus, wherein   the processor is configured to detect the end of the registration process based on information received from the checkout apparatus via the communication interface.   
     
     
         14 . The monitoring apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to detect the end of the payment process based on an image received from the camera via the camera interface. 
     
     
         15 . The monitoring apparatus according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a communication interface configured to communicate with the checkout apparatus, wherein   the processor is configured to detect the start of the registration process based on information received from the checkout apparatus via the communication interface.   
     
     
         16 . The monitoring apparatus according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a communication interface configured to communicate with the checkout apparatus, wherein   the processor is configured to detect the start of the registration process and the end of the payment process based on information received from the checkout apparatus via the communication interface.   
     
     
         17 . The monitoring apparatus according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a communication interface configured to communicate with an external apparatus, wherein   the alert is output via the communication interface to at least one of the checkout apparatus and an attendant terminal.   
     
     
         18 . The monitoring apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein the attendant terminal is a mobile terminal, and the alert is output as an email addressed to the mobile terminal. 
     
     
         19 . A checkout apparatus monitoring method, comprising:
 acquiring, via a camera interface, images from a camera positioned to image a work region and surroundings of a checkout apparatus at which a person performs a registration of items in a sales transaction and settlement of the sales transaction;   detecting whether a person has left the work region based on at least one image from the camera; and   outputting an alert if it is detected that the person left the work region after performance of a registration process for registering items in the sales transaction is started but before a payment process for settlement of the sales transaction is completed.   
     
     
         20 . The checkout apparatus monitoring method according to  claim 19 , wherein the start of the registration process and the end of the payment process is detected based on acquired images.