Monitoring device and monitoring method

Abstract

A monitoring device for monitoring a customer operating a checkout terminal in a store, includes a network interface configured to communicate with the checkout terminal configured to perform checkout processing and an attendant terminal, a camera interface through which an image captured by a camera is received, the camera being installed so as to image the customer operating the checkout terminal, and a processor configured to, upon receipt of a first command indicating that the checkout processing has been started from the checkout terminal, begin monitoring of the image captured by the camera, upon detection of presence of the customer in the image, acquire feature information representing features of the customer from the image, and upon detection of absence of the customer in the image after the feature information is acquired, control the network interface to output to the attendant terminal an alert signal with the acquired feature information.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A monitoring device for monitoring a customer operating a checkout terminal in a store, the monitoring device comprising:
 a network interface configured to communicate with the checkout terminal configured to perform checkout processing and an attendant terminal;   a camera interface through which an image captured by a camera is received, the camera being positioned so as to image the customer operating the checkout terminal; and   a processor configured to:
 upon receipt of a first command indicating that the checkout processing has been started from the checkout terminal, begin monitoring the image captured by the camera, 
 upon detection of presence of the customer in the image, acquire feature information representing features of the customer from the image, and 
 upon detection of absence of the customer in the image after the feature information is acquired, control the network interface to output to the attendant terminal an alert signal with the acquired feature information. 
   
     
     
         2 . The monitoring device according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform skeleton estimation processing on the image to recognize the features of the customer. 
     
     
         3 . The monitoring device according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the processor is further configured to calculate a score based on a result of the skeleton estimation processing, and   the score is higher when more body parts of the customer are recognized in the image through the skeleton estimation processing.   
     
     
         4 . The monitoring device according to  claim 3 , wherein the feature information includes an image of the customer that leads to a highest score. 
     
     
         5 . The monitoring device according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a memory, wherein   the processor is further configured to maintain only the image of the customer that leads to the highest score in the memory.   
     
     
         6 . The monitoring device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the processor is further configured to perform object recognition on the image, and   the feature information includes an image captured when the customer is initially recognized by the object recognition.   
     
     
         7 . The monitoring device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the processor is further configured to acquire commodity information about one or more commodities purchased by the customer from the checkout terminal, and   the feature information includes the acquired commodity information.   
     
     
         8 . The monitoring device according to  claim 1 , wherein the alert signal causes the attendant terminal to display a screen showing the feature information and an alert message indicating that the customer left the checkout terminal before the checkout processing is complete. 
     
     
         9 . The monitoring device according to  claim 1 , wherein the camera is above the checkout terminal. 
     
     
         10 . The monitoring device according to  claim 1 , wherein the checkout terminal is a self-service type checkout terminal. 
     
     
         11 . A monitoring method performed by a monitoring device for monitoring a customer operating a checkout terminal in a store, the monitoring method comprising:
 receiving a first command indicating that checkout processing has been started from the checkout terminal;   beginning monitoring of an image captured by a camera positioned so as to image the customer operating the checkout terminal;   upon detection of presence of the customer in the image, acquiring feature information representing features of the customer from the image; and   upon detection of absence of the customer in the image after the feature information is acquired, outputting to an attendant terminal an alert signal with the acquired feature information.   
     
     
         12 . The monitoring method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 performing skeleton estimation processing on the image to recognize the features of the customer.   
     
     
         13 . The monitoring method according to  claim 12 , further comprising:
 calculating a score based on a result of the skeleton estimation processing, wherein   the score is higher when more body parts of the customer are recognized in the image through the skeleton estimation processing.   
     
     
         14 . The monitoring method according to  claim 13 , wherein the feature information includes an image of the customer that leads to a highest score. 
     
     
         15 . The monitoring method according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 maintaining only the image of the customer that leads to the highest score.   
     
     
         16 . The monitoring method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 performing object recognition on the image, wherein   the feature information includes an image captured when the customer is initially recognized by the object recognition.   
     
     
         17 . The monitoring method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 acquiring commodity information about one or more commodities purchased by the customer from the checkout terminal, wherein   the feature information includes the acquired commodity information.   
     
     
         18 . The monitoring method according to  claim 11 , wherein the alert signal causes the attendant terminal to display a screen showing the feature information and an alert message indicating that the customer left the checkout terminal before the checkout processing is complete. 
     
     
         19 . The monitoring method according to  claim 11 , wherein the camera is installed above the checkout terminal. 
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a monitoring method for monitoring a customer operating a checkout terminal in a store, the monitoring method comprising:
 receiving a first command indicating that checkout processing has been started from the checkout terminal;   beginning monitoring of an image captured by a camera positioned so as to image the customer operating the checkout terminal;   upon detection of presence of the customer in the image, acquiring feature information representing features of the customer from the image; and   upon detection of absence of the customer in the image after the feature information is acquired, outputting to an attendant terminal an alert signal with the acquired feature information.