Method for self-checkout with a mobile device

• US 10,121,133 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2010
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Nelms, David Martin, Todd, Jason Richard, Webb, Timothy Wayne, Marbut, Philip Wayne, Ryner, Douglas Jahe
• Primary Examiner(s): Ade, Garcia
• Application Number:
  US12/947,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20120095853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,912 Days
• Field of Search: 705 16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A method for purchasing an item using a mobile device is provided. The method includes but is not limited to inputting identification information into the mobile device which identifies the item for purchase and generating an order for the item identified by the identification information. The method also includes but is not limited to displaying on a display of the mobile device an optical machine-readable representation of the order.

Claims

1. A method for purchasing an item using a mobile device comprising:

executing a first application on a server;

receiving, on the server, from a mobile device, identification information for each item to be purchased in response to an interaction between a user and a user interface of the mobile device;

executing a second application on the server, in response to receiving the identification information for each item from the mobile device;

creating, on the server, an order associated with the session including item information upon receiving, from the mobile device, the identification information for each item to be purchased as the identification information is received by the server;

generating dynamically, on the server, a unique identifier representing the order;

storing the order including item information associated with the item and the dynamically generated unique identifier for the order, in a state container within the first application on the server, the item information being identified based on the identification information;

importing, by the second application, the order from the state container;

transmitting the item information imported by the second application on the server to the mobile device, the item information being included in a virtual shopping cart that is (i) representative of the order stored on the server, (ii) accessible on the mobile device, and (iii) associated with an optical machine-readable representation dynamically generated by the mobile device to include the dynamically generated unique identifier encoded therein, the item information being kept in the virtual shopping cart for a predefined period of time, after which the item information is deleted;

optically scanning, via an optical scanning machine of a point-of-sale terminal, the optical machine-readable representation displayed by the mobile device and corresponding to the order to extract and decode the unique identifier encoded in the optical machine-readable representation;

transmitting the dynamically generated unique identifier from the point-of-sale terminal to the server to retrieve the order;

importing, by the second application, the order using the dynamically generated unique identifier from the state container;

receiving the order from the second application on the server sever at the point-of-sale terminal in response to transmission of the unique identifier to the server;

completing, via the point-of-sale terminal, a transaction based on the order received by the point-of-sale terminal from the server; and

generating, by the point-of-sale terminal, a receipt acknowledging completion of the transaction.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving item information using the identification information, wherein the item information includes an item name, an item price, an item review, an item rating, item product details, or item location information.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating an order number with the order by the server.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

requesting, by the server, payment from a user of the mobile device for the total payment amount.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

receiving, on the point-of-sale terminal, payment from the user of the mobile device;

transmitting, on the point-of-sale terminal, payment information to the remote server;

generating, on the point-of-sale terminal, a receipt indicating acceptance of the payment information; and

providing, by the point-of-sale terminal, a receipt to the user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the providing the user with a receipt, the point-of-sale terminal, by transmitting a digital copy of the receipt to the mobile device.