Communication method, controller, and system for managing communications within checkout system

• US 10,229,402 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2015
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Frontech North America Incorporated (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu America, Inc. (Fujitsu Limited)
• Inventors: Leggo, Jeffrey, Schwartz, Jonathan, Givulescu, Mihaela
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Florian M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haider, Fawaad
• Application Number:
  US14/981,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20170185984A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: 705 21
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/321 using wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 3/00 Alarm indicators, e.g. bells
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/246 Check out systems combined with EAS, e.g. price information stored on EAS tag anti-theft systems in point of sale systems G07G3/003
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/006 Alarm destination chosen according to type of event, e.g. in case of fire phone the fire service, in case of medical emergency phone the ambulance
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources

Abstract

A communications controller and method is provided for use in a checkout system including at least one POS terminal and a wrist-worn wearable device. The communications controller includes an alert server and one or more adapters. The alert server receives transaction information from a POS terminal, processes the transaction information to identify the POS terminal and an issue relating to the POS terminal to be resolved. An adapter develops alert information for the wrist-worn wearable device to enable the wrist-worn wearable device to display a notification associated with the issue relating to the POS terminal and to receive an input to resolve the issue relating to the POS terminal. The alert information is based on the transaction information and specifications of the wrist-worn wearable device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of processing checkout information within a retail checkout system having at least one Point of Sale (POS) terminal, a communication controller, and a wrist-worn wearable device, the method comprising:

receiving, at the communication controller, transaction information from a POS terminal;

processing, at the communication controller, the transaction information identifying the POS terminal and an issue relating to the POS terminal, the issue being at least one of a transaction of a POS terminal is stopped, assistance is requested at the POS terminal, and an information message is provided by the POS terminal;

developing, at the communication controller, alert information to be transmitted to the wrist-worn wearable device and corresponding to the issue relating to the POS terminal, the alert information being based on the transaction information and specifications of the wrist-worn wearable device, the alert information causing the wrist-worn wearable device to display a graphical user interface (GUI) on a display;

receiving, via the wrist-worn wearable device, the alert information;

displaying, based on the instructions, a notification on the GUI of the display of the wrist-worn wearable device, the notification identifying the POS terminal and the issue relating to the POS terminal, the GUI having at least one of a POS terminal ID, input section, and text description of at least one of the issue relating to the POS terminal and action to be performed in response to the issue relating to the POS terminal;

receiving an input via the wrist-worn wearable device;

providing the received input to the communication controller;

processing the input at the communication controller to determine a response for the issue relating to the POS terminal; and

communicating the response from the communication controller to the POS terminal, wherein

the communication controller not included within the POS terminal or the wrist-worn wearable device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transaction information is an alert message and identifies a type of intervention;

the displaying displays at least one available response to the alert message; and

the receiving receives the input via a touchpad presenting the GUI, the touchpad responsive to a user touch.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

storing, within a storage, a table of a plurality of alert messages;

a priority associated each of the plurality of alert messages; and

at least one available response for responding to each of the plurality of alert messages;

the processing the transaction information includes;

identifying an alert message from the transaction information;

obtaining from the table, a priority and available responses for responding to the identified alert message.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein

the developing develops the alert information according the priority and available responses for responding to the identified alert messages;

and

provides the alert information to the wrist-worn wearable device based on the priority and the available responses for responding to the identified alert messages.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the available responses for responding to the identified alert message is acknowledge the alert message, resolve the alert message or clear the alert message.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the receiving receives a plurality of transaction information from the at least one POS terminal;

and

the processing prioritizes the plurality of transaction information based on the issue relating to the POS terminal.

7. A communications controller for use in a checkout system including at least one POS terminal and a wrist-worn wearable device in communication with the communications controller, the communications controller comprising:

an alert server configured to receive transaction information from a POS terminal, process the transaction information to identifying the POS terminal and an issue relating to the POS terminal to be resolved, the issue being at least one of a transaction of a POS terminal is stopped, assistance is requested at the POS terminal, and an information message is provided by the POS terminal; and

an adapter configured to develop alert information for the wrist-worn wearable device to enable the wrist-worn wearable device to display a notification associated with the issue relating to the POS terminal and to receive an input in response to the developed alert information corresponding to the issue relating to the POS terminal,

the alert information being based on the transaction information and specifications of the wrist-worn wearable device,

the alert information causing the wrist-worn wearable device to display a graphical user interface (GUI), the GUI displays a notification identifying the POS terminal and the issue relating to the POS terminal, the GUI having at least one of a POS terminal ID, input section, and text description of at least one of the issue relating to the POS terminal and action to be performed in response to the issue relating to the POS terminal, wherein

the adapter is further configured to process the input received from the wrist-worn wearable device to determine a response, and

the alert server is further configured to communicate the response processed by the adapter to the POS terminal, wherein

the adapter and alert server are not included within the POS terminal or the wrist-worn wearable device.

8. The communications controller according to claim 7, wherein the alert server

identifies an alert message from the transaction information;

searches a table stored in a storage, the table includes a plurality of alert messages;

a priority associated each of the plurality of alert messages; and

available response for responding to each of the plurality of alert messages; and

obtains from the table, a priority and available responses for responding to the identified alert message.

9. The communications controller according to claim 8, wherein the adapter

develops the alert information according the obtained priority and available responses for responding to the identified alert messages;

and

provides the alert information to the wrist-worn wearable device based on the priority and the available responses for responding to the identified alert messages.

10. The communication controller according to claim 9, wherein the adapter receives the input from the wrist-worn wearable device in response to the alert information, the input representing a selection of one of the available response associated with the alert message;

and

the alert server determines a response message associated with the selected one of the available responses to the alert message and communicates the response message to the POS terminal to enable the POS terminal to resolve the alert message.

11. The communication controller according to claim 8, wherein the alert server

receives a plurality of transaction information from the at least one POS terminal, and prioritizes the plurality of transaction information based on the issue relating to the POS terminal.

12. A checkout system comprising:

a POS terminal configured to process a retail transaction;

a wrist-worn wearable device configured to receive input from a user that provides supervisory support to the POS terminal; and

a communication controller configured to

receive transaction information from the POS terminal,

process the transaction information identifying the POS terminal and an issue relating to the POS terminal, the issue being at least one of a transaction of a POS terminal is stopped, assistance is requested at the POS terminal, and an information message is provided by the POS terminal, and

develop alert information for the wrist-worn wearable device to allow the wrist-worn wearable device to acknowledge or respond to the issue relating to the POS terminal, the alert information being based on the transaction information and specifications of the wrist-worn wearable device, the alert information causing the wrist-worn wearable device to display a graphical user interface (GUI) on the display,

receive the input from the wrist-worn wearable device in response to a notification on the GUI of the display of the wrist-worn wearable device, the notification identifying the POS terminal and the issue relating to the POS terminal, the GUI having at least one of a POS terminal ID, input section, and text description of at least one of the issue relating to the POS terminal and action to be performed in response to the issue relating to the POS terminal,

process the input at the communication controller to determine a response; and

communicate the response from the communication controller to the POS terminal, wherein

the communication controller not included within the POS terminal or the wrist-worn wearable device.

13. The checkout system according to claim 12, wherein the communications controller includes:

an alert server configured to receive the transaction information from the POS terminal, identify from the transaction information the POS terminal and the issue relating to the POS terminal; and

an adapter configured to develop the alert information for the wrist-worn wearable device to enable the wrist-worn wearable device to display the notification associated with the issue relating to the POS terminal and to receive an input to resolve the issue relating to the POS terminal.

14. The checkout system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a storage configured to store a table of a plurality of alert messages;

a priority associated each of the plurality of alert messages; and

available response for responding to each of the plurality of alert messages, wherein

the alert server identifies an alert message from the transaction information, and obtains from the table the priority and available responses for responding to the identified alert message, and

the adapter develops the alert information according the obtained priority and available responses for responding to the identified alert messages.

15. The checkout system according to claim 14, wherein

the adapter provides the alert information to the wrist-worn wearable device based on the priority and the available responses for responding to the identified alert messages, the alert information includes instructions interpretable by the wrist-worn wearable device.

16. The checkout system according to claim 15, wherein

the wrist-worn wearable device displays at least one available response to the alert message, receives an input via a touchpad presenting the GUI and being responsive to a user touch, and communicates the received input to the alert server via the adapter.

17. The checkout system according to claim 13, wherein the alert server receives a plurality of transaction information from the at least one POS terminal, and prioritizes the plurality of transaction information based on the issue relating to the self-checkout terminal.