Apparatus and method for monitoring point of sale terminals

• US 10,311,683 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2017
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Taylor, Robert J., Bacallao, Yurgis Mauro, Cruz, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Laura N
• Application Number:
  US15/655,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20180033257A1
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/01 Details for indicating displaying information in general G09F, G09G
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/14 Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit data transmission in general H04L; telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 3/00 Alarm indicators, e.g. bells
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 3/006 False operation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication

Abstract

In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to monitor point of sale terminals and provide information to customers, via a lighting system. In some embodiments, information is provided, via visible light, to consumers and, via invisible light, to the management of a retail shopping facility. For example, a notification system for monitoring point of sale terminals in a retail shopping facility may include one or more visible light emitting status lights, at least one non-visible light emitting status light at each of the point of sale terminals, one or more optical sensors configured to detect the non-visible wavelength and an intensity associated with the non-visible wavelength emitted from the at least one non-visible light emitting status light; and a control circuit.

Claims

1. A notification system for monitoring point of sale terminals comprising:

point of sale terminals in a retail shopping facility;

one or more visible light emitting status lights associated with each of the point of sale terminals, the visible light emitting status lights are configured to emit different wavelengths visible to customers to indicate a visible status of the associated point of sale terminal to the customers;

at least one non-visible light emitting status light at each of the point of sale terminals, the non-visible light emitting status light is configured to emit a wavelength that is not generally visible to the customers within the retail shopping facility and indicates a management status to store management, wherein the non-visible light emitting status light is configured to emit a plurality of wavelengths including some different wavelengths that are visually indiscernible from one another;

one or more optical sensors configured to detect specific wavelengths from the non-visible light emitting status light and the one or more visible light emitting status lights and an intensity associated with the specific wavelength emitted from the at least one non-visible light emitting status light and the one or more visible light emitting status lights, wherein at least some of the different specific wavelengths are visually indiscernible from one another; and

a control circuit in communication with the one or more optical sensors, the control circuit configured to provide a notification regarding the detection of the specific wavelength from the at least one non-visible light emitting status light and the point of sale terminal associated therewith.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one non-visible light emitting status light comprises multiple non-visible light emitting status lights emitting different wavelengths or a tunable non-visible light emitting status light and wherein the one or more visible light emitting status lights comprises multiple visible light emitting status lights or a tunable light emitting status light.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one non-visible light emitting status light is configured to emit a specific wavelength, a plurality of different wavelengths, or a combination of wavelengths and an intensity associated with each wavelength.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the at least one non-visible light emitting status light is configured to modulate emitted non-visible light by changing one or more of an intensity, phase, and wavelength over time.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more optical sensors comprise at least one of:

a centralized invisible light sensor configured to scan the point of sale terminals and identify the non-visible wavelengths emitted from the non-visible light emitting status light and identify the terminal associated with the non-visible light emitting status light or;

multiple, decentralized non-visible light sensors configured to monitor at least one of the point of sale terminals and identify the non-visible wavelengths emitted from the non-visible light emitting status light and the point of sale terminal associated therewith.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more optical sensors includes at least one light receiver or light transceiver configured to detect invisible light emitted by the at least one non-visible light emitting status light.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one of:

an associate device in communication with the control circuit and configured to receive an indication of attention needed at one of the point of sale terminals;

or

a handheld associate device configured to have one of the one or more optical sensors incorporated therein such that the non-visible light is detected and provides notification to an associate via a mobile application.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one non-visible light emitting status light and the one or more visible light emitting status lights are disposed in a low-profile fixture configured to avoid interfering with a line of sight between the at least one non-visible light emitting status light and the one or more optical sensors.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more visible light emitting status lights comprise at least four different light emitting status lights emitting different visible wavelengths including green, yellow, red, and white thereby providing visual notifications to customers when the different visible wavelengths are emitted.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more optical sensors comprises one or more infrared transceivers that is configured to receive an indication from a managing device.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising a light database of non-visible wavelengths and notifications associated therewith and wherein the control circuit accesses the light database in providing the notification regarding the detection of the non-visible wavelengths from the at least one non-visible light emitting status light.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more visible light emitting status lights comprise visible light emitting diodes or a tunable visible light emitting diode and the at least one non-visible light emitting status light comprises a non-visible light emitting diode or a tunable non-visible light emitting diode.

13. A notification system for monitoring point of sale terminals comprising:

one or more visible light emitting status lights associated with point of sale terminals, the visible light emitting status lights are configured to emit different wavelengths visible to customers to indicate a visible status of the associated point of sale terminal to the customers;

at least one non-visible light emitting status light at each of the point of sale terminals, the non-visible light emitting status light is configured to emit a wavelength that is not generally visible to the customers within the retail shopping facility and indicates a management status to store management, the at least one non-visible light emitting status light including at least one of a non-visible light emitting diode or a tunable non-visible light emitting diode;

one or more optical sensors configured to detect the non-visible wavelength and an intensity associated with the non-visible wavelength emitted from the at least one non-visible light emitting status light;

a control circuit in communication with the one or more optical sensors, the control circuit configured to provide a notification regarding the detection of the non-visible wavelength from the at least one non-visible light emitting status light and the point of sale terminal associated therewith; and

a light database of non-visible wavelengths and notifications associated therewith and wherein the control circuit accesses the light database in providing the notification regarding the detection of the non-visible wavelengths from the at least one non-visible light emitting status light.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the one or more visible light emitting status lights comprise visible light emitting diodes or a tunable visible light emitting diode.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the one or more visible light emitting status lights comprise visible light emitting diodes or a tunable visible light emitting diode and the at least one non-visible light emitting status light comprises a non-visible light emitting diode or a tunable non-visible light emitting diode.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the at least one non-visible light emitting status light is configured to emit a specific wavelength, a plurality of different wavelengths, or a combination of wavelengths and an intensity associated with each wavelength.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the at least one non-visible light emitting status light is configured to modulate emitted non-visible light by changing one or more of an intensity, phase, and wavelength over time.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the one or more optical sensors comprise at least one of:

a centralized invisible light sensor configured to scan the point of sale terminals and identify the non-visible wavelengths emitted from the non-visible light emitting status light and identify the terminal associated with the non-visible light emitting status light or;

multiple, decentralized non-visible light sensors configured to monitor at least one of the point of sale terminals and identify the non-visible wavelengths emitted from the non-visible light emitting status light and the point of sale terminal associated therewith.

19. The system of claim 13 wherein the one or more optical sensors includes at least one light receiver or light transceiver configured to detect invisible light emitted by the at least one non-visible light emitting status light.

20. The system of claim 13 further comprising at least one of:

an associate device in communication with the control circuit and configured to receive an indication of attention needed at one of the point of sale terminals;

or

a handheld associate device configured to have one of the one or more optical sensors incorporated therein such that the non-visible light is detected and provides notification to an associate via a mobile application.

21. The system of claim 13 wherein the at least one non-visible light emitting status light and the one or more visible light emitting status lights are disposed in a low-profile fixture configured to avoid interfering with a line of sight between the at least one non-visible light emitting status light and the one or more optical sensors.

22. The system of claim 13 wherein the one or more visible light emitting status lights comprise at least four different light emitting status lights emitting different visible wavelengths including green, yellow, red, and white thereby providing visual notifications to customers when the different visible wavelengths are emitted.

23. The system of claim 13 wherein the one or more optical sensors comprises one or more infrared transceivers that is configured to receive an indication from a managing device.

24. A method of monitoring point of sale terminals comprising:

providing point of sale terminals with one or more light emitting status lights emitting visible light that is visible to customers within a retail shopping facility to indicate a visible status of the associated point of sale terminal and at least one non-visible light emitting status light emitting non-visible light that is not visible to the customers within the retail shopping facility to indicate a management status to store management;

monitoring the point of sale terminals via one or more optical sensors configured to detect specific wavelengths emitted by the at least one non-visible light emitting status light and the one or more light emitting status lights, wherein at least some of the different specific wavelengths are visually indiscernible from one another;

emitting the non-visible light from the non-visible light emitting status light associated with one of the point of sale terminals;

detecting the emission of the non-visible light associated with the one of the point of sale terminals; and

providing notification to a management device, via a control circuit in communication with the one or more optical sensors, regarding the detection of the non-visible light emitted from the non-visible light emitting status light and the point of sale terminal associated therewith;

wherein the at least one non-visible light emitting status light is configured to emit a plurality of different wavelengths including some that are visually indiscernible from one another or a combination of wavelengths including some that are visually indiscernible from one another and an intensity associated with each wavelength.

25. A method of monitoring a point of sale terminal comprising;

providing point of sale terminals with one or more light emitting status lights emitting visible light that is visible to customers within a retail shopping facility to indicate a visible status of the associated point of sale terminal and at least one non-visible light emitting status light emitting non-visible light that is not visible to the customers within the retail shopping facility to indicate a management status to store management;

monitoring the point of sale terminals via one or more optical sensors configured to detect the non-visible wavelengths emitted by the at least one non-visible light emitting status light;

emitting the non-visible light from the non-visible light emitting status light associated with one of the point of sale terminals;

detecting the emission of the non-visible light associated with the one of the point of sale terminals;

providing notification to a management device, via a control circuit in communication with the one or more optical sensors, regarding the detection of the non-visible light emitted from the non-visible light emitting status light and the point of sale terminal associated therewith; and

accessing a wavelength database, via the control circuit, to determine which of the point of sale terminals is associated with the emitted non-visible light and modulating the at least one non-visible light emitting status light.