Systems and methods for managing self check out services

• US 10,628,814 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2015
• Issued: 04/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Hendrick, Christopher Joseph, Nelms, David Martin, Rector, Mindy Dawn
• Primary Examiner(s): Obaid, Fateh M
• Application Number:
  US14/815,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20160034872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,726 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0009 Details of the software in the checkout register, electronic cash register [ECR] or point of sale terminal [POS]

Abstract

Some systems and methods are directed to a device agnostic architecture configured to control and/or manage the interactions between any front end store systems (e.g., self checkout (SCO) systems) for capturing purchase items and backend systems (e.g., point of sale (POS) subsystems) for completing purchase of the items. The device agnostic architecture can include a translation layer or translation component that mediates communications from and/or between the front end and backend systems. For example, the translation layer maps any commands received from any SCO and/or POS device into execution commands native to receiving systems. For example, back-end processing systems can be configured to control on-line identification of products and/or services for purchase, and manage execution of sales of any goods or services. The translation layer manages communication between SCO devices and the backend systems so each communicates with each other according to their respective formats (e.g., communication protocol and/or data format).

Claims

1. A purchasing system comprising:

at least one self check out (SCO) subsystem;

a point of sale (POS) subsystem;

a POS controller, wherein the at least one SCO subsystem is decoupled from the POS subsystem; and

at least one processor for translation configured to receive at least a first service request in a first format and a second service request in a second format different from the first format from the at least one SCO subsystem, translate the at least first service request and second service request and communicate the translated at least first service request and second service request in a new format for execution by the POS subsystem, wherein the at least one processor for translation mediates communication between the SCO subsystem and the POS subsystem enabling agnostic implementation.

2. The purchasing system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor for translation resides on the POS controller.

3. The purchasing system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor for translation is instantiated separately from any POS component.

4. A computer implemented method for purchasing, the method comprising:

receiving at least a first service request in a first format and a second service request in a second format different from the first format from at least one SCO subsystem over a first communication channel by at least one processor for translation;

dynamically translating the at least first service request and second service request by the at least one processor for translation, wherein the at least one processor for translation identifies automatically if all necessary information is included in the service request to map the at least first service request and second service request; and

communicating the translated at least first service request and second service request over a second communication channel under a new format, for execution by a POS subsystem, wherein the at least one SCO subsystem is decoupled from the POS subsystem, wherein the at least one processor for translation mediates communication between the SCO subsystem and the POS subsystem enabling agnostic implementation.