Self-checkout system and method including item buffer for item security verification

• US 20020096564A1
• Filed: 01/19/2001
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ECR Software Corporation
• Original Assignee: PSC Scanning, Inc. (Datalogic ADC Incorporated)
• Inventors: Behrens, James, Bellis, Donald Jr., Keys, Barry
• Granted Patent: US 6,598,791 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 9/047 for recording self-service articles without cashier or assistant
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0054 with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles

Abstract

A self-checkout system for a retail establishment that allows a customer to checkout multiple items having respective identification codes, the system includes a computer having memory with a buffer, an identification code reader coupled to the computer for determining the identifications of the items by the identification codes, a security verification mechanism coupled to the computer for verifying that the items actually being checked out from the retail establishment are the same as those identified by the identification code reader, and whereby the computer is adapted to store identification information of multiple items obtained by the identification code reader in the buffer before verifying that the items actually being checked out from the retail establishment are the same as those identified by the identification code reader.

Claims

1. A checkout system for an establishment that allows a customer to checkout multiple items having respective identification codes, comprising:

a computer having memory, the memory having a buffer;

an identification code reader coupled to the computer for reading the identification codes;

a security verification mechanism coupled to the computer for verifying that the items actually being checked out from the establishment are the same as those identified by the identification code reader; and

whereby the computer is adapted to store identification information of multiple items obtained by said identification code reader in said buffer before verifying that the items actually being checked out from the establishment are the same as those identified by the identification code reader.

2. The checkout system of claim 1, wherein the checkout system is a self-checkout system.

3. The checkout system of claim 1, wherein the establishment is a retail establishment.

4. The checkout system of claim 3, wherein the retail establishment comprises a grocery store.

5. The checkout system of claim 1, wherein the identification code reader comprises a fixed bar code scanner.

6. The checkout system of claim 1, wherein the identification code reader comprises a portable scanning device.

7. The checkout system of claim 6, wherein the identification code reader comprises a hand-held scanner.

8. The checkout system of claim 1, wherein the security verification mechanism comprises a physical characteristic measuring device.

9. The checkout system of claim 1, wherein the security verification mechanism comprises an electronic scale.

10. A self-checkout system for a retail establishment that allows a customer to checkout multiple items having respective identification codes, comprising:

a computer;

means coupled to the computer for reading the identification codes;

security means coupled to the computer for verifying that the items actually being checked out from the retail establishment match those identified by the identification code reading means; and

whereby the computer includes means for storing identification information of multiple items obtained by said identification code reading means in a buffer before verifying that the items actually being checked out from the retail establishment are the same as those identified by the identification code reading means.

11. A self-checkout system for a grocery store that allows a customer to checkout multiple grocery store items having respective bar codes, comprising:

a checkout terminal having memory, the memory having a buffer;

a bar code scanner coupled to the checkout terminal for reading the bar codes for determining the identifications of the grocery store items;

an electronic scale coupled to the computer for verifying that the weight of the grocery store items actually being checked out from the grocery store match the weight of the grocery store items identified by the bar code scanner; and

whereby the checkout terminal is adapted to store identification information of multiple grocery store items obtained by said bar code scanner in said buffer before verifying with said electronic scale that the weight of the grocery store items actually being checked out from the grocery store matches the weight of the grocery store items identified by the bar code scanner.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the method is a method of self-checkout using a self-checkout system.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the establishment is a retail establishment.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the retail establishment comprises a grocery store.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of reading the identification codes of multiple items to be checked out includes reading the bar codes of multiple items to be checked out with a bar code scanner.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of verifying that one or more characteristics of the items actually being checked out from the retail establishment match one or more respective characteristics associated with the stored identification information for the multiple items includes weighing one or more of the items actually being checked out from the retail establishment with an electronic scale and verifying that the weight of the one or more items match the weight of the one or more items read.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of reading the identification codes of multiple items to be checked out includes holding a pair of items, one in each hand, and consecutively scanning a bar code on each item without a security verification step therebetween.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of verifying includes verifying, in a different order than an order that the multiple items are read, that one or more physical characteristics of the items actually being checked from the retail establishment match one or more respective physical characteristics associated with the stored identification information for the multiple items.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of verifying includes verifying, in a different order than an order that the multiple items are read, that the weight of the items actually being checked from the retail establishment match the weights associated with the stored identification information for the multiple items.

12. A method of checkout using a check out system for an establishment that allows a customer to checkout multiple items having respective identification codes, the method comprising the steps of:

reading the identification codes of multiple items to be checked out;

storing identification information for the multiple items in a buffer; and

verifying that one or more physical characteristics of the items actually being checked from the establishment match one or more respective physical characteristics associated with the stored identification information for the multiple items after reading and storing identification codes for multiple items.

21. A method of self-checkout using a self-check out system for a grocery store that allows a customer to checkout multiple grocery store items having respective bar codes, the method comprising the steps of:

reading the bar codes of multiple grocery store items to be checked out;

storing identification information for the multiple grocery store items in a buffer;

verifying for security purposes that the weight of the items actually being checked out from the grocery store match the weights associated with the stored identification information for the multiple items after reading the bar codes and storing identification information for multiple grocery store items.

22. A method of self-checkout using a self-check out system for a grocery store that allows a customer to checkout multiple grocery store items having respective bar codes, the method comprising the steps of:

reading the bar code of a first grocery store item to be checked out and storing identification information for the first grocery store item in a buffer;

before verifying for security purposes that the weight of first grocery store item matches the weight associated with the stored identification information for the first grocery store item, reading the bar code of a second grocery store item to be checked out and storing identification information for the second grocery store item in the same buffer as that used to store identification information for the first grocery store item.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising verifying for security purposes that the weight of first grocery store item and/or the second grocery store item match the weight associated with the stored identification information for the first grocery store item and/or the second grocery store item.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising determining a combined weight for the first and second grocery store items and verifying that the combined weight of the first and second grocery store items matches the sum of the weight associated with the stored identification information for the first grocery store item and the second grocery store item.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising determining a weight for the second grocery store item before determining a weight of the first grocery store item and verifying that the weight of the second grocery store item matches the weight associated with the stored identification information for the second grocery store item before verifying that the weight of the first grocery store item matches the weight associated with the stored identification information for the first grocery store item.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising the steps of placing the first and second grocery store items in a bag on a scale, determining the incremental weight increase of the bag caused by placing the first and second grocery store items therein, and verifying that the incremental weight increase matches the sum of the weight associated with the stored identification information for the first grocery store item and the second grocery store item.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the method includes reading and verifying N grocery story items, wherein N is greater than two.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said method is a method of self-checkout in a retail establishment.

28. A method of checkout in an establishment, comprising:

reading a bar code of a first item to be checked out;

reading a bar code of a second item to be checked out prior to performing a security verification that the first item to be checked out is the same as that which had its bar code read;

performing a security verification that the first and second items to be checked out are the same as those that had their bar codes read after the bar codes of the first and second items have been read.

30. A method of self-checkout using a self-check out system for a grocery store that allows a customer to checkout multiple grocery store items having respective bar codes, the method comprising the steps of:

consecutively reading the bar codes of multiple grocery store items to be checked out and storing identification information for the multiple grocery store items in a buffer in a first order;

after consecutively reading the bar codes and storing identification information, verifying for security purposes that the weight of the items actually being checked out from the grocery store match the weights associated with the stored identification information for the multiple items in a second order that is different that the first order.

31. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer program logic stored therein, said computer program logic enabling the self-checkout of multiple items having respective identification codes with a self-checkout system for a retail establishment, said computer program logic comprising:

means for determining identification information of multiple items to be checked out based on said identification codes;

means for storing in a buffer identification information for multiple consecutive items identified by said determining means; and

means for verifying that one or more characteristics of the items actually being checked out match one or more respective characteristics associated with the stored identification information for the multiple items after determining and storing identification information for multiple items.

32. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer program logic stored therein, said computer program logic enabling the self-checkout of multiple grocery store items having respective bar codes with a self-checkout system for a grocery store, said computer program logic comprising:

means for determining identification information of multiple grocery store items to be checked out based on said bar codes;

means for storing in a buffer identification information for the multiple consecutive grocery store items identified by said determining means; and

means for verifying that the weight of the grocery store items actually being checked out match the weight associated with the stored identification information for the multiple grocery store items after determining and storing identification information for multiple grocery store items.

33. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer program logic stored therein, said computer program logic enabling the self-checkout of multiple grocery store items having respective bar codes with a self-checkout system for a grocery store, said computer program logic comprising:

means for reading the bar code of a first grocery store item to be checked out and storing identification information for the first grocery store item in a buffer;

means for reading the bar code of a second grocery store item to be checked out and storing identification information for the second grocery store item in the same buffer as that used to store identification information for the first grocery store item before verifying for security purposes that the weight of first grocery store item matches the weight associated with the stored identification information for the first grocery store item.

34. The computer program product of claim 33, further including means for verifying for security purposes that the weight of first grocery store item and/or the second grocery store item match the weight associated with the stored identification information for the first grocery store item and/or the second grocery store item.