Automatic electronic article surveillance for self-checkout

• US 20030075602A1
• Filed: 10/23/2001
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Snyder, Robert L., Hutcheon, Alfred John, Nugent, Paul F. Jr., Wike, Charles K. Jr., James, Daniel F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,389,918 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 9/048 automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0054 with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 3/00 Alarm indicators, e.g. bells
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2411 Tag deactivation
• 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

Abstract

A self checkout system/terminal includes an electronic article surveillance (EAS) system. The EAS system includes an EAS detector and an EAS deactivator. EAS tag detection is associated with a purchase transaction event, such as scanning or bagging of an item. After EAS tag detection, the customer is directed to deactivate the EAS tag. Some of the SCOT operation/functionality may be paused during an EAS tag deactivation period. The subject EAS system and/or process eliminates the need to deactivate every item, thereby streamlining the self checkout process when EAS is used in a store.

Claims

1. A method of operating a self-service checkout terminal comprising the steps of:

allowing scanning of an item for purchase via a scanner;

determining whether the item has an active electronic article surveillance tag; and

allowing deactivation of the active electronic article surveillance tag when it is determined that the item includes an electronic article surveillance tag.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether an item has an active electronic article surveillance tag includes the step of utilizing an electronic article surveillance detector.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of utilizing an electronic article surveillance detector, includes utilizing an electronic article surveillance detector that is associated with the scanner.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining whether the electronic article surveillance tag has been deactivated after the step of allowing deactivation of the active electronic article surveillance tag when it is determined that the item includes an electronic article surveillance tag.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of determining whether the electronic article surveillance tag has been deactivated includes the step of utilizing a second electronic article surveillance detector.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of utilizing a second electronic article surveillance detector, includes the step of utilizing a second electronic article surveillance detector that is associated with a bagwell of the self checkout.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of utilizing a second electronic article surveillance detector, includes the step of utilizing a second electronic article surveillance detector that is associated with a security scale of the self checkout.

8. A self checkout comprising:

a scanner operative to scan an item;

an electronic article surveillance detector operative to detect whether a scanned item has an active electronic article surveillance tag; and

an electronic article surveillance deactivator operative to deactivate the active electronic article surveillance tag when it is determined by the electronic article surveillance detector that a scanned item has an active electronic article surveillance tag.

9. The self checkout of claim 8, wherein the electronic article surveillance detector is associated with the scanner.

10. The self checkout of claim 8, further comprising a second electronic article surveillance detector that is operative to determine whether the electronic article surveillance tag has been deactivated by the electronic article surveillance deactivator.

11. The self checkout of claim 10, wherein the second electronic article surveillance detector is associated with a bagwell of the self checkout.

12. The self checkout of claim 10, wherein the second electronic article surveillance detector is associated with a security scale of the self checkout.

13. The self checkout of claim 8, wherein the electronic article surveillance detector comprises a coil and electronic circuitry/logic that is operative to obtain a signal from the coil indicative of an active electronic article surveillance tag.

14. The self checkout of claim 13, wherein the coil and electronic circuitry/logic are modular.

15. A self checkout comprising:

a processor;

a scanner in communication with the processor;

an electronic article surveillance detector in communication with the processor;

an electronic article surveillance deactivator; and

memory in communication with the processor and storing program instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

(a) allow scanning of an item for purchase via the scanner, (b) determine whether the item has an active electronic article surveillance tag via the electronic article surveillance detector, and (c) allow deactivation of the active electronic article surveillance tag when it is determined that the item includes an electronic article surveillance tag.

16. The self checkout of claim 15, wherein the electronic article surveillance detector is associated with the scanner.

17. The self checkout of claim 15, further comprising a second electronic article surveillance detector, and the memory has further program instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to determine via the second article surveillance detector whether the electronic article surveillance tag has been deactivated by the electronic article surveillance deactivator.

18. The self checkout of claim 17, wherein the second electronic article surveillance detector is associated with a bagwell of the self checkout.

19. The self checkout of claim 17, wherein the second electronic article surveillance detector is associated with a security scale of the self checkout.

20. The self checkout of claim 15, wherein the electronic article surveillance detector comprises a coil and electronic circuitry/logic, and the memory has further program instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to cause the electronic circuitry/logic obtain a signal from the coil indicative of an active electronic article surveillance tag.