Self-checkout system

• US 20030120547A1
• Filed: 12/26/2001
• Published: 06/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Morrison, James, Walter, Joanne, Lin, Horng Jaan
• Granted Patent: US 6,990,463 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/16
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 9/046 Arrangement of recording means in or on check-out counters record carriers or readers per se G06K
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0018 Constructional details, e.g. of drawer, printing means, input means
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0054 with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles

Abstract

A self-checkout system, particularly for retail areas of constrained floor space, has a small to zero footprint while being fully functional. In one form, the self-checkout comprises a unit mountable to a wall, pillar, or other support. In another form, the self-checkout has or is part of a columnar support. The self-checkout system has security in the form of video and weight verification. A visual and/or audio indicator provides indicia of modes of use of the self-checkout. The self-checkout further includes an interactive customer interface terminal, a scanner, and a scale. The self-checkout provides an open visual area that allows easy viewing by store personnel of transactions being performed on the self-checkout system.

Claims

1. A self-checkout comprising:

a housing;

an interactive customer interface terminal supported by said housing and operative to process a purchase transaction; and

a scale supported by said housing and in communication with said interactive customer interface terminal, said scale operative to obtain weight;

said interactive customer interface terminal and said scale being vertically oriented with respect to each other on said housing.

2. The self-checkout of claim 1, wherein said interactive customer interface terminal includes:

a processor;

memory in communication with said processor and containing a plurality of program instructions operative to operate the self-checkout;

a touch-screen display in communication with said processor;

a card reader in communication with said processor; and

a scanner in communication with said processor.

3. The self-checkout of claim 1, further comprising:

a security camera supported by said housing and in communication with said interactive customer interface terminal, said security camera operative to obtain video data during the purchase transaction.

4. The self-checkout of claim 1, further comprising:

a mode indicator in communication with said interactive customer interface terminal and operative to provide an indicia of use of the self-checkout.

5. The self-checkout of claim 1, wherein said housing is adapted to be mounted onto a support structure a distance from a floor from which the support structure extends.

6. The self-checkout of claim 1, wherein said housing comprises a pedestal.

7. The self-checkout of claim 6, wherein:

said interactive customer interface terminal is mounted on said pedestal at an interactive customer interface terminal height that approximately corresponds to an average customer'"'"'s midsection height; and

said scale is mounted on said pedestal vertically below said interactive customer interface terminal at a scale height that approximately corresponds to an average customer'"'"'s knee height.

8. The self-checkout of claim 7, wherein said interactive customer interface terminal height is approximately forty-eight inches, and said scale height is approximately twenty-four inches.

9. A self-checkout comprising:

a housing;

an interactive customer interface terminal supported by said housing and operative to facilitate a purchase transaction with a customer on the self-checkout;

a security scale supported by said housing and in communication with said interactive customer interface terminal, said security scale operative to obtain weight during the purchase transaction; and

a security camera supported by said housing and in communication with said interactive customer interface terminal, said security camera operative to obtain video of an aspect of the purchase transaction;

said security scale oriented vertically below said interactive customer interface terminal on said housing.

10. The self-checkout of claim 9, wherein said housing is configured to be mounted onto a support structure that extends from a floor, a distance from the floor to achieve a zero footprint of the self-checkout.

11. The self-checkout of claim 9, wherein said interactive customer interface terminal comprises:

a processor;

memory in communication with said processor and containing a plurality of program instructions operative to operate the self-checkout;

a display in communication with said processor;

a touch-screen in communication with said display;

a card reader in communication with said processor; and

a scanner in communication with said processor.

12. The self-checkout of claim 9, further comprising:

a mode indicator in communication with said interactive customer interface terminal and operative to provide an indication of whether the self-checkout is in use.

13. The self-checkout of claim 9, wherein said housing comprises a pedestal having a small footprint.

14. The self-checkout of claim 13, wherein:

said interactive customer interface terminal is mounted on said pedestal at an interactive customer interface terminal height that approximately corresponds to an average customer'"'"'s midsection height; and

said security scale is mounted on said pedestal vertically below said interactive customer interface terminal at a scale height that approximately corresponds to an average customer'"'"'s knee height.

15. The self-checkout of claim 14, wherein said interactive customer interface terminal height is approximately forty-eight inches, and said scale height is approximately twenty-four inches.

16. A zero footprint self-checkout comprising:

a housing configured to be mounted onto a support structure above a floor on which the support structure extends;

an interactive customer interface terminal supported by said housing and oriented to face a customer; and

a scale supported by said housing and in communication with said interactive customer interface terminal, said scale disposed vertically below said interactive customer interface terminal.

17. The zero footprint self-checkout of claim 16, wherein said interactive customer interface terminal comprises:

a processor;

memory in communication with said processor and containing a plurality program instructions operative to operate the self-checkout;

a display in communication with said processor;

a touch-screen in communication with said display;

a card reader in communication with said processor; and

a scanner in communication with said processor.

18. The zero footprint self-checkout of claim 16, further comprising:

a mode indicator in communication with said interactive customer interface terminal and operative to provide an indication of whether the self-checkout is in use.