Inventory control and point-of-sale system and method

• US 20030135417A1
• Filed: 01/15/2002
• Published: 07/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bodin, William Kress
• Granted Patent: US 6,681,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0054 with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 3/003 Anti-theft control theft alarms G08B13/00
• 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 system and method allowing a consumer to make a purchase within a retail area and to remove that purchased item from the retail area without causing an alarm by an electronic article surveillance (EAS) system. The system first identifies the consumer and the product to be purchased, then validates the selected item. If the selected product is a valid selection, then the system posts the transaction to the consumer'"'"'s account, optionally including a convenience charge, and commands the EAS to allow removal of the purchased item from the secured retail area, thereby allowing the consumer to make the purchase and avoid waiting for the availability of a human cashier or salesperson.

Claims

1. A method for allowing self-transacted purchases to be coordinated with an electronic article surveillance system, said electronic article surveillance system having a controller computer and at least one exit detection pedestal capable of initiating an alarm condition and at least one article tag, said method comprising the steps of:

establishing an identity of a consumer;

receiving a selection of a product for purchase to which said article tag is affixed;

validating said selected product is available for purchase;

completing a purchase transaction by posting an amount to an account associated with said identified consumer; and

allowing physical removal of said selected product from an area secured by said electronic article surveillance system by prohibiting the initiation of an alarm condition when said article tag is detected near said detection pedestal associated with said identified consumer.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of establishing an identity of a consumer comprises detecting a radio frequency identification device associated with said consumer.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of establishing an identity of a consumer comprises providing an identification process to a pervasive computing device associated with said consumer.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of receiving a selection of a product for purchase comprises detecting an RF ID tag affixed to the product.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of receiving a selection of a product for purchase comprises scanning a bar code affixed to the product.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of receiving a selection of a product for purchase comprises providing a product selection process to a pervasive computing device associated with said consumer.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6 wherein said step of providing a product selection process to a pervasive computing device associated with said consumer comprises providing a product selection form.

8. The method as set forth in claim 6 wherein said step of providing a product selection process to a pervasive computing device associated with said consumer comprises providing a product selection link on a page to which said consumer may navigate using said pervasive computing device.

9. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of completing a purchase transaction by posting amount to an account associated with said identified consumer comprises making a credit card transaction.

10. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of posting an amount to an account associated with said identified consumer comprises posting a surcharge to said consumer account representing a convenience charge or a handling charge.

11. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of allowing physical removal of said selected product from a secured area comprises disabling said article tag.

12. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of allowing physical removal of said selected product from a secured area comprises configuring said electronic article surveillance system to allow removal of said selected product when determined to be concurrent with detection of said consumer at said exit pedestal.

13. A computer-readable medium encoded with software for allowing self-transacted purchases to be coordinated with an electronic article surveillance system, said electronic article surveillance system having a controller computer and at least one exit detection pedestal capable of initiating an alarm condition and at least one article tag, said software causing one or more processors to perform the steps of:

determine an identity of a consumer;

receive a selection of a product for purchase to which said article tag is affixed;

validate that said selected product is available for purchase;

complete a purchase transaction by posting an amount to an account associated with said identified consumer; and

allow physical removal of said selected product from an area secured by said electronic article surveillance system through configuring said electronic article surveillance system to prohibiting initiation of an alarm condition when said article tag is detected near said detection pedestal associated with said identified consumer.

14. The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 13 wherein said software for establishing an identity of a consumer comprises software for detecting a radio frequency identification device associated with said consumer.

15. The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 13 wherein said software for establishing an identity of a consumer comprises software for providing an identification process to a pervasive computing device associated with said consumer.

16. The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 13 wherein said software for receiving a selection of a product for purchase comprises software for detecting an RF ID tag affixed to the product.

17. The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 13 wherein said software for receiving a selection of a product for purchase comprises software for receiving a bar code value.

18. The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 13 wherein said software for receiving a selection of a product for purchase comprises software for providing a product selection process to a pervasive computing device associated with said consumer.

19. The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 18 wherein said software for providing a product selection process to a pervasive computing device associated with said consumer comprises software for providing a product selection form.

20. The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 18 wherein said software for providing a product selection process to a pervasive computing device associated with said consumer comprises software for providing a product selection link on a page to which said consumer may navigate using said pervasive computing device.

21. The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 13 wherein said software for completing a purchase transaction by posting amount to an account associated with said identified consumer comprises software for executing a credit card transaction.

22. The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 13 wherein said software for posting an amount to an account associated with said identified consumer comprises software for posting a surcharge to said consumer account representing a convenience charge or a handling charge.

23. The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 13 wherein said software for allowing physical removal of said selected product from a secured area comprises software for commanding said electronic article surveillance system to disable said article tag.

24. The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 13 wherein said software for allowing physical removal of said selected product from a secured area comprises software for configuring said electronic article surveillance system to allow removal of said selected product when determined to be concurrent with detection of said consumer at said exit pedestal.

25. A system for allowing self-transacted purchases of products in a retail space secured by an electronic article surveillance system (EAS), said system comprising:

a consumer identification receiver for receiving a consumer identity value from a consumer identification unit;

a product selection receiver for receiving a consumer selection of a product for purchase;

a SCM interface communicative to a store supply chain management system for performing product validation operations;

a purchase subsystem interface for posting a transaction to a consumer account;

a EAS interface communicative to an EAS system; and

a controller for receiving said consumer identity value and said product selection, validating said product selection, posting a transaction to a consumer account, and commanding an EAS system to allow removal of said selected product from said secured retail space by said identified consumer.

26. The system as set forth in claim 25 wherein said consumer identification receiver is adapted to receive a RF ID value.

27. The system as set forth in claim 25 wherein said consumer identification receiver is adapted to receive a web form input.

28. The system as set forth in claim 25 wherein said product selection receiver is adapted to receive a bar code value.

29. The system as set forth in claim 25 wherein said product selection receiver is adapted to receive a universal product code value.

30. The system as set forth in claim 25 wherein said product selection receiver is adapted to receive a stockkeeping unit value.

31. The system as set forth in claim 25 wherein said purchase subsystem interface is adapted to post a credit card transaction.

32. The system as set forth in claim 25 wherein said controller is adapted to command said EAS to disable an EAS-tag associated with said selected product.

33. The system as set forth in claim 25 wherein said controller is adapted to command said EAS to allow EAS-tag associated with said selected product to pass through a protected passageway without initiating an alarm condition.