Method and system for purchasing items

• US 20040026503A1
• Filed: 08/04/2003
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Buypass Systems Limited Israeli Company of At Home Center Headquarters
• Original Assignee: Buypass Systems Limited Israeli Company of At Home Center Headquarters
• Inventors: Gantz, Ruth
• Granted Patent: US 7,044,369 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/343 Cards including a counter
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0054 with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles

Abstract

A customer station for use in an items'"'"' purchasing system in a supermarket or other retail store is presented. The customer station comprises an identification assembly, a control unit, a data presentation unit for presenting to the customer information related to selected items, and a deactivator. The identification assembly is operable to identify a nature of an item of customer'"'"'s interest, and generate data indicative of information related to the item of interest to be presented to the customer. The control unit has a processing means responsive to the generated data indicative of the information related to the item to generate data indicative of the entire sum to be paid by the customer which is to be presented to the customer. The deactivator is operable to deactivate a security tag attached to the item. The entire customer station or at least the identification assembly and the data presentation unit are incorporated in a unit mountable on a supermarket trolley.

Claims

1. A customer station for use in an items purchasing system in a supermarket or other retail store, the customer station comprising:

(a) an identification assembly capable of identifying a nature of an item of customer'"'"'s interest, and generating data indicative of information related to the item of interest to be presented to the customer;

(b) a control unit having processing means responsive to the generated data indicative of the information related to the item, and generating data indicative of the entire sum to be paid by the customer which is to be presented to the customer;

(c) a data presentation unit for presenting to the customer information related to the selected items; and

(d) a deactivator operable to deactivate a security tag attached to the item.

2. The customer station according to claim 1, and also comprising a memory unit for storing reference data representative of various items available in the store including their identification codes, nature and current prices;

3. The customer station according to claim 1, and also comprising a code reading/identification unit for identifying a customer and determining his payment card identification code, and generating data indicative thereof, the control unit being responsive to the data indicative of the entire sum and to the generated data related to the customer'"'"'s payment card, so as to finalize transaction.

4. The customer station according to claim 3, and also comprising a memory unit for storing reference data representative of various items available in the store including their identification codes, nature and current prices, and data representative of registered customers.

5. The customer station according to claim 2, wherein the identification assembly comprises a code reader/identifier for reading an identification code of each item selected by the customer and utilizing the reference data for identifying the item'"'"'s nature and price.

6. The customer station according to claim 5, wherein said identification assembler also comprises a sensor of a kind capable of identifying a customer passing through the aisle and generating data indicative thereof.

7. The customer station according to claim 6, wherein said identification assembly comprises a wireless connecting unit for wireless communication with a central station enabling to locate the customer with respect to items distribution in the store.

8. The customer station according to claim 2, wherein said memory unit is equipped with a signal receiving means for receiving updated contents of the reference data from a central station of the supermarket.

9. The customer station according to claim 1, incorporated in a unit mountable on a store trolley

10. The customer station according to claim 1, wherein said identification assembly and said data presentation unit are incorporated in a unit mountable on a store trolley.

11. The customer station according to claim 10, wherein said deactivator is incorporated in said trolley mountable unit.

12. The customer station according to claim 10 or 11, wherein said control unit is incorporated in said trolley mountable unit.

13. The customer station according to claim 1 or 11, wherein said deactivator is a magnetic assembly operable to deactivate a magnetic security tag.

14. The customer station according to claim 13, and also comprising a reactivator for reactivating a previously deactivated magnetic tag.

15. The customer station according to claim 13, wherein said magnetic assembly comprises at least one permanent magnet operable to create a DC magnetic field capable of deactivating the magnetic tag.

16. The customer station according to claim 15, wherein said at least one permanent magnet is mounted for rotation to create a spatial sinusoidal electro-magnetic field capable of reactivating the deactivated magnetic tag.

17. An items purchasing system for use in a supermarket or other retail store, the system comprising a central station for storing reference data, and a plurality of customer stations connectable to said central station, the customer station comprising:

(a) a memory unit for storing said reference data, wherein the memory unit is equipped with a signal receiving means for receiving updated contents of the reference data form said central station;

(b) an identification assembly capable of identifying a nature of an item of customer'"'"'s interest, and generating data indicative of information related to the item of interest to be presented to the customer;

(c) a code reading/identification unit for identifying a customer and determining his payment card identification code, and generating data indicative thereof;

(d) a control unit having processing means responsive to the generated data indicative of the information related to the item, and generating data indicative of the entire sum to be paid by the customer which is to be presented to the customer, and having processing means responsive to the data indicative of the entire sum and to the generated data related to the customer'"'"'s payment card, so as to finalize transaction;

(e) a data presentation unit for presenting to the customer information related to the selected items; and

(f) a deactivator operable to deactivate a security tag attached to the selected item, so as to enable its identification as a purchased one by an external security system.

18. A trolley for use by a customer in a supermarket or other store, the trolley comprising a unit mounted on the trolley and comprising:

(a) an identification assembly capable of identifying a nature of an item of customer'"'"'s interest, and generating data indicative of information related to the item of interest to be presented to the customer;

(b) a data presentation unit for presenting to the customer information related to the selected items; and

(c) a deactivator operable to deactivate a security tag attached to the item.

19. A trolley for use by a customer in a supermarket or other store, the trolley comprising a unit mounted onto the trolley and comprising:

(a) an identification assembly capable of identifying a nature of an item of customer'"'"'s interest, and generating data indicative of information related to the item of interest to be presented to the customer;

(b) a control unit having processing means responsive to the generated data indicative of the information related to the item, and generating data indicative of the entire sum to be paid by the customer which is to be presented to the customer;

(c) a data presentation unit for presenting to the customer information related to the selected items; and

(d) a magnetic assembly selectively operable to deactivate a security magnetic tag attached to the item, and to reactivate the deactivated tag.

20. A magnetic assembly for use in an item'"'"'s purchasing system in a supermarket or other store, the magnetic assembly being applicable to a magnetic tag presented on an item and selectively operable for deactivating the tag to make it undetectable by an external magnetic security system, or reactivating the tag to allow its detection by the external magnetic security system, the magnetic assembly comprising at least one permanent magnet operable to create a DC magnetic field capable of deactivating the magnetic tag, and being mounted for rotation to create a spatial sinusoidal electro-magnetic field capable of reactivating the deactivated magnetic tag.

21. A scanner device to be applied to an information and security utility presented on an item in a supermarket or other store, the scanner device comprising:

an identification assembly capable of identifying a nature of an item of customer'"'"'s interest, and generating data indicative thereof; and

a magnetic assembly selectively operable for deactivating a magnetic tag to prevent detection of the tag by an external magnetic security system, or reactivating the deactivated tag to allow its detection by the external magnetic security system, the magnetic assembly comprising at least one permanent magnet operable to create a DC magnetic field capable of deactivating the magnetic tag, and being mounted for rotation to create a spatial sinusoidal electro-magnetic field capable of reactivating the deactivated magnetic tag.

22. According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of purchasing items in a store, the method comprising the steps of:

(iii) identifying the nature of an item of customer'"'"'s interest, and generating data indicative of information related to the item of interest; and

(iv) presenting the generated information to the customer in order to attract his attention.