Shopping environment including detection of unpaid items in proximity to an exit

• US 20060136303A1
• Filed: 12/17/2004
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bell, Kevin H., Maximilien, Eugene Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,647,248 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• 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

Abstract

A shopping environment includes a server and a shopping device for broadcasting a wireless signal that identifies the identity of a shopper associated with the device. A network infrastructure conveys the wireless signal information to the server. A verification system is configured to detect the shopping device being in proximity to an exit of the shopping environment and to initiate precautionary action in response thereto. The shopping device may be enabled to permit the user to indicate purchase of an item and, responsive thereto, to communicate a purchase to the server as part of maintaining a virtual shopping cart of items selected for purchase by the shopper. The verification apparatus initiates the precautionary action if the shopper has not made payment arrangements. The verification apparatus is further enabled to display the number of items in the virtual shopping cart and the amount of time spent on the shopping trip.

Claims

1. A shopping environment, comprising:

a shopping device for broadcasting a wireless signal containing information indicative of an identity of a shopper associated with the shopping device;

a server;

a network infrastructure to convey the wireless signal information to the server; and

a verification apparatus coupled to the server and enabled to detect the shopping device being in proximity to an exit of the shopping environment and further enabled to initiate precautionary action in response thereto.

2. The shopping environment of claim 1, wherein the wireless signal is compliant with a wireless signal format selected from the group consisting of Bluetooth and 802.11.

3. The shopping environment of claim 2, wherein the infrastructure includes a wireline portion to which the server and at least one wireless access point are connected.

4. The shopping environment of claim 1, wherein the shopping device is enabled to permit the user to indicate purchase of an item, responsive thereto to communicate a purchase to the server.

5. The shopping environment of claim 4, wherein the server is enabled to maintain a virtual shopping cart indicating all items purchased by the shopper and the amount of time spent on the current shopping trip.

6. The shopping environment of claim 5, wherein the verification apparatus is further enabled to determine whether the shopper has made payment arrangements for the items in the virtual shopping cart.

7. The shopping environment of claim 6, wherein the verification apparatus initiates the precautionary action if the shopper has not made payment arrangements and bypasses the precautionary action if the shopper has made payment arrangements.

8. The shopping environment of claim 1, wherein the verification apparatus is further enabled to report the number of items in the virtual shopping cart and the amount of time spent shopping.

9. A computer program product for providing a shopping environment, comprising:

computer code means for associating a shopping device with a shopper;

server computer code means for creating a virtual shopping cart for the shopper responsive to the shopping device associating with the shopper;

computer code means for enabling the shopping device to indicate purchase of an item;

server computer code means for detecting the purchase indication and responsive thereto for updating a virtual shopping cart associated with the shopper;

server computer code means for determining whether the shopper has made payment arrangements for the items in the virtual shopping cart; and

computer code means for detecting the presence of the shopper in proximity to an exit of the store and, responsive thereto, for verifying payment arrangements for the items in the virtual shopping cart and initiating precautionary action if payment arrangements have not been made.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer code means for creating the virtual shopping cart are responsive to the shopping device producing a wireless signal indicative of an identity of the shopper.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising computer code means for displaying the virtual shopping cart on a display screen of the shopping device.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising computer code means for determining an approximate location of the shopper within the shopping environment when the shopper is not in proximity to the store exit.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising computer code means for enabling the shopper to make payment arrangements using the shopping device.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising computer code means for displaying the virtual shopping cart on a verification apparatus responsive to detecting the presence of the shopper in proximity to the store exit.

15. A service for providing a shopping environment, comprising:

enabling a shopping device to associate with a shopper;

enabling a server to detect said association and, responsive thereto, create a virtual shopping cart corresponding to the shopper;

enabling the virtual shopping cart to store the number of items in the cart of the shopper and the amount of time spent on the shopping trip;

enabling a verification system to detect the shopper in proximity to an exit of the shopping environment and, responsive thereto, to determine whether the shopper has paid for the items in the virtual shopping cart; and

enabling the verification system to initiate precautionary action by indicating that a shopper in proximity to an exit has not paid for the items in the virtual shopping cart.

16. The service of claim 15, further comprising enabling the verification system to obtain and display the virtual shopping cart responsive to said detecting of the shopper in proximity to the exit.

17. The service of claim 15, further comprising enabling the shopping device to accept payment from the shopper and to inform the server of the payment.

18. The service of claim 15, further comprising providing a network infrastructure for the shopping environment, wherein the network infrastructure includes a wire-based network to which a wireless access point and the server are connected.

19. The service of claim 18, wherein a wireless protocol supported by a wireless access point is selected from the group consisting of IEEE 802.11 and Bluetooth.

20. The service of claim 15, further comprising providing the verification system, wherein the verification system includes a computer device connected to the wire-based network and wireless receiver for detecting the wireless signal of the shopping device.