Security summary for retail receipt

• US 20070194112A1
• Filed: 02/23/2006
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Petroskey, Steven
• Application Number:
  US11/360,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20070194112A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer-readable medium for determining if a retail purchase is proper is presented. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of creating a list of items that require purchase review when being purchased at a checkout station in a store; scanning one or more items for purchase at the checkout station; and creating a listing of the scanned items that match the list of items that require purchase review, wherein the listing contains headings of review types for reviews that are required for the scanned items that match the list of items that require purchase review.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

creating a list of items that require purchase review when being purchased at a checkout station in a store;

scanning one or more items for purchase at the checkout station; and

creating a listing of the scanned items that match the list of items that require purchase review, wherein the listing contains headings of review types for reviews that are required for the scanned items that match the list of items that require purchase review.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

appending, to an end of a customer'"'"'s receipt, the listing of scanned items that match the list of items that require purchase review.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the review type is based on a minimum age requirement of a buyer to purchase an adult product.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the adult product is an alcoholic beverage.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the adult product is a tobacco product.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the review type is based on a maximum quantity of items permitted to be purchased in a single transaction.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the maximum quantity of items is based on a legal requirement.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the maximum quantity of items is based on a condition of sale set by the store.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning a transaction number to the scanned items that match the list of items that require purchase review;

printing the transaction number on a customer'"'"'s receipt;

retrieving a listing of the scanned items by querying a table that associates the transaction number with the scanned items; and

transmitting the transaction number and the scanned items to a wireless handheld device, wherein an employee confirms that the scanned items in a customer'"'"'s shopping cart conform to a required purchase review, and wherein the specific customer'"'"'s shopping cart is identified by correlating the transaction number that is received at the wireless handheld device with the transaction number that is printed on the customer'"'"'s receipt.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the checkout station is a self-checkout device, and wherein a review type for a particular product is based on that particular product being easily concealable.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein a review type for a particular product is based on a history of that particular product being stolen from the store.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

printing, at a printer located at an attendant station, a listing of only the scanned items that match the list of items that require purchase review, wherein a shopper is unaware of which items will be scrutinized by an employee of the store.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the review type is based on a minimum price of a product, and wherein only scanned products that exceed the minimum price are listed at an end of a customer'"'"'s receipt.

14. A system comprising:

a processor;

a data bus coupled to the processor;

a memory coupled to the data bus; and

a computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, the computer program code comprising instructions executable by the processor and configured for;

creating a list of items that require purchase review at a checkout station in a store;

scanning one or more items for purchase at the checkout station; and

creating a listing of the scanned items that match the list of items that require purchase review, wherein the listing contains headings of review types for reviews that are required for the scanned items that match the list of items that require purchase review.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions are further configured for:

appending, to an end of a customer'"'"'s receipt, the listing of scanned items that match the list of items that require purchase review.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the checkout station is a self-checkout device.

17. A computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, the computer program code comprising computer executable instructions configured for:

creating a list of items that require purchase review at a checkout station in a store;

scanning one or more items for purchase at the checkout station; and

creating a listing of the scanned items that match the list of items that require purchase review, wherein the listing contains headings of review types for reviews that are required for the scanned items that match the list of items that require purchase review.

18. The computer-usable medium of claim 17, wherein the computer executable instructions are further configured for:

appending, to an end of a customer'"'"'s receipt, the listing of scanned items that match the list of items that require purchase review.

19. The computer-usable medium of claim 17, wherein the checkout station is a self-checkout device.

20. The computer-usable medium of claim 17, wherein the review type is based on a minimum price of a product, and wherein only scanned products that exceed the minimum price are listed at an end of a customer'"'"'s receipt.