Cashierless, Hygienic, Automated, Computerized, Programmed Shopping Store, Storeroom And Supply Pipeline With Administration Cataloguing To Eliminate Retail Fraud; With Innovative Components For Use Therein

• US 20100318440A1
• Filed: 03/18/2010
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Michael E.J. Coveley
• Original Assignee: Michael E.J. Coveley
• Inventors: Coveley, Michael EJ
• Application Number:
  US12/727,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20100318440A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/40 with provisions for indicating, recording, or computing price or other quantities dependent on the weight indicating means for weighing apparatus G01G23/18; recording means for weighing apparatus G01G23/18; computers in general G06
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3735 using a digital network
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures

Abstract

A Cashierless unattended point of sale, shopping store procurement payment means, with storeroom reordering system using a layered wireless linked monitoring and cataloguing system; includes an interfacing electronic configured self-owned reusable three-wheel fold-up shopping trolley with suspended color-coded bins; into which merchandise maybe placed and registered by a passive reading sensor array. A ‘load-cell’ integral to the trolley precisely quantifies and approves trolley bin contents for exit payment through a TCP/IP means. An evaluation wireless communication link repeatedly reviews “polled'"'"' trolley content data, this integrated communication link, is networked to the store Operations Center, wherein purchased inventory data is recorded and verified; upon shopping completion the contents are again finally substantiated for final electronic settlement. This self-contained cashierless enclosed shopping method provides retail loss prevention, real-time progressive inventory management and reorder, eliminates space to sales; being convenient for shoppers and store owners; making all egress points electronically restricted.

Claims

1. A cashierless shopping store comprising at least one shopping trolley mounted with a plurity of attached color-coded bins into which passive tagged merchandize items are placed and scanned by a range of various and alternative reading sensor encapsulated into the bin rim, comprising at least a barcode reading laser system connective set, which includes the means to detect weight of items so placed therein and resources to evaluate and rate value the scanned information jointly with detected weight internally through the trolley communication link with the CPU.

2. A cashierless shopping store as defined in claim 1 comprising at least one shopping trolley mounted with a plurity of attached color-coded bins into which passive tagged merchandize items are placed and scanned by a range of various and alternative reading sensor encapsulated into the bin rim, comprising at least an active RFID reading and transmitting system communication set, which includes the resources to detect weight of items so placed therein and means to evaluate and rate value the scanned information with detected weight internally over the trolley communication link to the CPU.

3. A cashierless shopping store as defined in claim 2 comprising at least one shopping trolley mounted with a plurity of attached color-coded bins into which passive tagged merchandize items are placed and scanned by a range of various and alternative reading sensors encapsulated into the bin rim, comprising at least an ultrasonic reading and transmitting system connective set, which includes the means to detect weight of items so placed therein and resources to evaluate and rate value the scanned information together with detected weight internally over the trolley communication link to the CPU.

4. A cashierless shopping store as defined in claim 3 comprising at least one shopping trolley mounted with a plurity of attached color-coded bins into which passive tagged merchandize items are placed and scanned by a range of various and alternative reading sensors encapsulated into the bin rim, comprising, at least a magno-acoustic/harmonic reading and transmitting system communication set, which includes the means to detect weight of items so placed therein and resources to evaluate and rate value the scanned information together with detected weight internally over the trolley communication link to the CPU.

5. A cashierless shopping store as defined in claim 4 comprising at least one fold-up and break-down shopping trolley mounted with a plurity of attached color-coded bins comprising the four or five configuration into which passive tagged merchandize items are individually placed.

6. A cashierless shopping store as defined in claim 5 said at least one shopping trolley incorporates mounted on the trolley center vertical strut one cantilever beam assembly, said beam assembly contains a totally enclosed integral set of interconnected electronic processing components connected insitu within to the said loadcell weighing means

7. A cashierless shopping store as defined in claim 6 said at least one shopping trolley incorporates coupled CPU components mounted within the trolley cantilever beam assembly, said beam assembly containing two totally integrated controllers including said CPU components, which are able to recognize, register and act upon received accurate said sensor data, to evaluation calculate, authorize and record store said data within said trolley main Motherboard CPU.

8. A cashierless shopping store as defined in claim 7 said at least one shopping trolley incorporates an RFID antenna mounted within said supporting cantilever beam, being a passive/active RFID Balun duplex pair connected to the said trolley main Motherboard CPU;

such that when ‘

poled’

by any store externally mounted passive/active Balun duplex pair passing between or nearby them, conveys and discloses existing stored current shopping accumulated data from said identified trolley CPU.

9. A cashierless shopping store as defined in claim 8 contains at least one passive/active RFID Balun pair within the store environment is connected to a WLAN intranet linked to the store Operations Center NOC where identified comparison information collected and evaluation matched to the store database is recorded for concluding use at the said store automatic checkout zone, and further use for inventory cataloguing and pipeline of supply reordering necessities.

10. A cashierless shopping store as defined in claim 9 further comprising an Operations Center, which is in communication with said at least one shopping trolley over said store active Balun RFID district pairs and active RFID Balun shelf pairs being interconnected to the said duplex wireless communication linked network;

said Operations Center upon receiving accurate data of shelf space to sales emulated data is corresponding accredited to store registering data base.

11. A cashierless shopping store as defined in claim 10 being a method of shopping for merchandise items comprising the steps of scanning or reading item classification, value and weight data from selected items being purchased, placing said selected items into the shopping trolley bins;

computing and accepting the established quantum prior to CPU memory supplement.

12. A cashierless shopping store as defined in claim 11 providing for a method of further encompassing necessary steps to error flag if said quantum comparison does not correlate within the trolley CPU evaluation, advising the shopper first for convenience of the error, which shopper must correct before an established timeout, set by the Operations Center and their participation.

13. A cashierless shopping store as defined in claim 12 further comprising the accrual and compilation of the main CPU memory capability within the trolley, wherein generated evaluated data is accepted and memory held awaiting the various ‘

poling’

requests for the compilation accrued as approved merchandise shopping.

14. A cashierless shopping store as defined in claim 13 utilizing a fold-up device comprising:

a three wheeled lightweight trolley;

onto which is installed a set of four or five concertina RFID rimmed bins removable to and from a trunnion support on said cantilever beam;

the bins are used for orderly placement of items to be purchased and placed therein, said color-coded bins form their own partition making a plurality of individual separated compartments, receiving and organizing assorted items during shopping.

15. A cashierless shopping store as defined in claim 14 comprising:

a plurality of such shopping trolleys individually identified by Operations Center, into which selected items being purchased are placed by shoppers into their personal said shopping trolleys.

16. A cashierless shopping store according to claim 15 wherein each shopping trolley includes a plurality of mounted bin rim scanners, individually or collectively including an active RFID Balun, an ultrasonic, harmonic, magnetostructive-acoustic set of readers that are able to read said merchandise items price, product type or code and item specific weight when placed within the trolley bins and data passed to the CPU memory chip.

17. A cashierless shopping store according to claim 16 wherein said merchandise scanning may also be performed by a bar code scanner if that system is still being utilized before placement into the said trolley bins.

18. A cashierless shopping store according to claim 17 wherein each shopping trolley main CPU includes a TCP/IP payment processing means that is generated from the trolley and a financial transaction request based on the check-sum of accurately read and recorded item types retained in the trolley bins and CPU memory, weight and price quantum is comparison matched by Operations Center, acknowledged and accepted allowing completing of a financial transaction request based on meticulous calculated evaluation within trolley CPU.

19. A cashierless shopping store according to claim 18 wherein said at least the exit zone includes an exit gateway and printer when said identified trolley financial transaction request is approved, wherein either a ‘

paper receipt’

or electronic trolley CPU receipt is obtained.

20. A cashierless shopping store according to claim 19 wherein an audio alarm is sounded at the checkout zone entrance and the trolley proper if the recorded trolley data, as parallel compared with Operations Center quantum ‘

check-sum’

does not match specifically.

21. A cashierless shopping store according to claim 20 wherein each shopping trolley further includes a retractable internal display wherein exhibiting specials, exclusive pricing information, advertising and menu suggestion, transmitted over said integrated WLAN communications link network can be displayed.

22. A cashierless shopping store trolley according to claim 21 further comprising a cantilever beam battery power source integral to the trolley proper with low battery warning, using four U2 NiCad rechargeable batteries.

23. A cashierless shopping store according to claim 22 wherein the shopping trolley cantilever beam includes trunnion mounts for mounting of said empty bins, allowing calibration to zero ‘

0’

by the control center after consideration of prior record quantified tare weight.

24. A cashierless shopping store according to claim 23 wherein a cell phone communicative dock on the trolley cantilever beam, is connectively coupled both to the trolley, and to the store control center via the trolley and to the integrated WWAN system availability.

25. A cashierless shopping store according to claim 24 wherein a lightweight fold-up, and stow away robust three wheel plastic trolley with said integrated processing communicative electronics, housed in the cantilever beam, is connected to the store integrated link network;

upon unfolding and arrival into the store entrance active Balun pair, for recognition, and up to date latest shopping statistics by the store Control Center.

26. A cashierless shopping store according to claim 25 wherein unhygienic and soiled metal carts are replaced by a client shopper owned, fold-up robust lightweight composite plastic three-wheeled trolley provided privately or under terms of the store to a client shopper loyalty provisions program.

27. A cashierless shopping store according to claim 26 wherein, following environmental laws, the uses of non-biodegradable plastic bags or carry-out disposable ‘

kraft-paper’

bags are completely replaced by woven plastic concertina color-coded bins that are client shopper owned, long-lasting, durable, reusable, provided under store loyalty program provisions.

28. A cashierless shopping store according to claim 27 as said by to the present combined invention claims provide an intrinsic, comprehensive ‘

state of affairs’

shopping, establishing overall security shopping safeguards while affording provision for convenience being shopper friendly.

29. A cashierless shopping store according to claim 28 wherein a further aspect makes information congregated and transmitted from both the store vertical active Balun pairs, or continual plurality of shelf horizontal active Balun pairs with supplementary antennas also collect and further collaborate shoppers take-up trends to the store database, further correlation being beneficial to re-order and pipeline of supply requirements.

30. A cashierless shopping store according to claim 29 wherein advantages from monitoring inclination, location and coordinates of appropriate discount merchandise produce trolley enunciated, client shopper can be advised by Operations Center as to their respective locations by aisle and shelf coordinates.

31. A cashierless shopping store according to claim 30 wherein the present invention also makes available the stored and forwarded data from the summation of the walk-thru’

active Balun pairs entering the checkout zone, real-time recorded by Operations Center wherein an un-flagged audited trolley is satisfactorily able to commence TCP/IP transaction processes, that are prompt and achieved at walk-through speed with choice of a printed receipt of the transaction available in paper form or electronic form at the exiting gateway.

32. A cashierless shopping store according to claim 31 wherein a trolley fagged error must be client shopper corrected immediately in order to continue shopping, remaining uncorrected, will require Control Center participation well prior to the exit zone, followed by further reoccurring fagged errors/faults will automatically engage store security survey and involvement.

33. A cashierless shopping store according to claim 32 permits the shopper to leave the store with their trolley and bins in an organized manner, then able to stow bins and trolley into their transportation;

arriving home with well organized merchandise making for easy organized home accommodation.

34. A cashierless shopping store according to claim 33 provides an active RFID Balun paired doorway portal surveillance curtain from inwards merchandise at the backend loading dock, monitored and inward inventory catalogued from delivery truck to storeroom racking monitored by Control Center NOC.

35. A cashierless shopping store according to claim 34 provides an active RFID storeroom shelf surveillance of carboy or bulk pallet breakdown and for onward distribution through store proper egress portals containing active RFID Balun pairs from storeroom, inventory catalogued by Control Center NOC.

36. A cashierless shopping store according to claim 35 wherein overall inventory stocktaking can be made at short repeat intervals in order to administer and manipulate movement of said merchandise throughout districts of the storeroom, to store, to unattended point of sale cashierless zone for accurate purchase of merchandize.