SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENABLING CUSTOMERS TO PERFORM SELF CHECK-OUT PROCEDURES IN A RETAIL SETTING

• US 20120041845A1
• Filed: 08/11/2010
• Published: 02/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SRR Patent Holdings LLC (Leigh M. Rothschild)
• Original Assignee: LMR Inventions, L.L.C. (Leigh M. Rothschild)
• Inventors: Rothschild, Leigh M.
• Application Number:
  US12/854,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20120041845A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.81
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0081 the reader being a portable scanner or data reader G07G1/009 takes precedence

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for enabling a customer to perform a self check-out procedure during a purchasing transaction. In one embodiment, among others, a software program is stored on a computer-readable medium and configured to be executed by a processing device. The software program includes logic adapted to enable a user of a portable customer device to utilize the portable customer device to scan a code associated with a product. The software program also includes logic adapted to enable the user to add the product to an electronic shopping cart and logic adapted to instruct the user to physically add the product to a physical cart.

Claims

1. A software program stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and configured to be executed by a processing device, the software program comprising:

logic adapted to enable a user of a portable customer owned device to utilize the portable customer owned device to capture an image of a product and resolve product identity;

logic adapted to enable the user to add the product to an electronic shopping cart; and

logic adapted to instruct the user to physically add the product to a physical cart;

logic adapted to enable the user to initiate a check-out procedure;

logic adapted to send a list of one or more products added to the electronic shopping cart from the portable customer owned device to a retailer device over a communication network, wherein the communication network is not wholly operated and controlled by the retailer and partially controlled and operated by the portable customer device;

logic adapted to receive a total price for the one or more products from the retailer device over the communication network; and

logic adapted to display the total price.

2. The software program of claim 1, wherein the portable customer owned device is a mobile phone.

3. The software program of claim 1, further comprising:

logic adapted to enable the user to capture an image of a product and resolve product identity a second time;

logic adapted to enable the user to remove the product from the electronic shopping cart; and

logic adapted to instruct the user to physically remove the product from the physical cart.

4. The software program of claim 1, further comprising:

logic adapted to enable the user to capture an image of a second product and resolve the second product'"'"'s identity;

logic adapted to enable the user to request information about the second product;

logic adapted to send a request for product information to a retailer device;

logic adapted to receive the requested information from the retailer device; and

logic adapted to display the product information on the portable customer owned device.

5. The software program of claim 4, wherein the product information includes a price of the second product or other information relevant to the product.

11. The software program of claim 1, further comprising:

logic adapted to enable the user to request to view a prior electronic receipt;

logic adapted to send a request for the prior electronic receipt to the retailer device;

logic adapted to receive the prior electronic receipt from the retailer device; and

logic adapted to display the prior electronic receipt on the portable customer device.

31. The software program of claim 1, wherein symbology is scanned when capturing the image, the symbology capable of including a bar code.

6. (canceled)

7. The software program of claim 6, further comprising logic adapted to enable the user to change the quantity of the one or more products in the electronic shopping cart.

8. The software program of claim 6, further comprising:

logic adapted to enable the user to confirm the purchase of the one or more products.

9. The software program of claim 8, further comprising:

logic adapted to enable the user to select a payment option from one or more payment options upon confirmation of the purchase;

logic adapted to send confirmation of the purchase and the selected payment option to the retailer device;

logic adapted to coordinate with the retailer device to complete the check-out procedure;

logic adapted to receive an electronic receipt and a scannable transaction code from the retailer device; and

logic adapted to display the scannable transaction code.

10. The software program of claim 9, wherein the one or more payment options includes payment information pre-stored on the portable customer owned device.

12. A retail system comprising:

a retailer device associated with a business that allows a customer to purchase goods or services, the retailer device comprising a receiver configured to receive signals from a portable customer owned device associated with the customer over a communication network, wherein the communication network is not wholly operated and controlled by the retailer and partially controlled and operated by the portable customer device, the receiver configured to receive signals related to a list of items to be purchased by the customer, the retailer device also comprising a processor configured to coordinate with the portable customer owned device to complete a purchase of the listed items, the processor further configured to create an electronic receipt containing information of the purchase and create a transaction code corresponding to the electronic receipt; and

a receipt verification device in communication with the retailer device, the receipt verification device comprising an input device configured to enable store personnel to obtain the transaction code, the receipt verification device further comprising a display device configured to display an electronic receipt corresponding to the obtained transaction code.

13. The retail system of claim 12, wherein the receiver is configured to receive the signals from the portable customer owned device over a wireless channel.

14. The retail system of claim 12, wherein the retailer device and the receipt verification device communicate with each other over a wireless channel.

15. The retail system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to calculate a total price for the items to be purchased.

16. The retail system of claim 15, wherein, to complete the purchase, the retailer device further comprises a financial account access device configured to receive payment of the total price from a selected customer account.

17. The retail system of claim 16, wherein the selected customer account is pre-stored on the portable customer owned device.

18. The retail system of claim 12, wherein the input device is a scanner configured to scan a transaction code displayed on a screen of the portable customer owned device.

19. The retail system of claim 12, wherein the retailer device and receipt verification device are integrated within one device.

20. The retail system of claim 12, wherein the receiver is further configured to:

detect the presence of the portable customer owned device within the premises of the business; and

send self check-out instructions to the portable customer owned device.

21. The retail system of claim 12, further comprising a database configured to store information associated with the goods or services offered by the business, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a request to view the information associated with one of the goods or services, the processor being further configured to retrieve the requested information from the database, the receiver being further configured to send the requested information to the portable customer owned device.

22. The retail system of claim 12, further comprising a database configured to store a prior electronic receipt from a previous purchase by the customer, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a request to view the prior electronic receipt, the processor being further configured to retrieve the prior electronic receipt from the database, the receiver being further configured to send the prior electronic receipt to the portable customer owned device.

23. A method comprising:

coordinating with a customer using a portable customer owned device to perform a self check-out procedure for making a purchase from a retail establishment offering merchandise for sale;

creating an electronic receipt summarizing the purchase and a transaction code to be associated with the electronic receipt by the portable customer owned device;

enabling store personnel to obtain the transaction code from the customer through the portable customer owned device over a communication network, wherein the communication network is not wholly operated and controlled by the retailer and partially controlled and operated by the portable customer device;

displaying an electronic receipt associated with the obtained transaction code on the portable customer owned device to allow the store personnel to compare the merchandise listed on the electronic receipt with merchandise that the customer is taking from the retail establishment.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a list of products to be purchased by the customer;

calculating a total price of the products; and

sending price information to the portable customer owned device.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein coordinating with the customer further comprises receiving a confirmation of the purchase and a payment option from the portable customer owned device.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the payment option is pre-stored on the portable customer owned device.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of storing the electronic receipt in a database.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of sending the electronic receipt and transaction code to the portable customer device, the portable customer owned device being configured to display the transaction code on a display screen thereof.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of sending the electronic receipt and transaction code to a receipt verification device associated with the retail establishment.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein enabling the store personnel to obtain the transaction code further comprises the step of enabling the store personnel to scan the transaction code displayed on the display screen of the portable customer owned device.

32. A method for enabling customers to perform self-checkout, the method comprising:

a user capturing an image of a product and resolving product identity using a portable customer owned device;

previewing information on the product using a portable customer owned device; and

receiving instructions to place the product in a physical cart;

enabling the user to initiate a check-out procedure;

transmitting a list of one or more products added to the electronic shopping cart to a retailer device over a communication network, wherein the communication network is not wholly operated and controlled by the retailer and partially controlled and operated by the portable customer device;

receive a total price for the one or more products from the retailer device over the communication network; and

displaying the total price on the portable customer owned device;

performing a purchase transaction of the one or more products based on the total price.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein a preview of information on the product be one or more formats including audio, video, text, or hyperlinks to other websites on the Internet.