COMMUNICATION OF TRANSACTION DATA WITHIN A SELF-CHECKOUT ENVIRONMENT

• US 20120205433A1
• Filed: 02/16/2011
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NNG LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dudek, Clark A., Jones, Phillip D., Paradise, Sheryl A., Rodriguez, Adrian X.
• Granted Patent: US 8,317,086 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/01 Details for indicating displaying information in general G09F, G09G

Abstract

Systems and method for communication of transaction data within a self-checkout environment are disclosed. According to an aspect, a method includes controlling a display device to display a machine-readable representation of transaction data. The method may include receiving a signal that indicates acknowledgement of reading of the machine-readable representation of the transaction data. Further, the method may include controlling the display device to display a machine-readable representation of other transaction data in response to receipt of the signal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a computing device;

capturing images of items to be purchased;

generating purchase item identifiers of the items based on the captured images;

generating a sequence of machine-readable representations of the purchase item identifiers;

controlling a display device to sequentially display the sequence of machine-readable representations of the purchase item identifiers;

receiving a plurality of signals from a shopper terminal that indicate acknowledgement of reading of each of the machine-readable representations of the sequence;

controlling timing of display of each of the machine-readable representations based on the received plurality of signals; and

controlling the display device to display the sequence of machine-readable representations based on the signals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the machine-readable representations each comprise an optical machine-readable representation.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the optical machine-readable representation comprises a barcode.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the machine-readable representations further comprise one or more of position coordinates for a location where a machine-readable representation of a purchase item identifier was read, a time when a machine-readable representation of a purchase item identifier was read, proximity information of a computing device, discount information for a purchase item, shopper profile information, transaction security information, payment information, and purchase item information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a plurality of signals comprises one or more of receiving an audible signal, a vibratory signal, an electromagnetic signal, and an optical signal.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving shopping data associated with the purchase item identifiers;

generating a machine-readable representation of the shopping data;

controlling the display device to display the machine-readable representation of the shopping data; and

receiving a signal from the shopper terminal that indicates acknowledgement of reading of the machine-readable representation of the shopping data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the shopping data comprises one or more of position coordinates for a location where a machine-readable representation of a purchase item identifier was read, a time when a machine-readable representation of a purchase item identifier was read, proximity information of a computing device, discount information for a purchase item, shopper profile information, transaction security information, payment information, and purchase item information.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein controlling the display device comprises controlling a display of a mobile computing device to display the machine-readable representation of the shopping data.

10. The method of claim 1,

wherein receiving purchase item identifiers comprises reading machine-readable representations of purchase item identifiers of purchase items;

wherein the method further comprises determining the purchase item identifiers.

6. (canceled)

11. A method comprising:

at a shopper terminal;

reading, from a display of a computing device, a displayed sequence of machine-readable representations of purchase item identifiers associated with images of barcodes of items to be purchased, wherein the images were captured by the computing device;

in response to reading each machine-readable representation, controlling an output device of the shopper terminal to output a control signal to control timing of display of each of the machine-readable representations in accordance with the sequence; and

conducting a purchase transaction for a user to purchase the items based on the read machine-readable representations.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein reading a displayed sequence of machine-readable representations comprises reading a displayed sequence of barcodes.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the machine-readable representations comprise one or more of position coordinates for a location where a machine-readable representation of a purchase item identifier was read, a time when a machine-readable representation of a purchase item identifier was read, proximity information of a computing device, discount information for a purchase item, shopper profile information, transaction security information, payment information, and purchase item information.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling an output device to output a control signal comprises controlling the output device to output one or more of an audible signal, a vibratory signal, an electromagnetic signal, and an optical signal.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising applying a validation analysis to the product item identifiers.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the machine-readable representations further comprise communication layer information that identifies a number of machine-readable representations to be read in a transaction,

wherein the method further comprises determining an actual number of machine-readable representations that were read, and

wherein applying a validation analysis comprises comparing the number of machine-readable representations to be read and the actual number of machine-readable representations that were read.

14. (canceled)

18. A computing device comprising:

a display device;

a camera configured to capture images of items to be purchased;

an input device configured to receive a plurality of signals from a shopper terminal that indicate acknowledgement of reading of a sequence of machine-readable representations of product item identifiers associated with the items; and

a transaction manager configured to;

generate the purchase item identifiers of the items based on the captured images;

generate the sequence of machine-readable representations of the purchase item identifiers;

control the display device to sequentially display each of the machine-readable representations of the purchase item identifiers; and

control the display device to display the sequence of machine-readable representations based on the signals.

19. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the machine-readable representations each comprise an optical machine-readable representation.

20. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the machine-readable representations further comprise one or more of position coordinates for a location where a machine-readable representation of a purchase item identifier was read, a time when a machine-readable representation of a purchase item identifier was read, proximity information of a computing device, discount information for a purchase item, shopper profile information, transaction security information, payment information, and purchase item information.

21. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the transaction manager is configured to:

receive shopping data associated with the purchase item identifiers;

generate a machine-readable representation of the shopping data;

control the display device to display the machine-readable representation of the shopping data; and

wherein the input device is configured to receive a signal from the shopper terminal that indicates acknowledgement of reading of the machine-readable representation of the shopping data.

22. A system comprising:

a mobile computing device configured to;

capture images of items to be purchased;

generate purchase item identifiers of the items based on the captured images;

generate a sequence of machine-readable representations of the purchase item identifiers;

control a display device of the mobile computing device to sequentially display a sequence of machine-readable representations of the purchase item identifiers;

receive a plurality of signals that indicate acknowledgement of reading of the sequence of machine-readable representations to control timing of display of each of the machine-readable representations in the sequence; and

control the display device to display the sequence of machine-readable representations based on the signals; and

a shopper terminal configured to;

read the displayed sequence of machine-readable representations; and

control an output device to output a control signal for requesting display of another of the machine-readable representations in response to reading each machine-readable representation.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the machine-readable representations comprise one or more of position coordinates for a location where a machine-readable representation of a purchase item identifier was read, a time when a machine-readable representation of a purchase item identifier was read, proximity information of a computing device, discount information for a purchase item, shopper profile information, transaction security information, payment information, and purchase item information.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the machine-readable representations each comprise a bar code.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the shopper terminal is configured to control the output device to output one or more of an audible signal, a vibratory signal, an electromagnetic signal, and an optical signal.