SHOPPING PROCESS INCLUDING MONITORED SHOPPING CART BASKET WEIGHT

• US 20140214577A1
• Filed: 01/29/2013
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal Mart Stores Inc (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Acker, Joel Bennett Jr., Pedley, Douglas James, Cancro, Richard Neil
• Granted Patent: US 9,607,486 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/23
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/1424 Electronic display devices
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/0096 Identification of the cart or merchandise, e.g. by barcodes or radio frequency identification [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/12 having electrical weight-sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/4144 for controlling weight of goods in commercial establishments, e.g. supermarket, P.O.S. systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/52 Weighing apparatus combined with other objects, e.g. furniture with walking sticks A45B3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0054 with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0081 the reader being a portable scanner or data reader G07G1/009 takes precedence

Abstract

A computer-implemented process aiding a customer scan and rapid checkout process can include monitoring a shopping cart basket weight. The process includes monitoring, in a computerized processor installed to a shopping cart of a customer, a signal from a weight device configured to monitor the shopping cart basket weight. The process further includes automatically generating a basket weight output value based upon the shopping cart basket weight. The basket weight output value includes one of a check against an expected weight of an item from a database, a billing statement total for a bulk good, a check against an expected total order weight to confirm presence of an un-scanned item in the shopping cart basket, and a check against unsafe use of the shopping cart. The process further includes providing a message based upon the basket weight output value.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented process to resolve a scan fault generated by a customer operated purchasing device in a retail store, the process comprising:

within a processor of the customer operated purchasing device, operating programming to permit a customer to scan at least one item for purchase to an electronic sales receipt list and to proceed to a rapid checkout;

during operation of the programming, within a computerized processor, monitoring occurrence of the scan fault; and

with a portable computerized device operated by a store employee, alerting the store employee to the occurrence of the scan fault.

2. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein alerting the store employee comprises generating a push notification to the employee.

3. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein alerting the store employee comprises displaying a store map including a location of the customer.

4. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, further comprising displaying a message to the customer that the employee is working to resolve the scan fault.

5. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, further comprising displaying a message to the customer that the employee is going to meet with the customer.

6. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, further comprising determining a closest employee to the customer;

and

wherein alerting the store employee comprises alerting the closest employee.

7. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, further comprising uploading information from the employee about the scan fault to a remote server.

8. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein monitoring the occurrence of the scan fault comprises:

monitoring the customer using the customer operated purchasing device to scan a barcode; and

identifying the scan fault based upon a remote server failing to return product information based upon the scan.

9. The computer-implemented process of claim 8, further comprising monitoring the customer using the customer operated purchasing device to scan a plurality of barcodes;

and

displaying a running price total to the customer based upon the plurality of barcodes.

10. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein monitoring the occurrence of the scan fault comprises:

monitoring the customer using a camera device of the customer operated purchasing device to scan a barcode;

monitoring a product logo for the product associated with the barcode; and

identifying the scan fault based upon the logo failing to agree with information related to the barcode.

11. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein monitoring the occurrence of the scan fault comprises:

monitoring the customer using a camera device of the customer operated purchasing device to scan a barcode;

utilizing a shopping cart equipped with a weight measuring device to monitor an incremental weight associated with a product added to the cart;

comparing the incremental weight to a reference weight associated with the barcode; and

identifying the scan fault based upon the comparing.

12. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, wherein operating the programming to permit the customer to scan at least one item for purchase within the processor of the customer operated purchasing device comprises operating the programming within a smart phone of the customer.

13. The computer-implemented process of claim 1, further comprising:

alerting store management if the store employee fails to resolve the scan fault within a threshold scan fault time; and

providing the store management an option to set a price related to the scan fault.

14. A computerized server comprising:

a product information module including programming to access a product information database and provide information related to a scanned barcode, wherein the scanned barcode is generated by a customer operated purchasing device in a retail store;

a scan fault identification module including programming to;

monitor data from the product information module, and

identify a scan fault based upon the product information module failing to return information related to the scanned barcode; and

a store personnel coordination module generating an alert to a store employee based upon the scan fault.

15. The computerized server of claim 14, further comprising programming to receive uploaded information from a store employee regarding the scan fault.

16. A software application including programming to permit a customer to scan at least one item for purchase to an electronic sales receipt list and to proceed to a rapid checkout, the software application operating upon a portable computerized device, comprising:

within a processor of the portable computerized device;

monitoring an image collected by a camera device of the portable computerized device;

identifying a scanned barcode within the image;

communicating with a remote server to access a product information database and attempt to identify a product associated with the scanned barcode; and

identifying a scan fault based upon the communicating;

displaying upon the portable computerized device a message that a store employee is working to resolve the scan fault.

17. The software application of claim 16, further comprising displaying upon the portable computerized device a running price total for scanned items.