METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATED RETAIL CHECKOUT USING CONTEXT RECOGNITION

• US 20150039458A1
• Filed: 07/02/2014
• Published: 02/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volitional Partners, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Volitional Partners, Inc.
• Inventors: Reid, Gregorio
• Granted Patent: US 10,290,031 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/117 Identification of persons methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1176 Recognition of faces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures

Abstract

A gestural checkout system includes a sensor-equipped server programmed with a gestural context application that authenticates a customer'"'"'s identity upon entry to a retail store. The sensors include cameras. The sensors are identify products and detect gestures of the customer indicating a purchase decisions. Gestures include product pick-up, product movement and product-commit-to-container actions. For bulk items, an Implicit Gestural Scale communicates product identity and volumetric data wirelessly to the implicit gestural checkout. Recognition of shopper locomotion, past a line of demarcation near the exit, automatically authorizes electronic payment.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a customer having an identity to purchase goods from a retail store through the use of implicit gestures and a customer financial account, comprising:

providing a server located within the retail store, the retail store including a demarcation zone for enabling check-out;

providing sensors in operable communication with the server;

sensing biometric information with the sensors and communicating the biometric information to the server to enable the server to authenticate customer identity;

tracking movement of the customer within the retail store with the sensors;

recognizing gestures of the customer indicating a purchase decision;

tracking the purchase decision; and

charging the customer financial account based on the purchase decision when the customer is detected by the server passing the demarcation zone.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein demarcation zone is positioned adjacent a store exit.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein sensors include optical sensors having facial recognition capability and the server is programmed with facial recognition software to authenticate customer identity.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sensors include optical sensors having gait recognition capability and the server is programmed with gait recognition software to authenticate customer identity.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sensors include optical sensors to track movement of the customer within the retail store.

6. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sensors communicate wirelessly with the server and are positioned in an array within the store.

7. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the customer has a hand, and the store has products placed on shelves, the step of recognizing implicit gestures includes optically recognizing movement of the hand to move a product from the shelf.

8. A method as set forth in claim 7, wherein the retail store provides shopping carts or the shopper brings their own shopping container, the step of recognizing implicit gestures includes 3D depth sensor/video recognition of movement of the product into a shopping container.

9. A method as set forth in claim 7, wherein the sensors detect the moved product to identify the product, the sensors communicate with the server to enable the server to determine a product price, the product price is recorded by the server.

10. A method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the sensors detect multiple products moved by the customer to tally product prices and charge the customer financial account.

11. A system for enabling a customer having an identity to purchase products from a retail store through the use of implicit gestures and a customer financial account, comprising:

a server located within the retail store;

sensors in operable communication with the server for sensing customer biometric information and communicating the biometric information to the server to enable the server to authenticate customer identity and associated the customer identity with a customer financial account;

the sensors enable tracking movement of the customer within the retail store and recognizing gestures of the customer indicating a purchase decision;

the server tracks the purchase decision indicated by a customer gesture, the customer gesture including picking up a product, moving the product and placing the product in a container; and

the server charges the customer financial account based on the purchase decision.

12. The system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the retail store has an exit with a demarcation zone, to enable the step of charging the customer financial account to be initiated upon movement of the customer in the demarcation zone.

13. The system as set forth in claim 11, wherein sensors include optical sensors having facial recognition capability and the server is programmed with facial recognition software to authenticate customer identity.

14. The system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the server tracks the purchase decision when the customer places the product into a shopping cart.

15. The system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the server tracks the purchase decision when the customer places the product into a shopping basket.

16. The system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the server tracks the purchase decision when the customer places the product into a pocket of the customer.

17. The system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the server tracks the purchase decision when the customer carries the product by hand through a demarcation zone defined within the retail store.

18. The system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the server associates financial account data with the customer, and charges the financial account when the customer passes a demarcation zone defined within the retail store.

19. The system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the server associates financial account data with the customer, and charges the financial account when the customer exits the retail store.

20. The system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the server associates financial account data with the customer, and charges the financial account after the customer exits the retail store.

21. The system as set forth in claim 11, wherein the server is programmed with software to detect probable theft events, and the server reports probable theft events upon detection to store security personnel for verification, wherein a theft event includes where a customer gestures to conceal an item.