SELF-CHECKOUT SHOPPING SYSTEM

• US 20150134470A1
• Filed: 11/08/2013
• Published: 05/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Hejl, Benjamin, Williams, Timothy, Gao, Jianfeng, Zhou, Xiaodong, Zhu, Qi, Yuan, Zhiqiang, Qu, Huyu, Patel, Mehul, Wang, Ynjiun Paul, Xian, Tao, Jin, HongJian
• Application Number:
  US14/074,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20150134470A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0081 the reader being a portable scanner or data reader G07G1/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader

Abstract

A self-checkout shopping system improves the retail shopping experience, permitting the self-serve customer to perform checkout tasks that are typically performed at the retailer'"'"'s checkout area as the customer is selecting items for purchase. The system includes a mobile computer device and an indicia reader. The customer uses the mobile computer device to scan items selected for purchase. The item numbers are then compiled onto a list of acquired merchandise. When the customer has finished shopping, the system transmits the list of acquired merchandise, and any additional information such as customer financial information, to a point-of-sale terminal to facilitate the customer'"'"'s payment for the merchandise.

Claims

1. A self-checkout shopping system, comprising:

a mobile computer device for maintaining a list of acquired merchandise, the mobile computer device comprising an indicia reader that is configured for reading indicia associated with merchandise; and

a point-of-sale terminal configured to wirelessly communicate with the mobile computer device;

wherein the self-checkout shopping system is configured to transmit the list of acquired merchandise from the mobile computer device to the point-of-sale terminal.

2. The self-checkout shopping system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile computer device and the point-of-sale terminal are configured to exchange information associated with the purchase of merchandise in response to a user action.

3. The self-checkout shopping system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile computer device and the point-of-sale terminal are configured to exchange information associated with the purchase of merchandise in response to a user (i) selecting an option to checkout on the mobile computer device, (ii) using the indicia reader to identify checkout indicia, and/or (iii) leaving the vicinity of the point-of-sale terminal.

4. The self-checkout shopping system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile computer device is configured to update a list of acquired merchandise when the mobile computer device'"'"'s indicia reader decodes merchandise selected by a shopper.

5. The self-checkout shopping system according to claim 4, wherein the mobile computer device is associated with a shopping container, and the mobile computer device'"'"'s indicia reader comprises an RFID reader that is configured to read RFID tags associated with merchandise that is placed in the shopping container.

6. The self-checkout shopping system according to claim 1, wherein:

the mobile computer device is configured for displaying indicia associated with the list of acquired merchandise; and

the point-of-sale terminal comprises an indicia reader that is configured for reading the indicia associated with the list of acquired merchandise as displayed by the mobile computer device.

7. The self-checkout shopping system according to claim 1, wherein both the mobile computer device and the point-of-sale terminal are enabled with near-field-communication (NFC).

8. The self-checkout shopping system according to claim 7, wherein:

the NFC-enabled mobile computer device is configured to transmit information associated with (i) the list of acquired merchandise and/or (ii) payment information; and

the NFC-enabled point-of-sale terminal is configured to receive information associated with (i) the list of acquired merchandise and/or (ii) payment information.

9. The self-checkout shopping system according to claim 8, wherein the NFC-enabled point-of-sale terminal is configured to transmit information associated with the purchase of merchandise.

10. The self-checkout shopping system according to claim 9, wherein the NFC-enabled mobile computer device is configured to receive information associated with the purchase of merchandise as transmitted by the NFC-enabled point-of-sale terminal.

11. The self-checkout shopping system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile computer device is a smartphone or tablet computer.

12. A near-field-communication (NFC), self-checkout shopping system, comprising:

an NFC-enabled mobile computer device; and

an NFC-enabled point-of-sale terminal configured to communicate with the mobile computer device;

wherein the self-checkout shopping system is configured to exchange information associated with the purchase of merchandise between the NFC-enabled mobile computer device and the NFC-enabled point-of-sale terminal when the NFC-enabled mobile computer device is positioned in proximity to the NFC-enabled point-of-sale terminal.

13. The self-checkout shopping system according to claim 12, wherein:

the NFC-enabled mobile computer device is configured to transmit information associated with payment for merchandise; and

the NFC-enabled point-of-sale terminal is configured to receive information associated with payment for merchandise.

14. The self-checkout shopping system according to claim 13, wherein:

the NFC-enabled mobile computer device is configured to encrypt and transmit information associated with payment for merchandise; and

the NFC-enabled point-of-sale terminal is configured to receive and de-crypt information associated with payment for merchandise.

15. The self-checkout shopping system according to claim 12, wherein:

the NFC-enabled point-of-sale terminal is configured to transmit information associated with the purchase of merchandise.

16. The self-checkout shopping system according to claim 15, wherein the NFC-enabled mobile computer device is configured to receive information associated with the purchase of merchandise.

17. The self-checkout shopping system according to claim 12, wherein the NFC-enabled mobile computer device is associated with a shopping container.

18. A near-field-communication (NFC), self-checkout shopping system, comprising:

an NFC-enabled indicia reader configured for (i) decoding indicia associated with merchandise, (ii) acquiring information associated with the decoded indicia from a database, (iii) transmitting the information associated with the decoded indicia to a second NFC-enabled device.

19. The self-checkout shopping system according to claim 18, wherein the second NFC-enabled device is a point-of-sale terminal.

20. The self-checkout shopping system according to claim 19, wherein the NFC-enabled indicia reader and the NFC-enabled point-of-sale terminal are configured to exchange information associated with the purchase of merchandise when the NFC-enabled indicia reader is positioned in proximity to the NFC-enabled point-of-sale terminal.