SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IDENTIFYING TRANSACTION CAPABILITIES OF CASHIER

• US 20150332242A1
• Filed: 05/13/2015
• Published: 11/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: WalMart Inc.
• Inventors: Perry, Dustin, Smith, Zachariah, White, Daryl, Wade, Grant
• Granted Patent: US 9,779,395 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/206 comprising security or operator identification provisions, e.g. password entry
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0607 Regulated
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0018 Constructional details, e.g. of drawer, printing means, input means
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/01 Details for indicating displaying information in general G09F, G09G
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/12 electronically operated digital data processing aspects G06Q20/00

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments are directed to determining an availability of a transaction capability of a point-of-sale terminal, and alerting a customer of an availability of the transaction capability. Login activity can be detected at a point-of-sale terminal. An availability of a transaction capability for the point-of-sale terminal can be determined based on data retrieved by the point-of-sale terminal in response to the login activity. A visual alert associated with the transaction capability of the point-of-sale terminal is controlled based on the availability of the transaction capability.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for displaying a transaction capability associated with usage of a point-of-sale terminal, the method comprising:

detecting login activity at a point-of-sale (POS) terminal;

determining an availability of a transaction capability for the POS terminal based on data programmatically retrieved by the POS terminal in response to the login activity; and

controlling circuitry electrically coupled to the POS terminal based on the availability of the transaction capability to cause the circuitry to control a visual alert associated with the transaction capability of the POS terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing code by the POS terminal to query a database storing employee information including an attribute of an employee associated with the login activity;

determining whether the attribute satisfies a specified criteria; and

determining whether the transaction capability associated with the POS terminal is available based on whether the specified criteria is satisfied.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing code by the POS terminal to query a database storing information including a specified criteria for determining whether the transaction capability is available; and

determining whether the transaction capability associated with the POS terminal is available based on whether the specified criteria is satisfied.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing a database storing employee information to access data related to the login activity.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing a database storing store information to access data related to the login activity.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction capability of the POS terminal includes at least one of an ability to sell alcohol, ability to sell tobacco, ability to sell lottery ticket, ability to cash checks at the POS terminal, or ability to complete a transaction associated with restricted goods.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the circuitry to control the visual alert comprises causing the circuitry to at least one of energize a light source or de-energize the light source.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the circuitry to control the visual alert comprises causing the circuitry to render the visual alert on a display device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting logoff activity, and in response to detecting the logoff activity, controlling the circuitry to cease outputting the visual alert.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the login activity indicates a login to the POS terminal by an employee.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the transaction capability associated with the POS terminal comprises determining whether an attribute associated with at least one of a location of a store within which the POS terminal is disposed, a calendar day on which the login activity is detected, or a time of a day during which the POS terminal is utilized.

12. A system for alerting a customer of a transaction capability of a point-of-sale system, the system comprising:

a point-of-sale (POS) system programmed to detect login activity and determine whether a transaction capability is available at the POS system in response to the login activity; and

an alerting system electrically coupled to the POS system and configured to output a visual alert based on the availability of the transaction capability.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the POS system is programmed to query a database storing employee information including an attribute of an employee associated with the login activity, determine whether the attribute satisfies a specified criteria, and determine whether the transaction capability associated with the POS system is available based on whether the specified criteria is satisfied.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the POS system is programmed to query a database storing information including a specified criteria for determining whether the transaction capability is available and determine whether the transaction capability associated with the POS system is available based on whether the specified criteria is satisfied.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the alerting system includes a lighting device and circuitry, the lighting device being energized or de-energized by the circuitry based on the availability of the transaction capability at the POS system.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the alerting system includes a display monitor, an output of the display monitor being controlled based on the availability of the transaction capability at the POS system.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the POS system communicates with a database storing at least one of employee information or store information to determine whether the transaction capability is available.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the database is stored on a store server.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the transaction capability of the POS system includes at least one of an ability to sell alcohol, ability to sell tobacco, ability to sell lottery ticket, and ability to cash checks.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions executable by a processing device, wherein execution of the instructions causes the processing device to implement a method for alerting a consumer of a transaction capability of a point-of-sale system in a store comprising:

detecting login activity at a point-of-sale (POS) system in a store;

determining a transaction capability associated with the POS system based on data retrieved by the POS system in response to the login activity; and

generating an output to control a visual alert associated with the transaction capability of the POS system.