COMMERCE AUTOMATION FOR A FUELING STATION

• US 20200134590A1
• Filed: 10/29/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Grabango Co.
• Original Assignee: Grabango Co.
• Inventors: Glaser, William, Van Osdol, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 11,288,648 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/91 Electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/91 Battery charging
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A system and method for vehicle facilitated commerce comprising: collecting a payment mechanism associated with a vehicle station at a vehicle service site; collecting image data in a defined region containing the vehicle station and a defined commerce region; initializing monitoring of at least one detected user associated with the vehicle station; monitoring commerce activity of the user, which comprises of: through CV processing of image data, detecting at least one commerce activity event involving the user and updating a checkout list associated with the user based on the commerce activity event; and executing a transaction with the payment mechanism for the checkout list.

Claims

1. A method for vehicle facilitated commerce comprising:

collecting a payment mechanism associated with a vehicle station at a vehicle service site;

collecting image data in a defined region containing the vehicle station and a defined commerce region;

initializing monitoring of at least one detected user associated with the vehicle station;

monitoring commerce activity of the user, which comprises of;

through CV processing of image data, detecting at least one commerce activity event involving the user and updating a checkout list associated with the user based on the commerce activity event; and

executing a transaction with the payment mechanism for the checkout list.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user interface at the vehicle station;

and at the user interface, presenting an option for camera-based commerce automation and receiving user selection of an option for automated commerce;

wherein initializing monitoring is triggered at least partially based on received user selection of the option for automated commerce.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving payment authorization for the payment mechanism from a payment interface at the vehicle station.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting a payment mechanism associated with a vehicle station comprises:

storing a payment mechanism in association with an account, detecting presence of an identifying signal associated with the account in proximity to the vehicle station, and upon detecting the identifying signal, selecting the payment mechanism associated with the account.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein detecting presence of the identifying signal comprises of identifying a vehicle through CV processing of collected image data, wherein the identity of the identified vehicle is associated with the account.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a set of users exiting a vehicle;

monitoring commerce activity of the set of users; and

executing one or more transactions with the payment mechanism for one or more checkout lists generated from monitoring commerce activity of the set of users.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

configuring usage policy by vehicle passenger and enforcing usage policy during monitoring of commerce activity of the set of users.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

displaying passenger usage policy at the vehicle station and receiving user selection of usage policy thereby configuring the usage policy.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising triggering checkout process feedback to a signal device indicating the user'"'"'s approval state for automated commerce.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein triggering checkout process feedback comprises tracking location of the user using computer vision processing of the image data and when the user is detected in proximity to the signal device activating the signal device to an approved state if a payment mechanism is collected for the user and there is no issue with the checkout list.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein triggering checkout process feedback comprises tracking location of the user using computer vision processing of the image data and when the user is detected in proximity to the signal device activating the signal device to a restricted state if a payment mechanism is not collected for the user or an issue is detected with the checkout list.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting at least one commerce activity event involving the user and updating a checkout list associated with the user based on the commerce activity event comprises:

classifying product items from the image data from the commerce region with product identifiers associated with pricing information,

tracking user location in the environment,

detecting user-item interaction events, wherein detection of one user-item interaction event comprises of detecting a user selecting a product, and

updating the checkout list according to product identifiers, user location, and the detected user-item interaction events.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting at least one commerce activity event involving the user and updating a checkout list associated with the user based on the commerce activity event comprises:

detecting user-item interaction events, wherein detection of one user-item interaction event comprises of detecting use of an item, and

updating the checkout list according to use of the item.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle station is a fueling station.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle station is an electric vehicle charging station.

6. The method of 4, wherein detecting presence of the identifying signal comprises of detecting device presence at the location of the vehicle service state.

7. The method of 4, in response to collecting the payment mechanism associated with a vehicle station, transmitting a vehicle station command signal activating the vehicle station.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more computer processors of a communication platform, cause the communication platform to:

collect a payment mechanism associated with a vehicle station at a vehicle service site;

collect image data in a defined region containing the vehicle station and a defined commerce region;

initialize monitoring of at least one detected user associated with the vehicle station;

monitor commerce activity of the user, which comprises of;

through CV processing of image data, detecting at least one commerce activity event involving the user and updating a checkout list associated with the user based on the commerce activity event; and

execute a transaction with the payment mechanism for the checkout list.

19. A system comprising of:

one or more computer-readable mediums storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, cause a computing platform to perform operations comprising;

collecting image data in a defined region containing the vehicle station and a defined commerce region,

initializing monitoring of at least one detected user associated with the vehicle station,

monitoring commerce activity of the user, which comprises of;

through CV processing of image data, detecting at least one commerce activity event involving the user and updating a checkout list associated with the user based on the commerce activity event, and

executing a transaction with the payment mechanism for the checkout list.