Checkout system

• US 5,239,167 A
• Filed: 04/30/1991
• Issued: 08/24/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1991
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Mobile Technics LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Ludwig Kipp
• Inventors: Kipp, Ludwig
• Primary Examiner(s): LaRoche, Eugene R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tan
• Application Number:
  US07/694,009
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 235/383, 235/382, 235/384, 235/462, 235/463, 235/375, 235/385, 340/551, 340/572, 186/61, 186/64, 364/403
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 9/046 Arrangement of recording means in or on check-out counters record carriers or readers per se G06K
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 9/048 automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0047 for reading/sensing record carriers having edge contacts
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10039 interrogator driven, i.e. synchronous
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/343 Cards including a counter
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0054 with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 3/00 Alarm indicators, e.g. bells
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 3/003 Anti-theft control theft alarms G08B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2417 having a radio frequency identification chip
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/246 Check out systems combined with EAS, e.g. price information stored on EAS tag anti-theft systems in point of sale systems G07G3/003
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2471 Antenna signal processing by receiver or emitter
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/248 EAS system combined with another detection technology, e.g. dual EAS and video or other presence detection system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2485 Simultaneous detection of multiple EAS tags

Abstract

A system for operator-unassisted checkout of randomly disposed articles in a container in a checkout area of a supermarket or the like, performed without contacting the articles in the container, includes, associated with each article, respective transmitters for transmitting product-identifying data upon actuation and then deactuating itself. Associated with the checkout area are actuators for actuating all of the transmitters in the container and a receiver for receiving the transmitted product-identifying data from each article in the container in turn and identifying the total cost of the articles in the container.

Claims

1. A system for unattended checkout of randomly disposed articles in a container in a checkout area without moving the articles in the container relative thereto, comprising:

(A) associated with each article, respective transmitter means for transmitting product-identifying data upon actuation and then deactuating itself;

(B) associated with the checkout area, actuating means for actuating all of said transmitter means in the container; and

(C) associated with the checkout area, means for receiving the transmitted product-identifying data from each article in the container in turn and identifying information regarding the articles in the container.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein, when said respective transmitter means upon actuation is unable to successfully transmit product-identifying data to said receiver means, said respective transmitter means transmits a distress signal.

3. The system of claim 2 additionally including means associated with the checkout area for detecting each article transmitting a distress signal so that each such article is identified for operator-assisted checkout.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said respective transmitter means includes means for broadcasting upon actuation a start signal of one rank and then associated single digit signals of a different rank as the product-identifying data.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said receiving means includes means for receiving one start signal and then the product-identifying data associated therewith prior to receiving another start signal.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein said broadcast means broadcasts unique transmitter-identifying data as part of the start signal, and said receiving means includes means for transmitting to said transmitter means identified by said unique transmitter-identifying data an acknowledgement of its receipt of the start signal.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said broadcasting means broadcasts the associated product-identifying data only after receipt by said transmitter means of the acknowledgement from said receiving means.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said receiving means, upon receipt of the product-identifying data broadcast by said broadcasting means, causes said transmitter means to deactuate itself if the product-identifying data is recognized and to transmit a distress signal otherwise.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said transmitter means permanently deactutes itself.

10. A system for operator-unassisted checkout of randomly disposed articles in a container in a checkout area without contacting the articles in the container, comprising:

(A) associated with each article, respective transmitter means for transmitting product-identifying data upon actuation and then permanently deactuating itself, and, when unable upon actuation to successfully transmit product-identifying data, for transmitting a distress signal;

said respective transmitter means including means for broadcasting upon actuation a start signal of one rank including unique transmitter-identifying data and then, upon acknowledgement of the receipt thereof, associated single digit signals of a different rank as the product-identifying data;

(B) associated with the checkout area, actuating means for actuating all of said transmitter means in the container;

(C) associated with the checkout area, means for receiving the transmitted product-identifying data from each article in the container in turn and identifying information regarding the articles in the container;

said receiving means including means for receiving one start signal, then transmitting to said transmitter means identified by said unique transmitter-identifying data in the start signal an acknowledgement of its receipt of the start signal, next receiving the product-identifying data associated therewith, and then either causing said transmitter means to permanently deactuate itself if the product-identifying data is recognized and to transmit a distress signal otherwise, prior to receiving another start signal from another transmitter means; and

(D) associated with the checkout area, means for detecting each article transmitting a distress signal so that each such article can be identified for operator-assisted checkout.