Self-service checkout system utilizing portable self-checkout communications terminal
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A self-checkout system comprising;
- a. a central site including a look up table containing a plurality of data records correlating to items disposed at a retail establishment, wherein each of said items has associated with it a bar code encoded with an indicia unique to said item, with each said bar coded indicia corresponding to a record in said table; and
b. a portable self-checkout communications terminal including;
i) a bar code reader for optically reading a bar code located on a selected item and for generating a bar code data signal indicative of the identity of said selected item;
ii) a phone module for enabling a user to voice communicate with a selected party;
iii) a switch for enabling a user to select a scan mode, wherein a data field indicative of said generated bar code data signal is transmitted to said central site to facilitate a self-checkout transaction and a phone mode, wherein said phone module is enabled to allow a user to voice communicate with a selected party; and
iv) a transceiver for enabling wireless communications with said central site and said selected party via a telephone network.
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Abstract
A system for transferring data between a centrally located site and a portable communications terminal via a telephone network, the site having associated therewith a look up table containing plurality of data records correlating to items disposed at a retail establishment, wherein each of the items has associated therewith a bar code encoded with the indicia unique to each item, with each of the bar coded indicia corresponding to a particular record in the table, the data containing at least a portion of said record.
290 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A self-checkout system comprising;
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a. a central site including a look up table containing a plurality of data records correlating to items disposed at a retail establishment, wherein each of said items has associated with it a bar code encoded with an indicia unique to said item, with each said bar coded indicia corresponding to a record in said table; and b. a portable self-checkout communications terminal including; i) a bar code reader for optically reading a bar code located on a selected item and for generating a bar code data signal indicative of the identity of said selected item; ii) a phone module for enabling a user to voice communicate with a selected party; iii) a switch for enabling a user to select a scan mode, wherein a data field indicative of said generated bar code data signal is transmitted to said central site to facilitate a self-checkout transaction and a phone mode, wherein said phone module is enabled to allow a user to voice communicate with a selected party; and iv) a transceiver for enabling wireless communications with said central site and said selected party via a telephone network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A self-checkout system for facilitating a self-checkout transaction by a customer selecting at least one item, comprising:
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a) a central site including a look up table containing a plurality of data records correlating to items disposed at a retail establishment, wherein each of said items has associated with it a bar code indicia unique to said item, with each said bar coded indicia corresponding to a particular record in said table; b) an at least one checkout register in communication with said central site for processing a checkout portion of the self-checkout transaction; c) an at least one portable self-checkout communications terminal for communicating with said central site, said at least one portable self-checkout terminal including a bar code leader for reading the bar code associated with the at least one selected item and a phone module for communicating voice data over a communications network; and d) a local communication network for enabling communication between said central site and said at least one communications terminal, wherein the customer generates a list including the at least one selected item using the at least one portable self-checkout communication terminal with up-to-date corresponding records stored in the central site with the local communication channel and completes the checkout portion of the self-checkout transaction at the at least one checkout register. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
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33. A method for enabling a self-checkout transaction at a retail establishment including a central site containing data records correlating to items disposed at said retail establishment, an at least one self-checkout communications terminal including a bar code reader for reading bar codes associated with said items, an at least one checkout station in communication with said central site, and a local area network for enabling communications between said central site and said at least one self-checkout communications terminal, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) establishing a communications channel between said central site and said at least one self-checkout communications terminal; b) reading a bar code on a selected item, said bar code including unique item information; c) communicating the unique item information contained in said bar code to said central site; d) retrieving from said central site into said portable self-checkout communications terminal a data record correlating to the selected item; e) updating said data record in a customer transaction file in accordance with a user input; f) repeating steps b through e for each selected item; g) transferring the customer transaction file to said at least one checkout station; and h) processing payment at said at least one checkout station based on the information contained in said customer transaction file. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification