Apparatus and method for mobile checkout

• US 8,418,919 B1
• Filed: 01/04/2011
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Fund 79 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Fund 79 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Beyda, William Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Labaze, Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US12/984,570
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 235/383, 235/375, 235/381, 235/378, 235/487, 235/385, 705/26, 705/22, 705/28
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0054 with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0081 the reader being a portable scanner or data reader G07G1/009 takes precedence

Abstract

In one example, a portable device having a camera downloads checkout software. The camera is then used to capture images of indicia associated with products in a store, such as bar codes. The portable device incrementally transmits messages to a remote server over a packet data connection of the portable device as the portable device moves through the store based on the captured images. The portable device then transmits a message requesting checkout to the remote server, and in response to receiving a reply to the message requesting checkout, causes a checkout price associated with purchasing the products to be displayed on a display of the portable device.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a portable device having a camera; and

a memory executable by a processor of the portable device, the memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the portable device processor, cause the portable device to perform operations comprising;

capturing, using the camera, a plurality of images of indicia associated with products in a store, wherein each image of indicia is associated with a corresponding one of the products in the store;

incrementally transmitting messages to a remote server over a packet data connection of the portable device as the portable device moves through the store, wherein at least one message of the incrementally transmitted messages is sent from a different physical location in the store than another message of the incrementally transmitted messages, and each message of the incrementally transmitted messages includes at least one of the captured images of indicia or data output from an image recognition program based at least one of the captured images of indicia;

determining a position of the portable device relative to a predetermined position associated with the store;

transmitting from the portable device a message requesting checkout in response to determining the position of the portable device relative to the predetermined position; and

in response to receiving a reply to the message requesting checkout, causing a checkout price associated with purchasing the products to be displayed on a display of the portable device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable device is a cell phone.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving over the packet data connection at least one first response to the incrementally transmitted messages;

causing a checkout price associated with purchasing the products associated with the at least one first response to be displayed on the display;

receiving over the packet data connection at least one second response to the incrementally transmitted messages; and

causing the displayed checkout price to be updated to reflect a checkout price associated with purchasing the products associated with the at least one first response and the products associated with the at least one second response.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving over the packet data connection responses to the incrementally transmitted messages;

extracting product information from one of the responses, the extracted product information corresponding to one of the products associated with one of the captured images of indicia; and

causing the extracted product information to be displayed on the display.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the product information includes at least one of a price, warranty information, or product specifications.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

selecting a particular advertisement associated with a particular product based on at least one of the products associated with the captured images of indicia, wherein the particular product is different than each of the products associated with the captured images of indicia;

causing an advertisement associated with the particular product to be displayed on the display.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a payment confirmation; and

in response to receiving the payment confirmation, causing an electronic receipt to be displayed on the display.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a payment confirmation; and

in response to receiving the payment confirmation, causing an encoded indicia to be displayed on the display.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the encoded indicia comprises a bar code.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the encoded indicia encodes a product listing identifying all of the products accounted for by the payment by price and quantity.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the displayed indicia encodes a receipt.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting the message requesting checkout in response to a user input sent using an input mechanism of the portable device.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

capturing, using the camera, a particular indicia;

analyzing the particular indicia to determine whether to infer that at a time the particular indicia was captured the portable device was within a predetermined distance of a physical checkout location of the store; and

transmitting the message requesting checkout in response to determining to infer that at the time the particular indicia was captured the portable device was within the predetermined distance of the physical checkout location.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the particular indicia comprises a bar code displayed at the physical checkout location.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

causing a request to weigh the products on a scale to be displayed on the display; and

in response to receiving an indication that a scale-measured weight of the products corresponds to a weight calculated based on an expected scale-measured weight of the products, causing a payment request to be displayed on the display.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor configured to;

incrementally receive messages from a portable device as the portable device moves through a store, wherein at least one message of the incrementally received messages is sent from a different physical location in the store than another message of the incrementally received messages;

extract, from the incrementally received messages, at least one of images of indicia captured by the portable device or data output from an image recognition program operating on the portable device based on at least one of the captured images, wherein each image of indicia is associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of products in the store;

compare the extracted images or data to a database to identify prices of corresponding products; and

in response to determining that the portable device moved into a checkout area of the store, transmit a checkout price based on the identified products.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to:

extract a particular image captured by the portable device from a transmission originating from the portable device;

analyze the particular image to determine whether to infer that at a time the particular indicia was captured the portable device was within a predetermined distance of an image physically displayed in the checkout area; and

transmitting checkout information based on the analysis.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to receive an assertion that the portable device has moved into the checkout area of the store.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to detect the presence of the portable device in the checkout area.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to:

transmit over the packet data connection at least one first response to the incrementally received messages to cause a checkout price associated with purchasing the products associated with the at least one first response to be displayed on the portable device; and

transmit over the packet data connection at least one second response to the incrementally received messages to cause the displayed checkout price to be updated to reflect a checkout price associated with purchasing the products associated with the at least one first response and the at least one second response.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to:

compare the extracted images or data to the same or another database to identify warranty information or product specifications in response to incrementally receiving the messages; and

incrementally transmit messages including the identified warranty information or product specifications to the portable device as identified.

22. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to:

in response to identifying a particular product identified in the incrementally received messages, identify another product that is associated with the particular product but different than the particular product; and

transmit to the portable device a message identifying the different product.

23. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to:

confirm payment; and

in response to confirming payment, transmit a control message including an encoded indicia to cause the portable device to display the encoded indicia.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the encoded indicia comprises a bar code.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the encoded indicia encodes a listing identifying all of the products accounted for by the payment by price and quantity.

26. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to:

confirm payment; and

in response to confirming payment, transmit a control message including an electronic receipt to cause the portable device to display the electronic receipt.

27. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to transmit instructions for checking out using the portable device in response to receiving an indication that the portable device has moved into a checkout area of the store.

28. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to:

identify predetermined weights of the products of the incrementally received messages;

calculate a weight total based on the predetermined weights;

receive a message containing a scale-measured weight; and

send a message based on a comparison of the scale-measured weight to the calculated weight total.

29. A method, comprising

capturing, using a camera of a portable device, a plurality of images of indicia associated with products in a store, wherein each image of indicia is associated with a corresponding one of the products in the store;

incrementally transmitting messages to a remote server over a packet data connection of a portable device as the portable device moves through the store, wherein at least one message of the incrementally transmitted messages is sent from a different physical location in the store than another message of the incrementally transmitted messages, and each message of the incrementally transmitted messages includes at least one of the captured images of indicia or data output from an image recognition program based on at least one of the captured images of indicia;

determining a position of the portable device relative to a predetermined position associated with the store;

transmitting from the portable device a message requesting checkout in response to determining the position of the portable device relative to the predetermined position; and

in response to receiving a reply to the message requesting checkout, causing a checkout price associated with purchasing the products to be displayed on a display of the portable device.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

receiving over the packet data connection at least one first response to the incrementally transmitted messages;

causing a checkout price associated with purchasing the products associated with the at least one first response to be displayed on the display;

receiving over the packet data connection at least one second response to the incrementally transmitted messages; and

causing the displayed checkout price to be updated to reflect a checkout price associated with purchasing the products associated with the at least one first response and the products associated with the at least one second response.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

receiving over the packet data connection responses to the incrementally transmitted messages;

extracting product information from one of the responses, the extracted product information corresponding to one of the products associated with one of the captured images of indicia; and

causing the extracted product information to be displayed on the display.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the product information includes at least one of a price, warranty information, or product specifications.

33. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

selecting a particular advertisement associated with a particular product based on at least one of the products associated with the captured images of indicia, wherein the particular product is different than each of the products associated with the captured images of indicia;

causing an advertisement associated with the particular product to be displayed on the display.

34. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

receiving a payment confirmation; and

in response to receiving the payment confirmation, causing an electronic receipt to be displayed on the display.

35. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

receiving a payment confirmation; and

in response to receiving the payment confirmation, causing an encoded indicia to be displayed on the display.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the encoded indicia comprises a bar code.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the encoded indicia encodes a product listing identifying all of the products accounted for by the payment by price and quantity.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein the displayed indicia encodes a receipt.

39. The method of claim 29, further comprising transmitting the message requesting checkout in response to a user input sent using an input mechanism of the portable device.

40. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

capturing, using the camera, a particular indicia;

analyzing the particular indicia to determine whether to infer that at a time the particular indicia was captured the portable device was within a predetermined distance of a physical checkout location of the store; and

transmitting the message requesting checkout in response to determining to infer that at the time the particular indicia was captured the portable device was within the predetermined distance of the physical checkout location.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the particular indicia comprises a bar code displayed at the physical checkout location.

42. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

causing a request to weigh the products on a scale to be displayed on the display; and

in response to receiving an indication that a scale-measured weight of the products corresponds to a weight calculated based on an expected scale-measured weight of the products, causing a payment request to be displayed on the display.

43. A method, comprising:

incrementally receiving, by a server, messages from a portable device as the portable device moves through a store, wherein at least one message of the incrementally received messages is sent from a different physical location in the store than another message of the incrementally received messages;

extracting, from each message of the incrementally received messages, at least one of images of indicia captured by the portable device or data output from an image recognition program operating on the portable device based on at least one captured image of indicia, wherein each image of indicia is associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of products in the store;

comparing, by the server, the extracted images or data to a database to identify prices of scanned products; and

in response to determining that the portable device moved into a checkout area of the store, transmitting, by the server, a checkout price based on the identified prices.

44. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

extracting a particular image captured by the portable device from a transmission originating from the portable device;

analyzing the particular image to determine whether to infer that at the time the physical indicia was captured the portable device was within a predetermined distance of an image physically displayed in the checkout area; and

transmitting checkout information based on the analysis.

45. The method of claim 43, further comprising receiving an assertion that the portable device has moved into the checkout area of the store.

46. The method of claim 43, further comprising detecting the presence of the portable device in the checkout area.

47. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

transmitting over the packet data connection at least one first response to the incrementally received messages to cause a checkout price associated with purchasing the products associated with the at least one first response to be displayed on the portable device; and

transmitting over the packet data connection at least one second response to the incrementally received messages to cause the displayed checkout price to be updated to reflect a checkout price associated with purchasing the products associated with the at least one first response and the at least one second response.

48. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

comparing the extracted images or data to the same or another database to identify warranty information or product specifications as the messages is incrementally received; and

incrementally transmitting messages including the identified warranty information or product specifications to the portable device as identified.

49. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

in response to identifying a particular product identified in the incrementally received messages, identifying another product that is associated with the particular product but different than the particular product; and

transmitting to the portable device a message identifying the different product.

50. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

confirming payment; and

in response to confirming payment, transmitting a control message including an encoded indicia to cause the portable device to display the encoded indicia.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the encoded indicia comprises a bar code.

52. The method of claim 50, wherein the encoded indicia encodes a product listing identifying all of the products accounted for by the payment by price and quantity.

53. The method of claim 50, wherein the displayed indicia encodes a receipt.

54. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

confirming payment; and

in response to confirming payment, transmitting a control message including an electronic receipt to cause the portable device to display the electronic receipt.

55. The method of claim 43, further comprising transmitting instructions for checking out using the portable device in response to receiving an indication that the portable device has moved into the checkout area of the store.

56. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

identifying predetermined weights of the products of the incrementally received messages;

calculating a weight total based on the predetermined weights;

receiving a message containing a scale-measured weight; and

sending a confirmation based on a comparison of the scale-measured weight to the calculated weight total.

57. A portable device, comprising:

means for capturing a plurality of images, wherein each image is associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of products in a store;

means for incrementally transmitting messages over a packet data connection to a remote server as the portable device moves through the store, wherein at least one message of the incrementally transmitted messages is sent from a different physical location in the store than another message of the incrementally transmitted messages, and each message of the incrementally transmitted messages includes at least one of the captured images of indicia or data output from an image recognition program based on the captured images of indicia; and

means for displaying a checkout price for products associated with the images in response to receiving an indication that the portable device has moved into a checkout area of the store.

58. The portable device of claim 57, further comprising means for causing a total displayed on the portable device to be updated as responses to the incrementally transmitted messages are received.

59. The portable device of claim 57, further comprising means for extracting product information from one of a plurality of responses to the incrementally transmitted messages, the extracted product information corresponding to one of the products associated with the captured images of indicia.

60. The portable device of claim 59, wherein the product information includes at least one of a price, warranty information, or product specifications.

61. The portable device of claim 57, further comprising:

selecting a particular advertisement associated with a particular product based on at least one of the products associated with the captured images of indicia, wherein the particular product is different than each of the products associated with the captured images of indicia;

causing an advertisement associated with the particular product to be displayed on the display.

62. The portable device of claim 57, further comprising means for causing an electronic receipt to be displayed in response to receiving a payment confirmation.

63. The portable device of claim 57, further comprising means for causing an encoded indicia to be displayed in response to receiving a payment confirmation.

64. The portable device of claim 63, wherein the encoded indicia comprises a bar code.

65. The portable device of claim 63, wherein the encoded indicia encodes a product listing identifying all of the products accounted for by the payment by price and quantity.

66. The portable device of claim 63, wherein the displayed indicia encodes a receipt.

67. The portable device of claim 57, further comprising means for transmitting a message requesting checkout in response to a user input sent from a user interface of the portable device.

68. The portable device of claim 57, further comprising means for validating that the portable device is within a predefined distance of a physical checkout location of the store at a particular instant by analyzing a captured image or transmitting the captured image for remote analysis.

69. The portable device of claim 57, further comprising means for causing a message requesting payment to be displayed on the display in response to receiving a confirmation that a scale-measured weight corresponds to an expected scale-measured weight of the products.