Point of sale system with item image capture and deferred invoicing capability

• US 8,818,875 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2008
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Karnin, Ehud Dov, Walach, Eugeniusz
• Primary Examiner(s): RUDY, ANDREW J
• Application Number:
  US12/235,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20100076855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,163 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.1, 705/30, 705/34, 705/24, 198/349, 198/358, 186/55, 186/61, 186/66, 235/378, 235/380, 235/383, 235/385, 235/375, 235/376
• US Class Current: 705/24
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 9/047 for recording self-service articles without cashier or assistant
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0063 with means for detecting the geometric dimensions of the article of which the code is read, such as its size or height, for the verification of the registration

Abstract

A novel and useful mechanism and method for processing transactions on a point of sale system comprising of a conveyor system which continuously moves when one ore more items or items are resting on the conveyor system, and a sensing system to capture the information necessary to identify the items on the conveyor. When all items are correctly recognized by the sensing devices, the customer is charged for the items and an invoice is printed. In the event all the items are not correctly recognized the captured information is forwarded to a remote location for automated recognition processing and manual identification, if necessary. Once all the items are successfully identified, the customer is charged for the purchase and an invoice is processed and sent to the customer.

Claims

1. A method of processing a purchase at a point of sale system, said method comprising the steps of:

recognizing in an initial analysis using a computer processing system, one or more items placed on a conveyor system dedicated to handling items associated with a single customer for the duration of said purchase, said conveyor system continuously moving when one or more items are resting on said conveyor system regardless of whether or not said one or more items are correctly recognized during said initial analysis;

identifying, using said computer processing system, a single customer purchasing one or more items on said conveyor system;

invoicing said single customer in close proximity to said conveyor system in the event all of said one or more items placed on said conveyor system are correctly recognized during said initial analysis; and

invoicing said single customer at a remote location with respect to said conveyor system in the event items placed on said conveyor system that are not correctly recognized during said step of initial analysis are correctly recognized during a subsequent analysis.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein invoicing said customer comprises:

capturing information for one or more items placed on a conveyer system;

displaying said captured information at a remote location;

performing a subsequent analysis at said remote location to recognize said one or more items placed on said conveyor system not recognized by an initial analysis; and

invoicing said customer at said remote location for said one or more items placed on said conveyer system.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said captured information comprises one or more digital images.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein said captured information comprises the weight of each item placed on said conveyor system.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein said initial analysis is performed in close proximity to said conveyor system.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein said subsequent analysis is performed at a remote location with respect to said conveyor system.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of recognizing one or more items is performed in close proximity to said conveyor system.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of recognizing one or more items is performed at a remote location with respect to said conveyor system.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of invoicing is performed in close proximity to said conveyor system.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of invoicing is performed at a remote location with respect to said conveyor system.

11. The method according to claim 6, wherein said step of performing a subsequent analysis is performed via a computer program product.

12. The method according to claim 6, wherein said step of performing a subsequent analysis is performed manually.

13. The method according to claim 2, wherein said step of invoicing is performed in close proximity to said conveyor system in the event all of said one or more items placed on said conveyor system are correctly recognized during said step of performing an initial analysis.

14. The method according to claim 2, wherein said step of invoicing is performed at a remote location with respect to said conveyor system in the event all of said one or more items placed on said conveyor system are correctly recognized during said step of performing a subsequent analysis.