Intelligent point of sale system

• US 8,856,034 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2012
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Abraham, Subil M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thein, Marissa
• Application Number:
  US13/587,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20140052554A1
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• US Class Current: 705/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/14 Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit data transmission in general H04L; telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station H04Q9/00

Abstract

An error condition can be detected at a first point-of-sale (POS) system during a transaction for a customer. The first POS system is a self-service POS system. Responsive to the error condition, the transaction can be transferred to a second POS system using a processor without human intervention.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting an error condition at a first point-of-sale (POS) system during a transaction for a customer, wherein the first POS system is a first self-service POS system;

selecting a second POS system to receive information relating to the transaction, wherein the second POS system is a second self-service POS system;

responsive to the error condition, transferring the information relating to the transaction to the second POS system using a processor without human intervention;

clearing the transaction at the first POS system; and

continuing the transaction at the second POS system;

comparing a scan rate for the customer with a minimum scan rate, the minimum scan rate including at least a minimum product type specific scan rate determined based, at least in part, on a product type;

determining, in the second POS system, that the scan rate for the customer exceeds the minimum scan rate; and

responsive to determining that the scan rate for the customer exceeds the minimum scan rate, providing a reward to the customer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting comprises:

selecting the second POS system according to a type of the error condition.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, responsive to determining that the scan rate for the customer does not exceed the minimum scan rate, sending a notification to a communication device of an agent.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an item to be purchased by the customer; and

responsive to determining a type for the item and that the type is flagged, initiating an action.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

within at least one of the first POS system or the second POS system, adding to the transaction an item selected for purchase by the customer at a third-party kiosk located on-premises with the first POS system.

6. A system comprising:

a processor configured to initiate executable operations comprising;

detecting an error condition at a first point-of-sale (POS) system during a transaction for a customer, wherein the first POS system is a first self-service POS system;

selecting a second POS system to receive information relating to the transaction, wherein the second POS system is a second self-service POS system;

responsive to the error condition, transferring the information relating to the transaction to the second POS system without human intervention;

clearing the transaction at the first POS system;

continuing the transaction at the second POS system;

comparing a scan rate for the customer with a minimum scan rate, the minimum scan rate including at least a minimum product type specific scan rate determined based, at least in part, on a product type;

determining that the scan rate for the customer exceeds the minimum scan rate; and

responsive to determining that the scan rate for the customer exceeds the minimum scan rate, providing a reward to the customer.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein selecting comprises:

selecting the second POS system according to a type of the error condition.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising, responsive to determining that the scan rate for the customer does not exceed the minimum scan rate, sending a notification to a communication device of an agent.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to initiate executable operations comprising:

detecting an item to be purchased by the customer; and

responsive to determining a type for the item and that the type is flagged, initiating an action.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to initiate executable operations comprising:

within at least one of the first POS system or the second POS system, adding to the transaction an item selected for purchase by the customer at a third-party kiosk located on-premises with the first POS system.

11. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon program code that, when executed, configures a processor to perform executable operations, wherein the computer readable storage medium is a hardware comprising;

detecting an error condition at a first point-of-sale (POS) system during a transaction for a customer, wherein the first POS system is a first self-service POS system;

selecting a second POS system to receive information relating to the transaction, wherein the second POS system is a second self-service POS system;

responsive to the error condition, transferring the information relating to the transaction to the second POS system without human intervention;

clearing the transaction at the first POS system;

continuing the transaction at the second POS system;

comparing a scan rate for the customer with a minimum scan rate, the minimum scan rate including at least a minimum product type specific scan rate determined based, at least in part, on a product type;

determining that the scan rate for the customer exceeds the minimum scan rate; and

responsive to determining that the scan rate for the customer exceeds the minimum scan rate, providing a reward to the customer.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein selecting comprises:

selecting the second POS system according to a type of the error condition.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising, responsive to determining that the scan rate for the customer does not exceed the minimum scan rate, sending a notification to a communication device of an agent.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer readable storage medium has stored thereon further program code that, when executed, configures a processor to perform executable operations comprising:

detecting an item to be purchased by the customer; and

responsive to determining a type for the item and that the type is flagged, initiating an action.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer readable storage medium has stored thereon further program code that, when executed, configures a processor to perform executable operations comprising:

within at least one of the first POS system or the second POS system, adding to the transaction an item selected for purchase by the customer at a third-party kiosk located on-premises with the first POS system.