Computer-controlled, unattended, automated checkout store outlet and related method

• US 9,536,236 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2014
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ronny Hay
• Original Assignee: Compass Group USA Incorporated (Compass Group PLC)
• Inventors: Hay, Ronny
• Primary Examiner(s): Ade, Garcia
• Application Number:
  US14/321,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20140316916A1
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 705/17
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 9/048 automatically
• 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 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures

Abstract

A computer-controlled, automated checkout store outlet comprises at least one bay. A normally locked door is associated with each bay, and provides access to items within the bay by customers approved by a computer of the automated store outlet. At least one tray is disposed within at least one bay, and adapted to hold items to be stocked by the bay. A sensor system is configured to detect the removal of an item from the bay and identify the removed item, such as when a customer is removing the item for purchase.

Claims

1. A method for distributing items from a computer-controlled, automated store outlet, comprising the steps of:

providing a computer-controlled, automated store outlet machine having a plurality of bays under one computerized system which contain items removable from each bay for purchase by a customer in a purchase transaction, the automated store outlet machine further including at least one tray on at least one shelf disposed within each bay of the plurality of bays for holding the items, at least one sensor arranged within each tray for detecting removal of individual items from each bay, a bay door for each bay providing access for the customer to selectively and manually remove items contained in the at least one tray on the at least one shelf within the bay prior to purchase by the customer, an electronic door access unit associated with each bay door and including a display screen, and an activity monitoring panel included with each bay and having a display;

receiving customer identification from the customer into the door access unit associated with a particular bay of the plurality of bays of the automated store outlet;

unlocking the bay door of the particular bay associated with the door access unit after receiving the customer identification from the customer to provide the customer with physical access to the items contained within the particular bay prior to purchase by the customer;

detecting using the at least one sensor the manual removal by the customer of items from each tray within the particular bay, and identifying the removed items based on a database of information for each item in each tray within the particular bay;

adding each removed item to an electronic shopping cart for the customer in response to the detecting and identifying of each removed item using the at least one sensor;

displaying the electronic shopping cart to the customer, including an identification of each removed item and a purchase price for each removed item, on at least one of the display of the activity monitoring panel of the particular bay and the display screen of the door access unit associated with the bay door of the particular bay, prior to purchase of the removed items by the customer;

locking the bay door of the particular bay after the customer has completed removing items from the particular bay; and

closing the purchase transaction of the customer after the last bay door of the plurality of bays opened by the customer are closed and locked and after the customer closes the transaction manually or after a predetermined period of inactivity by the customer by charging the customer for the items removed from the plurality of bays by the customer.

2. The method of claim 1, including the step of receiving payment information from the customer into the electronic door access unit including at least one of information relating to a previously created customer automated store dedicated account, biometric information, credit card or debit card account information, or cash deposited by the customer into a cash receiving device at the automated store outlet.

3. The method of claim 2, including the step of qualifying the customer to remove items from the particular bay after determining that the customer payment information is of a sufficient level to purchase items from the particular bay.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving customer identification step includes the step of receiving at the door access unit at least one of a customer identification code and/or password, an electronically readable card or electronic device, or biometric information of the customer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a light sensor disposed on each tray that is exposed to light when the item is removed from the tray of the particular bay.

6. The method of claim 1, including the steps of detecting using the at least one sensor the return of one or more items by the customer to the at least one tray disposed within the particular bay prior to purchase of any removed items by the customer, and removing each returned item from the electronic shopping cart of the customer in response to the detecting of each returned item.

7. The method of claim 1, including the step of relaying customer purchase data from the automated store outlet to a central control center.

8. The method of claim 1, including the step of providing live customer service assistance to a customer through a speaker and/or display of the automated store outlet.

9. The method of claim 1, including the step of monitoring the automated store outlet with surveillance devices.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting the removal of the item from the bay step comprises the steps of associating an RFID tag with each item in the bay, and utilizing a corresponding RFID detector to detect the movement of the item from the bay.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one tray disposed within each bay includes divided tray compartments, each compartment having associated therewith a single item and a single sensor associated with an item placed in the tray compartment.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting step comprises detecting at the at least one sensor, in response to removal of the item, light pulsed from a pulsating light source disposed on a tray.

13. The method of claim 1, including the step of molding a plurality of compartments into a sheet of material comprising each tray of each bay.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein each tray within each bay is opaque and includes a plurality of compartments for holding items, each compartment having at least one of a transparent area or aperture in general alignment with a photosensor of the compartment such that the photosensor is exposed to light when an item is removed from the compartment.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving customer identification step includes the step of receiving into the door access unit at least one of a password or QR code obtained and displayed on a mobile electronic device of the customer.

16. The method of claim 15, including the step of transmitting and displaying the electronic shopping cart of the customer on the mobile electronic device of the customer in real-time while the customer is using the automated store outlet.

17. The method of claim 1, including the step of preventing a customer from opening the bay door when a temperature within the bay has exceeded a predetermined temperature.

18. The method of claim 1, including the steps of electronically detecting the presence and identity of all items within a bay, and creating a sales report, a picklist, and an inventory report.

19. The method of claim 1, including the step of tracking and analyzing purchase history of items supplied by a predetermined supplier from the at least one tray and conveying the purchase history to the supplier.

20. The method of claim 1, including the step of collecting supplier product rebate data corresponding to items purchased from the bays of the automated store outlet.

21. The method of claim 1, including the step of detecting whether the bay door of each of the bays is at least one of open or closed.

22. The method of claim 1, including the step of restocking one or more bays of the automated store outlet, and tracking restocking activity, including at least one of accuracy of restocking in comparison to an item pick list and time to start and complete restocking.

23. The method of claim 1, including the step of tracking food item purchases in conjunction with a health maintenance program of the customer.

24. The method of claim 23, including the step of transmitting electronic messages to the customer on the health maintenance program regarding at least one of eating time intervals, calorie count, or suggested food item purchases.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting step includes the steps of taking images of the items using one or more cameras of the automated store outlet, and analyzing the images to determine if changes have occurred due to removal and return of the items by the customer.

26. The method of claim 1, including the step of identifying or confirming accuracy of the purchase transaction by receiving a machine readable code on the removed item into a scanner of the automated store outlet.

27. The method of claim 1, including the step of configuring tray and item placement in each bay from a remote location.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving customer identification step comprises receiving customer credit card or debit card data into a device associated with the bay door of the particular bay.

29. The method of claim 1, including at least one of receiving deposited money from the customer into a unit of the automated store outlet to replenish the customer account or receiving at least one of a code, password, biometric information or machine readable code or card to be used at the door access unit to gain access to the bays of the automated store outlet.

30. The method of claim 29, including the step of returning unspent money to the customer as part of closing the purchase transaction.

31. The method of claim 1, including the steps of providing at least one of a beverage cup or a component of a beverage within the particular bay for purchase, and providing a beverage dispenser for at least one of dispensing the beverage into the beverage cup or creating the beverage using the beverage component.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the operation of the beverage dispenser is selectively permitted by the automated store outlet.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving customer identification step includes the step of receiving into the door access unit an electronic code associated with an electronic component worn by the customer.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein the closing purchase transaction step is performed once as a single transaction for all items removed from all bays by the customer during a shopping event.

35. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting step includes detecting at the at least one sensor, in response to removal of items and based on a predetermined detection threshold, light from an infrared light source disposed on a tray above or beside the items, reading data from a photosensor in the automated store outlet constantly exposed to ambient light, and adjusting the predetermined detection threshold based on readings from the photosensor.

36. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving customer identification step includes receiving into the door access unit at least one of a code, a fingerprint, biometric information a card, a QR image, an RFID card, and/or an NFC signal from another electronic device to gain access to each bay through the bay door.

37. The method of claim 1, including the steps of detecting using the at least one sensor the identity of each item removed from each bay by a plurality of customers simultaneously accessing individual bays of the plurality of bays of the automated store outlet, the plurality of customers at most equal to the number of the plurality of bays, adding the removed items to an electronic shopping cart for each customer, and charging each customer respectively for the items in the electronic shopping cart for each customer when the purchase transaction is closed for that customer.

38. The method of claim 1, including the step of providing within the at least one tray of each bay a plurality of rails forming compartments divided therebetween each holding a row of slidable items, a spring-biased pusher for moving the items held in the compartments forward toward the customer as each item is removed by the customer, and a plurality of sensors arranged within the at least one tray for tracking the removal of each item in each row of items, wherein each sensor is activated as each item is removed from the row of items and pushed forward towards the customer.

39. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor positioned within each tray comprises an infrared photosensor that is exposed to infrared light when an item is removed from a compartment associated with the infrared photosensor, and wherein the infrared light is emitted from an infrared light source positioned across the sensor.

40. The method of claim 1, wherein the automated store outlet is in electronic communication with a remote central control center.

41. The method of claim 40, including the step of utilizing the central control center to at least one of download software, firmware and planogram updates to the automated store outlet, verify customer identification, process customer payments, and/or generate sales and other activity reports.

42. A method for distributing items from a computer-controlled, automated store outlet machine, comprising the steps of:

providing a computer-controlled, automated store outlet having a plurality of bays containing items removable from each bay for purchase by a customer in a purchase transaction, the automated store outlet further including at least one tray on at least one shelf disposed within each bay of the plurality of bays for holding the items, a plurality of sensors arranged within each tray for detecting removal of individual items from each bay, a bay door for each bay providing physical access for the customer to manually remove selected items contained within each bay prior to purchase by the customer, a door access unit associated with each bay door, and an activity monitoring panel included with each bay and having a display;

receiving customer identification from the customer into the door access unit associated with a first bay of the plurality of bays of the automated store outlet;

unlocking the bay door of the first bay associated with the door access unit after receiving the customer identification from the customer to provide access to the items contained within the first bay to the customer prior to purchase by the customer;

detecting using a first sensor of the plurality of sensors the manual removal by the customer of items from the at least one tray within the first bay, and identifying removed items based on a database of information for each item in each tray within the first bay;

adding each removed item to an electronic shopping cart for the customer in response to the detecting and identifying of each removed item using the first sensor;

displaying the electronic shopping cart to the customer, including an identification of each removed item and a purchase price for each removed item, on the display of the activity monitoring panel of the first bay, prior to purchase of the removed items by the customer;

locking the bay door of the first bay after the customer has completed removing items from the first bay;

receiving customer identification from the customer into a second door access unit associated with the bay door of a second bay of the plurality of bays, wherein the second bay is different from the first bay;

unlocking the bay door of the second bay to provide access to the items contained within the second bay to the customer for the same purchase transaction prior to purchase by the customer;

detecting using a second sensor of the plurality of sensors the manual removal by the customer of items from at least one tray within the second bay, identifying removed items based on the database of information for each item in each tray within the second bay, and adding each removed item to the electronic shopping cart of the customer in response to the detecting and identifying of each removed item using the second sensor such that the electronic shopping cart travels to the second bay and includes removed items from both the first bay and the second bay;

displaying the electronic shopping cart to the customer on a display of the activity monitoring panel of the second bay, including identification and purchase prices for removed items from both the first bay and the second bay, prior to purchase of the removed items by the customer;

locking the bay door of the second bay after the customer has completed removing items from the second bay; and

closing the purchase transaction of the customer after the bay door of the first bay and of the second bay are locked after the customer closes the transaction manually or after a predetermine period of inactivity by charging the customer for the items removed from the plurality of bays by the customer and displayed in the electronic shopping cart of the customer.

43. A method for distributing items from a computer-controlled, automated store outlet machine, comprising the steps of:

providing a computer-controlled, automated store outlet machine having a plurality of bays containing items removable from each bay for simultaneous purchase by a first customer in a first purchase transaction and a second customer in a second purchase transaction, the automated store outlet further including at least one tray on at least one shelf disposed within each bay of the plurality of bays for holding the items, a plurality of sensors arranged within each tray for detecting removal of individual items from each bay, a bay door for each bay providing access for the first and second customer to selectively remove the items contained within each bay prior to purchase by the first and second customers, a door access unit associated with each bay door, and an activity monitoring panel included with each bay and having a display, the computer-controlled, automated store outlet machine allowing multiple customers at most equal to the number of bays to simultaneously shop from the bays in the automated store outlet and charging each customer respectively;

receiving customer identification from the first customer into the door access unit associated with a first bay of the plurality of bays of the automated store outlet;

unlocking the bay door of the first bay associated with the door access unit after receiving the customer identification from the first customer to provide access to the items contained within the first bay to the first customer prior to purchase by the first customer;

detecting using a first sensor of the plurality of sensors the manual removal by the first customer of items from the at least one tray within the first bay, and identifying removed items based on a database of information for each item in each tray within the first bay;

adding each removed item to an electronic shopping cart for the first customer in response to the detecting and identifying of each removed item using the first sensor;

displaying the electronic shopping cart to the first customer, including an identification of each removed item and a purchase price for each removed item, on at least one of the display screen of the door access unit and the display of the activity monitoring panel of the first bay, prior to purchase of the removed items by the first customer;

locking the bay door of the first bay after the first customer has completed removing items from the first bay;

closing the first purchase transaction of the first customer after the last bay door opened by the first customer is locked by charging the first customer for the items removed from the plurality of bays by the first customer and displayed in the electronic shopping cart of the first customer after the first customer closes the transaction manually or after a predetermined period of inactivity by the first customer;

concurrently with the first purchase transaction, receiving second customer identification from the second customer into a second door access unit, the second door access unit being associated with the bay door of a second bay of the plurality of bays, wherein the second bay is different from the first bay;

unlocking the bay door of the second bay to provide access to the items contained within the second bay to the second customer simultaneously to when the first bay is being accessed by the first customer;

detecting using a second sensor of the at least one sensor the manual removal by the second customer of items from each tray within the second bay, identifying removed items based on the database of information for each item in each tray within the second bay, and adding each removed item to a second electronic shopping cart for the second customer in response to the detecting and identifying of each removed item using the second sensor; and

closing the second purchase transaction after the last bay door opened by the second customer is locked by charging the second customer for the items in the second electronic shopping cart after the second customer closes the transaction manually or after a predetermined period of inactivity by the second customer.

44. A method for distributing items from a computer-controlled, automated store outlet machine, comprising the steps of:

providing a computer-controlled, automated store outlet having a plurality of bays containing items removable from each bay for purchase by a customer in a purchase transaction, the automated store outlet further including at least one tray disposed within each bay of the plurality of bays for holding the items, a bay door for each bay providing access for the customer to selectively and manually remove items contained within the bay prior to purchase by the customer, an electronic door access unit associated with each bay door and including a display screen, and an activity monitoring panel included with each bay and having a display;

receiving customer identification from the customer into the door access unit associated with a particular bay of the plurality of bays of the automated store outlet;

unlocking the bay door of the particular bay associated with the door access unit after receiving the customer identification from the customer to provide the customer with physical access to the items contained within the particular bay prior to purchase by the customer;

receiving a machine readable code on each item manually removed by the customer from the particular bay into a scanner of the automated store outlet, and identifying the removed items based on a database of information for each item;

adding each removed item to an electronic shopping cart for the customer in response to the identifying of each removed item using the scanner;

displaying the electronic shopping cart to the customer, including an identification of each removed item and a purchase price for each removed item, on at least one of the display of the activity monitoring panel of the particular bay and the display screen of the door access unit associated with the bay door of the particular bay, prior to purchase of the removed items by the customer;

locking the bay door of the particular bay after the customer has completed removing items from the particular bay; and

closing the purchase transaction of the customer after the last bay door of the plurality of bays opened by the customer is closed and locked and after the customer closes the transaction manually or after a predetermined period of inactivity by the customer by charging the customer for the items removed from the plurality of bays by the customer.