Secure self-checkout station

• US 9,864,971 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2017
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Patricia A Anderson Revocable Trust
• Original Assignee: Freedom Shopping, Inc.
• Inventors: Daily, Michael A., Simmons, Rob, Coakley, Shea, Roy, Jr., Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Habib, Asifa
• Application Number:
  US15/617,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20170278060A1
• Time in Patent Office: 215 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 9/047 for recording self-service articles without cashier or assistant
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0054 with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader

Abstract

A self-checkout system includes a cabinet having a doorway and a vending space. The system includes a secure door enclosing the vending space. The system includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag attached to a product. The system includes an RFID reader adjacent the door and configured to read product data from the RFID tag and detect if the product passed through the doorway. The system includes a database configured to store an inventory of products. The system includes a self-checkout apparatus connected to the database. The self-checkout apparatus unlocks the lock when valid account credentials are detected. The self-checkout updates a checkout list to include a product passing from the vending space through the doorway. The self-checkout apparatus presents a confirmation display of the checkout list and allocates all products in the checkout list to the account associated with the account credentials upon receiving a confirmation indication.

Claims

1. An unattended checkout system comprising:

a cabinet having a doorway and walls defining a vending space;

a door having a lock and attached to the cabinet, the door configured to close over the doorway to enclose the vending space;

at least one product configured for placement in the vending space and located in the vending space;

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag attached to the at least one product;

an RFID reader adjacent the door and configured to read product data from the RFID tag and detect if the at least one product passed through the doorway;

a database configured to store an inventory of products located in the vending space and products previously in the vending space which are currently allocated to an account;

a self-checkout apparatus connected to the database and configured to;

unlock the lock when valid account credentials associated with an account are detected,

update a checkout list to include the at least one product after the at least one product passed from the vending space and through the doorway,

present a confirmation display of the checkout list, and

allocate all products in the checkout list to the account associated with the account credentials upon receiving a confirmation indication.

2. The unattended checkout system of claim 1, wherein the account credentials are presented on a mobile device.

3. The unattended checkout system of claim 1, wherein the self-checkout apparatus is configured to pair with a mobile device and the confirmation display is displayed on the mobile device.

4. The unattended checkout system of claim 1, wherein the self-checkout apparatus includes a display configured to display the confirmation display and receive the confirmation indication.

5. The unattended checkout system of claim 1, wherein the lock is configured to be automatically locked when the door is closed over the doorway.

6. The unattended checkout system of claim 1, wherein the self-checkout apparatus is located on an exterior wall of the cabinet.

7. The unattended checkout system of claim 1, wherein the allocating each product in the checkout list to the account associated with the account credentials comprises updating the database to associate each product in the checkout list with the account associated with the account credentials.

8. An unattended checkout system comprising:

a room having an entryway and walls defining a vending space;

a barrier having a lock and attached to the entryway, the barrier configured to restrict access to the vending space;

at least one product configured for placement in the vending space and located in the vending space;

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag attached to the at least one product;

an RFID reader adjacent the entryway and configured to read product data from the RFID tag and detect when the at least one product passes through the entryway;

a database configured to store an inventory of products located in the vending space and products previously in the vending space which are currently allocated to an account;

a self-checkout apparatus connected to the database and configured to;

unlock the lock when valid account credentials associated with an account are detected,

update a checkout list to include the at least one product after the at least one product passes from the vending space and through the entryway,

present a confirmation display of the checkout list, and

allocate all products in the checkout list to the account associated with the account credentials upon receiving a confirmation indication.

9. The unattended checkout system of claim 8, wherein the account credentials are presented on a mobile device.

10. The unattended checkout system of claim 8, wherein the self-checkout apparatus is configured to pair with a mobile device and the confirmation display is displayed on the mobile device.

11. The unattended checkout system of claim 8, wherein the self-checkout apparatus includes a display configured to display the confirmation display and receive the confirmation indication.

12. The unattended checkout system of claim 8, wherein the lock is configured to be automatically locked when the door is closed over the doorway.

13. The unattended checkout system of claim 8, wherein the self-checkout apparatus is located on an exterior wall of the room.

14. The unattended checkout system of claim 8, wherein the allocating each product in the checkout list to the account associated with the account credentials comprises updating the database to associate each product in the checkout list with the account associated with the account credentials.

15. A method for purchasing products comprising:

receiving account credentials on a self-checkout apparatus;

automatically unlocking a lock of a door to an enclosed vending space when the account credentials are valid, the enclosed vending space housing a product having a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag;

detecting, using an RFID reader adjacent to the door, the product leaving the enclosed vending space;

updating a checkout list to include the product after the product leaves the enclosed vending space;

presenting a confirmation display of the checkout list; and

allocating each product in the checkout list to the account associated with the account credentials upon receiving a confirmation indication.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the account credentials are presented on a mobile device.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising pairing the self-checkout apparatus with a mobile device, and displaying the confirmation display on the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising automatically locking the lock when the door is closed over the doorway.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the account is associated with a payment method.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the allocating each product in the checkout list to the account associated with the account credentials comprises updating the database to associate each product in the checkout list with the account associated with the account credentials.