System and method for point of sale transaction logging

• US 9,881,289 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2015
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pomo Search Ltd. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Cummins, Mark Joseph, Cummins, Ian
• Primary Examiner(s): JOHNSON, SONJI N
• Application Number:
  US14/603,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20150206118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to a method and a hardware and software system for collecting data from retch point of sale. The hardware connects to a wide variety of barcode scanners and receipt printers. Collected data is transmitted to a cloud-based infrastructure backend system using a wireless inter net connection built into the hardware. The collected data can be processed to extract item-level transaction information, and estimate the price and in-stock status of items in particular shops. A search engine can be provided using this data, which allows a customer to discover which nearby shop has an item of interest in stock. A targeted advertising system that complements this search service is also presented. The data can be used by retailers and manufacturers for business analysis and optimization.

Claims

1. A system for logging retail purchases, the system comprising a backend system and a logger device, the logger device configured for installation at a retail location, the logger device comprising:

a first wired connector configured to be communicatively coupled to a point of sale system at the retail location, wherein the point of sale system comprises a sales register;

a second wired connector configured to be communicatively coupled to a barcode scanner at the retail location, wherein the logger device is configured to be communicatively inserted between the point of sale system and the barcode scanner;

a communications bus directly connecting the first wired connector to the second wired connector;

a wireless interface communicatively coupled to the backend system; and

at least one electronic processor configured to;

obtain, from the communications bus, barcode data sent from the barcode scanner to the point of sale system, wherein the barcode data is not actively transmitted to the point of sale system by the logger device, and wherein the barcode data represents a purchase transaction of a product by a customer; and

provide the barcode data to the backend system;

whereby the logger device receives the barcode data without disrupting communication between the point of sale system and the barcode scanner; and

the backend system comprising at least one electronic server computer communicatively coupled to the internet, the backend system configured to;

receive the barcode data from the logger device;

determine product information from the barcode data; and

generate, automatically, and based on at least the product information, a publicly available webpage for the retail location, the webpage displaying an at least partial listing of items for sale at the retail location, the at least partial listing of items for sale comprising at least the product.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a search engine configured to accept queries for retail products and provide search results based at least in part on the at least partial listing.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to augment the barcode data to produce augmented point of sale data, and wherein the augmented point of sale data is sent to the point of sale system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless interface is configured to direct the barcode data to an internet-connected device configured to send the barcode data to the backend system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is further configured to provide product sales data for the retail location based on information derived from a plurality of barcode scans at the retail location.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is further configured to provide aggregated product sales data for a plurality of retail locations based on information derived from a plurality of barcode scans at the plurality of retail locations.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is further configured to detect that the customer viewed an online advertisement for the product.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the system is further configured to charge a fee for the customer viewing the online advertisement and purchasing the product.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the backend system is further configured to update the at least partial listing of items for sale of the webpage with products purchased by other customers from the retail location.

10. A method of logging retail purchases using a backend system comprising at least one server computer communicatively coupled to the internet and a logger device communicatively coupled to a point of sale system comprising a sales register, and to a barcode scanner, at a retail location, the method comprising:

establishing a wireline communicative connection of the logger device to both the barcode scanner and to the point of sale system, wherein the logger device comprises a communications bus that directly connects the barcode scanner to the point of sale system, whereby the logger device is communicatively inserted between the point of sale system and the barcode scanner;

obtaining barcode data, by the logger device, sent from the barcode scanner to the point of sale system without disrupting communication between the point of sale system and the barcode scanner, wherein the barcode data is not actively transmitted to the point of sale system by the logger device, and wherein the barcode data represents a purchase transaction of a product by a customer;

directing, by a wireless interface of the logger device, the barcode data to the backend system;

determining, by the backend system, product information corresponding to the barcode data; and

generating, automatically, and based on at least the product information, a publicly available webpage for the retail location, the webpage displaying an at least partial listing of items for sale at the retail location, the at least partial listing of items for sale comprising at least the product.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing a search engine configured to provide search results based at least in part on the at least partial listing in response to a query for a retail product.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

augmenting the barcode data to produce augmented point of sale data; and

sending the augmented point of sale data to the point of sale system.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the directing comprises directing the barcode data to an internet-connected device configured to send the barcode data to the backend system.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing product sales data for the retail location based on information derived from a plurality of barcode scans at the retail location.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing aggregated product sales data for a plurality of retail locations based on information derived from a plurality of barcode scans at the plurality of retail locations.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising detecting that the customer viewed an online advertisement for the product.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising charging a fee for the customer viewing the online advertisement and purchasing the product.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising updating the at least partial listing of items for sale of the webpage with products purchased by other customers from the retail location.