ADJUSTMENT OF A SECURITY LEVEL OF A SELF-CHECKOUT SYSTEM BASED ON SHOPPER ASSISTANT INTERVENTION

• US 20150019358A1
• Filed: 10/02/2014
• Published: 01/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Carlegren, Fredrik, Delott, Gregory H., Smith, Jeffrey J.
• Application Number:
  US14/505,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20150019358A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/23
• 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 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 3/006 False operation

Abstract

Methods and systems for adjusting a security level of a self-checkout system based on shopper assistant intervention are disclosed. According to an aspect, a method includes deducing that shopper assistant intervention occurs in a self-checkout environment based on detection of one or more events in a self-checkout system. The events may occur at shopper terminals of the self-checkout system and may require attention of a shopper assistant monitoring the shopper terminals. The method also includes adjusting a security level of the self-checkout system in response to deducing that shopper assistant intervention occurs. Further, the method may include implementing a predetermined action in response to adjusting the security level of the self-checkout system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a computing device comprising a processor and memory;

deducing that shopper assistant intervention occurs in a self-checkout environment based on detection of at least one event in a self-checkout system; and

in response to deducing that shopper assistant intervention occurs, adjusting a security level of the self-checkout system by sending a help request to another device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the self-checkout system comprises a plurality of shopper terminals,

wherein the method comprises monitoring events reported by the plurality of shopper terminals, and

wherein deducing that shopper assistant intervention occurs comprises deducing that shopper assistant intervention occurs based on the events reported by the plurality of shopper terminals.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein deducing that shopper assistant intervention occurs comprises deducing that shopper assistant intervention occurs based on detection of one or more of a shopper help event, a product checkout alert, a shopper checkout timing event, a payment rejection, an age verification event, an event indicating that a shopper assistant has left a shopper monitoring area, and an event requiring human or remote system attention.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting a security level of the self-checkout system comprises adjusting the security level based on the at least one event.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the security level of the self-checkout system comprises setting the security level of the self-checkout system to one of a plurality of security levels.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the security levels are each associated with at least one predetermined action.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising implementing the predetermined action associated with the one of the plurality of security levels in response to setting the security level of the self-checkout system to the one of the plurality of security levels.

8. The method of claim 6, comprising associating the plurality of security levels with the at least one predetermined action based on user-defined criteria.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user-defined criteria comprises one of a plan of the self-checkout environment and product checkout criteria.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting product checkout criteria of at least one shopper terminal of the self-checkout system in response to deducing that shopper assistant intervention occurs.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein adjusting product checkout criteria comprises increasing a match level required to verify a product when comparing a measurement of the product and product checkout criteria.

10. (canceled)

13. A self-checkout system comprising:

a shopper terminal interface configured to interface with a plurality of shopper terminals; and

a shopper assistant intervention manager configured to;

deduce that shopper assistant intervention occurs in a self-checkout environment based on detection of at least one event in the self-checkout system; and

adjust a security level of the self-checkout system in response to deducing that shopper assistant intervention occurs by sending a help request to another device.

14. The self-checkout system of claim 13, wherein the shopper assistant intervention manager is configured to:

monitor events reported by the plurality of shopper terminals; and

deduce that shopper assistant intervention occurs based on the events reported by the plurality of shopper terminals.

15. The self-checkout system of claim 13, wherein the shopper assistant intervention manager is configured to deduce that shopper assistant intervention occurs based on detection of one or more of a shopper help event, a product checkout alert, a shopper checkout timing event, a payment rejection, an age verification event, an event indicating that a shopper assistant has left a shopper monitoring area, an event requiring human or remote system attention.

16. The self-checkout system of claim 13, wherein the shopper assistant intervention manager is configured to adjust the security level based on the at least one event.

17. The self-checkout system of claim 13, wherein the shopper assistant intervention manager is configured to set the security level to one of a plurality of security levels.

18. The self-checkout system of claim 17, wherein the security levels are each associated with at least one predetermined action.

19. The self-checkout system of claim 18, wherein the shopper assistant intervention manager is configured to implement the predetermined action associated with the one of the plurality of security levels in response to setting the security level of the self-checkout system to the one of the plurality of security levels.

20-24. -24. (canceled)

25. A computer program product for adjusting a security level of a self-checkout system, said computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to deduce that shopper assistant intervention occurs in a self-checkout environment based on detection of at least one event in the self-checkout system; and

computer readable program code configured to adjusting a security level of the self-checkout system in response to deducing that shopper assistant intervention occurs by sending a help request to another device.