Customer checkout accelerator

• US 8,175,923 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2008
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gerken, John Kenyon III, Prorock, Thomas Joseph, Werdel, William S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frenel, Vanel
• Application Number:
  US12/140,223
• Publication Number:
  US 20080270247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,422 Days
• Field of Search: 705/17, 705/14, 705/16, 705/21, 705/40, 235/380, 235/383
• US Class Current: 705/17
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 9/047 for recording self-service articles without cashier or assistant
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• 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 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/42 Confirmation, e.g. check or permission by the legal debtor of payment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures

Abstract

A system and method for accelerating customer sales transactions in a retail store. A customer checkout accelerator provides a customer user interface initiate a request for a preapproval amount for a sales transaction before reaching the point of sale for completion of the purchase transaction. A card reader integrated into the customer checkout accelerator reads a customer payment card number when the payment card is swiped through the reader. A customer checkout accelerator server module resident on a store controller server determines a preapproval amount for the sales action and transmits the request to an external card services system for payment approval. The customer checkout accelerator also provides the ability to purchase additional promotional items in the checkout lane with this process integrated into the payment preapproval process. Once payment approval is obtained from the external card services system, an entry is placed in a preapproval database associated with the customer checkout accelerator server module on the store controller server. The server module forwards the approval notification to the point of sales terminal where it is placed in a preapproval cache for use in completing the actual sale transaction.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium containing a computer program product for accelerating sales transactions of customers in a retail store, comprising:

program instructions that read a customer payment card number at a customer checkout accelerator;

program instructions that determine a preapproval amount for the sales transaction;

program instructions that display the preapproval sales transaction amount to the customer on the customer checkout accelerator for acceptance;

program instructions that transmit the preapproval amount to an external card services system for approval;

program instructions that store the approval amount in a preapproval cache at a point of sales terminal for use in completing the sales transaction;

program instructions that transmit the preapproval amount from the customer checkout accelerator to a store controller;

program instructions that place an entry in a preapproval database if the external card services system approves the transaction amount;

program instructions that notify a point of sales terminal of the approval amount;

program instructions that determine if the payment card is one or more of a credit card, a debit card, a customer loyalty card, an electronic/Internet wallet or an electronic gift certificate; and

program instructions that determine a preapproval amount that is based on an actual purchase history for the customer if the payment card is a customer loyalty card.

2. A computer readable medium containing a computer program product for accelerating sales transactions of customers in a retail store, comprising:

program instructions that read a customer payment card number at a customer checkout accelerator;

program instructions that determine a preapproval amount for the sales transaction;

program instructions that display the preapproval sales transaction amount to the customer on the customer checkout accelerator for acceptance;

program instructions that transmit the preapproval amount to an external card services system for approval;

program instructions that store the approval amount in a preapproval cache at a point of sales terminal for use in completing the sales transaction;

program instructions that transmit the preapproval amount from the customer checkout accelerator to a store controller;

program instructions that place an entry in a preapproval database if the external card services system approves the transaction amount;

program instructions that notify a point of sales terminal of the approval amount;

program instructions that determine if the payment card is one or more of a credit card, a debit card, a customer loyalty card, an electronic/Internet wallet or an electronic gift certificate; and

program instructions that determine a preapproval amount that is based on an average customer purchase amount for credit and debit transactions on a store wide basis if the payment card is a credit or debit card.

3. A computer readable medium containing a computer program product for accelerating sales transactions of customers in a retail store, comprising:

program instructions that read a customer payment card number at a customer checkout accelerator;

program instructions that determine a preapproval amount for the sales transaction;

program instructions that display the preapproval sales transaction amount to the customer on the customer checkout accelerator for acceptance;

program instructions that transmit the preapproval amount to an external card services system for approval;

program instructions that store the approval amount in a preapproval cache at a point of sales terminal for use in completing the sales transaction;

program instructions that scan the customer payment card at a point of sales terminal;

program instructions that determine if there is an entry for the customer in the preapproval cache; and

program instructions that resume the sales transaction at the point of sale terminal.

4. The computer program product for accelerating the sales transactions of customers in a retail store of claim 3 wherein the program instructions that resume the sales transaction comprise:

program instructions that compare the actual sales transaction amount with the preapproval amount;

program instructions that update a preapproval database with the actual sales transaction amount; and

program instructions that release the difference between the preapproval amount and the actual sales transaction amount in the preapproval database.

5. The computer program product for accelerating the sales transactions of customers in a retail store of claim 4 wherein the program instructions that resume the sales transaction further include:

program instructions that scan the items selected by the customer for purchase during the sales transaction;

program instructions that determine a subtotal purchase amount after each item is scanned;

program instructions that determine if the subtotal amount exceeds the preapproval amount; and

program instructions that dynamically request an additional amount for approval during the sales transaction, if the subtotal amount exceeds the preapproval amount.

6. The computer program product for accelerating the sales transactions of customers in a retail store of claim 5 further comprising:

program instructions that transmit an additional preapproval amount from the external card services system;

program instructions that update the preapproval cache with the additional preapproval amount if approved; and

program instructions that notify the operator of the point of sale terminal if the additional preapproval amount is denied.

7. The computer program product for accelerating the sales transactions of customers in a retail store of claim 3, further comprising program instructions that retrieve the preapproval amount from a preapproval database on a store controller file server if there is no entry for the customer in the preapproval cache.