Techniques for personalizing self checkouts

• US 9,754,312 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2011
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Edwards, Thomas V., Kumar, Alok
• Primary Examiner(s): PALAVECINO, KATHLEEN GAGE
• Application Number:
  US13/173,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20130232037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,259 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261- 272
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures

Abstract

A customer/user registers User Interface (UI) preferences for a self checkout system. Subsequently, when the user properly authenticates with a self checkout system, the preferences are recalled and used to dynamically configure the UI of the self checkout system that the user is interacting with to complete a transaction with an enterprise.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

interacting, via one or more processors, with a principal through a self checkout system interface of a self checkout system to acquire user interface (UI) preferences for a user, the UI preferences for a self checkout system of an enterprise, wherein the self checkout system includes a checkout lane, and wherein at least one UI preference includes extending time out values to allow for slower responses by the user while interacting with the self checkout system, wherein interacting further includes acquiring the UI preferences from the user as;

an audio level, an audio selection, an audio suppression setting, color settings, control theme settings, default tender options, a language selection, spoken features, voice recognition input options, audio feedback on button selections, audio feedback on a layout of the UI and its features, and enlargement of options on the layout of the UI;

confirming, by the one or more processors, a user identity for the user;

creating, by the one or more processors, a preference record in a repository for the user based on the user identity and the UI preferences; and

delivering, by the one or more processors, the preference record on demand to the self checkout system when the user interacts with the self checkout system to complete a transaction with the enterprise; and

configuring by the self checkout system the UI preferences for the user, wherein configuring further includes a) modifying screen layouts for enlarging select areas of a screen with other areas of the screen decreased for the self checkout system for interaction by the user during the transaction, b) extending processing time out values for the transaction in response to particular UI preferences of the user, and c) enabling audible cues of the self check out system for providing audible feedback to the user during the transaction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein interacting further includes recognizing the principal as the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein recognizing further includes issuing a set of questions to the user for answering to establish the UI preferences.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein recognizing further includes obtaining the UI preferences via user interaction with a kiosk, a web site, or the self checkout system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein interacting further includes recognizing the principal as an automated service acting on behalf of the user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein recognizing further includes acquiring the UI preferences from the principal, the principal mines a different system from the self checkout system to acquire the UI preferences, the user previously registered the UI preferences with the different system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein interacting further includes recognizing the principal as an employee of an enterprise that provides the UI preferences as communicated by the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein confirming further includes authenticating the user to an existing an account of an enterprise and using the account to obtain the user identity.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein authenticating further includes using one or more of the following to authenticate the user to an existing account:

a loyalty account, a phone number, credit card or payment card details, an identifier and password pair, electronically readable RFID tags, near field communication to personal electronic devices, and biometric data.

10. A method, comprising:

identifying, by one or more processors, a user interacting with a self checkout system through a self checkout system interface and the self checkout system at an enterprise, wherein the self checkout system includes a checkout lane;

accessing, by the one or more processors, a repository to acquire a user preference record;

configuring, by the one or more processors, personalized user interface (UI) features of the self checkout system with the user preference for;

an audio level, an audio selection, an audio suppression setting, color settings, control theme settings, default tender options, a language selection, spoken features, voice recognition input options, audio feedback on button selections, audio feedback on a layout of the UI and its features, and enlargement of options on the layout of the UI, wherein configuring further includes a) modifying screen layouts for enlarging select areas of a screen with other areas of the screen decreased for the self checkout system for interaction by the user during a transaction, b) extending processing time out values for the transaction in response to particular ones of the UI features of the user, and c) enabling audible cues of the self check out system for providing audible feedback to the user during the transaction; and

permitting, by the one or more processors, the user to transact with the self checkout system using the personalized UI features.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein identifying further includes obtaining a scanned loyalty card at the self checkout system and matching a loyalty account number with the user.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein identifying further includes obtaining a scanned payment card at the self checkout system and matching a card number with the user.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein identifying further includes obtaining a user identifier and password combination from the user via the self checkout system and matching the combination with the user.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein identifying further includes obtaining a voice sample at the self checkout system from the user and matching to a voice profile for the user.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein accessing further includes indexing into the repository to locate the user preference record with a user identity acquired for the user when the user is authenticated.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein configuring further includes configuring the self checkout system to interact via voice recognition and voice communication when defined in the user preference record.