System and method for self-checkout, scan portal, and pay station environments
AssigneeECR Software Corporation
InventorsPeter Terry Catoe, Mark Noble, John L. White, Burt Aycock, Claire McRoberts
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A checkout system includes a checkout station having a housing, a customer interface and a customer unloading station. A point-of-sale system has a microprocessor and memory operatively associated with one another to identify products being purchased, payments tendered therefor and to store transaction information locally at the checkout station or remotely from the checkout station. The microprocessor has programming configured to allow an item to be scanned by a product identification scanner, and an attendant command module.
Claims20
A checkout system comprising:
- a checkout station having a housing, a customer interface and a customer unloading station,
- an attendant work station located in the housing,
- a transport mechanism for transporting one or more items for purchase from the customer interface toward the attendant interface,
- a point-of-sale system having a microprocessor and memory operatively associated with one another to identify products being purchased, payments tendered therefor and to store transaction information locally at the checkout station or remotely from the checkout station,
- the microprocessor having programming configured to allow an item to be scanned by a product identification scanner,
- a projection device associated with the checkout system, the projection device configured to direct a consumer to focus on an area of the transport mechanism at the customer interface where a consumer information will be projected, and
- a consumer guidance projection module in communication with the projection device and also in communication with the point-of-sale system, the consumer guidance projection module configured to:
- monitor an ongoing transaction,
- determine a consumer information that would assist the ongoing transaction,
- develop a message for projection based upon the ongoing transaction and the consumer information,
- signal the projection device to display the message to the consumer,
- alternate between different messages to facilitate the transaction.
A checkout apparatus comprising:
- a base having a customer interface, a scan tunnel and an attendant interface, the customer interface and attendant interface spaced apart by the scan tunnel,
- a transport mechanism extending along a linear axis from the customer interface, through the scan tunnel and to the attendant interface so that a customer may load items for purchase on the base at the customer interface, the transport mechanism transports the loaded items through the scan tunnel to the attendant interface, the scan tunnel equipped with transducers to read information about the loaded items as they pass through the scan tunnel and deliver digital electronic signals indicating the read information to assist in compiling a digital list of items the customer has chosen to purchase,
- an attendant workstation including a defined location for the attendant interface, the attendant workstation including access to a bagging station, an attendant computer, and a scanner,
- an exceptions management module included on the attendant computer that is configured to present an exception to an attendant and to allow the attendant to resolve the exception that was detected as the items pass through the scan tunnel, and
- a projector attached to the scan tunnel, wherein the projector includes a projection aimed at the customer interface and is configured to direct the customers' focus toward a customer item loading area in the customer interface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.