Systems and methods for checking and confirming the purchase of merchandise items

A method for checking and confirming the purchase of merchandise at shopping facilities, the method comprising:

• providing a shopping cart, the shopping cart containing a plurality of merchandise items that are to be purchased by a customer at a shopping facility;
• providing a sales transaction database configured to store electronic transaction records involving the sales of one or more merchandise items at the shopping facility;
• providing a point-of-sales system that records a sales transaction of the plurality of merchandise items and that generates a barcode or QR code on a paper or digital receipt corresponding to the sales transaction, the point-of-sales system creating an electronic transaction record identified by the barcode or QR code, the electronic transaction record being stored in the sales transaction database;
• providing a mobile electronics device including a barcode or QR code scanner and a camera configured to capture an image sequence of the merchandise items in the shopping cart;
• by a control circuit at the mobile electronics device:
• receiving the barcode or QR code;
• accessing the sales transaction database using the barcode or QR code to determine the purchased merchandise items;
• analyzing the image sequence of the merchandise items in the shopping cart using a computer vision algorithm to identify the merchandise items based on the image sequence and create a computer vision receipt listing the merchandise items identified from the image sequence;
• comparing the purchased merchandise items indicated by the barcode or QR code on the paper or digital receipt with the identified merchandise items from the computer vision receipt, and determine a discrepancy;
• and
• causing to display on the mobile electronics device the discrepancy, the display including one or both of a list of unpaid items or images of unpaid items;
• and
• receiving, by an automated vehicle, a control signal for retrieving an unpaid merchandise item.

A system for checking and confirming the purchase of merchandise at shopping facilities, the system comprising:

• a shopping cart containing a plurality of merchandise items that are to be purchased by a customer at a shopping facility;
• a sales transaction database configured to store electronic transaction records involving the sales of one or more merchandise items at the shopping facility;
• a point-of-sales system that records a sales transaction of the plurality of merchandise items and that generates a barcode or QR code on a paper or digital receipt corresponding to the sales transaction, the point-of-sales system creating an electronic transaction record identified by the barcode or QR code, the electronic transaction record being stored in the sales transaction database;
• a mobile electronics device comprising:
• a barcode or QR code scanner;
• a camera configured to capture an image sequence of the merchandise items in the shopping cart;
• and
• a local control circuit configured to:
• receive the barcode or QR code;
• analyze the image sequence of the merchandise items in the shopping cart using a computer vision algorithm to identify the merchandise items based on the image sequence and create a computer vision receipt listing the merchandise items identified from the image sequence;
• transmit the barcode or QR code and the computer vision receipt;
• a central control circuit configured to:
• access the sales transaction database using the barcode or QR code to determine the purchased merchandise items;
• compare the purchased merchandise items indicated by the barcode or QR code on the paper or digital receipt with the identified merchandise items from the computer vision receipt, and determine a discrepancy;
• and
• cause to display on the mobile electronics device the discrepancy, the display including one or both of a list of unpaid items or images of unpaid items;
• and
• an automated vehicle configured to receive a control signal for retrieving an unpaid merchandise item.