US 12,705,664 B1Granted

Automated checkout system with video and RFID

AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.

InventorsAkash Modi, Kushagra Srivastava, Sandipan Saha, Chirag Dilip Chauhan, Srihari Manoharan, Amit Dekate, Robert Jerome Colwill, Tarun Kumar Garg

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Abstract

This disclosure describes systems for enabling a just-walk-out (JWO) facility in which users may enter the facility, physically pick one or more items, and walk out of the facility to rent, purchase, or otherwise acquire the items without needing to perform a manual checkout for the items. In some instances, a tag, such as an RFID tag, may attach to each item in the facility, which may include an exit system that includes RFID readers for detecting when a tag exits the facility. The exit system may also include one or more cameras that may be used to help identify which of multiple checkout lanes the tag and item exited through for ensuring that the item is associated with the proper user account and/or the appropriate payment instrument is charged.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A checkout system comprising:

a first checkout lane including one or more walls defining a transition zone;
a first RFID antenna system positioned on or within the one or more walls and directed into the transition zone;
a first camera positioned above the first checkout lane and having a field of view that comprises the transition zone;
one or more processors;
and
one or more non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
receiving first RFID data from the first RFID antenna system;
determining, by a tag-transition component based on the first RFID data, a first set of items that passed through the checkout system;
receiving first image data from the first camera;
determining, by a lane-occupancy component based at least on the first image data, a checkout time for a user based on a timestamp associated with the user traversing the transition zone;
determining, by the lane-occupancy component based on the timestamp, a window of time associated with the user passing through the first checkout lane;
determining, by a cart-generation component based on a first portion of the first image data associated with the window of time, a second set of items associated with the user;
determining, by the cart-generation component, a third set of items associated with the user based at least in part on a subset of the first set of items and the second set of items determined based at least in part on a union between the first set of items and the second set of items;
determining, by the cart-generation component, a virtual cart for the user based on the third set of items;
and
charging, by a payment component, a payment instrument associated with the first checkout lane for the virtual cart.

13 more elements

A method comprising:

receiving first reader data from one or more first reader antennas positioned proximate and directed toward a first checkout lane of a checkout system in a facility;
determining, by a tag-transition component based on the first reader data, a first set of items that passed through the checkout system;
receiving first image data from one or more cameras positioned proximate and directed toward the first checkout lane in the facility;
determining, by a lane-occupancy component, a checkout time for a user based at least on the first image data and on a timestamp associated with the user traversing the first checkout lane;
determining, by the lane-occupancy component based on the timestamp, a window of time associated with the user passing through the first checkout lane;
determining, by a cart-generation component, a second set of items associated with the user based on a portion of the first image data associated with the window of time;
determining, by the cart-generation component, a third set of items associated with the user based at least in part on the first set of items and the second set of items;
determining, by the cart-generation component, a virtual cart for the user based on the third set of items;
and
charging, by a payment component, a payment instrument associated with the virtual cart.

7 more elements

A system comprising:

one or more processors;
and
one or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:
receiving first reader data from one or more first reader antennas positioned proximate and directed toward a first checkout lane of a checkout system in a facility;
determining, by a tag-transition component based on the first reader data, a first set of items that passed through the checkout system;
receiving first image data from one or more cameras positioned proximate and directed toward the first checkout lane in the facility;
determining, by a lane-occupancy component, a checkout time for a user based at least on the first image data and on a timestamp associated with the user traversing the first checkout lane;
determining, by the lane-occupancy component based on the timestamp, a window of time associated with the user passing through the first checkout lane;
determining, by a cart-generation component, a second set of items associated with the user based on a portion of the first image data associated with the window of time;
determining, by the cart-generation component, a third set of items associated with the user based at least in part on the first set of items and the second set of items;
determining, by the cart-generation component, a virtual cart for the user based on the second set of items and the third set of items;
and
charging, by a payment component, a payment instrument associated with the virtual cart.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.