Multi-device supervisor support for self-checkout systems
AssigneeOptimal Robotics Corp.
InventorsEric Jacobs, Iouri Kloubakov, Bruce McVicar, Thierry Leroux-Demers
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A customer self-checkout system includes one or more checkout stations and multiple supervisor terminals. The supervisor terminals provide support to, and control over, the self-checkout system and checkout stations. The supervisory terminals may be wireless terminals that can capture self-checkout customer identification information including signatures, fingerprints, images, and other forms of identification.
Claims23
A self-checkout system comprising:
- a self-checkout station configured for customer-operated self-checkout of items for purchase;
- a mobile data terminal comprising a wireless network interface and an identification capture interface;
- and
- a controller operatively coupled to the mobile terminal and to the self-checkout station, said controller being configured to send data over a wireless network to the mobile terminal instructing the mobile terminal to initiate a identification capture operation, said identification capture operation being related to a self-checkout transaction.
A method for providing supervisory support in a customer self-checkout system, the method comprising:
- monitoring operation of a self-checkout station;
- detecting a request for an identification capture operation related to a self-checkout transaction at the checkout station;
- transmitting the request for the identification capture operation to a mobile supervisory station;
- coordinating communication between the mobile supervisory station and a controller to process the identification capture operation in furtherance of the self-checkout transaction.
A method of processing input at a supervisory terminal in a self-checkout system using a handheld supervisory device, the method comprising:
- receiving a supervisory request at a handheld supervisory device, the supervisory request indicating identification capture is required to further processing of a self-checkout transaction a self-checkout station;
- processing the supervisory request to determine a sequence of processing steps associated with receipt of user identification data responsive to the supervisory request, where the user identification data comprises identification data uniquely associated with user input characteristics.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.