# US 2021/0241359 A1 · Tracking-based point-of-sale apparatus, system, and method

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- Number: US 2021/0241359 A1
- Document ID: US20210241359A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/108,279
- Filed: 2020-12-01
- Published: 2021-08-05
- Earliest claimed: 2020-02-03
- Assignees: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Daisuke MIYAGI
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210241359A1

## CPC

- G06Q 20/201: {Price look-up processing, e.g. updating}
- G06Q 30/0639: {Locating goods or services, e.g. based on physical position of the goods or services within a shopping facility}
- G06Q 10/08724: {by shelf level inventory management, e.g. planograms}
- G06Q 10/0877: {by inventory control or reporting using inventory tracking or counting}
- G06Q 20/202: {Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR}
- G06Q 20/208: {Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing}
- G06Q 30/0201: Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
- G06Q 30/06: Buying, selling or leasing transactions
- G06Q 30/0623: {by investigating goods or services}
- G06Q 30/0633: {Managing shopping lists, e.g. compiling or processing purchase lists (shipping orders G06Q10/083; order filling G06Q10/087)}
- G07G 1/0036: {Checkout procedures}
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G07G: REGISTERING THE RECEIPT OF CASH, VALUABLES, OR TOKENS

## Abstract

A tracking-based point-of-sales (POS) system includes a first sensing device, a second sensing device, and a processing device. The processing device is configured to perform location tracking with respect to the one or more customers around the product display section based on location information, perform a first operation to determine a purchasing customer who has performed a product displacement activity based on a result of the location tracking, and perform a product registration. The processing device is configured to perform a second operation to determine a product-returning customer who has performed a product placement activity based on a result of the location tracking, and perform a product deregistration. The processing device is configured to, upon the product deregistration causing an anomalous number of product in a purchase list of the product-returning customer, perform an anomaly operation.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A tracking-based point-of-sales (POS) system, comprising:
a first sensing device configured to obtain location information of one or more customers around a product display section associated with a product identified with a product ID;
a second sensing device configured to detect a product displacement activity and a product placement activity at the product display section; and
a processing device configured to:
perform location tracking with respect to the one or more customers around the product display section based on the obtained location information;
upon the second sensing device detecting the product displacement activity, perform a first operation to determine a purchasing customer who has performed the product displacement activity based on a result of the location tracking, and perform a product registration to register the product of a first number to a purchase list of the purchasing customer;
upon the second sensing device detecting the product placement activity, perform a second operation to determine a product-returning customer who has performed the product placement activity based on a result of the location tracking, and perform a product deregistration to deregister the product of a second number from a purchase list of the product-returning customer; and
upon the product deregistration causing less than zero of the product to be on the purchase list of the product-returning customer, perform an anomaly operation.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The tracking-based POS system according to claim 1, wherein the anomaly operation includes generating a signal to notify a product return at a wrong location.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The tracking-based POS system according to claim 2, wherein the signal is a voice message.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The tracking-based POS system according to claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to, during the second operation:
determine a number of nearby customers who are in a predetermined area set around the product display section based on a result of the location tracking; and
upon determining that the number of nearby customers is one, determine the nearby customer to be the product-returning customer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The tracking-based POS system according to claim 4, wherein the processing device is configured to, during the second operation:
upon determining that the number of nearby customers is two or more, determine, among the nearby customers, a number of potential customers who are at locations where it is physically possible to perform the detected product placement activity based on a result of the location tracking and a position of the product placement activity; and
upon determining that the number of potential customers is one, determine the potential customer to be the product-returning customer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The tracking-based POS system according to claim 4, wherein the processing device is configured to, during the second operation:
upon determining that the number of potential customers is two or more, determine a selected one of the potential customers to be the product-returning customer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The tracking-based POS system according to claim 6, wherein when the product deregistration causes the number of the product on the purchase list of the selected one of the potential customers to be less than zero and the number of potential customers is two, the anomaly operation includes selecting the other one of the potential customers and performing the product deregistration with respect to a purchase list of the other one of the potential customers.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The tracking-based POS system according to claim 6, wherein when the product deregistration causes the number of the product on the purchase list of the selected one of the potential customers to be less than zero and the number of potential customers is three or more, the anomaly operation includes performing a temporary product deregistration with respect to a purchase list of all of the potential customers other than the selected one of the potential customers.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The tracking-based POS system according to claim 8, wherein the processing device is further configured to receive a confirmation of the temporary product deregistration from one of the other potential customers other than the selected one of the potential customers, and upon receiving the confirmation, invalidate the temporary product deregistration for the potential customers other than the selected one of the potential customers and the one with the confirmation.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The tracking-based POS system according to claim 8, wherein the processing device is further configured to receive a disconfirmation of the temporary product deregistration from one of the other potential customers other than the selected one of the potential customers, and upon receiving the disconfirmation, modify the purchase list of the one of the other potential customers.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The tracking-based POS system according to claim 1, wherein the first sensing device includes a camera configured to capture images around the product display section.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The tracking-based POS system according to claim 1, wherein
the second sensing device includes a camera configured to capture images of the product display section and a weight scale on which the product is displayed at the product display section, and
the second sensing device detects the product displacement activity based on a hand movement to and then from the product display section in the captured images and a decrease of a weight detected by the weight scale, and detects the product placement activity based on a hand movement to and then from the product display section in the captured images and an increase of the weight detected by the weight scale.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The tracking-based POS system according to claim 12, wherein the processing device is further configured to determine the first number based on an amount of the decrease and the second number based on an amount of the increase.

### Claim 14

A method for performing product registration, the method comprising:
obtaining location information of one or more customers around a product display section associated with a product identified with a product ID;
performing location tracking with respect to the one or more customers around the product display section based on the obtained location information;
detecting a product displacement activity at the product display section;
upon detecting the product displacement activity, performing a first operation to determine a purchasing customer who has performed the product displacement activity based on a result of the location tracking, and performing a product registration to register the product of a first number to a purchase list of the purchasing customer;
detecting a product placement activity at the product display section;
upon detecting the product placement activity, performing a second operation to determine a product-returning customer who has performed the product placement activity based on a result of the location tracking, and performing a product deregistration to deregister the product of a second number from a purchase list of the product-returning customer; and
upon the product deregistration causing a negative number of the product on the purchase list of the product-returning customer, performing an anomaly operation.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14, wherein the second operation includes:
determining a number of nearby customers who are in a predetermined area set around the product display section based on a result of the location tracking; and
when the number of nearby customers is one, determining the nearby customer to be the product-returning customer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method according to claim 15, wherein the second operation includes:
when the number of nearby customers is two or more, determining, among the nearby customers, a number of potential customers who are at locations where it is physically possible to perform the detected product placement activity based on a result of the location tracking and a position of the product placement activity; and
when the number of potential customers is one, determining the potential customer to be the product-returning customer.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method according to claim 15, wherein the second operation includes:
when the number of potential customers is two or more, determining a selected one of the potential customers to be the product-returning customer.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method according to claim 17, wherein when the product deregistration causes the negative number of the product on the purchase list of the selected one of the potential customers and the number of potential customers is two, the anomaly operation includes selecting the other one of the potential customers and performing the product deregistration with respect to a purchase list of the other one of the potential customers.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The method according to claim 17, wherein when the product deregistration causes the negative number of the product on the purchase list of the selected one of the potential customers and the number of potential customers is three or more, the anomaly operation includes performing a temporary product deregistration with respect to a purchase list of all of the potential customers other than the selected one of the potential customers.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method according to claim 19, further comprising:
receiving a confirmation of the temporary product deregistration from one of the potential customers other than the selected one of the potential customers; and
upon receiving the confirmation, invalidating the temporary product deregistration for all of the potential customers other than the selected one of the potential customers and the one with the confirmation.