# US 9,002,733 B2 · Checkout station > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,002,733 B2 - Document ID: US9002733B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/799,276 - Filed: 2013-03-13 - Published: 2014-06-19 - Granted: 2015-04-07 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-14 - Assignees: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. - Applicants: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. - Inventors: Chris Skiles - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9002733B2 ## CPC - G07G 1/0072: {with means for detecting the weight of the article of which the code is read, for the verification of the registration (weighing combined with recording means, e.g. in weighing scale, G01G19/415)} - G01G 19/4144: {for controlling weight of goods in commercial establishments, e.g. supermarket, P.O.S. systems} - G01G 21/28: Frames, Housings - G06Q 20/208: {Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing} - G07G: REGISTERING THE RECEIPT OF CASH, VALUABLES, OR TOKENS - G01G: WEIGHING (sorting by weighing B07C5/16) - 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 ## Abstract A checkout station includes a scale fixedly attached to a framework of the checkout station and a track, surrounding the scale, through which a display moves between a first position and a second position. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A checkout station, comprising: a scale fixedly attached to a framework of the checkout station; and a track, surrounding the scale, through which a display moves between a first position and a second position. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The checkout station of claim 1, further comprising a barcode scanner for scanning barcodes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The checkout station of claim 1, wherein an outside boundary of the scale is elliptical, and the track is an elliptical track. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The checkout station of claim 1, wherein an outside boundary of the scale is circular, and the track is a circular track. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The checkout station of claim 1, wherein an outside boundary of the scale is a rectangle having round corners. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The checkout station of claim 1, wherein the scale and the track are on a single-plane platter that is fixedly attached to the framework. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The checkout station of claim 6, wherein the scale is bolted to the single-plane platter. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The checkout station of claim 1, wherein the display faces a cashier at the first position for cashier-assisted checkout and faces customers at the second position for self-checkout. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The checkout station of claim 8, wherein the customers are on a same side of the checkout station for either the cashier-assisted checkout or the self-checkout. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The checkout station of claim 1, wherein the scale is bolted to the framework from a bottom. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The checkout station of claim 1, wherein the display is connected to the track through a support. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The checkout station of claim 1, wherein when the display is moved between the first and second positions, the scale does not need to recalibrate. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The checkout station of claim 1, wherein the track is configured such that the display moves about the scale between the first position and the second position while the scale remains stationary. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The checkout station of claim 1, wherein the scale is fixedly attached to the framework such that an orientation of the scale does not change as the display is moved about the track between the first position and the second position. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The checkout station of claim 1, wherein the checkout station switchably operates in the cashier-assisted checkout mode and in a self-checkout mode, wherein the first position of the display corresponds to the cashier-assisted checkout mode and wherein the second position of the display corresponds to the self-checkout mode, wherein during the transition between the cashier-assisted mode and the self-checkout mode as the display is moved about the track, the scale remains stationary. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The checkout station of claim 1, wherein when the display is in the first position, the display is oriented to be viewable and used by one of the cashier and the customer during a checkout process, and wherein when the display is in the second position, the display is oriented to be viewable and used by the other of the cashier and the customer during the checkout process. ### Claim 17 A checkout station, comprising: a scale whose outside boundary is elliptical; and a track, surrounding the scale, through which a display moves between a first position and a second position. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The checkout station of claim 17, wherein the outside boundary of the scale is circular, and the track is circular. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The checkout station of claim 17, further comprising: a framework, wherein the scale is fixedly attached to the framework. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The checkout station of claim 17, further comprising a barcode scanner for scanning barcodes. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The checkout station of claim 17, wherein the scale and the track are on a single-plane platter that is fixedly attached to the framework. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The checkout station of claim 17, wherein the display faces a cashier at the first position for cashier-assisted checkout and faces customers at the second position for self-checkout. ### Claim 23 A checkout station, comprising: a scale fixedly attached to a framework of the checkout station; and means for transporting a display from a first position for cashier-assisted checkout to a second position for self-checkout without disturbing the scale. ### Claim 24 A method of operating a checkout system, wherein the checkout system includes a display movable along a track surrounding a scale and a processor that is configured to execute a point-of-sale (POS) application, the method comprising: in response to moving the display to a first position using the track, executing, by the processor, the POS application in a cashier-assisted checkout mode; and in response to moving the display to a second position using the track, executing, by the processor, the POS application in a self-checkout mode. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein the moving of the display between the first position and the second position does not disturb the scale. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein the scale is fixedly attached to a framework of the checkout system. ### Claim 27 A method for customers to check out from a checkout station, comprising: providing a checkout station that includes a track through which a display moves between a first position corresponding to a cashier-assisted checkout mode and a second position corresponding to a self-checkout mode; in response to the cashier-assisted checkout mode, moving the display to the first position; and in response to the self-checkout mode, moving the display to the second position, wherein the customers check out from a same side of the checkout station during both the cashier-assisted checkout mode and the self-checkout mode, wherein the checkout station further includes a scale fixedly attached to a framework of the checkout station, wherein the track surrounds the scale. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27, wherein an outside boundary of the scale is elliptical, and the track is an elliptical track. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) The method of claim 27, wherein the display faces a cashier at the first position for cashier-assisted checkout and faces customers at the second position for self-checkout.