EP3997648A1

EP3997648A1 - Shopping and purchasing system

Info

Publication number: EP3997648A1
Application number: EP20764297.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Seyad Arash MOUSAVI GHARAVI
Original assignee: Lakra Invest GmbH
Current assignee: Lakra Invest GmbH
Priority date: 2019-07-11
Filing date: 2020-07-13
Publication date: 2022-05-18
Also published as: WO2021004588A1; DE112020003310A5; US20220270066A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for use as a shopping and purchasing system for all types of goods.

Description

Shopping and payment system

The present invention relates to a system and a method for

Shopping and paying with the help of scanning systems.

[0002] Wholesale and retail companies are very efficient and

interested in innovative solutions for the checkout process. Above all, the waiting times at the cash registers in wholesale and retail markets should be reduced, as customers find them particularly annoying.

In a typical checkout process in wholesaling or retailing, a customer must place all the items he wants to purchase from his shopping cart or shopping bag on a checkout belt. The cashier then scans the barcode symbol for each individual item separately. The scanning process decodes the barcode symbol, identifies the item and sends the price information to the POS system. For loose products, the price of which is based on their weight, the cashier must weigh the corresponding product.

After the barcodes have been captured, the total price is calculated and the customer pays for his purchase, with various payment methods being available as a rule. Afterwards, the customer has to take all the items back and put them in his shopping bag. This process is time-consuming and laborious and, in particular, the need for the cashier to sequentially scan each individual item purchased by the customer and, in the case of loose products, to weigh them in, can take a lot of time. The associated waiting times at the checkout lead to customer dissatisfaction.

[0005] To solve these problems, methods have been developed in which customers can scan in the articles to be purchased themselves (so-called self-scanning), which avoids sequential scanning at the checkout. [0006] A first variant of such systems are self-service terminals. A scanner is made available on this with which customers can individually scan the barcode symbols of their articles on the terminal. However, since customers generally have less experience with scanning than the cashier, such systems tend to lengthen waiting times at the checkouts, which tends to increase customer dissatisfaction.

In order to avoid the time-consuming step of sequential scanning at the checkout, systems are also known in which the customer scans the purchased item when he puts it in his shopping basket or shopping cart. Such systems then record the entirety of the articles purchased by the customer and at the checkout only the information about the total content of the purchase and the total price of the purchased goods need to be passed on to the checkout. For this purpose, independent payment stations can be used, which usually require payment by card, or the customer uses a regular checkout with a cashier at which the information about the purchased goods is sent to the checkout

passed on and so the payment process can be accelerated.

A system of the type described above which uses regular cash registers is known from DE 10 2016 010 199, for example.

The problem of detecting loose goods is solved in the known systems in that weighing devices are set up that create a barcode label after the weighing process, which contains the information on the amount and price of the purchased goods encoded and which is then provided by the customer its scanning device is recorded. However, this leads to the problem that additional waiting times can arise for the customer if several people have to weigh loose goods at the same time for price recording.

[0010] The present invention was therefore based on the object of improving existing systems known from the prior art for shopping and paying by also detecting goods purchased in bulk without the customer having to accept waiting times at the appropriate weighing equipment.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a device according to

Claim 1 solved.

Preferred embodiments of the invention can be found in the subclaims and the following description.

The inventive device for use as a shopping and payment system for goods of all kinds, has a

first device for capturing and scanning barcode symbols or barcodes,

a second device for detecting the weight of an item purchased,

a third device for decoding the captured barcode or barcodes to capture the price of the purchased products in a digital shopping cart, and

a fourth device for storing the price and, if applicable, the number of pieces or weight of the individual purchased goods and the totality of the purchased goods.

The first device can be a conventional device for

Act detection and reading of bar codes or bar codes which are known per se to the person skilled in the art and have already been described in large numbers in the prior art. Cameras or barcode scanners are only mentioned here as examples.

With the first device of the device according to the invention, the bar codes attached to the products are recorded. In the case of loose goods, the barcode on the shelf or the

Place of presentation of the goods is appropriate. It is also conceivable, depending on the type of product, to apply a corresponding code to the goods themselves.

Incidentally, the type of first device is not subject to any particular restriction. Cameras that can be integrated into the device according to the invention may be mentioned here as examples. Their placement in or on the device according to the invention is not subject to any particular restrictions.

But it should be ensured that with the first device all

Goods that the shopping customer wants to purchase can be reliably recorded. This ensures that no goods or products are taken from the sales room by the customer that have not been recorded and, accordingly, not paid for in the end. For the customer, this offers the security that he will not inadvertently forget to register a product and for the selling company it offers security against theft.

According to a preferred embodiment, the inventive device has several devices for detecting the bar and

Barcodes, preferably on different pages. In this way, reliable recording is ensured even better.

The second device of the device according to the invention is used to detect the weight of an article purchased. This enables the customer to record the individual price even of loose, weight-related priced goods when purchasing them in the shop, so that he does not have to use and visit special weighing equipment, nor do the loose goods have to be time-consuming weighed at the checkout.

The second device can be any device for mobile weight detection, as they are known in large numbers from the prior art and are also commercially available from a large number of manufacturers. Further details are therefore not required at this point.

Before or after the detection of the weight, the barcode or

Barcode of the loose goods is detected by the first device and the measured values of the detected weight and the information on price per unit of weight (which is taken from the barcode or barcode) are suitably recorded in the device according to the invention merged in order to determine and save the price of the individual goods purchased. This ensures that the price of the purchased goods is calculated correctly, even for loose products.

The present in the device according to the invention second device for weight detection can be used not only to detect loose goods but to detect the weight of all goods. This makes it possible to determine the total weight of the purchase, which provides the customer with valuable information, as he can recognize when his purchase may be too heavy to carry and he should remember to use aids to transport the goods home that relieve him of weight. Damage to health caused by carrying heavy loads can be avoided as soon as the goods are placed in the shopping basket or shopping cart, by signaling to the customer that his total purchases have reached a certain weight.

The second device can also be used to the

To send a suitable signal to shopping customers if they have not detected a product. This is possible because the

The device according to the invention offers the possibility of attaching a container into which the customer inserts his goods after detection. The second device records that the weight of the purchases has increased, and a comparison with the first device is used to determine whether a product has been registered which corresponds to the weight increase. This is also facilitated by the fact that, as a rule, the weight is also encoded in the bar codes that are recorded by the first device. Thus, a plausibility check can be carried out directly by comparing the barcodes or barcodes recorded by the first device with the weight increase recorded by the second device, as to whether the weight increase corresponds to the detected goods. If this is not the case, the customer receives a

corresponding signal, for example optical (e.g. red light), acoustically or sensorially (e.g. by vibration or the like). If the test shows that detected product and weight gain match, this can be indicated to the shopping customer by a signal (e.g.

green light). For this purpose, the device according to the invention can be equipped with appropriate devices for transmitting appropriate signals to the customer.

According to a preferred embodiment, the device according to the invention has light strips which the desired signals in

corresponding color (e.g. green if the registration was successful and correct and red if the registration was missing or incorrect). Examples are LED light strips or light emitting diodes, which have proven to be advantageous because of their low power consumption.

With the third device of the device according to the invention, the detected barcodes are decoded to capture the price of the purchased goods, possibly in the case of loose goods taking into account the weight, and in the fourth device of the invention

To save device.

According to one embodiment, the device according to the invention can be designed in the form of a handle, which makes it possible to attach containers into which the loose goods are inserted to the weighing device of the device according to the invention, in which the purchased loose goods are then inserted and recorded by weight will. After

Weight detection and decoding to determine the price, the container containing the loose product is removed and the

The device according to the invention is available for detecting the next loose product, if necessary.

The device according to the invention, for example in the form of a handle, can be produced in a manner known per se, for example from a suitable plastic. The use of a plastic material enables, on the one hand, the manufacture of the device with the lowest possible weight and, on the other hand, practically complete freedom of design, which can thus be adapted to the individual needs of the specific application. Just an example The injection molding process is mentioned here as a suitable process;

In principle, however, all types of processing of plastics are conceivable, in which a contourless starting product, e.g. a granulate, can be given a desired shape.

According to a preferred embodiment, the device according to the invention has a handle made of plastic:

• with integrated weighing function

• with two or three cameras

• with a display

• with two LED light strips in red and green

• with NFC chip reader

• with mobile power supply, e.g. by a battery

• with a device for filing in a charging station on a storage terminal after the purchase has been made,

• With sensors that enable touchscreen functionality

• with additional sensors that will enable fingerprint identification in the future

• With an anti-slip coating so that the container for purchases cannot slip off

on.

According to a further embodiment, the inventive

Device have its own display on which the customer is shown the goods he has purchased with price and weight and on which he is also informed immediately of the total price of the goods he has purchased. Alternatively, a corresponding data signal can also be sent to a mobile receiving device with the aid of a wireless

Transmission method are transmitted, where the signal is converted into a display of information about shopping on the mobile device with a corresponding app and corresponding software. For this purpose, the customer can, for example, use a tablet or mobile phone that they are carrying. With this design, no separate display is required in the device according to the invention itself. This embodiment In addition, it offers the advantage that it enables the use of mobile payment systems, which have been increasingly used in the recent past.

With the help of an app that can optionally be used by the customer

(without this being absolutely necessary) a significant additional benefit can be achieved for the consumer.

The consumer can write his shopping lists in the app or import them and share them with other users. The app reminds you

regular purchases. For example, it is reminded that a regularly required consumer product must be bought again when a certain period of time has passed. The app can also be accessed via

Inform product recalls, which are communicated in a personalized way. Furthermore, digital receipts can be made available via the app and also saved in it. This allows transparency about the cost of all purchases and offers the consumer the

Ability to analyze your cost of living. In addition, legal requirements that require the mandatory creation of a receipt can be met without having to create a paper printout.

The user has the option in the app to define individual settings for eating habits and goals, as well as food allergies and intolerances. Saved recipes are suggested depending on these settings and can be transferred directly to the digital shopping list. Information on the nutritional values of the recipes and their ingredients is also available. Users have the opportunity to rate both products and recipes. The reviews can help other users to make a decision.

The app allows the consumer to access the history of his

Purchases as well as the creation of an electronic payment receipt after a purchase.

[0035] The app can be used with other applications - for example Smart Home

Applications - link. Finally, the consumer can take advantage of individualized special offers. These special offers can be individually tailored to the consumer and made available depending on the stored personal settings and the usage history within the app.

Interfaces to customer cards of the individual markets make this possible

Participation in their reward programs (customer loyalty programs).

Vouchers or food vouchers can be used with the inventive

Device can be scanned and recorded.

Geolocation in the app makes it possible for the consumer to find out who is in the vicinity of the consumer's location

To signal sales outlets that have the products they want from their shopping list with information on the prices, so that the consumer can make an informed decision where he can get which of his desired products at what price. This enables him to plan his purchases optimally in terms of time and costs.

The user can continue to e.g. his EC cash or

Store credit card information in the app. So he can pay without having to have the means of payment at hand. The registration in the app can be done via an account with a corresponding provider of payment services. Alternatively, the user can register manually with an email address and a password. Before each purchase, the app connects to the device according to the invention via a wireless connection.

Finally, it is also possible to integrate a small display in the device according to the invention, on which a bar code

which contains the information on the price and weight of the purchased goods as well as the total price of the shopping cart in coded form. The barcode or barcode can then be captured with a camera of a mobile device such as a tablet or a mobile phone and decoded there again with appropriate software in order to display the desired information directly to the customer.

According to a preferred embodiment, the device according to the invention can be converted into a so-called storage terminal

Combine the entire system.

The terminal is used to store and charge the

devices according to the invention. It can be placed in every entrance and exit area of a point of sale. When entering the point of sale, the consumer takes one according to the invention

Device (e.g. a handle) from the terminal, when leaving the point of sale, he hangs it back into the terminal. In addition, a display and a receipt printer can be provided in the terminal. There the customer can print out invoice receipts or

Information about the system with the invention

Experience device. The system is preferably designed in such a way that the prerequisite for completing a purchase is the

Reattaching the device to the terminal is complete. If this does not happen, a warning signal sounds on the handle. This avoids shoplifting or the theft of the handles themselves.

In addition, the terminal can have a device for

Have shopping containers which are specially tailored to the device according to the invention. The customer can purchase these for a one-off purchase price and use them again later, which is also desirable from an ecological point of view. Since he can take the shopping container with him from the market as soon as he has purchased it, any effort for any repackaging is avoided. The shopping container can have several compartments or compartments or subdivisions, which already enables a corresponding pre-sorting when shopping, which makes it easier to clear out and put down the purchased goods at home. Insulated compartments can also be provided in the container, in which temperature-sensitive goods are safe and protected against spoilage for transport home can be transported. The device according to the invention can be connected to the terminal via a secure connection and thus function as an interface to payment service providers and the app.

Finally, the terminal can also be used to check the state of charge of the devices according to the invention. If the customer grabs a device with a charge level that is too low, this can be signaled to him in order to avoid problems occurring during shopping because the power supply of the device according to the invention fails.

The figures show the basic structure of a

device according to the invention.

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary device according to the invention in the form of a handle.

The device is designed as a handle, comprising a handle 1, a connecting piece 2 arranged parallel to the handle 1 and one, but preferably two hook-shaped suspension pieces 3 comprising a shorter 4 and a longer end piece 5, the hook-shaped

Suspension pieces 3 are arranged parallel to one another, in particular almost parallel, and are connected to the connecting piece 2 via the shorter end piece 4 and to the handle 1 via the longer end piece 5.

The suspension hooks 3 have an anti-slip coating 25

Mistake.

According to a preferred embodiment, the first device comprises at least one first camera 6 and / or a first barcode scanner 7, preferably a first and second camera 8 and / or

Barcode scanner 9, the first camera 6 and / or the first barcode scanner 7 on the connecting piece 2 preferably on the side facing away from the handle 1 and the second camera 8 and / or the barcode scanner 9 on one of the hanging pieces 3 on the other

Hanging piece 3 are attached facing away from the side and wherein the first device in a preferred embodiment comprises in particular two LED lights 10, which by the point of overlap of their Cone of light mark the detection point of the first 6 and / or the second camera 8 and / or the first 7 and / or the second bar code scanner 9. Furthermore, a distance sensor 11 and / or a movement sensor 12 are preferably included.

The second device for detecting the weight 13 is preferably attached to the handle 1 for the hand and / or where the shopping container 27 is hung and preferably designed as a 3D force sensor, in particular two 3D force sensors, preferably one on each or in the area of the support point of the suspended shopping container 27.

The handle 1 comprises according to a further preferred

Embodiment at least one 9G sensor 14, in particular a gyroscope and / or at least one acceleration sensor, and is connected to the second device for detecting the weight

Operative connection.

The third device for decoding 15 of the detected bar or

Bar codes and the fourth storage device 16 are preferably designed as a microcontroller.

Furthermore, the handle 1 preferably comprises a handle section 26 which is movably mounted with respect to the handle 1

According to a further preferred one, the device comprises

Embodiment lighting devices 17 which light up in n different colors, with n = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or more, and the handle 1 preferably comprises a vibration device 18.

Luminous 17 and vibration devices 18 are designed and set up to reflect activities during shopping and their status, and operatively connected to a first device for capturing and scanning barcode symbols or barcodes and a second device for capturing the weight 13 to stand.

According to a further preferred embodiment, a display 19 is in particular on the side facing the handle 1 of the

Connector 2 attached and is in operative connection with a fourth device for storing 16 the price and possibly the number of items and is preferably designed as a touchscreen.

Furthermore, the device preferably comprises an NFC chip reader

20 and / or a W-LAN module 21 and / or cellular module 22, if necessary with a payment service and / or a computer network

communicate.

Also in the device according to another preferred

Embodiment comprises a mobile power supply 23, in particular a battery.

The device also preferably comprises a fingerprint sensor 24 for authenticating a user.

Figure 2 shows a device according to the invention with a

Shopping container 27.

From the above it can be seen that the inventive

Device, possibly in combination with an optional app, offers a multitude of advantages that make shopping and payment easier for the customer and save time and give the seller (market) the opportunity to make a faster and more convenient purchase for the customer without significantly changing his structures to offer.

List of reference symbols

1. Handle 1

2nd connector 2

3. Hook-shaped suspension piece 3

4. shorter end piece 4

5. longer end piece 5

6. First camera 6

7. First barcode scanner 7

8. Second camera 8

9. Second barcode scanner 9

10. LED lights 10

11. Distance sensor 11

12. Motion sensor 12

13. Device for detecting the weight 13 14.9G sensor 14

15. Third device for decoding 15

16. Fourth storage facility 16

17. Lighting device 17

18. Vibration device 18

19. Display 19

20. NFC chip reader 20

21. W-LAN module 21

22. Cellular module 22

23. Mobile power supply 23

24. Fingerprint sensor 24

25. Anti-slip coating 25

26. Movably mounted handle section 26

27. Shopping container 27

Claims

1. Device for use as a shopping and payment system for goods of all kinds, with a

first device for capturing and scanning barcode symbols or barcodes,

a second device for detecting the weight (13) of a

purchased item,

a third device for decoding (15) the captured barcode or barcodes to capture the price of the purchased products in a digital shopping cart, and a fourth device for storing (16) the price and possibly the number of items or weight of the individual purchased goods.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the device is designed as a handle, comprising a handle (1), a connecting piece (2) arranged parallel to the handle (1) and one, but preferably two hook-shaped suspension pieces (3) comprising a shorter (4) and a longer end piece (5) , the hook-shaped suspension pieces (3) being arranged to one another, in particular almost parallel, and being connected to the connecting piece (2) via the shorter end piece (4) and to the handle piece (1) via the longer end piece (5).

3. Device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the first device comprises at least a first camera and / or a first barcode scanner, preferably a first and second camera and / or barcode scanner, wherein the first camera and / or the first barcode scanner Scanner on the connector (2), preferably on the handle (1)

remote side and the second camera and / or the barcode scanner are attached to one of the suspension pieces on the side facing away from the other suspension piece.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the first device in a preferred embodiment comprises in particular two LED lights which, through the overlapping point of their light cones, the detection point of the first and / or second camera and / or the first and / or second bar code Mark the scanner.

5. The device according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the first device in a preferred embodiment comprises a distance (11) and / or a movement sensor (12) which is designed and configured to control the switching on and off of the first device .

6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the second device for detecting the weight (13) is attached to the handle (1) for the hand and / or where the shopping container is hung.

7. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the second device for detecting the weight is preferably a 3D force sensor, wherein in particular two 3D force sensors are included, preferably one at or in the area of the support point of the shopping container in the two hook-shaped hanging pieces 3.

8. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the

Device, in particular the handle (1), comprises at least one 9G sensor (14), including in particular a gyroscope and / or at least one acceleration sensor, and is in operative connection with the second device for detecting the weight (13).

9. Device according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a third device for decoding (15) the detected barcode or

Bar codes and a fourth storage device (16), these preferably being designed as a microcontroller.

10. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the handle (1) has a handle portion (26) which is movably mounted relative to the handle (1).

11. Device according to the preceding claims, wherein one or more lighting devices (17) are included, which glow in n different colors, with n = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or more, and / or the handle (1) comprises a vibration device (18), lighting (17) and vibration devices (18) being designed and set up,

To reflect activities during shopping and their status, and are operatively connected to a first device for detecting and scanning barcode symbols or barcodes and a second device for detecting the weight (13).

12. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein in a preferred embodiment, a display (19) is included, which in particular on the handle (1) facing side of the

Connecting piece (2) is attached and is in operative connection with a fourth device (16) for storing the price and possibly the number of items and is preferably designed as a touchscreen.

13. Device according to one of the preceding claims in one

Preferred embodiment comprising an NFC chip reader (20) and / or a W-LAN module (21) and / or a cellular module (22).

14. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the

Device comprises a mobile power supply (23), in particular a battery.

15. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the

Device a fingerprint sensor (24) for authenticating a User includes.

16. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the suspension hooks are provided with an anti-slip coating (25).