CH715539A2 - Digitized shopping cart with self-scanning. - Google Patents

Abstract

An SELF-SCAN shopping trolley according to the invention consists of: a shopping trolley frame with the hand-holding rod (because a push truck) with four self-steering wheels, a mostly metallic wire basket (2) and an electronically functioning SELF-SCAN unit (3), which is mounted on the shopping trolley frame. which digitally processes all activities with the SELF-SCAN shopping cart when loading, unloading and recording the goods and is composed of five components: SELF-SCAN apparatus (3.1), SELF-SCAN DC power supply (3.2), SELF-SCAN customer card (3.3), SELF-SCAN hand scanner (3.4) and SELF-SCAN control loop (3.5).

Description

The invention relates to the novel SELF-SCAN shopping cart, here marked “SELF-SCAN EW”, according to the preamble of claim 1.

0) literature

The references in this patent application will, whenever possible, name the sources to be found on the WWW, making them accessible to all those interested if necessary. [1] Kröhling, Andreas: "Digitization - Technology for a Sustainable Society?", WWW 2018, [2] WWW, WIKIPEDIA: "Digitization", 2018, [3] "When the shop assistants get under the wheels (self-scanning stress) ", Der Landbote, Winterthur, October 12th, 2018, [4] Stein, Katharina:" The basics for digitization of business processes ", WWW, 2018, [5] Precht, Richard David:" Digitization - technology, what are you doing with us? ", WWW, 2018, [6] WWW, WIKIPEDIA:" Shopping carts ", 2018, [7]" Stealing during self-scans is a sport ", 20 minutes, October 16, 2018, [8] WWW:" UZH is planning 18 new ones Professorships in the field of digitization ", SDA, October 26, 2018, [9] WWW:" Barcode Handscanner / Leuze electronic GmbH ", 2018, [10] WWW:" Wanzl (Schweiz) AG ", 2018

1. Introduction

The subject of this invention relates to the new SELF-SCAN shopping cart, labeled "SELF-SCAN EW", which by using the most modern digital technologies [1], [2] on the one hand, the fears of a non-negligible part of today's of the "no longer closed slowing digital change "irritated customers / sales staff [3] of the" large retail sales centers "(as one of many examples, e.g. retail food sales etc.) and on the other hand, who can not only eliminate this" digital change ", which can no longer be slowed down In this sales segment, it is significantly simplified and enables an absolutely theft-proof but not irritating sales process for customers / sales staff and always conforms to the central idea that "... digitization should not happen for the sake of digitization, but with a clear awareness of it, why and for what purpose it should be digitized ... ”[4] and, unfortunately, also in agreement with the prognoses by Richard David Precht that "... digitization will radically change the meaning and value of work in the near future and a large part of gainful employment will be lost ..." [5]. An enormous advantage of using the SELF-SCAN shopping trolleys is that by using them, on the one hand, an ABSOLUTELY THEFT SAFE and, on the other hand, an ABSOLUTELY FRAUD SAFE purchase / sale of goods in the context of retail sales centers is finally possible.

2) Prior art related to this invention

[0004] 2.1) According to [6], a shopping cart is "... a push cart usually made of a wire basket (metal or plastic) with four self-steering Castor wheels, which is used to transport the customer's goods in supermarkets ... The The shopping cart was developed to make it easier for the customer to transport and collect the goods in the market and is therefore to be regarded as a further development of the shopping basket ... Usually (see flowchart Figure 1: Collection, transport, registration at the checkout and payment (cash payment or With the credit card) the goods in markets with conventional shopping carts) the customer first goes to a collection point for shopping carts before shopping in the supermarket, where they are pushed together and often provided with locking chains ... If the carts are secured, you put them in the Slot, which is usually attached to the handle of a car, holds a coin (deposit, chip, token). This allows the locking chain to be removed from the car ... Now you push it into the supermarket to go shopping. You put the desired goods in the cart: e.g. Small parts in the upper basket, larger or heavier parts such as beverage crates or potting soil in the lower compartment ... Arriving at the cash register, all the goods are placed on the goods conveyor belt, booked by the cashier, placed back in the trolley behind the cash register and paid for. With the increasing spread of RFID labels (the heart of RFID technology is an RFID transponder. This tiny computer chip with antenna can be attached to various objects and contains a number code, e.g. the electronic product code EPC. The EPC is read with a Reader.) It will be possible to save a shopping cart filled with goods by a, for example To push the scan tunnel ... Then you unload the car - be it in the car in the parking lot or, as a pedestrian, at the assembly point - and push the car back into the queue of cars at the assembly point. If you now put the chain of the last trolley from the queue of trolleys into the slot attached to the coin box of your own trolley, you can remove the deposit coin that was initially inserted ... The usual load limit for ordinary four-wheeled trolleys is approximately 240 liters ".

2.2) Made possible by the development of digitization techniques [2] and supported by the increasing efforts of (not only) "large retail sales centers" (eg retail food sales) to reduce the costs in the course of this phase of their business , the digitized processes illustrated with the flowchart in Figure 2 (collection, transport, digitized recording (“self-scanning”) with a barcode hand scanner, for example, and payment (by credit card) for goods in markets using conventional shopping carts) have recently become apparent (identified by the term "self-scanning") the collection, transport, registration and payment of goods in markets "not necessarily developed to the satisfaction of some customers, staff and sales centers, because: 2.2.1. the customers now have to record the goods deposited in the shopping cart themselves, which means that on the one hand they "de facto" have to do the work of the cashiers (unfortunately no longer required) without payment and in addition in the event of incorrect recordings (regardless of whether intentionally or because of faulty manipulation and inexperience) are exposed to the "laborious" controls, 2.2.2. the sales staff (cashiers) on the one hand lose their job and if they are lucky enough to be retrained, continue to work as advisors / control bodies and provide advice on self-scanning, they are, to put it mildly, "not accepted" by customers because of these control activities [3] and 2.2.3. Due to a steadily increasing culture of "stealing from self-scanning" [7], the retail food sales centers are generating considerable losses.

2.3) The under 2.2) mentioned facts and disadvantages of the current self-scanning practices can with the SELF-SCAN shopping cart (marked "SELF-SCANEW"), shown schematically with the flowchart Figure 3 (collection, the transport, the digitized recording of goods through the SELF-SCAN control loop of the SELF-SCAN shopping cart and payment with the customer card for the goods in markets with the SELF-SCAN shopping cart) in some segments. It is important to recognize: that the development potential of digitization is constantly increasing worldwide and also in Switzerland [8] and that the potential of the invention of SELF-SCAN shopping carts through the application to the similarly designed, portable shopping baskets and larger ones , mobile objects or objects that are otherwise intended to transport the goods is only at the beginning and is therefore very hopeful.

2.4) An enormous advantage of the invention SELF-SCAN shopping trolleys is that, through their use, on the one hand, an ABSOLUTELY THEFT-PROOF SALES PROCEDURE for the seller and, on the other hand, an ABSOLUTELY FRAUD SECURE PURCHASE PROCESS for the customer in the context of e.g. Retail sales centers will finally be realizable, so that in the future the buying / selling procedures can be handled in a completely relaxed manner by the customers and the sales centers.

3) The structure and functioning of the invention SELF-SCAN shopping cart

3.1) The currently. Conventional shopping trolleys, as shown in Figure 4 (e.g. with a load capacity of approx. 150 liters, see also 2), are mainly designed: 3.1A) from a shopping trolley frame with the handrail bar (because push trolley) with four self-steering wheels (1), 3.1B) from a mostly metallic wire basket (2) and 3.1C) from a deposit lock (3), with which the shopping carts of customers are unlocked and rented with a coin (deposit, chip, token) and which according to the current state of their development (and use) as a push cart for transporting the selected goods from the customer in e.g. Used in supermarkets and as shown in FIG. In an embodiment shown as an example with FIG. 4, the dimensions of the shopping trolley of approx. L x W x H = 1000 x 600 x 500 mm (tapered towards the front) would allow a load volume of approx. V = 150 liters. Such a fully loaded conventional shopping cart, shown in Figure 5, can be loaded over the top edge of the wire basket. Such and similarly designed conventional shopping carts (FIG. 4) can also be used without restrictions for the SELF-SCAN shopping carts, whereby a significant synergetic advantage of the SELF-SCAN shopping cart can already be seen in this design phase.

3.2) In order to be able to fulfill the "Self-Scanning" function, the conventional shopping carts (if they are used), as shown in FIG. 6, must be retrofitted and the fact should be viewed as a special feature of the SELF-SCAN shopping carts that they cannot be loaded above the upper edge of the wire basket, see Figure 7. SELF-SCAN shopping trolleys are essentially: 3.2A) from a shopping trolley frame with the handrail bar (because push trolley) with four self-steering wheels (1), 3.2B) from a mostly metallic wire basket (2) and 3.2C) from an electronically functioning SELF-SCAN unit (3 / SSE), which digitally records all activities of the SELF-SCAN shopping cart when the goods are loaded and is composed of five components (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 and 3.5) , these are: 3.2C1) the SELF-SCAN device (3.1 / SSA), that is a signal / information-converting structure which electronically controls, controls, processes, stores and communicates all functions of the SSE, 3.2C2) the SELF-SCAN DC power supply (3.2 / SSDC), with which all components of the SSE are supplied with the appropriate DC current, 3.2C3) the SELF-SCAN customer card (3.3 / SSK / prepaid or linked to the customer's bank account), with which: a) the (3.1 / SSA) is activated, whereby the SELF-SCAN shopping cart is unlocked at the collection point and for the Purchasing is provided (and vice versa) and b) with the help of which the goods selected by the customer and entered in the SELF-SCAN shopping cart are ultimately paid for, 3.2C4) the SELF-SCAN hand scanner (3.4 / SSH, e.g. [9]), which is optional and exceptional (because the SELF-SCAN shopping carts are basically designed for goods marked with RFID labels, see 3.2C5) the one selected by the customer and goods marked with the barcode (or other codes) are electronically recorded and forwarded to 3.1 / SSA and 3.2C5) SELF-SCAN control loop (3.5 / SSS / antenna), with the aid of which the customer selected and exclusively marked with a suitable chip (eg [10], RFID labels) and placed in the SELF-SCAN shopping cart registered / discharged goods are electronically recorded by (3.1 / SSA).

3.3) Usually and similar to that described in 2), SELF-SCAN shopping carts are used, see flowchart in Figure 3, as follows: ... before shopping in the supermarket, the customer first goes to a collection point for SELF-SCAN shopping carts, where these are pushed together and deposited with locking chains ... There, the SELF-SCAN customer card (3.3 / SSK) is inserted into the slot of the SELF-SCAN device (3.1 / SSA), with which the (3.1 / SSA) is activated , whereby the SELF-SCAN shopping cart is unlocked at the collection point (this allows the locking chain to be released from the SELF-SCAN shopping cart, precisely from the slot on the SELF-SCAN device (3.1 / SSA)), whereby the SELF-SCAN shopping cart for the Purchase is provided ... Now you push the SELF-SCAN shopping cart into the eg Supermarket to go shopping ... You put the desired goods in the wire basket (2) of the SELF-SCAN shopping cart ... All the articles entered are checked by the SELF-SCAN control loop (3.5 / SSS) when goods pass through the Loop recorded (RFID labels) and registered by the SELF-SCAN device (3.1 / SSA) and immediately, piece by piece, visually shown to the customer as a shopping list with the details, e.g. the designation, description and price of the items selected and placed in the wire basket (2), the total purchase amount for the goods in the wire basket (2) and possibly other data, e.g. the price reductions and other reductions (because of consumer protection it is important to ensure that this data is only stored in ESA until ESA is deactivated again by removing the customer card (4)) ... At the end of the shopping process (one, full loaded SELF-SCAN shopping carts, cannot be loaded above the upper edge of the wire basket), all this information is registered on the SELF-SCAN customer card (3.3 / SSK) and the customer must finally approve the invoice presented in this way, which reduces the amount to be paid of the SELF-SCAN customer card (3.3 / SSK) is withdrawn and the purchase is made formally (the last change by the customer should still be possible) ... Then the customer unloads the SELF-SCAN shopping cart - be it in his car the parking lot or, for example, as a pedestrian in a bag at the collection point - and pushes the SELF-SCAN shopping cart at the collection point back into the queue of cars parked there ... If you now put the chain of the last SELF-SCAN car from the queue into the slot on the SELF-SCAN Device (3.1 / SSA) of your own SELF-SCAN shopping cart is inserted, you can remove the SELF-SCAN customer card (3.3 / SSK) that was initially inserted ...

4) This invention, called “SELF-SCAN shopping cart”, is based on the task

The realization of a "SELF-SCAN shopping cart" described in section 3), which is shown and explained in a schematic manner with a flowchart and with the figures 6 and 7, as with the Figure 3, to enable which (SELF-SCAN shopping cart) by using the most modern Digital technologies [1], [2] the fears of a non-negligible part of customers and sales staff [3] who are irritated by the “digital change that can no longer be braked” Eliminate “large retail sales centers” and significantly simplify this “digital change”, which can no longer be stopped, not only in this sales segment. The great advantage of the SELF-SCAN shopping carts invention is that, on the one hand, their use enables an ABSOLUTELY THEFT SAFE SALE PROCESS for the seller and, on the other hand, that for the customer an ABSOLUTELY FRAUD SECURE PURCHASE PROCESS of the goods within the framework of e.g. Retail sales centers will finally be realizable, so that in the future the buying / selling procedures can be handled in a completely relaxed manner by the customers and the sales centers.

5) figures

In the dependent claims, embodiments of the invention are given. The invention is explained with the aid of the graphics shown in the accompanying Figures 1 to 7: Figure 1 shows: very simplified flowchart: The collection, transport, registration at the checkout and payment (cash or credit card) for the goods in markets with conventional shopping carts, Figure 2 shows : very simplified flowchart: the collection, the transport, the digitized recording ("self-scanning") with an eg Barcode hand scanner and the payment (with the credit card) of the goods in markets with the conventional shopping cart, Figure 3 shows: very simplified flowchart: The collection, the transport, the digitized recording of the goods with the SELF-SCAN control loop of the SELF-SCAN shopping cart and the payment (with the customer card) of the goods in markets with the SELF-SCAN shopping cart, Figure 4 shows: simplified version of the conventional shopping cart in view (without goods) Figure 5 shows: simplified version of the conventional shopping cart in view (loaded with the goods) Figure 6 shows: simplified version of the SELF -SCAN shopping cart in view (without goods) Figure 7 shows: simplified version of the SELF-SCAN shopping cart in view (loaded with goods)

6) Description of the figures

Embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims. The embodiment according to the invention of FIG. 1 shows a very simplified flow chart of the shopping process with the conventional shopping cart. The essential feature of shopping with the conventional shopping cart is that all phases of shopping are carried out manually by the customer and that the goods that have arrived at the checkout are digitally scanned by the checkout staff and the sale is carried out. After the checkout, the customer places the goods back in the cart manually and pays for them to the cashier.

The embodiment according to the invention in FIG. 2 shows a very simplified flow chart of the shopping process with the conventional shopping cart and “self-scanning” carried out by customers. Here, too, the essential feature of purchasing activity is that all phases of purchasing are carried out manually by the customer. The difference compared to the flowchart shown in FIG. 1 is that the customer processes the purchase of the goods (payment) completely himself using "self-scanning" at the "self-scanning station" and that the payment for the goods purchased is exclusively cashless , is processed with a credit card.

The embodiment according to the invention of Figure 3 shows a very simplified flow chart of the shopping process with the SELF-SCAN shopping cart. The difference compared to the flowchart shown in FIG. 1 is that the SELF-SCAN shopping cart with its SELF-SCAN unit registers the goods loaded / unloaded into the basket by the customer and processes the entire sale, whereby the customer only has to approve the sale. The payment for the purchased goods is finally processed cashless with a customer card.

The inventive embodiment of Figure 4 shows a very simplified embodiment of a conventional shopping cart in view and without goods. Conventional shopping trolleys essentially consist of a shopping trolley frame with a hand-held bar (because push trolley) with four self-steering wheels (1), a mostly metallic wire basket (2) mounted on the shopping trolley frame and a deposit lock (3) with which the shopping trolleys can be unlocked and rented by customers with a coin (deposit, chip, token).

The inventive embodiment of Figure 5 shows a very simplified embodiment of a conventional shopping cart according to Figure 4, in view and loaded with the goods. Such a fully loaded conventional shopping cart can be loaded over the upper edge of the wire basket.

The inventive embodiment of Figure 6 shows a very simplified embodiment of a SELF-SCAN shopping cart in view and without goods. The SELF-SCAN shopping trolleys essentially consist of a shopping trolley frame with a hand-holding rod (because push trolley) with four self-steering wheels (1), a mostly metallic wire basket (2) mounted on the trolley frame and an electronically functioning SELF-SCAN unit ( 3, SSE), which digitally records all activities of the SELF-SCAN shopping cart when the goods are loaded and is composed of five components, that is: the SELF-SCAN device (3.1, SSA), which electronically controls all functions of the SSE, controls, processes, stores and communicates externally, the SELF-SCAN DC power supply (3.2, SSDC), with which all components of the SSE are supplied with the appropriate DC current, the SELF-SCAN customer card (3.3, SSK) with which the (3.1) is activated, whereby the SELF-SCAN shopping cart is unlocked at the collection point and made available for shopping (and vice versa) and with the help of which the customer selected u nd goods entered in the SELF-SCAN shopping cart are ultimately paid for, the SELF-SCAN hand scanner (3.4, SSH), which is optional and exceptionally (because the SELF-SCAN shopping carts are basically designed for goods marked with RFID labels), which Goods selected by the customer and marked with the barcode (or other code) are electronically recorded and forwarded to 3.1 and the SELF-SCAN control loop (3.5, SSS), with the help of which, the customer selected and exclusively with a suitable chip Marked goods entered / removed from the SELF-SCAN shopping cart are recorded electronically.

The embodiment according to the invention of FIG. 7 shows a very simplified embodiment of a SELF-SCAN shopping cart according to FIG. 6, in view and loaded with the goods. Such a fully loaded SELF-SCAN shopping cart cannot be loaded above the upper edge of the wire basket.

Claims (7)

1. The invention of the SELF-SCAN shopping trolley, marked “SELF-SCAN EW”, comprises according to Figures 6 and 7: a shopping trolley frame with the hand-holding rod and with four self-steering wheels (1), a mostly metallic wire basket (2) and mounted on the trolley frame an electronically functioning SELF-SCAN unit (3, SSE), which digitally records all activities of the SELF-SCAN shopping cart when the goods are loaded and is composed of five components, that is: the SELF-SCAN device (3.1, SSA), which electronically controls, controls, processes, stores and communicates all functions of the SSE, the SELF-SCAN DC power supply (3.2, SSDC), with which all components of the SSE are supplied with the appropriate DC current, the SELF-SCAN Customer card (3.3, SSK), with which the SELF-SCAN device (3.1) is activated, whereby the SELF-SCAN shopping cart is unlocked at the collection point and made available for shopping (and vice versa) and with the help of which the goods selected by the customer and entered in the SELF-SCAN shopping cart are ultimately paid for, the SELF-SCAN hand scanner (3.4, SSH), which is optional and exceptionally (because the SELF-SCAN shopping carts are generally used for those with RFID Labels marked goods are designed), the goods selected by the customer and marked with the barcode (or other code) are electronically recorded and forwarded to 3.1 and the SELF-SCAN control loop (3.5, SSS), with the help of which, the customer selected goods that are only marked with a suitable chip and entered / removed from the SELF-SCAN shopping cart are electronically recorded that with such a SELF-SCAN shopping cart through the use of the most modern digital technologies on the one hand an ABSOLUTELY THEFT SECURE and on the other an ABSOLUTELY FRAUD SECURE purchase / sale of the goods in the context of the retail trade / and other sales centers is made possible and that this (among other properties) for a very reassuring, non-irritating sales / purchase process is made possible for the customers and for the sales staff. 2. The invention SELF-SCAN shopping trolley, characterized "SELF-SCAN EW", according to Claim 1, characterized in that the shopping trolley frame with the hand-holding rod and with four self-steering wheels (1) compared with the one in FIG. 6, any one adapted to the specific requirements Shape and design. 3. The invention of SELF-SCAN shopping trolleys, characterized as "SELF-SCAN EW", characterized according to claims 1 and 2, that the wire basket (2) compared to the figure 6 is made in any shape, design and material adapted to the specific requirements, and that it consists of more than one basket for receiving the goods. 4. The invention of SELF-SCAN shopping carts, characterized as "SELF-SCAN EW", characterized in accordance with claims 1 to 3, that the SELF-SCAN unit (3) and all of its components, compared with that shown in FIG. 6, are manufactured in any shape, design and material that are adapted to the specific requirements. 5. The invention of SELF-SCAN shopping carts, characterized as "SELF-SCAN EW", characterized according to claims 1 to 4, that the SELF-SCAN customer card (3.3) now only has the function of recognition (like the customer cards customary today, eg the "CUMMULUS" etc. with MIGROS) and that the SELF-SCAN unit (3) and all its components are designed in this way that, depending on the customer's choice, allow cashless payment with a conventional credit card or any cash payment (SFR, etc.), which means that spontaneous customers can also make purchases. 6. The invention of SELF-SCAN shopping carts, characterized as "SELF-SCAN EW", characterized in accordance with claims 1 to 5, that the SELF-SCAN shopping cart can carry out the activities “GET” and “GIVE IN” from a certain or freely chosen “MEETING POINT” in the sales center (MOBILITY concept). 7. The invention SELF-SCAN shopping cart, characterized "SELF-SCAN EW", characterized according to claim 6, that the SELF-SCAN shopping cart functions are expanded so that, along with all the other features mentioned here, they can be driven through the sales center as a station wagon by a customer.