EP1064610B1 - Method and device for automatic payment of at least one article picked by a consumer in a self-service restaurant - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method and a device for determining the price of a set of self-service items in a restaurant.

It applies in particular, but not exclusively, to restaurants in communities called "self service" which offer consumers a wide choice of food and drinks. Restaurants of this type employ one person responsible for calculating the price to be paid by each corresponding consumer the total amount of the items that the latter has chosen and placed on a tray.

However, entering the price of each item placed on a tray implies that the no one at the checkout knows or has a list giving all the prices of items available. Such a seizure is therefore long and tedious, and entails queues which can be significant, even during busy periods dissuasive for consumers. Furthermore, as this entry is made manually it is difficult to avoid errors.

In an attempt to avoid these drawbacks, it has already been proposed, in particular by the Patent Abstract of Japan Vol 17 n ° 189 (p. 1521), April 13, 1993 & JP 04 3401186 (ANRITSU CORP.) November 26, 1992, a device making intervene for each consumer a prepayment card that is inserted in a reader associated with each product distributor. These measures has the disadvantage of requiring a large number of readers and read operations.

By the Patent Abstract of Japan vol. 96, n ° 11, November 29, 1996 & JP 08 180099 A (TEC CORP), July 12, 1996, it was also proposed to use for the identification of consumers and product labels resonant tags.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks previously mentioned, in particular to automate the entry of the price of each item, while offering great security against the risks of fraud.

To this end, it proposes a method for automatic payment of at least an item taken by a consumer from an item distribution station of a self-service restaurant and arranged in a tray by a consumer.

• l'association à chaque article d'un support d'identification comprenant un module transpondeur comprenant des moyens de mémorisation d'un code d'identification,
• l'attribution à chaque consommateur d'un support d'identification comprenant un module transpondeur comportant des moyens de mémorisation d'un code d'identification du consommateur,
• la mise en place par le consommateur, sur le plateau d'un support d'identification dudit consommateur,
• la disposition dudit plateau en un emplacement prédéterminé dudit poste dans lequel un dispositif de lecture exécute une séquence d'interrogation par échange de messages avec les modules transpondeurs se trouvant sur le plateau de manière à lire le code d'identification de ces modules transpondeurs, le dispositif de lecture étant reliés à un calculateur couplé à une base de données associant à chaque code d'identification d'article, un libéllé de chaque article en correspondance avec un prix, cette base de données contenant en outre la liste des consommateurs habilités, leur code d'identification inscrit sur leur carte et un compte sur lequel le consommateur peut effectuer des versements pour l'alimenter,
• la détection des articles pris et posés sur le plateau avec identification de chaque article et détermination de sa valeur,
• la lecture par le dispositif de lecteur du support d'identification du consommateur puis l'accès par le calculateur à la base de données pour déterminer le solde du compte associé au consommateur identifié et le calcul du solde restant qui correspond à la différence entre le solde du compte lu dans la base de données et le montant total du prix des articles se trouvant sur le plateau; avec ensuite mise à jour de la base de données avec la valeur du solde restant ainsi calculé,
• la mise en oeuvre par le dispositif de lecture d'une procédure permettant d'éviter que deux modules transpondeurs présents sur le plateau émettent en même temps leurs informations d'identification, cette procédure comprenant l'émission, par le dispositif de lecture, d'un code de sélection correspondant à une partie du code d'identification des modules transpondeurs à lire, la réception de ce code de sélection par chaque module, situé sur le plateau (1), la comparaison du code de sélection reçu avec la partie correspondante du code d'identification stocké par le module et si la comparaison révèle une concordance, la transmission par le module de ses informations d'identification avec un retard déterminé en fonction de la partie non reçue de son code d'identification.

According to the invention, this process is characterized in that it comprises:

• the association with each article of an identification medium comprising a transponder module comprising means for memorizing an identification code,
• the allocation to each consumer of an identification medium comprising a transponder module comprising means for memorizing a consumer identification code,
• the establishment by the consumer, on the set of an identification medium for said consumer,
• the arrangement of said tray in a predetermined location of said station in which a reading device executes an interrogation sequence by exchanging messages with the transponder modules located on the tray so as to read the identification code of these transponder modules, the reading device being connected to a computer coupled to a database associating with each item identification code, a label of each item corresponding to a price, this database also containing the list of authorized consumers, their identification code written on their card and an account into which the consumer can make payments to fund it,
• the detection of items taken and placed on the shelf with identification of each item and determination of its value,
• the reading by the reader device of the consumer identification medium then the access by the calculator to the database to determine the balance of the account associated with the identified consumer and the calculation of the remaining balance which corresponds to the difference between the balance the account read in the database and the total amount of the price of the items on the shelf; with then updating the database with the value of the remaining balance thus calculated,
• the implementation by the device of reading of a procedure making it possible to avoid that two transponder modules present on the plate emit at the same time their identification information, this procedure comprising the emission, by the device of reading, of a selection code corresponding to a part of the identification code of the transponder modules to be read, the reception of this selection code by each module, located on the plate (1), the comparison of the selection code received with the corresponding part of the identification code stored by the module and if the comparison reveals a match, the transmission by the module of its identification information with a delay determined as a function of the non-received part of its identification code.

Thanks to the invention, the payment by each consumer of the chosen articles is performed automatically, without risk of input error. Furthermore, this payment is made as the consumer uses, so well that can be detected as soon as a consumer’s account balance becomes below a certain predetermined limit.

Advantageously, the items distributed include products arranged in reusable containers, which consumers can take and place on a tray, these containers incorporating a transponder module same type as the transponder modules fitted to the supports consumer identification, this transponder module comprising means for memorizing an article identification code. In this way, it is not possible to separate the transponder module from the container.

Disposable containers, such as bottles, can be securely attached tamper-proof on a base incorporating an identification transponder module.

According to a feature of the invention, the transponder modules associated with items also store the item's price, which helps determine the price of each item by simply reading the associated transponder module.

According to another feature of the invention, the means for memorizing each transponder module associated with an article can be accessed both by read and write in order to update the price of the item stored by the module.

Advantageously, consumer identification cards are also accessible in reading and writing and memorize the value of a balance.

La figure 1 est une représentation schématique permettant d'illustrer le principe du procédé selon l'invention ;

La figure 2 représente schématiquement un module transpondeur ;

La figure 3 montre schématiquement une application préférée du procédé selon l'invention.

An embodiment of the device according to the invention will be described below, by way of nonlimiting example, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic representation for illustrating the principle of the method according to the invention;

FIG. 2 schematically represents a transponder module;

FIG. 3 schematically shows a preferred application of the method according to the invention.

FIG. 1 represents a tray 1 on which the articles chosen by a consumer are placed, namely in the case of a restaurant plates 2 and other containers 3.
According to the invention, a transponder module, of the contactless electronic chip type, is associated with each article, either by fixing, for example gluing, or by incorporation in the material at the time of its manufacture.

Each transponder module includes storage means in which an identification code of the corresponding article is pre-recorded.
It can be integrated into the material that constitutes the plates or be glued to the back of them. It can also be integrated into bases inviolably fixed to disposable containers, such as bottles. After consumption, the plates are cleaned to be used again, while the bases are separated from the disposable containers and fixed on a new container. In this way, the transponder modules are reusable.

For the determination of the total amount of articles 2, 3, the tray is placed above of a reading device 4 which executes an interrogation sequence by exchange of messages with the transponder modules located on tray 1. To this end, the reading device 4 has a limited range so as not to reach the transponder modules which can be located outside the stage 1 placed above.

The transponder modules located on the platform transmit in response the identification information of the various articles with which they are associated.

The reading device 4 implements a procedure interrogation of the chips located within its reach, so as to avoid collisions which occur when several transponder modules transmit at the same time their identification code.

This procedure consists for the reading device 4 in transmitting a selection code corresponding to a first part of the identification code of the chips. The modules which receive this selection code, compare it to the corresponding part of their identification code, and if there is a match, they issue their complete identification code with a delay which is determined according to the other part of their identification code. If all the modules have a unique identification code, any risk of collision is avoided.
To select all the modules that may be on the tray 1, the reading device 4 thus successively transmits all the first possible parts of the identification code of transponder modules.

To avoid collisions, we can also plan to divide the surface occupied by a tray above the reading device 4, in several areas of detection, for example six, each zone being associated with a detection element the reading device, which is only sensitive to transponder modules located in the corresponding area. If the dimensions of the zones correspond substantially to those of the smallest article which can be disposed by a consumer on a shelf, we are assured that two modules cannot be simultaneously find in the same detection area of the same element of detection.

Each transponder module located on the tray 1 returns an identification code to the reading device 4. The list of identification codes thus read by the reading device 4 is transmitted to a computer 5 which interrogates a database 8 establishing the correspondence between each identification code and the price of the corresponding article. The calculator thus determines the price corresponding to each identification code received, and performs the sum thereof.
The computer 5 is connected to a printer 7 to print the values of the articles, thus determined and the total amount.
The computer 5 can be connected to a display screen 6 which displays the values of the articles identified on the tray and the sum of these values.

Advantageously, the database 8 associates with each identification code a label of each article, the labels being printed and displayed on screen 6 in correspondence with prices.

Each consumer is provided with an identification card incorporating a transponder module in which consumer identification information is recorded. The database 8 then also contains the list of authorized persons, their identification code written on their card and an account on which the associated person can make payments to fund it.
Upon arriving at the cash register, the consumer deposits his card on the tray which is read by the reading device 4, at the same time as the transponder modules associated with the articles on the tray.
When it receives a person identification code, the computer 5 accesses the database 8 to determine the account balance associated with the person thus identified, and calculates the remaining balance which corresponds to the difference between the account balance read in the database and the total amount of the prices of the items on the shelf. The computer 5 then updates the database 8 with the value of the remaining balance thus calculated.

In this way, payment for items on a tray is fully automatic.

If the remaining balance is insufficient, the operator can ask the consumer make a payment. In this case, the amount paid is entered by means a keyboard 9, and the computer 5 updates the database with the value of the new balance calculated based on the amount paid.

According to a variant of the invention, the transponder modules associated with the articles 2, 3 are accessible in read and write, so that you can modify the information stored by means of identification. So this information may also include the price of the associated item, which may therefore be updated for example when the transponder module is associated with another article. In this case, the correspondence table between the identification codes and the price of the articles is no longer necessary, the reading device referring to the computer 5 all the information read, i.e. the identification codes and the corresponding prices.

Advantageously, the transponder modules incorporated in the identification cards of the people are accessible in reading and writing and memorize an account balance which is updated with each payment according to the total amount of the prices of the articles being on the same tray . The reading device 4 then comprises means for writing information into the transponder modules.
When the balance entered in the transponder module of the card is below a certain threshold, the computer 5 warns the person carrying the identification card that the amount of this balance is insufficient and that he must make a payment of money to increase this amount.

For this purpose, the operator enters by means of the keyboard 9 the amount paid which is added to the value of the balance read by the reading device 4, the new amount being transmitted to the transponder module of the identification card.

FIG. 2 represents a transponder chip capable of being used in this application. In this figure, the transponder chip 30 comprises a memory module 34 and a transmission module 32, the transmission module being connected by connection means 35 to an antenna 33. All of the memory and transmission modules can be fixed to a very thin support 31.
Furthermore, in the case of contactless induction chips, the transmission antenna 33 is in the form of a coil which allows the reading and / or writing device 7 to supply energy by induction to the chip. 30, the magnetic field applied to the coil being modulated to effect the transmission of information.

In the foregoing description, the amount to be paid is determined once all the items chosen by the consumer have been placed flat on a tray.
We can also provide that the consumer's account identified by the identification card placed on his tray, is updated as the consumer uses the different stations that are available to him.

Thus, FIG. 3 represents a system implementing the method according to the invention, applied to a self-service restaurant comprising several distribution of dishes, drinks and other products. This system includes a station central unit of the type shown in FIG. 1, comprising the computer 5, connected keyboard 9, screen 6, printer 7, and database 6. In this system, the central station computer is connected, either by wire connections, either by a radio link, for example bidirectional at 433 MHz, to several product distribution stations each comprising a reader 41 to 45 of transponder modules, a display screen 61 to 65 and a slot 21 to 25 consumer shelf, associated with at least one module read head transponders arranged on the platform, and in particular of the transponder module integrated into the consumer's card, and placed on the tray.

Thus, consumers are identified by the system each time they deposit their tray with their identification card on a tray location 21 to 24 and a dish is taken by the consumer at the corresponding station. This action triggers the transmission by the reader 41 to 44 to the computer 5 of a purchase message containing the identification code memorized by the transponder module of the identification card, an identification code of the chosen dish. by the consumer, and a position identification code.
When the computer 5 receives such a message, it interrogates the database 8 to find the balance of the consumer's account thus identified and possibly the price of the chosen dish, and calculates the new balance of the consumer's account after deduction of the price of the chosen dish . If the consumer's account is sufficiently supplied, the computer 5 transmits back to the reader 41 to 44 transmitter the price of the dish chosen by the consumer, and the new balance of the consumer's account. The reader 41 to 44 then displays on its display 61 to 64 the values received.

If, on the contrary, the consumer's account is insufficiently funded, the computer 5 sends the reader 41 to 44 a message indicating that the balance of the consumer account is insufficient. A visual signal can be provided such as the lighting of a light 81 to 84 near the station, so as to allow a hostess to more easily locate the station where the anomaly occurred.

The station comprising the reader 41 is designed to serve pre-portioned dishes, the containers presented to consumers being filled in the kitchen in containers incorporating a transponder module, as described previously with reference to FIG. 1. When a consumer has placed its tray on location 21, uses and places a container on its tray, the reader 41 reads the consumer and container identification codes and transmits to the computer 5 a purchase message containing the codes read. The reading of the identification codes on the tray at location 21 is triggered by a sensor, such as an infrared sensor or a camera 71 which, by image analysis, detects the passage of a consumer arm to take a container. During this detection, the reader 41 goes into the waiting state until it detects the presence of a container on the tray at location 21.
If the consumer changes the dish, after having placed it on his tray, or if the tray is removed from location 21 while the reader 41 is in the waiting state, the latter also signals an anomaly by switching on LED 81.

Container identification codes are recorded in the database 8, when they are filled in association with a value. To this end, the employee responsible for preparing the dishes has containers in which are integrated transponder modules, for example contactless and read-only. It also has a reader, such as 41 to 45, and a control keyboard comprising keys each corresponding to a dish value, one key validation and a cancel key. Whenever the employee enters a valid value, the reader reads the container identification code and transmits this code, in association with the value entered, to the computer 5.

The system further includes a hot food dispensing station comprising a reading location 24 associated with a module reader 44 transponders located at location 24. The reader 44 is connected to several control buttons 75, each corresponding to a type of hot dish. The cook who performs the service fills a plate according to demand of the consumer who has placed his tray on location 24, press the button 75 corresponding to the type of hot dish served, which triggers the display on the display 64 by the reader 44 of the price of the hot dish served, reading the code of identification of the consumer whose identification card is located on the tray at location 24, and the transmission to the computer 5 of a message not containing a product identification code, but the price of product selected using buttons 75.

The system includes a dispensing station for pre-packaged products, such as drinks or the like, comprising slides whose spacing corresponds to the width of the containers (bottles or other), and also a location 23 for reading the card. consumer identification placed on a tray. These slides are associated with sensors 74 for the presence of containers, for example capacitive sensors, capable of detecting the withdrawal of a container in a slide. When a sensor detects the withdrawal of a container, the reader 43 sends to the computer 5 a purchase message containing the consumer identification code read at the reading location 23 and the identification code of the type of drink corresponding to the slide where the sensor that carried out the detection is located. The reader 43 then displays on the display 63 the price of the drink withdrawn by the consumer, as well as the balance of the consumer's account, which are transmitted in response by the computer 5.
If a drink is removed from the station without consumer identification, the reader 43 signals an anomaly by the lighting of the indicator light 83.

The system further includes a bulk product distribution station, also comprising a reading location 22 for the identification card of a consumer placed on a tray. This position also includes one or more several weighing devices 72a, 72b, 72c connected to the reader 42, and on each which is arranged a container containing a product distributed in bulk. The consumer can thus, after having placed his tray at the reading location 22, fill an empty container which is made available to him. The reader 42 calculates the quantities of products withdrawn, detected by each weighing device, by deduction of the remaining weight compared to the initial weight. It then calculates the total amount of product quantities taken by the consumer, applying a value coefficient per unit of weight determined according to the weighing having detected a change in weight. The total value of the products withdrawn is displayed on the display 62, and transmitted to the computer 5 in a message purchase in combination with the consumer identification code read at location 22.

If, in the absence of identification of a consumer, the weights measured by the weighing devices 72a, 72b, 72c vary, the reader 42 signals an anomaly by the indicator light 82.

To allow recharging of consumer accounts, the system includes a payment station, including a tray location 25 associated with a transponder module reader 45, connected to a card reader 55 banking, for example of the smart card type, a keyboard 95, a printer 77, and a display screen 65 which can be tactile in place of the keyboard 95.

To recharge his account, a consumer must place his tray on location 25 on which his identification card is placed. When the reader 45 reads the identification code stored by a transponder module, it transmits to the central computer 5, this code associated with the identification of the station. The calculator responds by sending the consumer's name corresponding to the identification code, and the balance of the consumer's account thus identified. The reader 45 displays this information on the screen 65, and offers the consumer the choice of printing this balance or recharging his account. In the first case, the printer 77 issues a ticket on which this balance is printed.
If the consumer decides to recharge his account, he must introduce a bank card into the reader 55, and the operations take place in the same way as a withdrawal of banknotes in a conventional ATM. The sum indicated by the consumer is transmitted to the computer 5, in association with the consumer identification code, which updates the balance of the consumer's account in the database 8.

• le type d'anomalie détectée, par exemple "solde insuffisant", ou "consommateur non identifié",
• le poste où s'est produite l'anomalie, et
• éventuellement, le numéro et/ou le nom du consommateur concerné par l'anomalie.

The anomalies can be dealt with by a hostess who is provided with a small portable terminal 51 connected by radio to the central computer 5, so as to receive in real time all the anomalies detected by the system during the service. When it receives an anomaly message from the central computer 5, this terminal triggers an audible alarm and displays the information contained in the anomaly message received. This information may include:

• the type of anomaly detected, for example "insufficient balance", or "unidentified consumer",
• the station where the anomaly occurred, and
• possibly, the number and / or name of the consumer concerned by the anomaly.

Claims (11)

1. Method for automatically paying at least one article picked up by a consumer in an article distribution station of a self-service restaurant and placed in a plate by a consumer, characterised in that it includes:

   the association of each article with an identification support including a transponder module including means for storing an identification code,

   the allocation to each consumer of an identification support including a transponder module (30) comprising means (34) for storing an identification code of the consumer,

      the placing by the consumer on the plate (1) an identification support of said consumer,
      the placing of said plate (1) at a predetermined location (21 to 24) of said station in which a reading device (4) executes an interrogation sequence via the exchange of messages with the transponder modules (30) located on the plate (1) so as to read the identification code of these transponder modules, the reading device (4) being connected to a computer (5) coupled to a data base (8) associating with each article identification code a wording of each article (2, 3) to correspond with a particular price, this data base further containing the list of authorised consumers, their identification code entered on their card and an account on which the consumer is able to pay to build up the account,

   the detection of the articles (2, 3) taken and placed on the plate (1) with identification of each article and a determination of its value,

   the reading by the reading device (4) of the identification support of the consumer followed by access by the computer (5) to the data base (8) so as to determine the balance of the account associated with the identified consumer and the calculation of the remaining balance corresponding to the difference between the balance of the account read in the data base (8) and the total amount of the price of the articles (2, 3) situated on the plate (1) followed by updating of the data base (8) with the calculated value of the remaining balance,

   the implementation by the reading device (4) of a procedure to prevent the two transponder modules present on the plate from transmitting at the same time their identification information, this procedure including the transmission by the reading device of a selection code corresponding to one portion of the identification code of the transponder modules to be read, the receiving of this selection code by each module (30) situated on the plate (1), comparing the received selection code with the corresponding portion of the identification code stored by the module and if this comparison reveals a concordance, the transmission by the module of its identification information with a delay determined according to the non-received portion of its identification code.
2. Method according to claim 1,
      characterised in that the distributed articles include products placed in re-usable receptacles (2) able to be picked up by the consumers and placed on a plate, these receptacles integrating a transponder module (30) of the same type as the transponder modules equipping the identification supports of the consumers, this transponder module including means (34) for storing an article identification code.
3. Method according to one of the preceding claims,
      characterised in that the distributed articles include bulk products placed in receptacles placed on a respective weighing device (72a, 72b, 72c), the method further including the determination of the value of the products picked up by the consumer according to the weight variation measured by each weighing device and the weighing device having detected this weight variation.
4. Method according to one of the preceding claims,
      characterised in that the distributed articles include prepacked articles divided by type into housing, each housing being associated with detection means (74) able to detect that an article has been picked up by a consumer, the method including the determination of the value of the picked up article according to the detection means having detected the removal of the article from its housing.
5. Method according to one of the preceding claims,
      characterised in that it includes the signalling of an anomaly following the detection of the taking of an article without detecting the presence of a consumer identification support at a predetermined location.
6. Method according to one of the preceding claims,
      characterised in that it includes the signalling of an anomaly when the balance of a consumer moves to a value lower than a predetermined threshold when calculating a new balance.
7. Method according to one of the preceding claims,
      characterised in that the identification transponder modules (30) are integrated inside the material constituting the articles at the time the latter are manufactured.
8. Method according to one of the preceding claims,
      characterised in that the transponder modules (30) of consumer identification cards are accessible on reading and writing and memorise the value of a balance, said method further including the updating of this balance on each reading from the transponder module of an identification card.
9. Method according to one of the preceding claims,
      characterised in that the transponder modules (30) associated with the articles (2, 3) also memorise the price of the article, said method further including the reading of the prices of the articles stored in the transponder modules.
10. Method according to one of the preceding claims,
       characterised in that the storage means (34) of each transponder module (30) associated with an article are accessible on both reading and writing.
11. Method according to one of the preceding claims,
       characterised in that each drink (3) is mounted on a base (5) associated with a transponder module (3).

Images