GB2193000A - A self-checkout system - Google Patents

Description

GB2193000A 1

SPECIFICATION commercially in the Reams stores in the state of Utah but not known to have been disclosed A self-checkout system in a Patent Specification, a checkout area is provided with a counter which has infloor 5 The present invention relates generally to pro- 70 weighing scales on each of its opposite sides. duct checkout and pertains more particularly The customer moves a shopping cart containto systems for generally operator-unattended ing articles selected for purchase onto one of checkout of products in supermarkets and like the scales, which will be termed the in-scanfacilities. ner scale. An empty shopping cart is placed

Operator-unattended product checkout in 75 on the other scale, which will be termed the supermEirkets has evident advantages in les- out-scanner scale. Between the weighing sening overhead employee costs and, to the scales, the counter includes a UPC (universal extent that such relatively automated checkout product code) scanner. The customer mover can be made expeditious, in conserving the articles individually from the shopping cart on timep customer will spend in the course of 80 the in-scanner scale, over the scanner and into checkout. the shopping cart on the out-scanner. It is The art has looked over the past decades believed that this system operates by obtain to improved systems and methods for lessening the scanned article weight from a UPC ing the need for employee involvement in pro- weight correlation table in a computer and us duct checkout. A principal endeavour in this 85 ing this computer weight to determine connection has been to provide a scheme whether, for a en article scanned and moved which is operative, despite human frailties of into the cart on the out- scanner scale, one fraud, i.e., cheating the system in place. As is scale show a decrement in collective article evident from the state of the art numerous weight and the other an increment in collec efforts of an anti-fraud or anti-cheat character 90 tive article weight corresponding to the com have previously been proposed. puter weight.

A primary direction followed in the prior art While the systems and methods disclosed is that of measuring a physical characteristic in our first specification are deemed to be of articles selected for purchase, typically the quite effective in addressing the aforemen individual or collective weight thereof, and 95 tioned human fraud frailties, they are relatively comparing such measured characteristic with complex and costly, and may be inapplicable an expected standard therefore. In one prior for reasons of economy in certain installations.

art teaching, weight is measured collectively of The plural weighing scale approach is seen as articles selected for purchase after individual providing a simpler and less costly method for processing thereof with article indentification. 100 use in such facilities for generally operator In a more modern prior art implementation, unattended checkout or articles selected for product identification is provided by sensible purchase in supermarkets and like facilities.

codes thereon. A computer stores provides However, there is a need for a simpler and indication of article weight responsively to the less costly method to provide enhanced pro sensing of the code thereon. Comparison is 105 tection for store managers and parent organi- made of actual article measured weight in the zations.

course of conveyor movement thereof with Accordingly, it is an object of the present the weight provided by the computer store. If invention to provide an improved and generally the comparison does not yield a positive re- simpler operator-unattended checkout system sult, conveyor movement is reversed and. the 110 and method.

conveyorized product is returned to the cus- It is a further object of the invention to ef tomer. fect selective and effective anti-fraud monitor- In other systems which we have previously ing of plural weighing scale type article check- proposed, various provisions of security nature out systems.

are implemented, for example, the providing of 115 With a view to achieving one or both of the a security tunnel into which articles are placed above objects, the invention provides an arti for measurement of article characteristics for cle checkout systems incorporating plural comparative purpose. Beyond article weigJht weighing scales aside a checkout counter hav observance and comparison, such commonly- ing a UPC scanner. As an article is taken from owned systems look to shape indentification 120 the shopping cart on the in-scanner scale, the and redundant sensing of article code within system of the invention makes an immediate the security tunnel. In such systems, shape determination of the decrement weight associ observance may be effected by the light cur- ated with such article removal. Upon scanning tain covering the entry to the security tunnel. of the article UPC and obtaining of its weight Information to be stored in respect of article 125 from computer store, the system compares identification code, weight and shape may in- the decrement weight with the computer-pro deed be derived in the commonly-owned sys- vided weight.

tems from the scanning unit, weight scale and Should there be a discrepancy between the shape sensing devices. compared weights, it is detected by the sys- In a further prior art approach, implemented 130 tem of the invention at the close of the scan

2 GB2193000A 2 and prior even to movement of the article to In Fig. 2, controller 30 is configured with the shopping cart on the out-scanner scale. A input buffers 48 (in scale buffer) receiving and signal is generated upon each such discre- storing the line 34 signal, 50 (UPC weight pancy detection and the invention contem- buffer) receiving and storing the line 42 signal, plates use of these signals to prompt store 70 52 (scan buffer) receiving and storing the line personnel intevention by way of at least the 32 signal and 54 (out scale buffer) receiving monitoring of the checkout lane involved. Pre- and storing the line 40 signal.

ferably, the system includes a monitor unit at It will be helpful initially to consider a proper the checkout counter, which is activated at series of activities at the checkout counter, the close of article scan on such discrepancy 75 i.e., wherein a customer removes articles indi signal generation. A video recording is thus vidually from in cart 18, scans the code made of the events following close of scan thereof, and places same in the out cart 22, and entry of the article into the shopping cart all before removing another article from cart on the out-scanner scale. 18. The initial output of scale 16, prior to first Since the above-discussed discrepancy may 80 article removal from cart 18 is in buffer 48 be found later not to be of fraudulent charac- and is applied to line 56 and hence to multi ter, as is discussed in detail below, the plexer 58. Since line 60 is stable, not under method and system of the invention provide a going change, counter 62 is at zero count and feature that may be regarded as an "insurance so informs multiplexer 58 over line 64a. The recording" or a pre-awareness of a possibly 85 multiplexer is accordingly operative to furnish fraudulent event, which may have manifest buffer 48 content to store 66 over line 68.

value in confronting the cheating customer Upon removal of an article from cart 18, with the evidence, should the discrepancy line 34 changes its voltage reading based on have been fraudulent. the change in the output of scale 16. Line 56 The present invention will be described in 90 applies the output of the in scale buffer 48, greater detail by way of examples with refer- indicative of the initial cart 18 weight decre ence to the accompanying drawings, mented by the weight of the removed article wherein:- to multiplexer 58 and also over line 60 to Figure 1 is a general block diagram of one counter 62. The counter, based on the change preferred form of system for the self-checkout 95 in the line 56 signal, advances to first count, of articles: and which is provided over line 64b to multiplexer Figure 2 is a detailed block diagram of an 58. The signal output of buffer 48 is there implementation of the Fig. 1. system. upon applied selectively to store 70 over mul Referring to Fig. 1, checkout counter 10 in- tiplexer output line 72.

cludes scan unit 12, which may be customary 100 The contents of stores 66 and 70 are ap UPC sscanner, and lane monitor 14, which plied by lines 74 and 76 to sbubtraction cir may be a video recorder and camera. To the cuit 78. First count indication is applied over left side of counter 10 is a floor-installed line 80 to circuit 78, whereupon a signal in weighing scale 16 (in-scanner scale), on which dicative of the difference in weight contents of is situated shopping cart 18 containing the 105 stores 66 and 70 is applied to line 82 and articles selected for purchase by a customer. thereby to comparator 84, a second input to To the right side of counter 10 is another which is provided over line 86 from UPC floor-installed weighing scale 20 (out-scanner weight buffer 50. Upon scanning and suitable scale), on which is situated shopping cart 22, delay to permit line 86 data in stable form, 7, initially empty, but intended to receive articles 110 line 88 is activated to cause comparator to seriatim from cart 18 after scanning by scan make the comparison of its inputs from lines unit 12. 82 and 86. If this comparison is positive, indi Scan unit 12 is connected to UPC weight cating a correspondence of the weight indica store 24 by lines 26 and 28 and to controller tions of the two input signals, counter 62 is 30 by lines 26 and- 32. Scale 16 is connected 115 reset to zero by signal from comparator 84 by line 34 to controller 30. Lane monitor 14 over line 90. Comparator output line 46 is not is connected to controller 30 by lines 36 and activated, since checkout events comport with 38. Scale 20 is connected to controller 30 by those desired by the system.

line 40. Other system connections are, UPC In the event that the customer were to have weight store 24 by line 42 to controller 30, 120 removed not one but two articles simultane and controller 30 to store monitor 44 by line ously from cart 16, comparator 84 would then 46. The system of Fig. 1 is intended for use find non-correspondence as between its input with a single lane checkout counter, but may signals on lines 82 and 86, the former ex operate with other lanes, shown tied in by ceeding the latter, and would activate line 46, phantom lines 46a and 46b with store monieither to alert store personnel, or to activate tor 44. monitor 14, or both. Such line 46 signal can Operation of the Fig. 1 system will be betalso be used to reset counter 62 to zero.

ter understood by considering the particular Likewise, in the event that the customer re implementation of controller 30 shown in Fig. moves a second article from cart 18 prior to 2. 130 validation of the first article transaction by 3 GB2193000A 3 comparator 84, counter 62 will be stepped to scale means, said storage means and said its second count, based on the accompanying second scale means a second output signal disturbance of lines 34, 56 and 60. Counter on failure of such comparison; 62 provides output on line 92 indicative of its (h) recorder means for recording events at having reached second count and such line 92 70 said checkout counter upon occurrence of said signal is used alternatively to the line 46 sig- first output signal; and nal to alert store personnel or to activate (i) means for generating an output alarm sig monitor 14, or both. nal upon occurrence of said second output The second level comparison, as between signal.

scale 16 and UPC weight, on the one hand, 75 2. A system according to claim 1, wherein and scale 20, on the other hand, may also be said containing and receiving means comprise implemented in controller 30. Here, as the in- respective first and second shopping carts and dividual removed article is transferred, after wherein said means (b) first and second scale scanning, to cart 22, a change occurs on line means comprise respective first and second 40 and also at the output line 94 of buffer 80 scales upon which said shopping carts can be 54. Line 96 conveys the weight reading of separately situated.

buffer 54 to comparator 98 and line 100 con- 3. A system according to claim 1 or 2, veys the change indication to comparator 98, including a checkout counter supporting said which accordingly compares the lines 96 read- scanning means and said recorder means ther- ing to the sum of the contents of buffer 48 85 eon.

(in scale) and buffer 50 (UPC weight), as pro- 4. A system according to claim 3, wherein vided on line 102 from adding circuit 104, said first and second scales are situated in a inputs to which are furnished by lines 106 and floor oppositely aside said checkout counter.

108. 5. A system according to any one of the Where the comparison effected in compara- 90 preceding claims, wherein said recorder means tor 98 is not positive, the comparator acti- comprises a video recorder.

vates its output line 110 and hence alarm unit 6. A system according to any one of the 112. preceding claims, wherein said controller Various changes to the embodiments parti- means comprises a counter monitoring said cularly described and shown and modifications 95 output signals of said first means and stepped to the practice disclosed may be introduced upon change therein, plural storage units, a without departing from the scope of the in- multiplexer responsive to said counter to gate vention as defined in the claims. said first scale means output signals selectively to said plural storage units, signal sub-

Claims (1)

1. CLAIMS 100 traction circuitry connected to said storage

   1. A system for the checkout of articles storage units and responsive to said counter bearing sensible code indicative thereof and to provide an output signal indicative of such selected for purchase, including: subtraction, and a comparator receiving such (a) means for containing said articles se- subtraction circuitry output signal and said lected for purchase and permitting withdrawal 105 output signal of said storage means and pro thereof for processing; viding said controller second output signal.

   (b) first scale means for measuring the 7. A system according to claim 8, wherein weight of articles resident in said containing said counter is operative further for itself initi means and providing an output signal indica- ating operation of said recorder means.

   tive of such measured weight; 110 8. A system for the checkout of articles (c) scanner means for sensing such article bearing sensible code indicative thereof and code and generating an output signal indicaselected for purchase, constructed substan tive thereof; tially as herein described with reference to and (d) storage means'. for storing article weight as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

   information in correlation with article code and Published 1988 at The Patent Office, State House, 66/71 HighHolborn, responsive to said scanning means output sig- London WC 1 R 4TP. Further copies may be obtained from nal for providing an output signal indicative of The Patent Office, Sales Branch, St Mary Cray, Orpington, Kent BR5 3RD.

   such stored article weight; Printed by Burgess & Son (Abingdon) Ltd. Con, 1/87.

   (e) means for receipt and containment of articles following such scanning of said codes thereof; (f) second scale means for measuring the weight of articles resident in said receiving and providing an output signal indicative of such measured weight; (g) controller means for comparing said output signals of said first scale means and said storage means and generating a first output signal on failure of such comparison, and for comparing said output signals of said first