JPH07152964A - Check-out device of retail shop - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a retail store check-out device not provided with a check- out station where customers are required to stand in a queue. CONSTITUTION: A radio check-out device provided on a shopping cart and used for confirming products relating to a shopping transaction and making the payment by being moved by the customer is provided and the device is provided with a radio communication equipment 24, a card reader 14, a scanner 18, a marking/unmarking device 20, a receipt issuing device 16, a display 23 and a controller 12. A radio communication network 24 for linking this check- out device with a central computer 26 and a security device 28 arranged at an exit and connected to the central computer 26 for detecting the product not marked by the marking/unmarking device 20 and reporting to the central computer and a security personnel are provided.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a retail store apparatus, and more particularly to a retail store checkout system and a shopping method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In retail stores, customers typically have to go through checkout lanes one at a time in order to pay for goods and services. If the store does not have enough check-out stations or the number of people assigned to each department during a given customer activity level, the customers wait in line to complete the sale with property transfer. There must be.

Retailers using unattended checkout lanes are also experiencing the same problem. That is, during the period when the demand of the customers is at a peak, the customers are allowed to receive the goods and services for the first time after arranging them in a line with the machines requiring the payment.

In either case, the queue becomes a bottleneck and the customer's inconvenience is likely to reach the point of shopping elsewhere.

The other loss of sales is, in short, avoided during the time when the customer is known to be crowded due to the inconvenience of past check-out delays, and somewhere else. It is to shop at.

[0006]

Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a retail system for selling goods and services that does not include a checkout station which customers must line up to check out.

[0007]

According to the teachings of the present invention,
A retail checkout device is provided.

[0008] The device includes a wireless check-out device that the customer moves (preferably used on the shopping cart to confirm and pay for the product involved in the shopping transaction by the customer). The check-out device may include a wireless communication device, a card reader, a scanner, a marking / unmarking device, a receipt issuer, a display, and a controller. The marking / unmarking device functions to deactivate the security device for the product once the customer scans the product and reactivate the security device when the customer scans the product for the second time. The retail checkout device further comprises a central computer, a wireless communication network linking the checkout device to the central computer, and an outlet located to detect items not marked by a marking / unmarking device connected to the central computer. However, it is equipped with a central computer and a security device that calls attention to security guards.

Also disclosed is a method of shopping at a retail facility that includes a central computer and a wireless communication network. The method provides a checkout device as described above to a customer, initiates a transaction by the customer, the customer scans an item using a scanner, and a security device for the item during scanning by the marking / unmarking device. And the step of ending the transaction by the customer.

In one transaction, a customer inserts a card into a card reader, the information on the card is transmitted to a central computer through a wireless communication network by a wireless communication device, and the retail store side verifies the card information and the customer The purchase permission to
It is performed by establishing a transaction record with a checkout device. In one transaction, the customer indexes the button on the checkout device, and according to the index, sends a signal with transaction information to the central computer by the wireless communication device, the retailer confirms the payment, and the transaction is completed. Information is completed by sending it to the customer by the central computer. At that time, a receipt is also issued.

After the transaction is completed, the customer's card is ejected from the checkout device. Security is ensured by having the customer enter the security area and look for any of the items that the customer has not scanned.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a retail store checkout device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a retail checkout device that does not include a checkout station which customers must necessarily line up.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a retail checkout device capable of simultaneously processing any number of customers.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a shopping method.

[0016]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, apparatus 1
Reference numeral 0 includes a device 11 including a controller 12, a card reader 14, a receipt issuer 16, a scanner 18, a marking / unmarking device 20, a keypad 22, a display 23, and a wireless communication device 24. . The device 10 also comprises a central computer 26 and a security sensor 28.

The device 11 is attached to a shopping cart 13 or a basket. The device 11 may be a portable, palm-sized, or card-sized device that a customer may carry while shopping. The device may be provided by the retail store or owned by the customer.

The device supplies power by a battery.

In the text, "retail store", "retail store side", and "store" provide goods or services in exchange for cash or other providing means, and are for sale to individual customers or a small number of customers. Is widely defined to include stores, vending machines, and other facilities and equipment that are open to the public. Examples include or can be supermarkets, cafeterias, food sales areas, department stores, specialty stores, convenience stores, car service stations, discount stores, hardware stores, bedding stores, and other self-service shopping. There are stores.

The controller 12 is the heart of the device 10. The device controls the operation of components 12-24 and stores a memory for storing transaction information.

The card reader 14 is used to enter customer information such as an account number. Card reader 14
Can be a magnetic stripe reader or a SMART card reader. The card reader 14 has a slot for securely holding the card in place during a transaction.

The receipt issuer 16 provides the customer with a record of the transaction. The receipt issuer 16 is preferably a printer.

The scanner 18 reads bar code information from a product.

The price of the scanned item is automatically entered and recorded.

The scanner 18 can be a laser scanner or a charge coupled device scanner.

The marking / unmarking device 20 is
Deactivate the security device placed on the merchandise item and activate the security device for the item returned to the shelf. The device 20 can be a magnetic device similar to those found in libraries that record book lending.

The keypad 22 has special function buttons,
Further standard retail terminal keypad keys may be provided. The special function buttons include a "help" button 30 for obtaining audiovisual help information, a "put back" button 32 for restoring the operation of the product security device when the product is returned to the shelf, and a "shopping completion" command. The button 33 can be provided.

The display 23 is used to display help and other messages as well as keypad inputs.

The wireless communication device 24 transmits the accounting information from the card reader 14 to the central computer 26 and receives a confirmation signal from the central computer 26. Infrared or radio frequency or other frequencies are also considered according to the invention. The confirmation signal is an indicator 31 such as a light or a speaker.
Can be used to activate or display a message on the display 23. Wireless communication device 24
Can also be used to relay price inventory information.

Connector port 34 facilitates cable connection of device 11 to a personal computer.

The central computer 26 communicates with each device 11 and a credit card or signature verification device. The central computer 26 may have one processor to support multiple shoppers, or multiple processors per device 11. Further, the central computer 12 is an electronic shelf label device or a product tag including a microprocessor,
A communication device and a memory can also be incorporated.

Security sensor 28 is not scanned and detects items whose price was not included in the final specification.

Upon entering a corner of the retail store, it is revealed that the customer either has the retailer's own personal checkout device 11 or has brought his own device 11. The retail store-owned device 11 can be obtained by inserting an identification card (charge card or debit card) into the card reader.

If the customer owns the device 11, entry into the shopping session begins by electronically informing the retail owner of his or her presence and willingness to shop. It waits for confirmation from the central computer 26 and displays it on the display 23 or the indicator 31. At the same time, the receipt issuer 16 starts the transaction record.

Customers who own the devices 11 can use them to create shopping lists while leaving the retail corner and display them during shopping.

A shopping list defense can be preloaded into the memory of controller 12 by connecting device 11 to a home or office computer using connector port 34. The device 11 automatically communicates the list as the customer enters a retail corner, allowing the central computer 26 to provide a pre-programmed defense record to buy the desired merchandise. In the case of a device 11 owned by a retail store, the same function as described above can be provided to the customer's home computer or office computer by notifying the central computer 26 of the shopping list and defense records prior to the shopping tour.

The controller 12 holds in its memory at least electronic records such as transaction totals and breakdowns. The controller 12 may also communicate these and other data interactively to the retailer via the central computer 26 each time a customer initiates a new event on the device 11. During entry and exit from the retail store, central computer 26 contacts the far end credit card authorization facility.

The customer's card is the device 1 while the customer is shopping.
It is desirable to be within 1. The customer scans the items before placing them in the shopping cart. During scanning, the marking / unmarking device 20 deactivates the security device on the item. The indicator 31 can be used to indicate to the customer that the item has been properly scanned and the security device for the item has been deactivated. It is also possible to give an error status or a failure indication by the indicator 31.

To return the item to the shelf, the customer must activate the putback button 32 to rescan the item.
When the customer traverses the product with respect to the scanner 18, the marking / unmarking device 20 reactivates the security device on the product.

To request help from a retail clerk, the customer actuates the help button 30.

Thereafter, the controller 12 notifies the clerk of the fact via the central computer 26.

Upon scanning to purchase an item and rescanning to return it, the device 11 is moved to the central computer 26.
You can contact us to get the price and item details and update the stock number. This information can be made available to the customer via the display 23 or the receipt issuer 16.

Special merchandise and services that cannot be scanned as usual can be recorded using the device 11. It is desirable that the customer scan the special product tags and catalogs that describe these products and services.

The order information can be conveyed to the clerk, and the pickup information can be returned to the customer and displayed. For showroom products, after scanning the product tag, display a message such as "This product can be delivered on Tuesday in stock in all the above colors. Please press the green button to purchase", You can make them speak.

Customer shopping activity can be monitored by field level machines or humans. Special information or advertising messages focusing on the customer's purchase history, current purchase amount, or other file data can be sent to the customer for display during shopping. For example, some customers may buy a bottle of wine that goes well with a steak at a grocery store. If a customer buys a steak in the current shopping tour but walks too far without buying a wine display, display or speak a message such as "A good bottle of wine, wouldn't it fit your steak?" You can remind a customer of a bottle of wine.

During shopping, a timely message can be obtained by first loading the shopping list items into the device 11 or sending them to the retailer side via the wireless communication device 24. For example, a message such as "Don't forget about detergent" is sent to the device 11,
It can be displayed or spoken when the shopper accidentally bypasses the detergent section.

When the customer wants to complete the shopping transaction, the customer operates the end-of-shop button 33 at a special security area in the corner of the retail store near the exit or a passage separating different sections. Shopping completion button 33
When activated, the customer's card is returned and the security staff at the shop is notified that the customer wants to leave the shop. A positive answer, whether audiovisual, indicates that the transaction was successful. The receipt issuer 16 then provides a record of the transaction.

The device 10 provides a consistent, automated dialogue environment between customers and retail outlets. The device 10 also enables additional conversations that the customer may need or benefit when selecting their purchase.

By avoiding the need for staff to be lined up in departments, device 10 can reduce the number of personnel required to run many types of shops. Thus, operating costs are reduced and the lack of low-cost labor is not a problem.

The device 10 can be equipped with properties and precautions that can minimize theft from both retail outlets and individual customers. These properties result from the inherent properties of device 11 and other features incorporated within device 10 to assist in the security role. For example, if the device 11 is attached to a basket, bag, or shopping cart of any type for storing products, the customer cannot leave the device 11 without a store clerk, so that the products are kept safe from being stolen. Is effective.

Since the customer owns or is responsible for the device 11, he may not want to hang too far from the device 11 or the cards inside it.

Theft from the store is minimized by placing a sensor 28 at each exit. Such a sensor 2
Knowing that 8 is in place, the customer will be motivated to scan the item before placing it in the cart. An alarm is issued when the shopping completion button is pressed in a place other than the predetermined "exit area".

In a corner of a retail store where the average price of goods is low, there is another method of physically marking all the items in the shop for safety. It is also possible to mark only a certain proportion of the products so that the marks are hidden so that it is not possible to know which products are not marked. Experience with conventional anti-theft devices has shown that it is not necessary to mark all merchandise in order to prevent theft from stores. Similarly, depending on the store, only high-priced products may be marked, or only products that are highly likely to be stolen by experience, such as leather jackets and cigarette packs.

Furthermore, retail experience has shown that these selective markings result in substantial overall profits.

The wireless communication line 24 supports crime prevention. By simply matching the unique device number sent from each device 11 entering the store by the same line with the "hot list" of the stolen device, the risk that the device 11 becomes commercially available can be minimized. Similarly, the device 11 containing the stolen charge card can be found at the point where the customer enters the store, which can considerably increase the amount of time the store acts based on this information. Finally, the alarm is set to sound via the contact signal leaving the store and its surroundings with the device 11 without activating the shopping complete button.

[0056]

According to the present invention, there is provided a retail store checkout device which does not include a checkout station where customers have to line up. It also offers retailer checkouts that can handle any number of customers as well. Also, a new shopping method is provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a retail store checkout device of the present invention.

2 is a perspective view of a shopping cart and customer operating components of the apparatus of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 ... Check-out device 12 ... Controller 13 ... Shopping cart 14 ... Card reader 16 ... Receipt issuer 18 ... Scanner 20 ... Marking / Unmarking device 22 ... Keys Pad 23 ... Display 24 Wireless contact device 26 Central controller 28 Security sensor

Front Page Continuation (72) Inventor Roy Edward Kunts Ohio, USA 45429 Kettering, Wittelsback, Drive 737 (72) Inventor Douglas Spencer Etzell Kugenuma Coast, Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture 1-2-18

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A checkout device including a wireless communication device used by a customer to secure a commodity associated with a shopping transaction and pay for the transaction; a central computer; and a central computer for the checkout device. A retail checkout device consisting of a linked wireless network.