Patent Application
20220076223
The disclosure relates generally to a point-of-sale terminal and, more particularly, to an in-store kiosk.
Transitionally, fitting of a baseball or softball entailed making sophisticated measurements within a batting cage. A batter would typically hit hundreds of ball with various bats to determine which bat would have the best performance. Often such equipment was cost prohibitive in most retail spaces and were rather rare. The reason is that the equipment was expensive, required a substantial footprint, and required a large number of test bats (which were expensive by themselves with low margins for the retailer) to remain in stock. Some examples of these conventional systems are as follows: U.S. Pat. Nos. 10,387,930; 7,048,638; and U.S. Patent Pre-Grant Publ. 2007/0065791.
However, with the advent of one of the newest innovations is sports from WHICHBAT (which enables a user to input basic physical data to generate an order list of the best performing bats), there is a need for a kiosk that can take advantage of this innovation.
An embodiment of the present disclosure, accordingly, provides an apparatus. The apparatus comprises: an interface; a static sensor that is configured to measure height and weight of a user; a strength sensor that is configured to measure an indicia of strength of the user; a sensor interface that is in communication with the static sensor and the strength; communication circuitry that is configured to communicate with a network; a controller that is in communication with the sensor interface and the communication circuitry, wherein the controller includes: a data collector that is configured to receive sensor data from the sensor interface, wherein the sensor data the height, weight, and indicia of strength; a database that is configured to include bat data for a plurality of bats; a formatter that is configured to: generate a transmission message that includes the height, the weight, and the indicia of strength; communicate with the database; receive decrypted display data; and generate display data from the bat data and the decrypted display data; and an encryption engine that is configured to: encrypt the transmission message; and decrypt a receive message to generate the decrypted display data.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller further comprises a processor that is in communication with a memory.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller includes a software stack that includes: a kernel layer; an interface layer that is configured to communicate with the kernel layer; and an application layer that includes the data collector, the database, the formatter, and the encryption layer, wherein the application layer is configured to communicate with the interface layer.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, sensor interface further comprises a microcontroller.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the software stack is a first software stack, and wherein the microcontroller further comprises a second software stack.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the static sensor further comprises: a height sensor; and a weight sensor.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the height sensor further comprises a camera.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second software stack further comprises: a sensor hardware abstraction layer (HAL) that is configured to communication with the height sensor, the weight sensor, and the strength sensor; and an interface HAL that is configured to communicate the sensor data to the controller.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the strength sensor further comprises a plurality of strength sensors.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method is provided. The method comprises: establishing a session with a server by a user, wherein the step of establishing includes: generating a symmetric session key; encrypting the symmetric session key with the server's public key to generate an encrypted session key; and transmitting the encrypted session key to the server; measuring a user's physical characteristics; formatting the user's physical characteristics into a transmission message; encrypting the transmission message to generate an encrypted transmission message with the symmetric session key; transmitting the encrypted transmission message to the server; receiving a receive message from the server; decrypting the receive message with the symmetric session key into a decrypted message; formatting the decrypted message into ordered bat data; and display the ordered bat data.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the step of encrypting further comprises encrypting the transmission message with Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).
In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the ordered bat data further comprises a listing of bats in an order based at least in part on the user's physical characteristics.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the user's physical characteristics further comprises height, weight, age, and indicia of strength of a user.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprising: a touchscreen interface; height and weight sensors that are, respectively, configured to measure height and weight of a user; a strength sensor that is configured to measure an indicia of strength of the user; a sensor interface that is in communication with the static sensor and the strength; communication circuitry that is configured to communicate with a network; a controller that is in communication with the sensor interface and the communication circuitry, wherein the controller includes: a data collector that is configured to receive sensor data from the sensor interface, wherein the sensor data the height, weight, and indicia of strength; a database that is configured to include bat data for a plurality of bats; a formatter that is configured to: generate a transmission message that includes the height, the weight, and the indicia of strength; communicate with the database; receive decrypted display data; and generate display data from the bat data and the decrypted display data; and an encryption engine that is configured to: generate a symmetric session key; encrypt the symmetric session key with a public key; encrypt the transmission message; and decrypt a receive message to generate the decrypted display data.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second software stack further comprises: a sensor hardware abstraction layer (HAL) that is configured to communication with the height sensor, the weight sensor, and the strength sensor; and an interface HAL that is configured to communicate the sensor data to the controller.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the communication circuitry is a wireless front end that is configured to communicate with a wireless router.
For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Refer now to the drawings wherein depicted elements are, for the sake of clarity, not necessarily shown to scale and wherein like or similar elements are designated by the same reference numeral through the several views.
In
Turning to
In operation (which can partially be seen in
Once a session has been established (in 302), operation of the kiosk 102 can begin. Typically, the data collector 216 will indicate to the microcontroller 220 an order of measurements. Both control and data can be transmitted between the microcontroller 220 and data collector 216 through the respective interface HALs 218 and 232. For example, the interface HALs 218 and 232 may be software to enable communications over Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) or Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C). Typically, the data collector 216 will have the sensor subsystem measure height (e.g. through the height sensor 226), weight (e.g, through weight sensor 228), and strength (e.g., through the strength sensor 112). Typically, the height can be measured using a camera, and the camera may also measure arm length. In general, the strength sensor 112 can use a torque sensor 234 and/or strain gauge(s) 236 to measure the pulling strength of the user. Additionally, the data collector 216 can display instruction on the interface
Once the measurement data has been collected, the it can be sent to the server 106. The formatting engine 212 (which is also show in this example to be part of the application layer 206) can format the measured data (e.g., height, weight, etc.) and keyed data into a transmit message (in 304). The encryption engine 214 can then encrypt the transmit message (in 306) using the symmetric key (generated in 302) and send it to the server (in 308) through communications HAL 222 and communications circuitry 204. An acknowledge message can then in sent in 310. On the server 106, the message can be decrypted (in 312), processed (in 314), formatted (in 316), encrypted (in 318), and transmitted (in 320). Once the receive message has been received, the encryption engine 214 can decrypt the message with the symmetric session key. The formatting engine 212 can unpack the decrypted receive message (in 322) and use data from the database 215 to generate an ordered list of bats, which reflects the best bat for the user based on measured and/or keyed-in data. This ordered data can then be displayed on the interface 224. The session can then be ended in 326, where the session key is destroyed. Additionally, the kiosk 102 can also access a retailer's inventory network or external e-commerce suppliers to allow the user to purchase a bat on-site or order it.
Having thus described the present disclosure by reference to certain of its preferred embodiments, it is noted that the embodiments disclosed are illustrative rather than limiting in nature and that a wide range of variations, modifications, changes, and substitutions are contemplated in the foregoing disclosure and, in some instances, some features of the present disclosure may be employed without a corresponding use of the other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the disclosure.
This patent claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/074,572, which was filed on Sep. 4, 2020, and which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63074572 | Sep 2020 | US |
