Patent Application
20160284000
The present subject matter relates to retail systems and techniques. More particularly, the present subject matter relates to systems and methods for indicating content characteristics of spaced-apart areas in a retail environment.
In retail environments such as checkout areas, most checkout terminals are associated with a bagging area containing multiple spaced-apart areas for placing items simultaneously. Some or all of the spaced-apart areas may contain one or more bags for the placement of items within. Items are typically organized in the spaced-apart areas to prevent items from damaging or contaminating each other. For example, cold items may be placed together in one area for bagging, fragile items in another area, and cleaning items in yet another area. Bags may be opened in these different areas such that the items are separately bagged as desired.
However, organizing items in such a manner may be laborious and error-prone. For example, a cashier or bagger operating a checkout terminal may need to double-check bags at the different areas before adding new items to ensure items placed in the bags are organized properly. Additionally, the cashier or bagger may make mistakes and place new items in incorrect bags causing potentially damaged or spoiled items. Also, bags may be inadvertently overfilled such that the bags break or burst upon lifting or carrying. For at least these reasons, there is a need for improved techniques for managing items for bagging in a retail environment.
The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of various embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purposes of illustration, there is shown in the drawings exemplary embodiments; however, the presently disclosed subject matter is not limited to the specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed. In the drawings:
The presently disclosed subject matter is described with specificity to meet statutory requirements. However, the description itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. Rather, the inventors have contemplated that the claimed subject matter might also be embodied in other ways, to include different steps or elements similar to the ones described in this document, in conjunction with other present or future technologies. Moreover, although the term “step” may be used herein to connote different aspects of methods employed, the term should not be interpreted as implying any particular order among or between various steps herein disclosed unless and except when the order of individual steps is explicitly described.
The present disclosure is now described in more detail. For example,
The system shown in
The system may also include multiple detectors 110-116. Each detector 110-116 may be placed at a respective one of the spaced-apart areas 100-106. As an example, a detector may be a weight sensor configured to weigh items placed on a platform at a respective spaced-apart area 100-106 as will be understood by those of skill in the art. Alternatively, for example, a detector may be any suitable device or equipment configured to recognize the presence and characteristic of an item placed at a respective area 100-106.
The system may include indicators 118, 120, 122, and 124 configured to indicate a one or more content characteristics of a respective area 100-106. In accordance with embodiments, the at least one indicator 118, 120, 122, and/or 124 may include an illuminating device configured to emit light of multiple colors. For example, the indicators 118, 120, 122, and 124 may each include one or more light emitting diodes configured to emit light of different colors. Each of the content characteristics may be associated with at least one of the colors such that it is understood that the content characteristic has been determined when its associated color is presented.
As an example, Table A demonstrates example content characteristics associated with various colors. The content characteristics may include multiple product categories associated with items identified by the item identifier. It should be understood that any type of content characteristic may be associated with any color, and may be used in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The example provide provided in Table A should not be construed as limiting.
With continuing reference to
The system may include an item processing manager 128 configured to implement functionality described herein. The item processing manager 128 may include hardware, software, firmware, or combinations thereof. For example, the item processing manager 128 may include one or more processors 130 and memory 132 configured to perform a method for controlling one or more indicators to indicate a characteristic of an area based on identification of an item in response to determining placement of the item at the area in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure as illustrated in
Referring to
The method of
The method of
Continuing with the example of a grocery item, the item processing manager 128 may select a content characteristic from Table A based on the identification of the grocery item. For example, the item processing manager 128 may identify the grocery item as a carton of eggs. In this example, the item processing manager 128 may select the characteristic “Fragile” since a carton of eggs may be easily broken by placement of other items in the same bag or area. The item processing manager 128 may subsequently indicate the content characteristic of the spaced-apart area 100 by controlling indicator 118 to illuminate the color purple. The item processing manager 128 may also indicate the content characteristic of the area 100 by controlling indicator 126 to display a color coded graphical representation of the spaced-apart areas 100-106. In this example, a graphical representation of spaced-apart area 100 may be highlighted in purple. Alternatively, or in addition to, the graphical representation of the area 100 may be illuminated with the color or otherwise identified with the characteristic of “Fragile.”
Providing to a retail personnel or other operator a content characteristic indication as disclosed herein may assist with the placement of items in the spaced-apart areas 100-106. For example, the labeling of an area as “Fragile” can indicate to a retail personnel not to place a container of milk in an associated area. Thus, the user can seek to place the container of milk in one of the other spaced-apart areas 102-106. As an example, the item processing manager 128 may implement the functionality of the method of
In another example, the item processing manager 128 may select a content characteristic from Table A based on the identification of a container of milk. The item processing manager 128 may select the content characteristic “Refrigerated/Frozen” based on the knowledge that a container of milk requires refrigeration. The item processing manager 128 may control the indicator 120 to illuminate the color blue. The item processing manager 128 may indicate the content characteristic of the area 102 by controlling indicator 126 to display a color coded graphical representation of the spaced-apart areas 100-106. In this example, the graphical representation of area 102 may be illuminated by the color blue. Alternatively, or in addition to, the graphical representation of the spaced-apart area 102 may be labeled with the content characteristic of “Refrigerated/Frozen.” In this way, the item processing manager 128 may indicate the content characteristics of each spaced-apart areas 100-106 as a user places items in the spaced-apart areas 100-106.
In accordance with embodiments, the method may also include controlling the at least one indicator to indicate multiple content characteristics of the plurality of content characteristics of the spaced-apart area based on the identification of multiple items detected at the spaced-apart area. For example, item processing manager 128 may be configured to control indicator 118 to indicate multiple content characteristics of the plurality of content characteristics of Table A of area 100 based on the identification of multiple items detected at area 100. In this example, item processing manager 128 may control indicator 118 to illuminate the colors purple and orange based on the identification of a carton of eggs and a box of tea bags detected at the area 100. Alternatively, or in addition to, the graphical representation of the area 100 may be labeled with the content characteristics of “Fragile” and “Grocery.” In this way, the item processing manager 128 may indicate multiple content characteristics of each spaced-apart areas 100-106 as a user places items associated with multiple content characteristics in the spaced-apart areas 100-106.
In an alternative embodiment, the method may also include controlling the at least one indicator to indicate a priority content characteristic of the plurality of content characteristics of the spaced-apart area based on the identification of multiple items detected at the spaced-apart area. For example, the item processing manager 128 may be configured to control indicator 118 to indicate a priority content characteristics of the plurality of content characteristics of Table A of area 100 based on the identification of multiple items detected at area 100. In this example, the item processing manager 128 may determine placement of multiple items, such as a carton of eggs and a box of tea bags, at area 100. In response, the item processing manager 128 may control indicator 118 to illuminate the color purple based on the identification of the carton of eggs. In this example, the content characteristic “Fragile,” associated with the carton of eggs, may have a higher priority than “Grocery,” which may be associated with the box of tea bags, to prevent future placement of items that may damage the carton of eggs at area 100. Alternatively, or in addition to, the graphical representation of the area 100 may be labeled with the priority content characteristics of “Fragile.” In this way, the item processing manager 128 may indicate a priority content characteristic of each spaced-apart areas 100-106 as a user places items associated with priority content characteristics in the spaced-apart areas 100-106.
Referring to
The method of
In this example, the item processing manager 128 may indicate the “Overweight” characteristic (shown in the example of Table A) of the spaced-apart area 102 by controlling the indicator 120 to illuminate the color red. As stated previously, the item processing manage 128 may indicate the “Overweight” characteristic of the area 102 by controlling the indicator 126 to display a color coded graphical representation of the spaced-apart areas 100-106. In this example, the spaced-apart area 102 may be illuminated with the color red. Alternatively, or in addition to, the graphical representation of the area 100 may be suitably labeled with the characteristic “Overweight.” In this way, a user of the system of
In another example, the user of the system of
In accordance with embodiments, the method may also include controlling an indicator to indicate a recommendation to remove all items placed at the spaced-apart area in response to determining that the weight of the spaced-apart area meets the predetermined threshold. Continuing the aforementioned example regarding the gallon of milk, the item processing manager 128 may control the indicator 120 and/or indicator 126 to indicate a recommendation to remove all items placed in a bag at the area 102 in response to determining that the weight of the area 102 meets the predetermined threshold. In this example, the weight of the gallon of milk may meet a maximum weight associated with area 102. In accordance with embodiments, the indicator may flash a visible signal intermittently to indicate a recommendation to remove all items placed at the spaced-apart area. In this example, the indicator 120 may be configured to flash intermittently until it is detected that the item (e.g., gallon of milk) is removed from the area 102. There also may be instances when items may have been placed at all of the spaced-apart areas 100-106 and yet there may be more items for placement at the spaced-apart areas 100-106. For example, a user of the system of
Referring to
The method of
In accordance with embodiments, the method of
The method of
In accordance with embodiments, the item processing manager may select one of the plurality of spaced-apart areas to indicate a recommendation to remove all items placed at the selected spaced-apart area based on a weight of all items at the selected spaced apart area. For example, item processing manager 128 may be configured to select area 102 to indicate a recommendation to remove the container of milk based on the weight of the container of milk. In this example, the item processing manager 128 may control indicator 120 to recommend removal of the container of milk from area 102 so that the other items may be placed at area 102. As stated previously regarding
The various techniques described herein may be implemented with hardware or software or, where appropriate, with a combination of both. Thus, the methods and apparatus of the disclosed embodiments, or certain aspects or portions thereof, may take the form of program code (i.e., instructions) embodied in tangible media, such as floppy diskettes, CD-ROMs, hard drives, or any other machine-readable storage medium, wherein, when the program code is loaded into and executed by a machine, such as a computer, the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the presently disclosed subject matter. In the case of program code execution on programmable computers, the computer will generally include a processor, a storage medium readable by the processor (including volatile and non-volatile memory and/or storage elements), at least one input device and at least one output device. One or more programs may be implemented in a high level procedural or object oriented programming language to communicate with a computer system. However, the program(s) can be implemented in assembly or machine language, if desired. In any case, the language may be a compiled or interpreted language, and combined with hardware implementations.
The described methods and apparatus may also be embodied in the form of program code that is transmitted over some transmission medium, such as over electrical wiring or cabling, through fiber optics, or via any other form of transmission, wherein, when the program code is received and loaded into and executed by a machine, such as an EPROM, a gate array, a programmable logic device (PLD), a client computer, a video recorder or the like, the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the presently disclosed subject matter. When implemented on a general-purpose processor, the program code combines with the processor to provide a unique apparatus that operates to perform the processing of the presently disclosed subject matter.
Features from one embodiment or aspect may be combined with features from any other embodiment or aspect in any appropriate combination. For example, any individual or collective features of method aspects or embodiments may be applied to apparatus, system, product, or component aspects of embodiments and vice versa.
While the embodiments have been described in connection with the various embodiments of the various figures, it is to be understood that other similar embodiments may be used or modifications and additions may be made to the described embodiment for performing the same function without deviating therefrom. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should not be limited to any single embodiment, but rather should be construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the appended claims.
