Patent Application
20240185205
The present disclosure relates generally to data reading systems in a retail setting, and more particularly, to point-of-sale systems designed to present opportunities for up-selling or cross-selling items to a consumer during a retail transaction.
Data reading systems in general are used in a variety of settings for reading optical codes, acquiring data, and/or capturing images from items. In a retail environment, data reading devices are well known for reading UPC and other types of optical codes (e.g., barcodes) on grocery items or packages to identify the item and add the item to the customer's transaction list for purchasing during a checkout process. In a conventional self-checkout system, the customer can scan, weigh, and pay for items without the need for assistance by a store clerk or any other personnel. While a self-checkout system streamlines the transaction for the customer and creates a faster overall checkout process, the elimination of a store clerk from the process reduces the opportunity to engage the customer and potentially increase the sale of items that may be of interest to the customer. For example, during a checkout transaction, the store clerk may ask the customer whether they would like to purchase a complementary item, such as batteries, to power the electronic device purchased by the customer.
Accordingly, the inventor has identified a need for a self-checkout system designed to improve the self-checkout process and the overall customer experience, where the self-checkout system is designed to identify and present up-selling and cross-selling opportunities to the customer. In addition, the inventor has identified a need for such a system capable of providing in-store or at-home options to the customer for delivering the add-on items. Additional aspects and advantages of such systems will be apparent from the following detailed description of example embodiments, which proceed with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Understanding that the drawings depict only certain embodiments and are not, therefore, to be considered limiting in nature, these embodiments will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail with reference to the drawings.
With reference to the drawings, this section describes specific embodiments relating to a data reading system and its detailed construction and operation. The embodiments described herein are set forth by way of illustration only and not limitation. The described features, structures, characteristics, and methods of operation may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In view of the disclosure herein, those skilled in the art will recognize that the various embodiments can be practiced without one or more of the specific details or with other methods, components, materials, or the like. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or methods of operation are not shown or not described in detail to avoid obscuring more pertinent aspects of the embodiments.
With collective reference to the figures, the following disclosure relates to a data reading system, such as a self-checkout system or other suitable point-of-sale system, used in a retail setting to complete a customer transaction for the purchase of various goods offered in a retail facility. The data reading system may include any suitable components for capturing data from an item and any suitable reading engine configuration for decoding the captured data to complete the retail transaction. As further described in detail below, the data reading system is designed to analyze the customer transaction list (also referred to as a “transaction log”) for items being purchased and may also evaluate a customer's purchase history information along with receiving and processing real-time customer input to assess opportunities for up-selling or cross-selling items to the customer at the point-of-sale. These add-on items may be presented to the customer at the point-of-sale via the data reading system and allow the customer to select any one or more of the add-on items as desired. At the point-of-sale, the customer may select to receive the add-on items at the store prior to departing or may arrange for home delivery if desired, such as when the add-on item is of interest but not currently in stock or if the add-on item is large or heavy. Additional details of these and other embodiments of the data reading system are further discussed below with reference to the accompanying figures.
The data reading system 10 may be a two-plane or bioptic reader having a lower base section 40 supporting a platter 42, and a bonnet or raised upper section 44 extending from and protruding upwardly from the platter 42 (and the lower base section 40). The data reading system 10 includes one or more data readers 50 housed within lower base section 40 underneath the platter 42, and the bonnet 44 may further include one or more data readers 52 housed therein. The data readers 50, 52 are arranged within the platter 42 and bonnet 44, respectively, to project their fields-of-view through the respective windows 46, 48 to capture and decode an optical code on the item 20 as it moves through the combined read region of the data reading system 10. In some embodiments, the data reading system 10 may incorporate any suitable optical components (not shown) within the lower base section 40 and bonnet 44 to ensure the respective fields-of-view of the data readers 50, 52 are oriented as needed to capture data from the item 20. In other embodiments, the data reading system may be a single plane reader without a bonnet or may have other suitable configurations. In some embodiments, a data reader may be incorporated within a smart shopping cart system that includes data readers and a display for scanning items as they are placed within the shopping cart. Transactions (including the offering and inclusion of any add-on items) may be completed via the display and related user interface of such a smart shopping cart system or via a connected device.
For purposes of this disclosure, reference to a “data reader” is used in an expansive sense to describe any suitable device (or combination of devices) capable of obtaining and decoding coded information from an item 20. In some embodiments, a data reader may include a camera or other suitable imaging system, a processor, a decoding unit, and a controller for communicating data to other data readers or external systems for processing. In other embodiments, the data reader may include a subset of these components within a common housing and other components may be external to the data reader itself. For example, in one embodiment, the data readers may each include an imager designed to obtain images of the item 20 and communicate those images to the decoding unit (which may be part of the processor) in an external database for decoding the coded information captured in the images and identify the item 20.
The data readers may include any suitable decoding algorithms to decode coded information from the item 20 that may be contained within one-dimensional codes, two-dimensional codes, stacked codes, or other code configurations. In this disclosure, the data readers 50, 52 may be referenced as including imagers or imaging systems, but it should be understood that the reference is meant to provide an example configuration for the data readers. Other data reader configurations may be used without departing from the principles of the disclosed subject matter. Examples of various data reader configurations include U.S. Pat. No. 8,430,318, issued Apr. 30, 2013, and entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DATA READING WITH LOW PROFILE ARRANGEMENT,” U.S. Pat. No. 9,004,359, issued Apr. 14, 2015, entitled “OPTICAL SCANNER WITH TOP DOWN READER,” U.S. Pat. No. 9,305,198, issued Apr. 5, 2016, entitled “IMAGING READER WITH IMPROVED ILLUMINATION,” U.S. Pat. No. 10,049,247, issued Aug. 14, 2018, entitled “OPTIMIZATION OF IMAGE FRAME MANAGEMENT IN A SWEEP-STYLE OPTICAL CODE DATA READER,” U.S. Pat. No. 10,248,896, issued Apr. 2, 2019, and entitled “DISTRIBUTED CAMERA MODULES SERIALLY COUPLED TO COMMON PREPROCESSING RESOURCES FACILITATING CONFIGURABLE OPTICAL CODE READER PLATFORM FOR APPLICATION-SPECIFIC SCALABILITY,” and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020/0125812, filed Dec. 2, 2019, and entitled “DATA COLLECTION SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO CAPTURE IMAGES OF AND DECODE INFORMATION FROM MACHINE-READABLE SYMBOLS,” and U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 63/293,563, filed Dec. 23, 2021, and entitled “FIXED RETAIL SCANNER WITH MULTI-PORT NETWORK SWITCH AND RELATED METHODS, the disclosure of each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
With reference to
As illustrated in
With reference to
In one embodiment, the data reading system 100 may include one or more different types of data readers, such as monochrome imagers and/or color imagers. For example, data readers 112, 114 in vertical housing 110 may be monochrome imagers configured to capture monochrome images through the vertical window of the data reading system 100. Likewise, data readers 122, 124 in horizontal housing 120 may be monochrome imagers configured to capture monochrome images through the horizontal window of the data reading system 100. Data reader 116 in vertical housing 110 may be a color camera module configured to capture color images through the vertical window of the data reading system 100. Likewise, data reader 126 in horizontal housing 120 may be a color camera module configured to capture color images through the horizontal window of the data reading system 100. In such embodiments, monochrome images may be analyzed (e.g., by a decoder) to decode one or more indicia (e.g., 1D barcodes, 2D barcodes, optical character recognition, digital watermarks, etc.). and color images may be analyzed (e.g., by an image processor) where color information may be particularly advantageous, such as produce recognition, item recognition or verification, and security analysis. Such analysis may be performed by local and/or remote processors that may contain an artificial intelligence (AI) engine or otherwise configured to perform other machine learning techniques.
The data reading system 100 may further include a main board 130 and a multi-port network switch 140. As shown herein, the main board 130 and the multi-port network switch 140 may be disposed within the horizontal housing 120 in one embodiment. Bi-optic readers tend to have a larger horizontal housing (as compared to the vertical housing), which provides support for the device within a cavity in a counter and provides space to support a scale (not shown) used to weigh produce or other items sold by weight or otherwise perform weighing of items when placed on the horizontal surface (often called a “weigh platter”). It is contemplated that other embodiments may instead include the main board 130 and/or the multi-port network switch 140 within the vertical housing 110. In an embodiment where one of the multi-port network switch 140 or the main board 130 is disposed within the vertical housing 110 and the other is disposed within the horizontal housing 120, the two boards may be oriented orthogonal to each other similar to the orientation of the windows. The ports may be at least somewhat aligned in the orthogonal direction to accommodate easy connection of network cables therebetween.
The main board 130 may be operably coupled with the data readers 112, 114 and the data readers 122, 124, such as via a communication interface (e.g., a MIPI interface) or other suitable interface. The main board 130 may have decoding software embedded therein such that one or more on-board processors 135 may receive monochrome images to perform decoding on the optical indicia and provide the decoding result to a point of sale (POS) system 160 operably coupled thereto to complete a transaction. The one or more on-board processors 135 may also be configured to provide control (e.g., coordination or synchronization) of the various components of the system including camera exposure and timing of active illumination assemblies 118, 128 of the system. Although a single block is shown representing one or more on-board processors 135, it is contemplated that some embodiments may include multiple processing components (e.g., microprocessors, microcontrollers, FPGAs, etc.) configured to perform different tasks, alone or in combination, including object detection, system control, barcode decoding, optical character recognition, artificial intelligence, machine learning analysis, or other similar processing techniques for analyzing the images for product identification or verification or other desired events.
The multi-port network switch 140 may be operably coupled to data reader 116 and data reader 126 located within the data reading system 100. The multi-port network switch 140 may also be operably coupled with main board 130 located within the data reading system 100. Multi-port network switch 140 may also be operably coupled to the power source 150 as well as peripheral devices such as the TDR 152, peripheral cameras 154, 156, and/or the remote server 158. The number and types of peripheral devices may depend on a desired application within a retail environment. The TDR 152 may be configured as a stand connected to the data reading system 100 that typically provides a generally close overhead (angled) view of the read-zone to provide a top view of a product whereas internal data readers 112, 114, 116, 122, 124, 126 may be better suited for capturing images of the bottom and/or sides of the object within the read-zone. Peripheral cameras 154, 156 may be located remotely from the data reading system 100 such as being mounted on a ceiling or wall of the retail environment to provide additional views of the read-zone or checkout area. Such views may be useful for security analysis of the checkout area such as product verification, object flow, human movements, etc. Such analysis may be performed by a remote service or other local devices (e.g., located on or otherwise coupled to the main board 130 or ethernet switch 140). Other peripheral devices may be located near the data reading system 100, such as a peripheral presentation scanner resting or mounted to a nearby surface, and/or a handheld scanner that also may be used for manual capturing by the user (e.g., checkout assistant or self-checkout customer). Such devices may be coupled directly to the main board 130 in some embodiments or to the multi-port network switch 140 if so enabled. As shown, the POS 160 may be coupled directly to the main board 130. Such a connection may be via communication interfaces such as USB, RS-232, or other such interfaces. In some embodiments, the POS 160 may be coupled directly to the multi-port network switch 140 if so enabled (e.g., as an ethernet connected device).
The multi-port network switch 140 may be implemented on a separate board from the main board 130. The multi-port network switch 140 may include a plurality of ports to provide advanced network connectivity (e.g., Ethernet) between internal devices within the data reading system 100 and external devices from the data reading system 100. Thus, the multi-port network switch 140 may provide an Ethernet backbone for the elements within the data reading system 100 as well as for external devices coupled to the data reading system 100 for control and/or managing data flow or analysis. As an example, multi-port network switch 140 may be implemented with a KSZ9567 Ethernet switch or other EtherSynch® product family member available from Microchip Technology Inc of Chandler, Arizona or other similar products configured to provide network synchronization and communication with network-enabled devices. Embodiments of the disclosure may include any number of ports supported by the multi-port network switch to couple to both internal devices (e.g., main board, cameras, etc.) and external devices (e.g., peripheral cameras, TDR, illumination sources, remote servers, etc.) to provide a flexible platform to add additional features for connecting with the data reading system 100.
Although
In operation, images may be captured by the data readers 112, 114, 116, 122, 124, 126. Monochrome images may be captured by monochrome data readers 112, 114, 122, 124 and color images may be captured by color data readers 116, 126. The multi-port network switch 140 may be configured to coordinate (e.g., synchronize) timing of camera exposure and active illumination (e.g., white illumination) with the color data readers 116, 126 (as controlled by the controller on the main board 130) to occur in an offset manner with the timing of the camera exposure and active illumination (e.g., red illumination) with the monochrome data readers 112, 114, 122, 124.
Image data (e.g., streaming video, image frames, etc.) from the color data readers 116, 126 may be routed through the multi-port network switch 140 to the processing/analysis modules located internal to the data reading system 100 such as the one or more processors 135 supported by the main board 130. As such, image analysis (e.g., AI, machine learning, OCR, object recognition, item validation, produce recognition, analytics, etc.) may be performed on the color images internally within the data reading system 100 by the one or more processors 135 supported by the main board 130. In some embodiments, barcode decoding may also be performed on the color images internally within the data reading system 100 by the one or more processors 135 supported by the main board 130. Image data from the color data readers 116, 126 may also be routed through the multi-port network switch 140 to external devices, such as remote server 158 or other similar devices including any network enabled POS systems. As such, image analysis (e.g., AI, machine learning, OCR, object recognition, item validation, produce recognition, analytics, etc.) may be performed on the color images externally to the data reading system 100 by external devices coupled through the multi-port network switch 140. Such color images or other data stream may be routed directly to the network connected external devices through the multi-port network switch 140 without first being received by the main board 130 (if at all).
Image data from the monochrome data readers 112, 114, 122, 124 may be provided to the main board 130 to the processing/analysis modules located internal to the data reading system 100 such as the one or more processors 135 supported by the main board 130. As such, barcode decoding may also be performed on the color images internally within the data reading system 100 by the one or more processors 135 supported by the main board 130. In some embodiments, image analysis (e.g., AI, machine learning, OCR, object recognition, item validation, produce recognition, analytics, etc.) may be performed on the monochrome images internally within the data reading system 100 by the one or more processors 135 supported by the main board 130. Image data from the monochrome data readers 112, 114, 122, 124 may also be routed through the multi-port network switch 140 to external devices, such as remote server 158 or other similar devices including any network enabled POS systems. As such, image analysis (e.g., AI, machine learning, OCR, object recognition, item validation, produce recognition, analytics, etc.) may be performed on the monochrome images externally to the data reading system 100 by external devices coupled through the multi-port network switch 140. Such monochrome images or other data stream may be routed directly to the network connected external devices to the multi-port network switch 140 after first being received by the main board 130.
Image data (e.g., streaming video, image frames, etc.) from the TDR 152 or other external peripheral cameras 154, 156 may be routed through the multi-port network switch 140 to the processing/analysis modules located internal to the data reading system 100 such as the one or more processors 135 supported by the main board 130. As such, image analysis (e.g., AI, machine learning, OCR, object recognition, item validation, produce recognition, analytics, etc.) may be performed on the images (e.g., color and/or monochrome) internally within the data reading system 100 by the one or more processors 135 supported by the main board 130. In some embodiments, barcode decoding may also be performed on such images internally within the data reading system 100 by the one or more processors 135 supported by the main board 130. Image data from the TDR 152 or other external peripheral cameras 154, 156 may also be routed through the multi-port network switch 140 to external devices, such as remote server 158 or other similar devices including any network enabled POS systems. As such, image analysis (e.g., AI, machine learning, OCR, object recognition, item validation, produce recognition, analytics, etc.) may be performed on these images externally to the data reading system 100 by external devices coupled through the multi-port network switch 140. Such images or other data stream may be routed directly to the network connected external devices through the multi-port network switch 140 without first being received by the main board 130 (if at all).
As described in further detail below with reference to
Once the item information has been obtained by the data reading system 10 for all items 20, at step 204, the data reading system 10 analyzes (via a processor or other suitable module) the item information and receives and processes any additional information input directly by the customer 38 during the transaction. For example, in some embodiments, the data reading system 10 may prompt the customer 38 to enter loyalty account information, such as by scanning a rewards card or entering other identification information if the customer 38 has a shopping history with the store. In some embodiments, the data reading system 10 may prompt the customer 38 for additional information, such as by allowing the customer to initiate a search for additional items or by asking whether the customer 38 found every item they were looking for while shopping at the store. Such a prompt may be initiated by the data reading system 10, a connected POS system (e.g., POS system 160 of
At step 206, the data reading system 10 determines whether there is an opportunity for up-selling or cross-selling add-on items 304 based on some or all of the following: (a) information relating to the processed items 20; (b) information input by the customer 38 during the transaction; (c) information associated with the identity of the customer 38 (such as purchase history information or other customer specific information); (d) other transaction information obtained by the data reading system 10 during the transaction; (e) information relating to the retail establishment (such as current sales, promotional items, seasonal items, etc.); and (f) commonly purchased items (such as milk or cereal) that are not included with the transaction. Some of these add-on items may be in stock, while others may not currently be in stock at the retail locations. Such items may, however, be available at a different location such as a warehouse or other related retail location.
In one embodiment, with reference to category (a) above, the determination at step 206 may evaluate whether one or more items that may correspond with one or more of the scanned items 20 is missing from the transaction. For example, if an electronic device appears on the customer's transaction list, then the data reading system 10 may identify batteries, a memory device, a protective cover, or other suitable related products that the customer 38 may also wish to purchase since these potential add-on items 304 are useful in conjunction with the electronic device. The data reading system 10 may obtain information for corresponding add-on items 304 in any suitable manner. For example, in some embodiments, corresponding add-on items 304 may be correlated in an inventory database 312 (see
Similarly, with reference to category (b) described above, the data reading system 10 may recommend add-on items 304 based on the direct input provided by the customer 38. For example, if the customer 38 indicates that an item was not found, the data reading system 10 may query the inventory to determine whether the item is in stock (and the user did not know where to locate it). If the item is not in stock, the data reading system 10 may recommend other items that may be in stock, or other replacement items that may serve the same function as the missing item. For items in category (c), the data reading system 10 may also analyze the customer's prior purchase history information in determining whether to recommend add-on items 304 and which add-on items 304 are recommended. For example, the data reading system 10 may determine that customer 38 purchases eggs and milk every two weeks from the store, items missing from the current transaction. Accordingly, the data reading system 10 may determine that eggs and milk represent an up-selling or cross-selling opportunity and present those as add-on items 304.
With reference to category (d), the data reading system 10 may consider other transaction information in determining whether to suggest add-on items 304, such as suggesting add-on items 304 that may complete a common recipe based on the identity of the purchased items 20, or items on sale that may be of interest to the customer 38, or other suitable information.
With reference to category (e), the data reading system 10 may consider information relating to the retail establishment in determining whether to suggest add-on items 304, such as suggesting sale items with a reduced price for the current day, promotional items that the retailer wants to promote, seasonal items such as holiday goods or treats, or items related to an upcoming event (e.g., fireworks for Independence Day, chips or soda for an upcoming football game, etc.). With reference to category (f), the data reading system 10 may consider information relating to commonly purchased items the retail establishment in determining whether to suggest add-on items 304. Such items may be of general interest to most customers as opposed to customer-specific items.
At step 208, the data reading system 10 presents to the customer 38 the suggested add-on items 304 identified as potential up-selling or cross-selling opportunities based on the analysis of step 206. The add-on items 304 may be presented via the display 54 along with other suitable information, such as the name of the item, an image of the item, a price for the item, and the available size/count associated with the item. In some embodiments, the display 54 may also notify the customer 38 whether the add-on item 304 is available in store, available online for delivery, or both, and may also provide wait times for delivery of in-store items and projected delivery dates for home-delivered items. Data related to the available inventory for the in-store items may be retrieved by the data reading system 10 from a remote service (e.g., store server) coupled to the data reading system 10 that manages the real-time inventory for the retail store. Data related to the available inventory for potential home-delivered items may be retrieved by the data reading system 10 from a remote service (e.g., cloud server) coupled to the data reading system 10 that manages the real-time inventory for a plurality of retail stores. Such remote inventory may be located in a remote warehouse or another retail location that can fulfill such an order.
At this point, a determination at decision 210 is made by the customer 38 whether there is interest in purchasing one or more of the add-on items 304. If the customer 38 determines not to purchase any of the suggested add-on items 304, decision 210 branches to “NO” branch 212, which bypasses additional product purchasing steps of the method 200. The customer 38 rejects all add-on items 304 by selecting the appropriate icon on the screen 54 or otherwise providing input to the data reading system 10. Upon receiving the user input, at step 214, the data reading system 10 updates the transaction list and presents a payment screen for receiving payment information from the customer 38 for completing the transaction.
On the other hand, if the customer 38 would like to add one or more of the add-on items 304 to the transaction, decision 210 branches to “YES” branch 216, which leads to another decision 218 relating to a delivery option for the add-on item 304. As illustrated in
In some embodiments, the data reading system 10 may present the add-on items 304 to the customer 38 and information relating to expected delivery times both for in-store delivery and/or home delivery for each add-on item 304 depending on which options is available for this transaction. If the customer 38 opts for home delivery for the suggested add-on items 304, decision 218 branches to “HOME DELIVERY” branch 220. The customer 38 may select home delivery for items that are not currently in stock but are otherwise available online for later delivery, or in instances when the customer 38 does not have time or the desire to wait for in-store delivery. At step 222, the data reading system 10 obtains delivery information (e.g., name and mailing address) for the customer 38 for delivering the add-on items 304. The data reading system 10 may receive the information directly from the customer 38 via the screen 54 or may retrieve address information from the loyalty account information associated with the customer 38 to expedite the transaction. In some embodiments, after obtaining the delivery information, the data reading system 10 may display the information and request confirmation by the customer 38. Thereafter, at step 224, the data reading system 10 updates the transaction list with the add-on items 304. At step 226, the data reading system 10 presents a payment screen for receiving payment information from the customer 38 for completing the transaction. Thus, the data reading system 10 of the self-checkout station is configured to complete a single transaction that includes both customer scanned items as well as items (e.g., add-on items 304) for home delivery. The data for the add-on items 304 to be delivered may be transmitted from the data reading system 10 (e.g., via the bi-optic or other scanner, or via the POS system, or via the in-store server) to the remote service that will be tasked with managing the fulfillment of home delivery. Delivery information may be generated in real-time during the transaction and may be returned to the data reader 10. In some embodiments, the data reading system 10 may print a transaction receipt detailing the items 20 purchased in the transaction along with identification of the add-on items 304 for delivery. The receipt may include tracking information, projected delivery date, and/or other delivery information for the customer's reference relating to the add-on items 304.
Returning to decision branch 218, if the customer 38 instead opts for in-store delivery for the suggested add-on items 304, decision 218 branches to “IN-STORE DELIVERY” branch 228. At step 230, the data reading system 10 obtains product information (e.g., name, SKU number, price, and location of the product in-store) from the inventory database 312 for each of the add-on items 304 and sends a request to a store employee 306 (see
In some embodiments, at step 232, the data reading system 10 may obtain the name and/or an image of the customer 38 for identification purposes and to help facilitate the in-store delivery process. In some embodiments, the image of the customer 38 may be obtained in real-time via the camera 56 of the data reading system 10. In other embodiments, the name and image of the customer 38 may be obtained from the customer's loyalty account information. For any age-restricted add-on items 304 (or other items 20 purchased in the transaction) such as alcohol, the data reading system 10 may compare the image obtained via the camera 56 with an image of the customer 38 from a loyalty account to authenticate the user and authorize the purchase. The customer's loyalty account may have previously been pre-authorized for purchase of such age-restricted items based on a verified birthdate or other inspection of an identifier (e.g., driver's license). This pre-authorization may be performed by store personnel to verify the appropriate age for such age-restricted items, with such pre-authorization being linked to the customer's loyalty account or other account so that authorization for the transaction to still be completed in a frictionless manner without store personnel intervention while also complying with any applicable laws that may allow for such pre-authorization. In some embodiments, age-restricted items may trigger an alert to an assisting store personnel (e.g., self-checkout attendant or the store employee 306 fulfilling the request) to verify and authorize purchase of such items.
Once the name and/or image are obtained, the request may be sent along with the product information (described at step 230) so the store employee 306 can identify the customer 38 for in-store delivery. Additional details of an example delivery management system 300 are provided below with reference to
In an example operation of the delivery management system 300, the data reading system 10 communicates product information to the store employee 306 (e.g., via a mobile device or other computing device associated with the employee) identifying the add-on items 304 and their respective location on the shelves 310 of the retail facility 302. Upon receiving the information, the store employee 306 finds and retrieves the add-on items 304 from the shelves 310. Meanwhile, upon completing the transaction at the data reading system 10, the customer 38 moves away from the data reading system 10 toward the designated delivery area 308, which may be near a store exit, customer service area, or other convenient location to facilitate such delivery, to await delivery of the add-on items 304. In some embodiments, the designated delivery area 308 may be separated into individually labeled delivery spaces to streamline and expedite the delivery process. In such embodiments, the data reading system 10 assigns a particular delivery space (e.g., space D) to the customer 38 within the designated delivery area 308 to facilitate the delivery process. The information to the customer 38 may be communicated via the monitor 54 during the checkout process, and may be communicated to the store employee 306 when receiving the product information and the image of the customer 38.
Upon completion of the item retrieval process, the store employee 306 reviews the image of the customer 38 and the information relating to the delivery space where the customer 38 is waiting. The store employee 306 then finds the customer 38 in the designated delivery area 308, compares the image of the customer 38 to the person accepting delivery to ensure the add-on items 304 are properly delivered, and then completes the delivery. Having received delivery of the add-on items 304, the customer 38 may now leave the retail facility 302 with all items in hand. The store employee 306 may thereafter log the completed delivery in the data reading system 10 to complete the transaction.
For embodiments involving a smart shopping cart where the transaction list is updated as the items 20 are inserted into the cart, upsell offers and in-store delivery may occur while the customer 38 is still shopping. In such embodiments, the location of the smart shopping cart may be tracked by an in-store geolocation system and presented to the store employee 306 via the employee's electronic device. Upon receiving the request for in-store delivery of the add-on items 304, the employee's electronic device may display the request as well as the location within the retail facility 302 of the smart shopping cart (and/or the customer's smart phone or other mobile device that may also be provided in some embodiments).
As such, the employee 306 may find the customer 38 wherever the customer 38 is located with the shopping cart to deliver the add-on item 304. The customer's name and/or photo with the request may be additionally helpful to quickly identify and verify the appropriate customer 38. Upon the in-store delivery, the add-on item 304 may be verified as the correct item when placed into the cart and compared to the current transaction list so as to not double count the add-on item 304 when placing the add-on item 304 into the cart. The request may remain active in the queue presented by the employee's electronic device until cleared as being completed. In some embodiments, the employee 306 may manually clear the request by selecting an input indicating that such in-store delivery of the add-on items 304 is complete, or by scanning the add-on items 304 with the employee's electronic device when the delivery occurs. In some embodiments, clearing the request may automatically be completed responsive to the add-on items 304 being placed in the customer's smart shopping cart, which initiates a delivery complete message to the employee's electronic device (e.g., via the network and/or directly via a short-range communication) to clear the request from the queue as being fulfilled.
The smart shopping cart may include an integrated electronic display and/or be connected to a device (e.g., mobile device) having an electronic display for presenting a user interface for the customer 38 to interact with. Through such a user interface, the customer 38 can accept upsell offers, which are added to the transaction and can be fulfilled as described above—including by in store delivery or by home delivery similar to the self-checkout station embodiment described above, but through the user interface associated with the smart shopping cart. In some embodiments, the user interface on the shopping cart may present a store map or otherwise provide guidance to the customer 38 to find the upsell item within the store as opposed to sending the request to one or more employees to fulfill the request.
In the embodiment of
It should be understood that in other embodiments, certain steps described in method 200 of
The terms and descriptions used above are set forth by way of illustration only and are not meant as limitations. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many variations can be made to the details of the above-described embodiments without departing from the underlying principles of the invention.
