Systems and methods for sorting mechanisms at a terminal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10632504-B2
Application number	US-201715850823-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2017
Priority date	Dec 21, 2016
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses are provided for sorting mechanisms at a POS terminal. A POS terminal in a secondary mode of operation, receives input of categories. Information of items received by the POS terminal is used to sort the items into the categories.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sorting system comprising:
a point-of-sale (POS) terminal having a processor and a scanner;
a detachable electromechanical apparatus operatively coupled to the POS terminal and comprising:
a diverter controllable by the POS terminal, the diverter having an arm;
a conveyor belt detachably disposed between the POS terminal and the diverter; and
at least two sectors extending distally from the diverter;

wherein the POS terminal is configured to:
operate in a secondary mode of operation in response to receiving a first input from a user wherein the secondary mode of operation is sorting and the secondary mode of operation disables the primary mode of operation as a POS terminal,
receive a second input from the user indicating categories,
read data, via the scanner, from machine readable identifiers associated with items;
determine using an identification module to which of the categories the items correspond, and
send signals to the electromechanical apparatus to automatically operate the electromechanical apparatus to cause mechanical movement of the arm of the diverter based on the determining,
wherein the mechanical movement of the arm of the diverter physically sorts the items.

2. The system of claim 1 , the POS terminal automatically moves the arm of the diverter in a first direction if an item is determined to correspond to a first one of the categories, and the POS terminal automatically moves the arm of the diverter in a second direction if the item is determined to correspond to a second one of the categories; and
wherein the arm of the diverter directs the items to one of the at least two sectors.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the conveyor belt is configured to move the items towards the diverter, and the diverter is disposed at a slope causing the items to travel toward the at least two sectors.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein categories indicate a type of item or a location of the items in a facility.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a database in communication with the terminal, the database storing information related to the items stored in a facility.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the terminal is unable to perform in operations associated with a primary mode of operation while in the secondary mode of operation.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least two sectors is a conveyor belt.

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Jones Nicholaus Adam
• Jones Matthew Allen
• Taylor Robert James
• Vasgaard Aaron

Classifications

• B07C5/362 Primary

  Separating or distributor mechanisms (switches for postal sorting B07C3/065; particular discharging devices for B65G47/74) · CPC title

• B07C5/3412 Primary

  according to a code applied to the object which indicates a property of the object, e.g. quality class, contents or incorrect indication (sorting according to size measured by light-responsive means B07C5/10; sorting according to optical properties B07C5/342; for packages B65D79/02; for information carriers G06K7/00) · CPC title

• A47F9/047 Primary

  for recording self-service articles without cashier or assistant · CPC title

• G06Q20/208

  Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing · CPC title

• G06Q20/00

  Payment architectures, schemes or protocols (apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12) · CPC title