Multi-mode point-of-sale device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11138581-B2
Application number	US-201514854701-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2015
Priority date	Jan 10, 2014
Publication date	Oct 5, 2021
Grant date	Oct 5, 2021

Abstract

Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for a cloud-based point-of-sale system and a multi-function point-of-sale (POS) device. In an embodiment, the POS device includes an interactive display that switches between a first position oriented towards and for use by an operating clerk, and a second position oriented towards and for use by a customer. The POS device is able to detect the switch between the first position and the second position. A processor in the POS device outputs a first graphical user interface (GUI) on the interactive display in response to detection of the first position and a second GUI in response to detection of the second position. In an embodiment, the components of the POS device are combined together in a unified assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A point of sale (POS) device, comprising:
an interactive interface of a touch screen configured to receive a selection of one or more items associated with a customer for a purchase while the touch screen is positioned in a first position; and
at least one processor configured to:
detect when the touch screen is positioned in the first position or a second position;
while the touch screen is detected to be positioned in the first position:
receive an input indicating the purchase is to be deferred;
save, responsive to receiving the input, purchase information as a data record associated with a customer data record, wherein the purchase information includes information about the one or more items; and
defer the purchase subsequent to saving the purchase information;

while the touch screen is detected to be positioned in the second position, receive account information associated with the customer;
retrieve the customer data record based on the received account information;
determine at least one of the customer or any of the one or more items requires purchasing approval from a third party based on the customer data record;
in response to receiving an indication that the one or more items have been scanned and based on the determining, attempt to contact the third-party for the purchasing approval prior to receiving a form of payment; and
in response to receiving the purchasing approval from the third-party, accept the purchase of the one or more items;
in response to not receiving the purchasing approval from the third-party, reject the purchase of the one or more items.

2. The POS device of claim 1 , wherein to attempt to contact the third-party for the purchasing approval, the at least one processor is further configured to:
determine whether contact information exists in at least one of a customer data record of the customer, a customer data record of a parent, or a customer data record of the third-party; and
in response to determining that the contact information exists transmit, based on the contact information, a message to the third-party for the purchasing approval.

3. The POS device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
determine that purchasing approval is not received from the third party by performing at least one of:
receiving a message from the third-party rejecting the purchase; or
determining that no message from the third-party is received within a predetermined period of time after attempting to contact the third party.

4. The POS device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
receive an input, wherein the input includes at least one of an identification of the customer or an age of the customer.

5. The POS device of claim 4 , wherein determining that the customer requires the purchasing approval from the third-party, the at least one processor is further configured to:
receive, based on the input, account information associated with the customer; and
determine, based on the account information and the input, that the customer requires the purchasing approval from the third party.

6. The POS device of claim 4 , wherein determining that any of the one or more items requires the purchasing approval from the third-party, the at least one processor is further configured to:
retrieve information associated with the one or more items, wherein the information indicates an age restriction for the one or more items; and
compare the input with the age restriction, wherein if the input indicates an age of the customer that is less than the age restriction, determining that any of the one or more items requires the purchasing approval from the third party.

7. The POS device of claim 1 , wherein determining that any of the one or more items requires the purchasing approval from the third-party, the at least one processor is further configured to:
retrieve information associated with the one or more items, wherein the information indicates a price threshold of the one or more items; and
compare a price of the one or more items with the price threshold, wherein if the price is above the price threshold, determining that any of the one or more items requires the purchasing approval from the third party.

8. The POS device of claim 1 ,
wherein the touch screen is further configured to change position by pivoting between the first and second positions,
wherein when the touch screen is positioned in the first position, the POS device is configured to operate in an input state and when the touch screen is positioned in the second position, the POS device is configured to operate in a purchase state.

9. The POS device of claim 1 wherein the at least one processor is configured further to:
process the selection of one or more items from an inventory provided to the POS device from a server over a network;
during payment processing, enable the customer to pay for the selected one or more items;
transmit a signal to the server indicating the selected item has been purchased, wherein the server is configured to update the inventory based on the signal; and
transition the POS device between the input state and the purchase state based on detected movement of the interactive interface.

10. The POS device of claim 1 , wherein attempting to contact the third-party for the purchasing approval comprises attempting to contact the third-party based on contact information identified within the customer data record.

11. A method for purchase processing by a POS device, comprising:
receiving, by the POS device, a selection of one or more items associated with a customer for a purchase while a touch screen of the POS device is positioned in a first position;
while the touch screen is detected to be positioned in the first position:
receiving an input indicating the purchase is to be deferred;
saving, responsive to receiving the input, purchase information as a data record associated with the customer data record, wherein the purchase information includes information about the one or more items; and
deferring the purchase subsequent to saving the purchase information;

detecting when the touch screen is positioned in the first position or a second position;
while the touch screen is detected to be positioned in the second position, receiving, by the POS device, account information associated with the customer;
retrieving a customer data record based on the received account information;
determining that at least one of the customer or any of the one or more items requires purchasing approval from a third-party based on the customer data record; and
attempting, prior to receiving a form of payment, to contact the third-party for the purchasing approval in response to the determining,
wherein in response to not receiving the purchasing approval from the third-party, rejecting the purchase of the one or more items,
wherein in response to receiving the purchasing approval from the third-party:
transitioning the POS device from an input state to a purchase state.

12. The method of claim 11 , when the POS device is in the input state, further comprising:
determining whether contact information exists in at least one of a customer data record of the customer, a customer data record of a parent, or a customer data record of the third-party; and
transmitting, using the contact information, a message to the third-party for the purchasing approval if the contact information exists.

13. The method of claim 11 , when the POS device is in the input state, further comprising:
receiving an input, wherein the input includes at

Assignees

• Elo Touch Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Fernando Ranil Ignatius
• North Kenneth
• Haller Jeffrey
• Perry Brian D
• Dissanayake Chatura Chamika
• Prasad Ragini Rajendra
• Davis Kim

Classifications

• G07G1/14

  Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit · CPC title

• G06F1/1643

  the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads (details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615) · CPC title

• G06Q20/202 Primary

  Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR · CPC title

• G06F1/1696

  the I/O peripheral being a printing or scanning device · CPC title

• G06F1/1686

  the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera · CPC title