Radio-frequency-identification-based checkout process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11288652-B1
Application number	US-202017085644-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 30, 2020
Priority date	Oct 30, 2020
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

A method includes scanning, by a checkout station, a plurality of items and determining, by the checkout station, a total price for the plurality of items. Each item of the plurality of items is coupled to a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag that identifies that item. The method also includes detecting, by an RFID scanner of a centralized payment station, one or more of the RFID tags of the plurality of items moving within a threshold distance of the centralized payment station and retrieving, by a hardware processor of the centralized payment station and based on the detected one or more RFID tags, the total price. The method further includes processing, by the hardware processor, a payment in satisfaction of the total price.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
scanning, by one or more checkout stations, a first plurality of items and a second plurality of items;
determining, by the one or more checkout stations, a first total price for the first plurality of items and a second total price for the second plurality of items, each item of the first plurality of items and the second plurality of items coupled to a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag that identifies that item;
generating a first order identifying the RFID tags coupled to the first plurality of items and a second order identifying the RFID tags coupled to the second plurality of items;
storing the first order, the first total price, the second order, and the second total price in a database;
detecting, by an RFID scanner of a centralized payment station, one or more of the RFID tags of the first plurality of items moving within a threshold distance of the centralized payment station;
retrieving, by a hardware processor of the centralized payment station, from the database, and based on the detected one or more RFID tags, the first order and the second order;
in response to retrieving the first order and the second order from the database, requesting that additional items of the first plurality of items be moved within the threshold distance of the centralized payment station;
detecting, by the RFID scanner, the RFID tags coupled to the additional items moving within the threshold distance;
determining, based on the RFID scanner detecting the RFID tags coupled to the additional items moving within the threshold distance, that the first order rather than the second order is being presented for payment;
selecting, by the hardware processor, the first total price rather than the second total price in response to determining that the first order is being presented for payment; and
processing, by the hardware processor, a payment in satisfaction of the first total price.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more of the RFID tags is fewer than the first plurality of items.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein requesting that the additional items be moved within the threshold distance comprises displaying a message requesting that the additional items be moved towards the centralized payment station.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising communicating, by the hardware processor, an alert if the first total price is not paid within a threshold period of time.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising increasing, by the hardware processor, the threshold period of time based on a number of users who are waiting for the centralized payment station.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting, by an RFID scanner of a gate, the one or more of the RFID tags of the first plurality of items moving within a threshold distance of the gate;
receiving, in response to communicating the detected one or more RFID tags, an indication that the first plurality of items have been paid for; and
opening the gate in response to the indication.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the payment is made using one or more of a bill receiver and a coin receiver of the centralized payment station.

8. A system comprising:
one or more checkout stations configured to:
scan a first plurality of items and a second plurality of items;
determine a first total price for the first plurality of items and a second total price for the second plurality of items, each item of the first plurality of items and the second plurality of items coupled to an RFID tag that identifies that item;
generate a first order identifying the RFID tags coupled to the first plurality of items and a second order identifying the RFID tags coupled to the second plurality of items; and
store the first order, the first total price, the second order, and the second total price in a database;

a centralized payment station comprising:
an RFID scanner configured to detect one or more of the RFID tags of the first plurality of items moving within a threshold distance of the centralized payment station; and
a hardware processor configured to:
retrieve, from the database and based on the detected one or more RFID tags, the first order and the second order;
in response to retrieving the first order and the second order from the database, request that additional items of the first plurality of items be moved within the threshold distance of the centralized payment station, wherein the RFID scanner is further configured to the RFID tags coupled to the additional items moving within the threshold distance;
determine, based on the RFID scanner detecting the RFID tags coupled to the additional items moving within the threshold distance, that the first order rather than the second order is being presented for payment;
select the first total price rather than the second total price in response to determining that the first order is being presented for payment; and
process a payment in satisfaction of the first total price.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more of the RFID tags is fewer than the first plurality of items.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein requesting that the additional items be moved within the threshold distance comprises displaying a message requesting that the additional items be moved towards the centralized payment station.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to communicate an alert if the first total price is not paid within a threshold period of time.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to increase the threshold period of time based on a number of users who are waiting for the centralized payment station.

13. The system of claim 8 , further comprising:
a gate; and
an RFID scanner of the gate configured to detect the one or more of the RFID tags of the first plurality of items moving within a threshold distance of the gate, wherein the gate is configured to receive, in response to communicating the detected one or more RFID tags, an indication that the first plurality of items have been paid for and to open in response to the indication.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the centralized payment station further comprises a bill receiver and a coin receiver and wherein the payment is made using one or more of the bill receiver and the coin receiver.

15. A payment station comprising:
an RFID scanner configured to detect one or more RFID tags of a first plurality of items moving within a threshold distance of a centralized payment station;
a hardware processor configured to: to
retrieve, from a database and based on the detected one or more RFID tags, a first order and a second order, wherein the first order identifies RFID tags coupled to the first plurality of items and the second order identifies RFID tags coupled to a second plurality of items;
in response to retrieving the first order and the second order from the database, request that additional items of the first plurality of items be moved within the threshold distance of the centralized payment station, wherein the RFID scanner is further configured to the RFID tags coupled to the additional items moving within the threshold distance;
determine, based on the RFID scanner detecting the RFID tags coupled to the additional items moving within the threshold distance, that the first order rather than the second order is being presented for payment;
select a first total price of the first order rather than a second total price of the second order in response to determining that the first order is being p

Assignees

• Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corp

Inventors

• Steiner David
• Wood Kimberly
• Crockett Timothy W
• Figueroa Jose R
• Bleakley Suzanne M

Classifications

• G06Q20/208 Primary

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

• G07G1/009

  the reader being an RFID reader · CPC title

• G07G1/14

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

• G08B13/246

  Check out systems combined with EAS, e.g. price information stored on EAS tag (anti-theft systems in point of sale systems G07G3/003) · CPC title