Systems and methods for checking and confirming the purchase of merchandise items

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025390926-A1
Application number	US-202519282572-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 28, 2025
Priority date	Nov 12, 2019
Publication date	Dec 25, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

There are provided systems and methods relating to checking and confirming merchandise purchased at shopping facilities. In one form, the system includes: a shopping cart containing merchandise items to be purchased; a sales transaction database; a point-of-sales system that creates transaction records identified by transaction identifiers; and a mobile device used by an employee that includes a sensor to scan a paper or digital receipt to obtain the transaction identifier and a camera to capture images of the items in the shopping cart. The system also includes a control circuit that receives the transaction identifier, accesses the database using the identifier to determine the purchased items; analyzes the images of the merchandise items in the shopping cart and creates a computer vision receipt listing detected items; compares the purchased items with the detected items; and takes an action if there is a discrepancy.

First claim

1 . (canceled)

2 . A system comprising:
a sales transaction database storing electronic transaction records for sales of items of a retailer, the sales transaction database including a sales transaction corresponding to a purchase of a plurality of items facilitated by a user device operating an application provided by the retailer and operably coupled to the sales transaction database to record the sales transaction at the sales transaction database, wherein the application further causes the user device to display a transaction identifier comprising a computer readable code associated with the sales transaction recorded at the sales transaction database; a network providing operative communication with the sales transaction database; and a device operably coupled to the sales transaction database by the network and configured to:
scan, using a sensor, the transaction identifier displayed on the user device to receive the transaction identifier;
access the sales transaction database via the network using the transaction identifier to determine the plurality of purchased items associated with the sales transaction;
capture, using an image capture device, an image sequence of the plurality of items in a shopping cart;
analyze the image sequence using a computer vision (CV) algorithm to detect each of the plurality of items;
generate a CV receipt including each of the plurality of detected items;
compare the plurality of detected items of the CV receipt and the plurality of purchased items to identify a discrepancy between the plurality of detected items and the plurality of purchased items; and
display an alert to the device.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the alert comprises a list of unpaid items associated with the discrepancy.

4 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the alert comprises images of unpaid items associated with the discrepancy.

5 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the device is further configured to:
activate a warning indicator of the device indicating the discrepancy.

6 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the device is further configured to:
transmit a control signal with instructions for retrieving an unpaid item associated with the discrepancy.

7 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the device is further configured to:
transmit a control signal to a retrieval device of the retailer with instructions for retrieving an unpaid item associated with the discrepancy, wherein the retrieval device is configured to retrieve the unpaid item in response to receiving the control signal.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the retrieval device is an automated vehicle.

9 . A method comprising:
providing a sales transaction database storing electronic transaction records for sales of items of a retailer, the sales transaction database including a sales transaction corresponding to a purchase of a plurality of items facilitated by a user device operating an application provided by the retailer and operably coupled to the sales transaction database to record the sales transaction at the sales transaction database, wherein the application further causes the user device to display a transaction identifier comprising a computer readable code associated with the sales transaction recorded at the sales transaction database; providing a network providing operative communication with the sales transaction database; scanning, by a sensor of a device operably coupled to the sales transaction database by the network, the transaction identifier displayed on the user device to receive the transaction identifier; accessing, by the device, the sales transaction database via the network using the transaction identifier to determine the plurality of purchased items associated with the sales transaction; capturing, by an image capture device of the device, an image sequence of the plurality of items in a shopping cart; analyzing, by the device, the image sequence using a computer vision (CV) algorithm to detect each of the plurality of items; generating, by the device, a CV receipt including each of the plurality of detected items; comparing, by the device, the plurality of detected items of the CV receipt and the plurality of purchased items to identify a discrepancy between the plurality of detected items and the plurality of purchased items; and displaying, by the device, an alert.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the alert comprises a list of unpaid items associated with the discrepancy.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the alert comprises images of unpaid items associated with the discrepancy.

12 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
activating, by the device, a warning indicator of the device indicating the discrepancy.

13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
transmitting, by the device, a control signal with instructions for retrieving an unpaid item associated with the discrepancy.

14 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
transmitting, by the device, a control signal to a retrieval device of the retailer with instructions for retrieving an unpaid item associated with the discrepancy, wherein the retrieval device is configured to retrieve the unpaid item in response to receiving the control signal.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the retrieval device is an automated vehicle.

16 . A device comprising:
a processor operably coupled to a sales transaction database by a network, the sales transaction database storing electronic transaction records for sales of items of a retailer, the sales transaction database including a sales transaction corresponding to a purchase of a plurality of items facilitated by a user device operating an application provided by the retailer and operably coupled to the sales transaction database to record the sales transaction at the sales transaction database, wherein the application further causes the user device to display a transaction identifier comprising a computer readable code associated with the sales transaction recorded at the sales transaction database; a sensor for scanning computer-readable codes; an image capture device; and a computer-readable memory storing instructions operative by the processor to:
scan, using the sensor, the transaction identifier displayed on the user device to receive the transaction identifier;
access the sales transaction database via the network using the transaction identifier to determine the plurality of purchased items associated with the sales transaction;
capture, using the image capture device, an image sequence of the plurality of items in a shopping cart;
analyze the image sequence using a computer vision (CV) algorithm to detect each of the plurality of items;
generate a CV receipt including each of the plurality of detected items;
compare the plurality of detected items of the CV receipt and the plurality of purchased items to identify a discrepancy between the plurality of detected items and the plurality of purchased items; and
display an alert.

17 . The device of claim 16 , wherein the alert comprises a list of unpaid items associated with the discrepancy.

18 . The device of claim 16 , wherein the alert comprises images of unpaid items associated with the discrepancy.

19 . The device of claim 16 , wherein the computer-readable memory further stores instructions operative by the processor to:
activate a warning indicator of the device indicating the discrepancy.

20 . The device of claim 16 , wherein the computer-readable memory furthe

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Xiao Zhichun
• Zhang Lingfeng
• Liu Yao
• Hammer Jon
• Tang Yutao
• Fang Sicong
• Liu Haining
• Sun Yijing
• Yuan Mingquan
• Zhang Shouyi
• Yu Pingjian
• Reagan Ryan B
• Mao Tianyi
• Susseelaa Shangeetha Ravichandran
• Wang Zhenyu
• Zhu Feiyun

Classifications

• G06Q30/0633

  Managing shopping lists, e.g. compiling or processing purchase lists (shipping orders G06Q10/083; order filling G06Q10/087) · CPC title

• G06Q20/209

  Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output · CPC title

• G06N3/0464

  Convolutional networks [CNN, ConvNet] · CPC title

• G06N3/045

  Combinations of networks · CPC title

• G06Q20/047

  using payment protocols involving electronic receipts · CPC title