Abstract:
In a retail self-checkout system, a customer places an item to be purchased into an itemization area. The system identifies the item by using an item detector/scanner or, alternatively, through a customer input at a touchscreen display or other suitable device. The system then determines whether the item satisfies predetermined security criteria to ensure that the item in the itemization area is in fact the identified item. If the item satisfies the security criteria, the system deactivates a security tag affixed to the item to be purchase. If the item fails to satisfy the security criteria, an alarm summons store personnel to provide human intervention in the self-checkout process.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to improvements in retail checkout terminals, and more particularly to advantageous aspects of an apparatus and method for deactivating electronic article surveillance in a retail self-checkout terminal. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     It is becoming increasingly common for purchasers of consumer goods to pay for the goods without the need for a human cashier. For example, motorists frequently purchase gasoline at self-service stations by inserting a credit card directly into a card reader on the pumping station. Such operation has a number of advantages. First, this arrangement saves on the number of persons required to maintain and run a business establishment. Second, it decreases the incidence of employee mistake or dishonesty. Third, the customer perceives that it decreases the amount of time required to complete a typical transaction. 
     It would be desirable to extend the self-checkout concept to include general retail merchandise. However, in such an environment, there would be an increased concern about theft and errors in the checkout process. In present retail security systems, it is known to affix an electronic article surveillance (EAS) tag onto a retail item which triggers an alarm at the store exit if the tag is not deactivated. However, currently used security systems cannot be used in a self-checkout system because the current systems require a human cashier to ensure that the item has been properly paid for before the EAS tag is deactivated. Thus, there is a need for a security system that can be used in conjunction with a self-checkout terminal. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention advantageously provides a retail self-checkout system and improvements thereto, as described in greater detail below. In a system according to the present invention, the items to be purchased are placed into an itemization area. An item detector detects the presence of the item in the itemization area, and a security checking system determines whether the item satisfies predetermined security criteria. If the item satisfies the security criteria, a deactivator deactivates an EAS security tag affixed on the item to be purchased. 
     Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows a diagram of a self-checkout system according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of a first mode of operation for the system shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of a second mode of operation for the system shown in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 shows a perspective view a packaged item suitable for checkout according to the FIG. 3 mode of operation. 
     FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of a method according to the present invention for ensuring that an item has been properly itemized before deactivation of the EAS security tag. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention provides a self-checkout system in which EAS tags affixed on articles to be purchased are automatically deactivated as part of a secure checkout process. FIG. 1 shows a diagram of a preferred embodiment of a self-checkout system  10  according to the present invention. System  10  includes a stand-alone unit  12  that is positioned in a retail store, proximate to the store exit. The stand-alone unit is controlled by a local system computer  14 , which is connected into a network comprising network server computer  16  and other network computers  18 . The server computer  16  includes a database  20 , containing product and pricing information. 
     The system includes a touch-screen display  24 . In the present embodiment, touch-screen display  24  receives input from, and provides output to, a retail customer. However, it would be possible to practice the present invention with other input and output devices known in the art. The system further includes an ATM/credit card reader  26 , a cash acceptor  28 , a keyboard input  30 , a printer  32 , and a speaker  34 . In addition, the system includes an itemization area  36  for receiving the retail items to be purchased. In the present embodiment, the itemization area  36  is enclosed on three sides and the bottom, with the front and top open. Alternative embodiments are possible. For example, the itemization area  36  can be defined by rails or other framing arrangement. Preferably, the itemization area  36  should be defined in such a way that it facilitates the correct placement of the article to be checked out in the itemization area  36  by the purchaser. Also, the itemization area  36  may be enclosed to prevent the customer from interfering with the checkout process. Further, if desired, automated or semi-automated means can be provided for moving the article to be purchased into and out of the itemization area  36 . This could, for example, be provided by a conveyor belt arrangement. 
     Each retail item is detected and scanned by item detector/scanner  38 , which is located proximate to the itemization area  36 . Item detector/scanner  38  reads a bar code or other mark either printed on or affixed to the article to be purchased, which allows the article to be identified for checkout purposes. As discussed below, however, it is also possible to practice the present invention with retail items that do not have scannable bar codes. An EAS deactivator  42  is provided to deactivate an EAS tag affixed to the retail item after the item has passed a security check, described below. After the EAS tag has been deactivated, the item is moved to an itemized area  44  for bagging. Stand-alone unit  12  also includes an alarm  46  for summoning store personnel, as required. In the present embodiment of the invention, the alarm comprises a three-color light mounted on top of a pole. In normal operation, the light is green. If it appears that intervention may soon be necessary, the light is flashing yellow. Finally, if intervention is required immediately, the light is flashing red. 
     FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of one mode of operation  48  for the system shown in FIG.  1 . It is contemplated that this mode will be used for itemizing articles that are not provided with scannable bar codes, for example, produce items. In the first step  50 , the retail customer is prompted by touch-screen display  24  to initiate the self-checkout process by swiping a credit card or ATM card through ATM/credit card reader  26  or pressing a key on the touch-screen display  24 . As shown in step  52 , all of the items the customer wishes to purchase are added to the transaction (i.e. itemized) by selecting the item from a list on the touch-screen display  24 . Each item is subject to a security check in step  54 , described in greater detail below. If the system detects a breach in security, it summons a cashier in step  56  by means of alarm  46  to provide assistance. If the item passes the security check, its EAS surveillance tag is deactivated by EAS deactivator  42  in step  58  and the item is moved to the itemized area  44  for bagging in step  60 . 
     Itemization continues until the system determines in step  62  that the customer has placed all the items to be purchased into the itemization area and has identified by making the appropriate input at the touch-display. If no human intervention is necessary for the transaction, then in step  64  the customer can proceed to complete the transaction by authorizing payment on a credit or debit card, or by inserting cash into cash acceptor  28 . If desired, the system can be configured without cash acceptor  28 . 
     FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of a second mode of operation  66  for the present invention, for use in itemizing articles that are provided with scannable bar codes. FIG. 4 shows an exemplary packaged item  84  to be processed by this second mode of operation. As shown in FIG. 4, the item includes an EAS tag  86  affixed to one side and a bar code or other identifying mark  88  printed on, or affixed to, another side. When the item is properly placed into the itemization area of the self-checkout system, the EAS tag  86  is immediately proximate to the deactivator  42 , and the identifying mark  88  is immediately proximate to the item detector  38 . It will be appreciated that any number of configurations are possible for the relative positions of the EAS tag  86  and the identifying mark  88 . 
     Returning to FIG. 3, the self-checkout process in the second mode of operation  66  is commenced in step  68  by placing an item in the itemization area where its bar code scanned by item detector/scanner  38 . Alternatively, the self-checkout process can be commenced by pressing a key on the touch-screen display  20 . Instead of entering information on the touch-screen display, each item is itemized directly by bar codes as each item is placed in the itemization area  36 . The remaining steps in this mode of operation are similar to those in the earlier mode. In step  70 , the system performs a security check to determine whether the proper item has been scanned. If the system determines that the proper item has not been scanned, then the system summons store personnel in step  72 . In step  74 , if the item passes the security check, the EAS security tag is deactivated and, in step  76 , the item is moved into the itemized area for bagging. In step  78 , the system determines whether there are additional items to be scanned. If there are, the next item is scanned in step  80 . The system continues to scan items until it is determined in step  78  that there are no more items to be scanned. When there are no more items, the system receives payment in step  80 . 
     In both modes of operation, a security check is provided to ensure that the correct item has been itemized, whether the item has been itemized by an input at the touch-screen display or by scanning of a bar code. One embodiment of the present invention uses weight information in performing this function. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of this method  90 . 
     In step  92 , the first item is itemized. i.e., added to the customer&#39;s checkout list. either by scanning a bar code or by receiving input from the customer at touch-screen display  24 . In step  94 , the itemized item is weighed. As shown in FIG. 1, the itemization area  36  sits atop a scale  40  for this purpose. In step  96 , the measured weight of the item is compared with a predetermined, known weight of the item, which in FIG. 1 is stored in the server computer  16  in database  20 . Alternatively, the measured weight of the itemized item can be compared with the weight of other items in the same transaction or previous transactions, to determine whether the weight is appropriate for the merchandise that has been itemized. If the same item is scanned more than one in a transaction, the system determines whether the weights for the item are approximately the same. 
     In step  98  of FIG. 2, if the system determines that the merchandise that was purchased matches the merchandise placed in the itemization area, then the system will activate the EAS deactivator  42 . The item will then be moved into the itemized area  44  for bagging. As discussed above, one way of accomplishing this is to provide an automatic conveyor belt that would position that item in the itemization area and then carry it away once the EAS tag has been deactivated. In another embodiment, the customer manually moves the item from the itemization area to the itemized area, prompted as necessary by touch-screen display  24  and speaker  34 . The system then returns to step  92  and repeats the process for the next item. 
     If the system determines that the merchandise that was purchased does not match the merchandise placed in the itemization area, then in step  100  the system will note that a transgression in security has occurred, and in step  102  the security module will use predetermined security thresholds to determine whether intervention by a cashier will be required before the transaction can be completed. If cashier intervention is required, then the cashier is summoned in step  104 . In such a case, a local error message can be displayed to alert the purchaser of the problem. In addition, an audio cue can be provided to the customer at speaker  34 . Store personnel are summoned to the site by alarm  46 . If cashier intervention is not required, the system returns to step  92  to repeat the process for the next item. 
     While the foregoing description includes detail which will enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, it should be recognized that the description is illustrative in nature and that many modifications and variations thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of these teachings. It is accordingly intended that the invention herein be defined solely by the claims appended hereto and that the claims be interpreted as broadly as permitted by the prior art.