Patent Publication Number: US-2012041845-A1

Title: System and method for enabling customers to perform self check-out procedures in a retail setting

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     The present disclosure relates generally to retail purchases, and more particularly, to systems and methods for allowing a customer to utilize a portable electronic device to purchase products using a self check-out procedure. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Portable digital devices are now common. Examples include various Windows™ Pocket PC devices which have an operating system created by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. Other examples include various mobile phone devices including many that have built-in cameras, scanning devices, and other types of imaging devices. Still other portable digital devices include portable media players from Creative Media of Singapore, Samsung of South Korea, Archos, Inc. of Irvine, Calif. and Apple Computers, Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. Additionally, Sony of New York and Japan manufacture a portable game playing device called the Sony PSP™ (PlayStation Portable). 
     Increasingly, many of these portable media devices include means of transmitting and receiving digital data. Various communications technologies are frequently built into these devices. Examples of portable communicating devices include mobile phones which employ GSM, CDMA, W-CDMA, and FOMA technology, among other standards, to send and receive data in addition to handling voice communications. Many of the portable media devices also include transmission capabilities including WiFi (IEEE 802.11a, b, g and x among others), Bluetooth, infrared, etc. to allow the user to transmit and receive digital data over relatively short distances. The Sony PSP™ device, for example, includes Wi-Fi (i.e., IEEE 802.11b) to transmit and receive digital data. 
     SUMMARY 
     Systems and methods are provided for enabling a customer to perform a self check-out routine when purchasing goods or services. In one embodiment, a software program, which is stored on a computer-readable medium and configured to be executed by a processing device, is provided. The software program includes logic adapted to enable a user of a portable customer device to utilize the portable customer device to scan a code associated with a product. The software program also includes logic adapted to enable the user to add the product to an electronic shopping cart and logic adapted to instruct the user to physically add the product to a physical cart. 
     In some embodiments, a retail system may comprise a retailer device and a receipt verification device in communication with the retailer device. The retailer device may be associated with a business that allows a customer to purchase goods or services. The retailer device comprises, among other things, a receiver and a processor. The receiver is configured to receive signals from a portable customer device associated with the customer, the signals related to a list of items to be purchased by the customer. The processor may be configured to coordinate with the portable customer device to complete a purchase of the listed items. The processor is further configured to create an electronic receipt containing information of the purchase and create a transaction code corresponding to the electronic receipt. The receipt verification device comprises an input device configured to enable store personnel to obtain the transaction code and a display device configured to display an electronic receipt corresponding to the obtained transaction code. 
     According to various methods of the present disclosure, one embodiment of a method includes the step of coordinating with a customer using a portable customer device to perform a self check-out procedure for making a purchase from a retail establishment offering merchandise for sale. The method also includes creating an electronic receipt summarizing the purchase and a transaction code to be associated with the electronic receipt. The method includes the steps of enabling store personnel to obtain the transaction code from the customer and displaying an electronic receipt associated with the obtained transaction code to allow the store personnel to compare the merchandise listed on the electronic receipt with merchandise that the customer is taking from the retail establishment. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent in light of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1A  is a front view of a portable electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 1B  is a rear view of the portable electronic device of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of various modules included in the portable electronic device illustrated in  FIG. 1  according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram of a system enabling communication among a number of components; 
         FIG. 4  is a diagram of a retail system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 5  is a flow diagram illustrating a method for presenting instructions regarding a self check-out procedure; 
         FIGS. 6A and 6B  collectively illustrate a flow diagram of a method for utilizing a portable customer device to perform a self check-out procedure according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 7A  is a flow diagram illustrating a method for performing a self check-out procedure according to various embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 7B  is a flow diagram illustrating a method for handling requests to view product information; 
         FIG. 7C  is a flow diagram illustrating a method for handling requests to view prior electronic receipts; and 
         FIG. 8  is a flow diagram illustrating a method for verifying a retail purchase according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail to avoid obscuring the present disclosure in unnecessary detail. 
     Systems and methods for enabling self check-out procedures in a retail environment are provided. The systems and methods allow a user to purchase items in a retail establishment using a self check-out procedure without the assistance of store personnel. Generally, the self check-out procedure in accordance with the embodiments described in the present disclosure involves enabling a customer to utilize his or her own portable electronic device to select items for purchase and coordinate with a retailer device to finalize a financial transaction to pay for the items being purchased. One advantage of self check-out procedures is that a retailer may hire fewer employees to conduct the check-out procedures on behalf of the customers, thereby saving employment costs. Another advantage is that it may often be quicker for customers to perform the check-out procedures themselves without waiting in lines for available store personnel to check them out. 
     In operation of the systems and methods of the present disclosure, a customer using his or her own portable electronic device may select one or more products (e.g., by scanning barcodes or other symbology associated with the respective products). The scanning process identifies the merchandise as something that the customer wishes to purchase. According to various implementations in which a customer does not have a portable digital device with scanning capabilities, the store may offer portable self-scanning terminals that the customers may use to identify products that he or she may wish to purchase from the retail establishment. The self-scanning device may be a Motorola/Symbol Technologies MC17 Portable Self-scanning Terminal. In some embodiments, the store may offer one or more kiosks that may be used for self check-out. Kiosk systems are available from Motorola/Symbol Technologies, among other companies. 
     Several technology solutions are available to enable a customer to select merchandise. One such solution may be a device containing a charge couple device (CCD) or camera, where the user may scan or take a picture of a barcode placed on or associated with a product. Portable devices (e.g., IPhone from Apple, Android from HTC, etc.) may include decoding software to be used to decode the scanned barcode symbology. Another solution may be a device containing a user interface allowing user keyboard input, where the user may input the name of the item into the portable device. The portable device may contain voice recognition software, where the user may speak the name of the product into the portable device. In a further embodiment, the merchandise may contain Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags used to identify the product to a reader device. Furthermore, if the portable device contains an image capture device (e.g., a camera) and character recognition software, the user may take a picture of the product and the character recognition software may be used to decode the image and/or name of the product. 
     According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, various portable devices already owned by many customers can be enhanced with software applications to enable a self check-out procedure at a retail establishment without the need for either a store kiosk or a store-provided scanner. One advantage for the retailer, among others, is that the customers use their own personal devices and the retailer does not need to buy, maintain, repair and/or replace specialized check-out devices. An advantage to the customers is that they may already be familiar with their own devices, as opposed their likely unfamiliarity with the store&#39;s scanning devices. Another advantage for the customer when he or she is already carrying the portable electronic device is that he or she does not need to hassle with the process of being issued a store device. The customers may also benefit from these systems and methods by not being required to carry credit and/or debit cards, because information for one or more financial accounts may be stored in the customer&#39;s device and accessed as needed to complete a purchase. 
     The portable electronic device may use any suitable communications protocols including but not limited to WiFi (a, b, c d, n, x), cellular communications such as GSM, CDMA, FOMA, etc., infrared communications, cabled communications, Bluetooth communications, satellite communications, etc. In the environment of a retail establishment, the portable device may simply utilize short range communication protocols for communicating with a computer located within or near the retail establishment. When the customer is finished shopping and is ready to check out, the customer may use the self check-out procedures as described in the present disclosure. 
     An issue that may arise with respect to self check-out procedures is the matter of security. When a customer is allowed to self check-out, the retail establishment usually wants to know whether or not the customer has accurately accounted for every retail item and is being charged for the items being carried out of the store. If the customer fails to account for one or more items, either by intention or inadvertently, the retailer might not be properly paid for the items. 
     In some environments, a paper receipt is printed for the customer. When the customer is preparing to exit the store with merchandise, a store employee may be assigned to compare the paper receipt with the merchandise to make sure the items on the receipt matches the item being taken from the store. One disadvantage of this procedure is that it relies on a paper receipt being generated, which cannot be generated by typical portable devices (e.g., cellular phones), thereby complicating the self check-out procedure using the portable electronic device. Another disadvantage is that a paper receipt can easily be lost, which may make the process of returning merchandise more difficult. Also, a paper receipt may be easily tampered with to mislead retail personnel. 
     To solve the issues that may arise with security for self check-out and issues involving paper receipts, the embodiments of systems and methods of the present disclosure provide electronic receipts that may be stored in a database. Also, these electronic receipts may be displayed on a receipt verification device within the retail store. Security personnel may be trained to compare the electronic receipt displayed on the receipt verification device with the products that the customer is carrying out of the store to determine if there are any discrepancies. The security personnel may be positioned at the exit of the store or at some other strategic location to verify the match between receipts and merchandise being removed from the store. Advantages of electronic receipts are that they are not easily lost and may be easily retrieved by electronic means. Also, the purchases summarized on electronic receipts may be easily converted for use by accounting programs, such as Microsoft Money, Quicken, TurboTax, etc. 
       FIG. 1A  shows an embodiment of a portable electronic device  100  for receiving and transmitting wireless communication signals. In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, the portable electronic device  100  includes various electrical components, which will be described in detail below, disposed in a generally rectangular housing  102 . A display module  104  is provided for displaying video and image media content, such as movies, animations, etc. A speaker  116  is provided for producing audio, e.g., music or a soundtrack associated with a video. An audio port  118  may be configured to receive a plug or connector from a headphone, stereo system, etc., to stream the audio to the connected device. It is to be appreciated that when an external device is connected to the audio port  118 , the speaker  116  may be disabled. Input module  106  includes a plurality of buttons  108  for inputting data and navigating through a plurality of menus. A touch screen overlaid upon the display module  104  may also be coupled to the input module for facilitating user input. The portable electronic device  100  further includes a storage module  110  for storing a plurality of content and a transmission module  112  for transmitting/receiving data and/or content to another device, e.g., a personal computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a server residing on the Internet, etc. Optionally, the portable electronic device  100  may include a microphone  114  for acquiring audio from the user of the device to input data. In some embodiments, the portable electronic device  100  may include a scanning device (not shown). 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the various components of the device  100  will now be described. In this embodiment, the device  100  contains a computer processing module  120  (e.g., a microprocessor). The computer processing module  120  may use computer software instructions that have been programmed into the module and conventional computer processing power to interact and organize the traffic flow between the various other modules. It is to be understood that the present disclosure may be implemented in various forms of hardware, software, firmware, special purpose processors, or a combination thereof. A system bus  121  couples the various components shown in  FIG. 2  and may be any of several types of bus structures including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. The device  100  also includes an operating system and micro instruction code preferably residing in read only memory (ROM) (not shown). The various processes and functions described herein may either be part of the micro instruction code or part of an application program (or a combination thereof) which is executed via the operating system. Exemplary operating systems include but are limited to SymbianOS, Windows Mobile/Windows CE, Palm OS, Linux, Blackberry OS, Android OS, BREW, etc., which have been developed for mobile computing applications and can handle both data computing and communication applications, e.g., voice communications. 
     It is to be further understood that because some of the constituent device components and method steps depicted in the accompanying figures may be implemented in software, the actual connections between the device components (or the process steps) may differ depending upon the manner in which the present disclosure is programmed. Given the teachings of the present disclosure provided herein, one of ordinary skill in the related art will be able to contemplate these and similar implementations or configurations of the present disclosure. 
     The computer processing module  120  may further include, in addition to a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP) for decoding stored audio, video and photo files to be played on the portable electronic device  100 . As is known in the art, the DSP may include several known decompression algorithms for decompressing stored media content, e.g., a MP3 file. The device  100  of the present disclosure is configured to support various file types including but not limited to Microsoft Windows Media Video files (.wmv), Microsoft Photo Story files (.asf), Microsoft Windows Media Audio files (.wma), MP3 audio files (.mp3), JPEG image files (.jpg, .jpeg, .jpe, .jfif), MPEG movie files (.mpeg, .mpg, .mpe, .m1v, .mp2v .mpeg2), Microsoft Recorded TV Show files (.dvr-ms), Microsoft Windows Video files (.avi) and Microsoft Windows Audio files (.wav). 
     The device  100  also contains a display module  104  for displaying digital information such as video files, image files, text files, etc. The display module  104  (and any corresponding display devices) may be configured in any suitable form, including, for example, Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD), Light emitting diode displays (LED), Cathode Ray Tube Displays (CRT) or any other type of display currently existing or existing in the future. The display module  104  may also include an audio output device, e.g., a speaker  116 , audio port  118 , etc., allowing the user to also hear audio output from the device  100 , e.g., audio associated with a video, a MP3 file, etc. 
     The device  100  of the present disclosure contains a user input module  106  to either receive user instructions via text input by the way of buttons  108 , a standard keyboard interface coupled to the device, or a character recognition capture device which translates user text input into alphanumeric characters. Preferably, the character recognition device is a touch screen which overlays the display module  104  and text may be entered via a pen-like stylus. Such input devices are standard and currently available on many electronic devices including portable digital assistants (PDAs) and cellular telephones. Optionally, microphone  114  may be further coupled to the input module  106  for capturing any audio information spoken by the user and the input module may further include an analog-to-digital (ND) converter for converting the spoken audio information into a digital format. Furthermore, the input module may include a voice recognition processor that translates the digital human voice into alpha numeric characters for user input. The user may utilize the user input module  106  to enter various data, for example, to add or remove merchandise from a virtual shopping cart, requesting information about merchandise, requesting to view a prior electronic receipt, etc. 
     The storage module  110  includes internal storage memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM)) or removable memory (e.g., magnetic storage memory), optical storage memory (e.g., various types of CD and DVD media), solid-state storage memory (e.g., a CompactFlash card, a Memory Stick, SmartMedia card, MultiMediaCard (MMC), SD (Secure Digital) memory, etc.), or any other memory storage that exists currently or will exist in the future. 
     The transmission module  112  enables the device  100  to transmit or transfer information to other computing devices and to receive information from other computing devices, e.g., digital media files, codes to unlock downloaded media, encryption/decryption keys, etc. The transmission module  112  may perform its functionality by hardwired and/or wireless connectivity. The hardwire connection may include but is not limited to hard wire cabling, e.g., parallel or serial cables, USB cable, Firewire (1394 connectivity) cables, etc., and the appropriate ports. Wireless connections may operate under any various wireless protocols including but not limited to Bluetooth™ interconnectivity, infrared connectivity, radio transmission connectivity including computer digital signal broadcasting and reception commonly referred to as Wi-Fi or 802.11.X (where x denotes the type of transmission), satellite transmission or any other type of communication protocols or systems currently existing or to be developed for wirelessly transmitting data. The transmission module  112  may compress and encode the encrypted information for transmission using any suitable wireless communication technology. In one embodiment, antenna ANT is coupled to the transmission module  112  for extending the wireless transmission range of the device  100 . 
     A capture module  122  may be provided to capture an image desired by the user in digital form, e.g., an image of a product, a barcode, etc. The capture module  122  includes an image sensor, an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter and a digital signal processor (DSP). Referring to  FIG. 1B , when a user desires to capture an image, a lens  137  disposed on a rear or front side of the device is aimed at a subject of the image and is used in conjunction with display module  104  for positioning a subject of the image in lieu of a viewfinder. Light is allowed to enter through the lens  137  and shine on the image sensor, e.g., a charge-coupled device (CCD) or complimentary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS). The image sensor includes preferably millions of photosensors, e.g., pixels, wherein each pixel absorbs the light and transforms the light into an electric charge proportional to the intensity of light. Each charge is transmitted to an A/D converter where the charge is converted into a digital value representing the color the pixel will be, e.g., representing different intensities of red, green and blue. The digital values are then passed to the digital signal processor which enhances the image, compresses it and then stores it in a digital file format in the storage module  110 . 
     In other embodiments, the device  100  further includes an integrated scanning module  124  for scanning a symbology (e.g., a barcode) on a product. The scanning module  124  may contain a light source, e.g., LED, and a photocell coupled to the computer processing module  120 , or alternatively, includes a separate decoder engine that decodes the data received by the photocell before sending it to the computer processing module  120 . Knowledge of the art reveals that many different types of scanners currently exist and the inventor realizes that the type of scanner would depend upon the type of symbology that is utilized in the printed images. The symbology may be in any form currently practiced in the art including barcodes (e.g., UPC, EAN, PDF417, etc.), photosymbols, standard or specialized text, etc., or any future type of symbology. 
     It is to be appreciated that the capture module  122  may also be used in conjunction with the scanning module  124  to read symbology associated with a product. Here, the capture module  122  acquires an image of the symbology and the scanning module  124  may further include a digital signal processor executing an algorithm for deciphering or decoding the symbology from the captured image. The use of an image sensor to read symbology, e.g., a barcode, is known in the art and systems employing such technology are commercially available from Symbol Technologies of New York and Neomedia of Georgia. 
     The device  100  may also include an encryption module  126 . The encryption module  126  may be configured to use conventional code encryption algorithms currently in use or that will be in use in the future such as symmetric-key algorithms, e.g., DES, Triple-DES, Blowfish, RC2, RC4, RC5, etc, and asymmetric-key algorithms, e.g., Diffie-Hellman, RSA, ElGamal, etc., to decrypt locked digital media content files that are stored in the storage module  110 . The encryption module  126  may also encrypt payment information of a user before the payment information is transmitted to another device or server. 
     Furthermore, the device  100  includes a date and time module  128 . The date and time module  128  may use standard computer chip processing technology widely in use, e.g., a crystal, or alternatively, input from a GPS receiver, or remote server to supply the date and time. 
     In one embodiment, the device  100  according to the principles of the present disclosure may be embodied as a mobile phone including the modules and architecture illustrated in  FIG. 2 . In this embodiment, microphone  106  is further coupled to a communication module  130  for encoding a user&#39;s speech to be transmitted via antenna ANT using CDMA, PCS, GSM or any other known wireless communication technology. The user may enter phone numbers to be dialed via the touch screen, or alternatively, as is known in the mobile phone art, the device  100  may include a full QWERTY keyboard as an input module to enter text information. In addition to producing audio from audio or multimedia content, speaker  116  may be coupled to the antenna ANT and a decoder for receiving and decoding voice communication from another mobile phone. 
     It is to be appreciated that the communication module  130  may include a single integrated circuit chip to perform data transfer and voice communications or a single module including a separate data transfer chip, e.g., a WiFi transceiver, and a separate voice communication chip, e.g., a CDMA chip. In one embodiment, the communication module operates on the wireless GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) data protocol or a 3G protocol such as W-CDMA, CDMA2000 and TD-SCDMA. Both the GPRS and 3G protocols have the ability to carry both voice and data over the same service. 
     It is to be appreciated that the device  100  described above is an exemplary device and may include all or a portion of the modules described above. Furthermore, it is to be appreciated that various types of portable electronic devices (e.g., mobile phones, personal digital assistant (PDA), digital media playback device, etc.) may be used in accordance with the principles of the systems and methods of the present disclosure described herein. 
     Systems and methods for enabling self check-out procedures in a retail purchase transaction are described in relation to  FIGS. 3-7 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , a system in accordance with the present disclosure is illustrated. The system includes the portable electronic device  100  as described above. The device  100  may be configured to communicate with a server  304  (or other devices in the system) via a communication network  302 . The device  100  and server  304  may be connected to the communications network  302 , e.g., the Internet, by any known means, for example, a hardwired or wireless connection  308 , such as dial-up, hardwired, cable, DSL, satellite, cellular, PCS, wireless transmission (e.g., 802.11a/b/g), etc. It is to be appreciated that the network  302  may be a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), the Internet or any known network that couples a plurality of computers to enable various modes of communication via network messages. Furthermore, the server  304  may communicate using the various known protocols such as Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), etc. and secure protocols such as Internet Protocol Security Protocol (IPSec), Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP), Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Protocol, etc. The server  304  further includes a storage medium  306  for storing a database, which may include data related to electronic receipts for one or more stores. The storage medium  306  may also store data related to information about the products that are sold at the stores. 
     The products sold at the stores may include any types of goods and/or services (e.g., electronics, audio and/or video media, clothing, appliances, food, hardware, various services, etc.). As will be appreciated from the description below, a unique identification code is associated with each product to identify specific items and may take many forms, such as a barcode number, a UPC number, an alphanumeric number assigned to the product, a name of the article (e.g., “Batman Begins DVD”), etc. The identification codes may be attached to or printed on the products or in some other way associated with the products. 
     The user may utilize the portable digital device  100  to identify the product. For example, if the product  310  includes a barcode  312 , the device  100  may be configured to scan the barcode  312  with the scanning module  124  and decode the barcode to acquire an identification code of the article. Alternatively, the device  100  may be configured to capture an image of the barcode using the capture module  122  and decode the barcode to acquire an identification code of the article. Furthermore, the user can also take a picture of the product via the capture module  122 . Then using standard and existing computer processing power and software solutions such as Attrasoft Image recognition software, or optical character recognition software (OCR software such as OmniPage or ReadIris) the image or name of the product is decoded and the identity of the product is resolved. 
     In another embodiment, the user may enter the identification code of the article via a user interface including input module  106 . If the device contains a user interface allowing user keyboard input, the user may input the name of the article into the portable device. The user may also speak the name of the product into the portable device via the microphone  114  and the audio signals may in turn be processed into digital form via speech recognition software. 
     In a further embodiment, the products may contain Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags. The portable digital device  100  may contain an RFID reader to resolve the identity of the product. 
     In another embodiment, the name or identification code of at least one product may be broadcast via a Wi-Fi wireless access point  314  over a predetermined range. The device may receive this transmission via transmission module  112  and may present a listing of content to the user via the display module  104 . The user may then select an article of interest. An example of this embodiment would be in a retail store, e.g., a movie rental store, where a list of new movie releases is continuously broadcast in the store via a wireless access point coupled to a server or terminal  316  in the store. This list would only be available when within the confines of the store. The device would present this list to the user and the user may select a movie of interest wherein the identification code for the movie, i.e., the product, would be identified via the terminal  316 . 
     Furthermore, the name or identification code of a product may be broadcast from another mobile device, e.g., a gaming device  318 . Here, a user approaches a second user having a gaming device  318  having at least one electronic game either stored in memory or currently being played. The gaming device  318  may broadcast the identification code of the at least one game, or alternatively, the second user may initiate the identification code being transferred, e.g., via an infrared port, to the first user. 
     Once the product is identified, the portable device  100  may use communications protocols including but not limited to Wi-Fi (a, b, c d, n, x), mobile phone communications such as GSM, CDMA, FOMA, etc., infrared communications, cabled communications, Bluetooth communications, satellite communications, to transmit the identification code to a remote server on the global computer network (GCN), e.g., the Internet (step  404 ). It is to be appreciated the device  100  may use any one or a combination protocols to transmit the identification code to the server  304 . For example, the device  100  may employ a telecommunication protocol to transmit the identification code via the communication module  140 . In another embodiment, the device  100  may communicate to the server  304  via the same wireless access point  314  that broadcast the list of available content, e.g., a hot spot in a retail location. 
     The server  304  may be maintained by a vendor associated with the product. For example, in the case of identifying a Warner Brothers™ DVD movie, the server may be a Warner Brothers server connected to a Warner Brothers website. However, the server may also be a vendor not associated or even competing with the product. For example, if the product is a Warner Brothers™ DVD movie, the server may be an e-commerce site such as Amazon.com that offers DVD movies from many companies including Warner Brothers. 
       FIG. 4  is a diagram illustrating a retail system  400  according to various implementations of the present disclosure. As shown, the retail system  400  includes the portable digital device  100  (as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 ), a retailer device  402 , and a receipt verification device  404 . In some implementations, the retail system  400  may include the server  304  shown in  FIG. 3 , wherein the server  304  may be configured to record electronic receipts related to purchases made at one or more retail stores. The server  304  may be configured to store receipts from all retails stores of a particular company or from multiple companies. The retail system  400  also includes a database  406 , which may be connected to the retailer device  402  with respect to embodiments in which receipts and/or product information is stored locally or connected to the server  304  with respect to embodiments in which receipts and/or product information is stored remotely. 
     The portable digital device  100  may be referred to in this embodiment as a portable customer device, which is utilized by a customer for the purpose of performing a self check-out procedure for purchasing one or more goods and/or services. The term “product” used herein may refer to one or more tangible items that may be purchased, or, in some embodiments, may refer to one or more services to be performed for the customer. 
     The combination of the retailer device  402 , receipt verification device  404 , and database  406  may be associated with any business or retail establishment that offers goods and/or services that can be purchased by the customer. In some embodiments, various combinations of the retailer device  402 , receipt verification device  404 , and database  406  may be integrated within a single device and/or housing. The retailer device  402  may be configured as the terminal  316  shown in  FIG. 3  or as a point-of-sale device and may communicate with other devices via the communications network  302 . For instance, the retailer device  402  may be associated with the server  304 , which, in these implementations, may represent a server configured to serve multiple retailer devices of a franchise or other corporation having multiple locations. As shown in  FIG. 4 , retailer device  402  is also configured to communicate directly with the portable customer device  100 , such as by Wi-Fi, Bluetooth™, or other short range connectivity technology. In addition, the retailer device  402  may also be configured to communicate directly with the receipt verification device  404 , using short range wireless connectivity technology or a hardwired connection. 
     In operation, the scanning module  124  of the portable customer device  100  may be configured to enable the customer to scan a code (e.g., a bar code) associated with a product. The portable customer device  10  may then prompt the customer to enter an action to be taken with respect to that product. For example, the customer may wish to add the product to an electronic or virtual shopping cart. If the product is added, the portable customer device  100  may then prompt the customer to place the scanned item into a physical shopping cart, such as one available within a retail store where the items are offered for sale. 
     If an item is added to the electronic cart and the customer decides at a later time not to purchase the item, the customer may scan the item again. In this case, the portable customer device  100  may give the customer the option of removing the item from the electronic shopping cart. When an item is removed, the portable customer device  100  instructs the customer to physically remove the item from the physical shopping cart and return the item to the shelf or other area where the item was originally picked up. 
     The customer may also be interested in receiving additional information about a product. In this case, the customer may scan a code related to the product and select an option to view product information. In response to this selection, the portable customer device  100  is configured to send a short range signal to the retailer device  402  to request to view information about the specific product. The retailer device  402  may be configured to retrieve product information from the database  406  and then send the information to the portable customer device  100 . 
       FIG. 5  is a flow diagram showing an embodiment of a method that may be performed by the retailer device  402  shown in  FIG. 4 . This method may be an optional feature of the retailer device  402  or may be omitted in some embodiments. As illustrated in this embodiment, the method includes detecting the presence of a customer device (e.g., the portable customer device  100 ) within the premises of a store, as indicated in block  502 . Detecting presence may be performed by receiving an RFID signal from the customer device, receiving a wireless beacon signal, or by other means. According to block  504 , the method includes sending a message (i.e., from the retailer device  402 ) to the customer device to inform the customer that a self check-out process is available. As indicated in block  506 , another message is sent to the customer device to inform the customer that instructions for how to perform the self check-out process are also available. If the customer wants instructions to learn how the self check-out process is to be executed, the customer may enter a request to receive the instructions from the retailer device  402 . Decision block  508  includes determining whether or not a request to view self check-out instruction has been received from the portable customer device. If so, the method proceeds to block  510 , which indicates that the retailer device  402  sends the self check-out instructions, or a file containing the instructions, to the customer device. 
       FIGS. 6A and 6B , in combination, represent a block diagram showing an embodiment of a method that may be performed, for example, by the portable customer device  100 . As indicated in block  602 , the method includes enabling a customer (e.g., utilizing the portable customer device  100 ) to perform or select a number of option. The customer may choose to scan a code associated with a product (i.e., “scan”), proceed to a check-out routine (i.e., “check-out”), or request to view a prior electronic receipt (i.e., “request”), such as an electronic receipt previously stored by the retailer device in a database. If the customer chooses to proceed to check-out or request a receipt, the method proceeds to the respective branches shown in  FIG. 6B , as described in more detail below. 
     If the customer scans a product&#39;s code, the method proceeds to block  604 . As indicated in block  604 , the customer is enabled to select an action to be performed with respect to the scanned product. For example, the customer may select from options to add the product to or remove the product from an electronic shopping cart. Alternatively, the customer may wish to receive information about the product or cancel the operations with respect to the scanned product. 
     If the customer decides to add the scanned product, the customer may select the “add” option in block  604 . In response, the method proceeds to block  606 , where the product is added to the electronic shopping cart. As indicated in block  608 , the customer is also instructed to physically add the product to a physical shopping cart, such as a cart or basket typically provided by the store for use by the customers. 
     If the customer scans an item that has already been added to the electronic shopping cart, the customer may choose to scan the item again. In this case, the customer may be given the choice to “remove” the item, as indicated in block  604 . When the user selects to remove an item, the method proceeds to block  610  and the scanned product is removed from the electronic shopping cart. Also, the customer is instructed to physically remove the product from the physical shopping cart, as indicated in block  612 . After adding or removing items, block  614  indicates that the method includes displaying the list of products that are currently in the electronic shopping cart. 
     If the customer desires to receive information about the scanned product (i.e., by selecting “info” in block  604 ), the method proceeds to block  616 . As indicated in block  616 , a request is sent (e.g., transmitted wirelessly by the portable customer device  100 ) to the retailer device  402 . As indicated in block  618 , the portable customer device  100  may then receive the product information from the retailer device  402  in response to the request. As indicated in block  620 , the product information is displayed. For example, the information may be displayed on a display device, such as a display screen, of the portable customer device  100 . After adding, removing, receiving product information, or canceling (i.e., by selecting “cancel” in block  604 ), the method returns to block  602  and may be repeated again. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6B , a check-out routine and request routine may be performed in response to a selection by the customer with respect to block  602 . If the customer selects to proceed to check-out (i.e., by selecting “check-out” in block  602 ), the method goes to block  642 . Block  642  indicates that a list of the product(s) to be purchased is sent to the store computer (e.g., the retailer device  402 ). The customer device then receives a total price for the product(s) from the retailer device  402  (block  644 ) and displays the total price on a display device (block  646 ). The total price may also include sales tax and/or other taxes or fees associated with the purchase. 
     As indicated in block  648 , the customer may then review the list of products and the total price to determine whether to “confirm” the purchase or to “modify” the purchase list. If the customer chooses to modify, the method returns back to block  602  to allow the adding or removing of products. If the customer confirms the purchase, the method goes to block  650 , which indicates that the customer is prompted and enabled to select an appropriate payment option from one or more options. In some embodiments, payment options may be pre-stored for selection, in either encrypted or unencrypted form. However, according to other embodiments, the customer may enter information regarding a new payment option if desired. Any newly entered payment options may then be used in future purchases. As indicated in block  652 , a confirmation of the purchase and the selected payment option are sent to the retailer device. As indicated in block  654 , the portable customer device  100  communicates with the retailer device  402  to coordinate the completion of the financial transaction. This financial transaction may include transmitting credit account, debit account, checking account, or savings account information to the retailer device  402 . The portable customer device  100  may then receive an electronic receipt from the retailer device  402 , as indicated in block  656 . In one embodiment, the electronic receipt is also e-mailed to an e-mail address of the customer. The customer&#39;s e-mail address may be entered during the transaction or may be pre-stored in the portable customer device  100  with the payment information. The electronic receipt may also be stored in the database  406  or other remote server and/or database for later access by the customer. 
     If the customer chooses in block  602  ( FIG. 6A ) to request to view a prior receipt (i.e., by selecting “request”), the method jumps to block  682 . As indicated in block  682 , the customer device sends a request to view a specific prior electronic receipt, which may be identified by the customer&#39;s name or other purchasing information. The request to view the electronic receipt is sent to the retailer device  402 , which may retrieve the receipt from a database. As indicated in block  684 , the portable customer device  100  receives the prior electronic receipt from the retailer device  402 , and then the portable customer device  100  may display the electronic receipt on a display device (block  686 ). At this point, the method returns to block  602  and the steps may be repeated according to the customer&#39;s selections until the final purchase process is completed and the electronic receipt is received (block  656 ). 
       FIGS. 7A ,  7 B, and  7 C are flow diagrams illustrating various embodiments of methods that may be performed by the retailer device  402 .  FIG. 7A  is directed to a method for performing a purchasing process with a customer device, such as the portable customer device  100 .  FIG. 7B  is directed to a method for handling a request to view product information and  FIG. 7C  is directed to a method for handling a request to view a prior electronic receipt. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 7A , block  702  indicates that the retailer device is configured to receive, from the customer device, a list of items to be purchased. The method further includes calculating a total price of the product(s) and/or service(s), as indicated in block  704 . The price may also include tax and/or other charges. As indicated in block  706 , the method includes sending the price information to the customer device for the customer&#39;s review. Block  708  indicates that the method may then receive a confirmation of the purchase and payment options for paying for the merchandise. In block  710 , the retailer device coordinates with the customer device to complete the financial transaction, which may involve determining whether sufficient funds are held in the account selected in the payment option information from the customer device. 
     As indicated in block  712 , an electronic receipt is created. The electronic receipt may include information that might normally be on a regular paper receipt, such as information identifying products being purchased, quantity, price, date, time, store information, customer&#39;s credit information, etc. Also in block  712 , a transaction code is created that is unique to the specific purchase. The transaction code may be used to identify the specific electronic receipt. After these things are created, the method includes storing the electronic receipt in a database, as indicated in block  714 . 
     As indicated in block  716 , the method includes sending the electronic receipt and transaction code to a verification device, such as receipt verification device  404  shown in  FIG. 4 . The receipt and transaction code may be sent by a wireless transmission or along hardwired cables. As indicated in block  718 , the method includes sending the electronic receipt and transaction code to the customer device. The electronic receipt received by the customer may be saved for the customer&#39;s records. Also, the customer&#39;s copy of the transaction code can be displayed on the customer device for verification purposes when the customer is leaving the store. According to various implementations of the store&#39;s security procedures, the customer may be asked to show the transaction code to store personnel before leaving the store with the purchased products. The store personnel may utilize the receipt verification device  404  to retrieve the receipt associated with the respective transaction code and compare the items that have been purchased with the items that the customer is carrying out of the store. If the customer intentionally or inadvertently tries to leave the store with items that have not been properly purchased using the self check-out procedure, then the store personnel may observe the discrepancies and work to resolve them. 
       FIG. 7B  is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a method for handling requests to view product information, which may also be performed by the retailer device  402 . As indicated in block  722 , a request is received to view product information. The product information may include a description of the product, such as weight, dimensions, color, speed, compatibility requirements, features, capacities, etc. Also, the product information may include price, discounts available, etc. In response to receiving the request, the method includes retrieving the requested product information from a database, as indicated in block  724 . As described in block  726 , the method includes sending the product information to the customer device from which the request was received. 
       FIG. 7C  is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a method for handling requests to view previously stored electronic receipts, which may also be performed by the retailer device  402 . Occasionally, a customer&#39;s receipts, even electronic receipts, may be lost or deleted. In some situations, the customer may wish to view a previously stored electronic receipt, which may be saved in the store&#39;s database, such as to return merchandise or for other reasons. The customer may return to the store where the items were purchased, or, according to some embodiments, may return to any facility that is affiliated with that store and may have access to the database where the prior electronic receipts are stored. The customer may also access the electronic receipt by accessing the remote server containing the receipt. 
     As indicated in block  742 , a request to view a prior electronic receipt is received. In response to receiving the request, the method includes retrieving the requested receipt from a database, as indicated in block  744 . As described in block  746 , the method includes sending a copy of the electronic receipt to the customer device from which the request was received. 
       FIG. 8  is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of a method for verifying a purchasing process involving self check-out procedures. The method of  FIG. 8 , for example, may be performed by the receipt verification device  404  shown in  FIG. 4 . As indicated in block  802 , a store employee is prompted and/or enabled to obtain a transaction code for a customer preparing to leave the store. The transaction code may be obtained in several ways. For example, the receipt verification device  404  may include a scanning device that is configured to scan a transaction code displayed on a display screen of the customer device. The displayed transaction code is code that the customer receives when the self check-out procedure is completed. Another way of obtaining the transaction code may be to enter the transaction code using an input device associated with the receipt verification device  404 , e.g., the input device may be a keyboard, a virtual keyboard, a character recognition input device, a voice recognition input device, etc. 
     As indicated in block  804 , the method includes displaying the electronic receipt corresponding to the obtained transaction code. The receipt may be displayed on a display screen associated with the receipt verification device  404  to be viewed by the store employee. According to block  806 , the store employee is instructed to compare the products being taken by the customer with the products listed on the receipt. As indicated in decision block  808 , the employee is prompted to indicate whether or not the receipt matches the products being taken. If they match, the customer is permitted to leave and the method ends. However, if the receipt does not match the products, the employee is prompted and/or enabled to resolve any conflicts with regard to the discrepancy. 
     It is to be appreciated that the receipt verification device  404  can take many forms including a tablet type computing device such as an IPad™ device from Apple Computers, Inc. of Cupertino, California. In other embodiments, the receipt verification device  404  could take the same form as portable customer device  100 , wherein the employee may verify the receipt by scanning each item taken by the customer. 
     While the disclosure has been shown and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.