Patent Publication Number: US-2018047006-A1

Title: Automated store return process

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent No. 62/373,474, filed Aug. 11, 2016, entitled “Automated Store Return Process,” the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present concepts relate generally to store returns, and more specifically, to automating a return process that includes validating the returned goods. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A substantial manual effort is generally required when processing store returns in order to reduce theft or fraud. For example, store employees must confirm that a returned store item is indeed the same item that was purchased. Unlawful customers may, for example, may attempt to receive a refund for a television set but returns a box that does not include the purchased television set but instead includes a vintage television set or irrelevant objects such as rocks or bricks, and so on. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     In one aspect, an automated method for returning goods to a retail establishment where the goods were acquired comprises initiating a request to return goods purchased from the retail establishment; positioning the returned goods on a conveyor belt for transport to a location where the goods can be validated; validating the goods by a combination of a validation device proximal the conveyor belt and a return processing system; and generating a refund for the returned goods in response to a positive validation result. 
     In some embodiments, the method further comprises sensing at an entry to the conveyor belt a presence of a person returning the goods; and authenticating the user. 
     In some embodiments, initiating the request includes initiating the request at a kiosk. 
     In some embodiments, validating the goods includes forming a set of checks on the goods. 
     In some embodiments, the set of checks includes at least one of: weighing the goods using a scale; identifying the goods using an object recognition device; taking an image of the goods in response to generated radiation; and photographing the goods using a camera. 
     In some embodiments, the method further comprises scanning the goods using a scanning device to determine whether the returned goods are the same as the goods purchased from the retail establishment. 
     In some embodiments, the refund includes a gift card, a debit to a bank account, an electronic payment, or cash. 
     In another aspect, a system for returning goods, comprises an automated conveyor belt system for transporting goods purchased from a starting point at a retail establishment and returned to the retail establishment to a location for validating the returned goods; a validation device for analyzing the returned goods and generating a measured input; a return processing system for comparing the measured input and an actual feature of the returned goods; and a kiosk for processing a request to return the goods and for generating a refund in response to a positive validation result generated by the return processing system. 
     In some embodiments, the system further comprises a computer server for providing data that is output to the validation device for validating the goods. 
     In some embodiments, the system further comprises a computer server for providing data that is output to the kiosk for generating the refund. 
     In some embodiments, the automated conveyor belt system directs the goods back to the starting point when the validation device generates a negative validation result. 
     In some embodiments, the validation device comprises at least one of a scale, an object recognition device, a radiation machine, a camera, and a scanning device. 
     In some embodiments, the scanning device includes at least one of a radio frequency identification (RFID)/near field communication (NFC) device and a bar code scanner. 
     In some embodiments, the kiosk generates the refund as a gift card, a debit to a bank account, an electronic payment, or cash. 
     In some embodiments, the system further comprises a database that stores the actual feature of the returned goods. 
     In some embodiments, the system further comprises at least one of an item database, a transaction database, a return database, and a gift card database. 
     In another aspect, a computer-implemented method for returning goods to a retail establishment comprises generating, by a kiosk, an electronic request to return an item purchased from the retail establishment; controlling, by an automated conveyor belt system, a transport of the item to a location for validation; validating, by at least one validation device, the item at a location of the conveyor belt system between a location where the item is deposited onto the conveyor belt system and a return processing system; and automatically generating a refund for the returned item in response to a positive validation result. 
     In some embodiments, the method further comprises changing a direction of a plurality of segmented belts of the conveyor belt system in response to a negative validation result to transport the item to the location where the item is deposited onto the conveyor belt system. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and further advantages of this invention may be better understood by referring to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals indicate like structural elements and features in various figures. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic illustration of a system for returning store items, in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 2  is a flowchart of a method for returning a store item, in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 3  is a flow diagram illustrating an automated return operation from a time when a customer arrives at a store to return a previously purchased item to a time of refund, in accordance with some embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following description, specific details are set forth although it should be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that the systems and methods can be practiced without at least some of the details. In some instances, known features or processes are not described in detail so as to not obscure the present invention. 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic illustration of a system for returning store items, in accordance with some embodiments. 
     The system may include an automated conveyor belt system  16 , a kiosk  12 , a presence detector  14 , a return processing system  20 , and a validation device  30 . The system provides a facility setup to both accept returned items and automatically provide refunds for validated return items. 
     The conveyor belt system  16  is constructed and arranged so that returned store items  17 , also referred to as “returns” or “store returns,” may transported from a customer service area to a return storage area. The kiosk  12  and presence detector  14  may be located at the customer service area. 
     The conveyor belt system  16  may include one or more belted segments between the customer service area and the return storage area that work together to transport the store items  17  from the customer service area to other areas in the store, and include well-known components for performing this function, including but not limited to motors, sensors, guides, rollers, actuators, switches, computer processors, and so on. The belted segments may be synchronized to rotate or otherwise move in a direction toward to the customer service area or the return storage area, depending on an output and processing by a special purpose processor of a control signal that in turn controls the direction of motion of the segments of the conveyor belt system  16 . Such control signals may be generated by the kiosk  12 , presence detector  14 , return processing system  20 , and/or validation device  30 . 
     The kiosk  12  or related customer facing electronic device having a display may be at customer service area for use by a retail store customer and/or store associate to initiate a request to return store items  17 . The kiosk  12  may also be configured for processing a request to return the goods and for generating a refund in response to a positive validation result generated by one or more validation devices  30 . 
     The kiosk  12  may include a processor, memory, input/output, peripheral devices, such as a display, keyboard, mouse, or may be an interactive device where a user  11  may enter information via the display. The kiosk  12  may communicate with other electronic components of the system via a communications network (not shown), e.g., a wide area network, local area network, wireless network, or a combination thereof, for processing the return merchandise data. The belts of the conveyor belt system  16  may be activated when merchandise return data (barcode, sales slip, etc.) is processed. 
     The presence detector  14  is positioned at, near, or behind the entrance  19  of the conveyor belt system  16  for sensing an entry or presence of a user  11  returning an item  17 , and authenticating the user  11 . The presence detector  14  may include a biometric reader, such as a fingerprint scanner. Alternatively, or in addition, the presence detector  14  may include a card reader or the like for reading a credit card, personal identification, store membership card, or other identification that authenticates the user  11 . 
     The validation device  30  is constructed and arranged to validate returned goods  17  on the conveyor belt system  16 . The validation device may include but not limited to one or more of a weight scale  31 , scanner  32 , radiation machine  33 , camera  34 , and/or other detectors or object recognition devices (not shown). For example, the weight scale  31  may measure a weight of a returned item, and provide a validation result, i.e., a weight value, that is compared to the actual weight of the original item at the time of purchase. Such data on the purchased item may be stored at a store database or other repository and retrieved by the return processing system  20  for comparison to the measured weight value. Any deviation may suggest that the returned item is different than the item that was originally purchased. Similarly, the camera  34  may produce an image of the returned item  17  that may be compared a photograph or other image of the item as originally purchased. The radiation machine  33  may use x-rays, terahertz rays, or the like to produce images of the interior of the packaging, which may be compared to a stored image to determine whether the returned item  17  is valid. The radiation sensing machine may include an x-ray device, terahertz (Tz) device, or related machine that produces radiation at various frequency spectrums. The scanner  32  may read a label, e.g., a barcode or QR code, on the item  17  or its packaging. The scanner device  32  may include at least one of a radio frequency identification (RFID)/near field communication (NFC) device, a bar code or QR scanner, or the like. A combination of these validation devices  30 - 34  may provide inputs that are compared to actual item information to produce a validation result. A positive validation result indicates that a match is made between a validation device input such as a measured weight of an item analyzed by the weight scale  31 , and actual result such as the known weight of the item at the time of purchase. A negative validation result indicates that the weight of the measured item is different than the known weight. 
     The return processing system  20  receives an input from one or more validation devices  30  that includes a measurement, weight value, image, and so on and compares it to known information of the purchased item, such as the known weight, dimensions, and so on. For example, a purchased television set may have known dimensions, weight, configuration, and so on, and stored at a database  40 . This data can be compared to collected data produced by the validation devices  30 , such as a measured dimension, weight, and so on, to determine if the collected validation data is the same as the known item data. In some embodiments, the return processing system  20  is part of the validation device  30 . 
     The system may include at least one database  40  in communication with the return processing system  20 . Databases  40  may include one or more of an item database  41 , a transaction database  42 , a return database  43  and a gift card database  44 . The item database  41  may include item data, for example, weight, dimensions, barcode data, digital images, and so on. The item data may be organized as records, whereby other information, metatags, or the like can be associated with each item record. For example, an item record may include a location at the store where the item is expected to be stocked, for example, shelf, bin, and aisle number, and/or other breakdown of organization of data. 
     The transaction database  42  may include purchase transaction data. For example, the return processing system  20  may retrieve information regarding a purchase transaction to compare it to a purchase receipt submitted by a user  11  via the kiosk  12  as evidence of purchase of an item  17  to be returned for authenticity purposes. 
     The return database  43  may store return data, for example, information regarding a returned item  17 , which can be used to provide a refund to the person returning the item. The refund database  44  may store data regarding a refund transaction. 
       FIG. 2  is a flowchart of a method  200  for returning a store item, in accordance with some embodiments. In describing the method  200 , reference is made to elements of the system of  FIG. 1 . Some or all of the method  200  may be performed by elements of the system of  FIG. 1 . 
     At block  202 , a request is made to return an item previously purchased at a brick-and-mortar store or online website or other commercial entity. The request is processed electronically by a special purpose computer processor, for example, at a store kiosk  12  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     At block  204 , the returned item is automatically validated, by comparing data from one or more validation devices  30  after analyzing the item  17 , e.g., camera images, xrays, weight, and so on, with known item information, e.g., the actual weight, dimensions, and so on. 
     At block  206 , a refund is processed in response to a positive validation result generated in response to the comparison performed at block  204 . 
       FIG. 3  is a flow diagram illustrating an automated return operation from a time when a customer arrives at a store to return a previously purchased item to a time of refund, in accordance with some embodiments. 
     At block  302 , a user  11  arrives at a store to return an item  17 . The user may proceed to a customer service area or other area in accordance with store policy. In doing so, the user  11  may enter a secure area when the customer service area is unmanned. The user  11  may need to enter a passcode, provide a card key, or other authentication information. A presence detector  14  may be at the customer service area for detecting the user  11  and/or authenticating the user  11 . 
     At block  304 , a kiosk  12  at a return area may be available for receiving a request from the user  11  to return the item  17 . The kiosk  12  may include a display that displays on its screen a questionnaire or other information regarding the store&#39;s return policy, etc. The user  11  may use an interactive screen, keyboard, voice activated menu, or other input/output or peripheral device of the kiosk  12  to enter a request. 
     At block  306 , the kiosk  12  may display a request for the user  11  to provide documentation such as a purchase receipt and/or user identification. The kiosk  12  may include a scanner, for example, barcode, optical image, camera, sensor, or the like. At block  308 , the user  11  provides the requested documentation using the scanner or the like. 
     At block  310 , the kiosk  12  may display a request for the user  11  to place the returned item  17  on the conveyor belt system  16 . At block  312 , the user  11  places the item  17  on a belt of the belt system  16 . 
     At block  314 , the item  17  is transported by the belt system  16  to a validation region at which the validation device  30  which collects (block  316 ) data regarding the item  17  which is output to the return processing system  20  for validation. 
     At decision diamond  318 , the return processing system  20  compares a validation result generated by the validation device  30  to actual measurement data regarding the item  17  to determine whether the returned item  17  is the same as the item originally purchased. In doing so, at block  319 , the return processing system  20  may search the item database  41  for actual data on the item, for example, weight, dimensions, barcode data, and so on. For example, the actual weight of the item  17  purchased is known to be 30 lbs. The weight scale  31  may weigh the returned item  17  and output the weight value as a validation result. If the weight value is 30 pounds (lbs), then the return processing system  20  may determine that the returned item  17  is valid. The return processing system  20  may receive multiple validation results, for example, a combination of a photograph produced by the camera  34 , a result detected and generated by the radiation machine  33 , a barcode or QR code result provided by the scanner  32 , and so on. 
     The return processing system  20  may also search (block  319 ) a transaction database  42  for data regarding the actual purchase. The kiosk  12  may provide the scanned purchase receipt provided by the user  11  to the return processing system  20  which compares it to a record of the purchase stored at the transaction database  42 . 
     In response to a determination that the item  17  is valid, at block  320 , the kiosk  12  processes the refund. In doing so, the return processing system  20  may search (block  321 ) the transaction database  42 , a return database  43  and/or gift card database  44  and/or store computer for data regarding a refund. At block  324 , the kiosk  12  may inform the user  11  via a display or audio message that the item was validated and that a refund is permitted. The kiosk  12  may also include instructions for the user  11  on how to receive the refund, for example, entering a credit card, receiving a gift card, and so on. 
     Otherwise, if at decision diamond  318  a determination is made by the return processing system  20  that the item  17  is not valid, then at block  322 , the item  17  is returned to the user  11 . The conveyor belt may automatically reverse a direction of motion to transport item  17  from the validation region back to customer service desk if the item is not valid At block  324 , the kiosk  12  displays an informational message for the user  11 , indicating the validation result, namely, that the item failed the validation test. 
     As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, concepts may be embodied as a device, system, method, or computer program product. Accordingly, aspects may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.” Furthermore, aspects may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer readable medium(s) having computer readable program code embodied thereon. 
     Computer program code for carrying out operations for the concepts may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages. The program code may execute entirely on the user&#39;s computer, partly on the user&#39;s computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user&#39;s computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user&#39;s computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider). 
     Concepts are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. 
     These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. 
     The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, cloud-based infrastructure architecture, or other devices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other devices to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. 
     The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions. 
     While concepts have been shown and described with reference to specific preferred embodiments, it should 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 as defined by the following claims.