Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation

Jose R Figueroa

Timothy Wayne Crockett

David John Steiner

Stacy Arrington

Suzanne M Bleakley

Kimberly Wood

Tong Yu

Duane Scott Miller

Scott Graham

Craig Compton

Paul Kokkelenberg

Charles Kurtz

Edna Novido

D Williams

Sally Ierston

Craig W Turner

Paul Morton Wilson

David A Bernath

Ashley Lanier Trimpey

John A Hibbard

John Hibbard

Craig Turner

Paul Wilson

Ashley Trimpey

Techniques for self-checkout alert reduction based on packaging detection. A deflection in a first bag reservoir associated with a self-checkout kiosk is determined. The first bag reservoir is positioned adjacent to a packing area and includes a first type of bags. The self-checkout kiosk includes a terminal scale and further includes a platform scale in the packing area. That an empty bag is retrieved from the first bag reservoir is determined based on the deflection in the first bag reservoir. A bag type and a weight range are identified for the empty bag. An allowed weight range of a combination of the empty bag and a desired item is then determined. Presence of the empty bag on the platform scale is prevented from causing a loss prevention alert to be generated when the desired item has been placed in the empty bag on the platform scale.

Self-checkout alert reduction based on packaging detection

Radio frequency identification discontinuity correction is provided by calculating a phase-time slope for a Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID) signal received from an RFID tag; estimating, based on the phase-time slope, a predicted phase reading for the RFID signal at a given time; and in response to detecting a phase discontinuity based on a difference between the predicted phase reading and an actual phase reading for the given time, adjusting a calculated distance to the RFID tag. The calculated distance may indicate that the RFID tag is inside of or outside of a designated zone, and that a motion of the RFID tag indicates travel towards or away from the designated zone, which may be used to add or remove an item associated with the RFID tag to an ongoing item list.

Radio frequency identification discontinuity correction

The present disclosure provides improved packaging detection at self-checkout kiosks by identifying a given bag type for a bag selected at a self-checkout kiosk out of a plurality of bag types available from a bag dispenser associated with the self-checkout kiosk; identifying a weight range for the given bag type; in response to determining that the bag has been moved to a packing area of the self-checkout kiosk, comparing a first weight in the packing area from before the bag was moved to the packing area with a second weight in the packing area that includes the bag; and in response to a difference between the first weight and the second weight falling outside of the weight range, generating a loss prevention alert and pausing a transaction at the self-checkout kiosk.

Packaging detection for self checkout

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

Radio-frequency-identification-based checkout process

An RFID in-store point-of-sale system can include a first RFID tag reader with a first reader antenna that extends on a first substrate oriented in a first plane; and a second RFID tag reader with a second reader antenna that extends on a second substrate oriented in a second plane that intersects the first plane to form an offset angle between the first plane and the second plane that is about 45 degrees to about 135 degrees. A processor circuit can be operatively coupled to the first RFID tag reader and to the second RFID tag reader and can be configured to control the first RFID tag reader to transmit a signal from the first reader antenna into a buy-zone and is configured to detect movement of an RFID tag relative to the buy-zone based on a signal from the RFID tag that is detected by the first RFID tag reader or that is detected by the second RFID tag reader.

Systems and methods of using multiple RFID devices to implement in-store point-of-sale buy-zones and related articles of manufacture

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Growing community of inventors

McDonough, GA, United States of America

Jose R Figueroa