WO2009157804A1 - Device for checking purchased goods - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to devices for checking goods purchased at the shop selling spaces and can be used for carts and / or baskets in super- and hypermarkets for organising systems enabling the buyers to count the cost of purchased goods in order to exclude the calculation of the cost of the purchased goods on the cash tills. Said invention makes it possible to reduce the time of purchase by excluding or substantially reducing lines on the cash tills without necessity of introducing fundamental changes in cash services of the existing shops. The inventive device for checking purchased goods comprises a cart or basket, a wireless communications device, a balance ande/or a scanner which make it possible to read out information about the name of goods, the price and mass thereof, wherein the communications device is connected to the balance or the scanner or individually incorporated into the balance or the scanner.

Description

 PURCHASE CONTROL DEVICE

DESCRIPTION

Application area

The invention relates to devices for controlling purchases made in the trading floors of a store and can be used in trolleys and / or chains of super- and hypermarkets for organizing self-counting systems for purchases by buyers to exclude counting purchases at cash registers.

State of the art

A big problem of modern super- and hypermarkets are the numerous lines at the box office during the "peak hours" of a mass call of the buyer. The reason for this is that in most medium and large retail establishments, the settlement function is performed by cashiers who serve settlement terminals connected in a network. The communication node of the network is a server that provides access to a database of prices and information about goods on demand coming from a terminal. Server and terminal software is very specific.

The prior art patent JP2007058492 "SYSTEMA TRADE TRUCKS". Allows the administrator to increase the number of cash personnel to take measures, such as opening free cash desks, at an early stage in the accumulation of queues. SOLUTION: Shopping carts Cl, C2, СЗ when moving to the central line with communication equipment interact with the base stations BSl, BS2, ВСЗ and BS4 installed in the store. Server 3 successfully measures the levels of registration of applications received from the shopping carts Cl, C2, SZ on the central line with communication equipment and refers to the file of the degree of congestion in section b and the backup table 8 to determine the location of the corresponding trolleys Cl, C2, SZ in relation to the central line . Next, server 3 calculates the average number of shopping carts in a certain area near the payment terminals POSl, P0S2 and POSZ, and if the value is equal to the specified value or more, server 3 notifies the administrator that an accumulation of trolleys has been detected near the payment terminals using a signal from server 3 or in another similar way.

This solution allows only to streamline customer service at cash registers, solving the “transport task” due to an increase in the number of cashiers during the hours of the highest cash register loads. If all cash registers at this moment are involved, then it is not possible to reduce queues at the cash desks at all. The prior art patent JP2001216564 "METHOD AND DEVICE FOR ENSURING RETAIL SALES AND REGISTRATION METHODS USING THE RETAIL PROGRAM" is known. Effective retail sales are ensured without expectations at the checkout, which would allow the buyer to independently carry out corrective processing and registration using the retail sales program. DECISION: Information on the properties of the goods is assigned to the goods by means of transmitting information on the properties of the goods 1. Information on the properties of the goods assigned to the goods is read out independently by the buyer using a compact portable terminal 5, and information on the properties of the goods is compared with the condition of purchase using the actuator 25. If information meets the conditions of the acquisition, information confirming the right to purchase goods is transmitted to the terminal of the configuration server 7 for a request for adjustment bending treatment. Terminal 7 evaluates the conformity of the information confirming the right to receive goods received from terminal 5. If the information matches, terminal 7 informs the compact portable terminal that the corrective processing has passed normally and stores the historical information in the registration record. The disadvantage of this solution is the requirement for a high culture of the buyer, since the buyer is forced to carry a portable terminal 5 in the store, which is subject to vandalism, and the device itself is very expensive. In addition, terminal 5 does not allow you to track those purchases that the buyer did not register through it, either accidentally or intentionally. Unregistered purchases will be the loss of the store and significantly increase the percentage of losses from theft of goods. Recently, retail stores began to introduce terminals self-settlement, where the calculation function is performed by the retail buyer, and not by the store employee. However, it turned out that it is difficult to introduce self-payment terminals into an existing network of settlement terminals served by cashiers. Retail self-payment systems require full integration with retail store software, as well as with policies and procedures related to its personnel.

The prior art known "SYSTEMA AND THE METHOD OF IMPLEMENTING THE SELF-BILLING SYSTEM IN THE EXISTING CALCULATING SYSTEM OF STORES)) (patent US 20080015940A1). The self-payment terminal system consists of a central application module for managing the self-payment terminal, a central application module for controlling peripheral input and output devices at the self-payment terminal for receiving input data and transmitting output data to the retail buyer. An emulator module connected to the central application module, regardless of the application core module, emulates the software applications of the seller itself into a system of settlement terminals served by cashiers, controlled by the main server; The emulator module sends commands and data and receives commands and data from the main server. The application for self-calculation converts the input received from peripheral input devices into the input intended for the emulated software main application, and converts the updated output from the emulated software main application to the updated data for peripheral devices.

This invention provides a system and methods for integrating a self-settlement terminal into the environment of an existing terminal serviced by a cashier, without the need to process the existing code and without the risk of price errors mentioned above. The invention allows you to integrate the codes of the current application used in other areas of the store, by highlighting the unique elements of self-settlement in a separate application. Thus, the functionality of the existing system is preserved, and a new mode necessary for self-calculation exists outside the scope of the current application. The disadvantage of this system is its complexity of organization, the need involving many complex electronics, including and the need for sophisticated electronic devices for customers. The system is very expensive and requires a major restructuring of the store.

The closest analogue is the patent JP2000259947 "SYSTEMA MANAGEMENT SALES". The solution eliminates overloads associated with the payment procedure at the checkout when folding and moving purchased goods in carts with attached electronic labels in order to transmit and receive customer information about the product from the electronic label and further on the server, while the goods are in the cart. SOLUTION: Having selected the desired card and pressing the reset button 26, client 2 launches settlement program 241, the price file is sent from server 1 and stored in RAM 24 as a price table 242. Next, the product is selected by the buyer and placed in the cart, information about the electronic label attached the goods are requested through the converter / accumulator AZZ and recorded in the summing program 243. This total amount is displayed on the display 25. Additionally, the contents of the summing table 243 is transmitted from the antenna 311 to the antenna 4 through the controller 32, in the converter Atelier / drive B31 and is fixed in the administrative file of server 1.

The disadvantage of this solution is the difficulty of implementation, because if the cart is filled up with goods, for example, the goods placed, for example, in the middle of the cart and fenced with other goods, will not be scanned and the data about it will not go to the server and cash desk. In addition, the system requires the attachment of an electronic label (chip) to each product, which is very expensive and increases the cost of the product, and in addition will require the removal of these chips by the cashier at the cash register terminal. This will not reduce queues, and sometimes even increase them, since tearing off labels is more difficult than scanning goods at the checkout terminal. If the chips are not removed, but passed to the exit and given to the consumer, this will increase the cost of goods by so much that the store becomes not competitive in price.

Effect: the device eliminates or significantly reduces the queues at the cash terminals without the need to make fundamental changes to the settlement and cash services in existing stores. Brief Description of the Drawings

In FIG. 1 shows the principle of operation of the device in the general system of the trading floor of the store ^ where 1 is the Warehouse, 2 is the accounting computer, 3 is the server, a computer center with a wireless communication device connected to the local communication network (from 1 pc. To p), 4 - CASH TERMINAL with a wireless communication device connected to the local communication network (from 1 pc to p), 5 - Product -N ° l, 2,3,4 p, 6 - Tara -N ° l, 2,3,4 p , 7

- The seller of the sales department (from 1 pc. To p), 8 - The printing device (from 1 pc. To p), 9 -

Scanner (from 1 pc to p), 10 - Scales (from 1 pc to p), 11 - a computer for generating orders connected to the local network (from 1 pc to p), 12 - Shopping control device with a wireless communication device, connected to a local communication network (from 1 pc. to p), 13 - Buyer (from 1 pc. to p); n - quantity, calculated depending on the size of the entire object where the system is used, 14 - the store's trading floor, 15 - exit from the trading floor.

In FIG. 2 shows a control device purchases (a - for trolleys, b - for nets), where 16

- wireless device.

In FIG. 3 shows a variant of the device of the trolley (top view), where 17 is a signaling device, 18 is a device for fixing a cash register terminal.

The implementation of the invention

The claimed technical result is achieved due to the fact that the purchase control device, consisting of a trolley or mesh, having a wireless communication device, characterized in that it contains scales and / or a scanner, configured to read information about the name of goods, their price and weight, moreover the communication device is connected to the scales and the scanner, or is present separately in the scales and the scanner. The purchase control device can additionally be configured to signal to the buyer an error about not accepting the goods for inclusion in the register of orders that have passed verification and are payable. The purchase control device may further be configured to record the proximity of the cash register terminal. Accounting for goods in the store is as follows (see Fig. 1). After the goods arrive at the warehouse, data about the goods is entered into the accounting computer (2) in the accounting and warehouse programs for recording the movement of goods. Data on goods for sale is transferred from accounting and storage programs (product name, unit, selling price). Data is transmitted to the server (3) - a computer center via a local communication network. Server (3) - consists of microchips and a power supply and can be implemented on the basis of a personal computer.

The server (3) has a connection to a local communication network, as well as a device for a wireless type of communication, for exchanging information with computers for generating orders, cash registers (4) and purchase control devices (12). Then, data on goods (5) put up for sale from the server is transferred to cash registers (4) (product name, unit of measure, selling price). Next, the data on goods (5) put up for sale from the server is transferred to a computer for placing orders (11) (product name, unit, selling price). An order forming computer (11) is a device consisting of microcircuits and a power supply, and can be implemented on a computer basis.

In the system, server (3) receives and sends information from the Seller (7), purchase control device (12), cash terminals (4) and accounting computer (2). These functions can be performed by the server (3) or one of the cash registers (4) with an integrated server software system and an integrated wireless communication device. Follows the process of putting goods for sale. Providing sellers (7) with a sales department for containers (6) for packaging. The sales process in the store is as follows. The trading floor of the store (14) is a room consisting of departments with organized walkways between them, for the unhindered movement of Buyers (13) with shopping trolleys (12) or nets. Departments of the sales area are formed according to the commodity principle (dairy department, meat department, alcohol department, household chemistry department, etc.). The number of departments in the sales area (14) is unlimited in number; it all depends on the area of the sales area, as well as on the assortment of goods (5) offered by this sales area. The department employs Sellers (7) who work directly with Buyers (13) regarding their orders. Seller (7) - a person having a certain set of mechanisms: an information input device, a communication device, and / or a weight determination device, microcircuit, a device for marking or printing checks with a bar code, a power supply. A purchase control device (12) is a device consisting of: a trolley or net, a communication device, a weight determination device. It may also contain a scanner. The communication device (16) (see Fig. 2 and Fig. 3) in the control device (12) can be implemented on the basis of a wireless communication device and is either located in the control device (12) so that it is connected to the scales (10) and the scanner (9) the control device (12), or is present separately in the balance (10) and the scanner (9). The buyer (13) enters the sales area (14) moves in the direction of any of the departments of the sales area, depending on his needs for certain goods. Approaching the department, the Buyer (13) verbally places an order with the Seller (7) for a certain amount of goods (5) from this department, depending on his needs, for example: “Please give 250 grams of cheese, 1 kg of sausage”. After receiving the order, the Seller selects these goods, and then selects the required container size (6) for packaging the goods. At the next stage, the Seller sequentially adds the selected product (5) to the container (6), after entering information into the microcircuits about each selected product (name, price, weight). The implementation of these actions can be carried out, for example, by printing a barcode on a printing device (8) and then reading it with a scanner. In the event that the Buyer (13) has selected such a quantity of goods that does not fit in a container of maximum size, then this order is divided into as many parts as are necessary to pack in a container. After the container is completely filled, the Seller (7) using the communication device communicates with the server (3) and if it independently assigns a code to this generated order of the Buyer, it sends information about the order content and information about the code assigned to it to the server or using the communication device sends to the server information about the contents of the order with a request to assign a code to this order. After the end of this operation, the server enters this order into memory and assigns a code to this order, after which it transmits to the Seller, through the communication device, information about assigned code or transmits to the Seller, through a communication device, information about the order received in memory with the code already assigned. At the next stage, the generated order is marked with the Seller’s marking device, the labeling contains information about the code assigned to the order, the names of the goods, their price and weight. Then the generated order is given to the Buyer (13) and he places it in the Purchasing Control Device (12). This device is designed to check the generated order. The device automatically reconciles information about the generated order in the database of the server and / or the Seller with the contents of the received generated order for verification. Reconciliation is carried out by means of scales (10) and / or scanner (9) located in the control device (12).

Server (3), after identifying the received individual code, by means of a local communication network or, if possible, by wireless means, transmits information on the contents of the generated order to the purchasing control device (12).

If the information received from the server (3) and / or from the Seller (7) through the communication device does not correspond to the actual content of the generated order, the device does not accept this generated order for inclusion in the register of orders that have passed verification and are payable. The purchase control system (12) generates an error and sends a signal to an LED or other signaling device (17) for visual and / or sound and / or vibration identification of the error to the buyer. If the information received from the server and / or from the Seller (7) through the communication device corresponds to the actual content of the generated order, the device accepts this generated order for inclusion in the register of orders that have passed verification and are payable.

The seller’s role and functions can be performed by automatic scales with receipt printing (for example, Bizer BSlOOE), with which the Buyer puts the goods in containers, weighs them on the scales, selects the type of purchase, and the scales give out a check with a bar code that the customer sticks on the packaging. Scales with receipt printing transmit purchase data to the server. Such scales allow you to replace the sales mode with a self-service mode. After checking the generated order, the control device (12) is ready to check the new order or is ready to complete the work of checking and transmitting information, using the communication device, to the settlement device (4). Settlement device (cash terminal) (4) - consists of microcircuits and a power supply unit designed for settlements for purchased goods.

The cash terminal (4) can be performed with a cashier or without a cashier in the form of an automated payment system with a buyer, with an integrated device for receiving money, both in cash and in non-cash form (plastic cards, mobile phones, etc. ), with the possibility of issuing change when paying a check in cash. After settlements at the cash register for the selected goods, the cashier gives the Buyer (13) the opportunity to exit the trading floor, and if the cash terminal is automatic, then after settlements the terminal opens the way for the buyer automatically (example: turnstile operation system).

After receiving information from the purchase control device, the payment device generates a payment receipt, and then sends a report on the operation to the server using the communication device.

After entering the generated order into the memory of the purchase control device, the sales system starts working again until the Buyer (13) collects the required number of generated orders. If, at the Buyer, the need for goods ends, he goes to the cash register terminal (4), where when he approaches a certain distance, for example, 1 meter, the purchase control device (12) fixes this distance using a special device (18) (for example, by reading the chip at the cash terminal), records the end of purchases, then wirelessly, transfers information about the goods ordered to the cash terminal, where a check is generated and direct payment is made for the goods purchased, as well transfer of goods to the buyer in the property.

The cash terminal (4) automatically sends a report on retired goods and on the amount of received funds to the accounting computer using local network funds (3). The task of the cash register terminal is simply to count the buyer (13). From the server, the total amount of all purchases appears immediately on the display of the cash register terminal. The cashier only requires the necessary amount from the buyer and issues change as necessary, or withdraws funds from the buyer's plastic credit card or from his mobile phone. After the Buyer pays at the cash register terminal (4), he will be able to leave the trading floor (14) of the store through the exit (15). This solves the problems with queues at cash desks, where most of the time usually goes to the cashier processing the purchases. In the claimed system, this processing is excluded. At the same time, there is no need to make cardinal changes in settlement and cash services in existing stores. All the innovations will concern only a minor update of the software of the store’s servers, installation of scales and / or scanners in the carts and grids of the store, provided with wireless communication with the store’s servers.

Claims

FORMULA 1. A control device for purchases, consisting of a trolley or net, having a wireless communication device, characterized in that it contains a scale and / or scanner, configured to read information about the name of the goods, their price and weight, and the communication device is associated with the scales and scanner , or is present separately in the scales and scanner. 2. The purchase control device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is configured to signal to the buyer an error about not accepting the goods for inclusion in the register of orders that have passed verification and are payable. 3. The purchase control device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is configured to fix the proximity of the cash register terminal.