Device, system, and method for determining the status of checkout lanes

{
  "publication_number": "US9390596B1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B1",
  "title": "Device, system, and method for determining the status of checkout lanes",
  "abstract": "Customers would like to minimize the time waiting in checkout lines; however, it is often difficult to understand which checkout lane to choose. The present invention embraces a device, system, and method to help customers understand which checkout lanes are open and operating most efficiently. The invention utilizes Bluetooth-low-energy (BLE) transmitters located at each checkout lane to transmit updated information related to (i) the lane's status (e.g., open or in-use) and (ii) the lane's quality (e.g., throughput efficiency). Portable electronic devices used by customers may receive the BLE signals and understand (e.g., using augmented reality) which lane would be most likely to provide a quick checkout.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A portable electronic device comprising: a camera for gathering video images of a checkout area, the checkout area having multiple checkout lanes; a graphical user interface (GUI) configured as a viewfinder to display the video images of the checkout area in real-time; a wireless interface for receiving Bluetooth-low-energy (BLE) messages from BLE devices located at each checkout lane; and a processor, wherein the processor is configured by a software application to (i) process the BLE messages to obtain a checkout lane message for each checkout lane, and (ii) generate an augmented reality view on the GUI, the augmented reality view comprising the checkout lane messages overlaid on the video images of the checkout area.",
    "2. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein a particular checkout lane's checkout lane message is positioned over the particular checkout lane in the video images of the checkout area.",
    "3. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device comprises a smartphone.",
    "4. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device comprises smart glasses.",
    "5. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the checkout lane message for a particular checkout lane comprises a quality rating for the particular checkout lane.",
    "6. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the checkout lane message for a particular checkout lane comprises a real-time status for the particular checkout lane, wherein the real-time status comprises the states: closed, in-use, and open.",
    "7. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the checkout lane message for a particular checkout lane comprises a checkout lane position derived from a signal strength of the particular checkout lane's BLE messages.",
    "8. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the BLE devices are barcode scanners.",
    "9. A method for broadcasting periodically updated checkout lane messages, the method comprising the steps of: recording the activity of a Bluetooth-low-energy (BLE) enabled barcode scanner for a time-period, the BLE enabled barcode scanner located at a checkout lane and assigned a checkout lane identifier linking the BLE enabled barcode scanner to the checkout lane; updating using the recorded activity a checkout lane status; creating a checkout lane message comprising (i) the checkout lane identifier and (ii) the checkout lane status; broadcasting using the BLE enabled barcode scanner the checkout lane message; starting a new time-period; and repeating the above steps.",
    "10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the checkout lane status comprises a cashier efficiency rating.",
    "11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the checkout lane status comprises an indication of whether the checkout lane is (i) open and idle, (ii) open and in-use, or (iii) closed.",
    "12. A checkout system for a checkout lane, the checkout system comprising: a barcode scanning module for scanning barcodes as part of a checkout process; a Bluetooth-low-energy (BLE) module configured to repeatedly broadcast BLE messages to other BLE enabled devices; and a processor communicatively coupled to the barcode scanning module and the BLE module, the processor configured by software to: (i) receive signals from the barcode scanning module and/or activity sensors, (ii) create checkout lane messages using the received signals, and (iii) transmit the checkout lane messages to the BLE module for broadcasting as BLE messages.",
    "13. The checkout system according to claim 12, wherein the checkout lane messages comprise information to indicate if the checkout out lane is (i) closed, (ii) in-use, or (iii) open.",
    "14. The checkout system according to claim 12, wherein the checkout lane messages comprise an efficiency rating for the checkout lane.",
    "15. The checkout system according to claim 12, wherein the checkout system is a handheld barcode scanner.",
    "16. The checkout system according to claim 15, wherein the activity sensors comprise a trigger-switch sensor of the handheld barcode scanner.",
    "17. The checkout system according to claim 15, wherein the activity sensors comprise a scanner-base sensor to indicate that the handheld barcode scanner is on a scanner base.",
    "18. The checkout system according to claim 15, wherein the activity sensors comprise an accelerometer of the handheld barcode scanner.",
    "19. The checkout system according to claim 12, wherein the received signals comprise a time between barcode scans.",
    "20. The checkout system according to claim 12, wherein the BLE module comprises a scanner base."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to point of sale systems and, more specifically, to a checkout system or device that broadcasts the real-time status of a checkout lane or lanes.\n\nIn a retail store, a customer must wait in lines to have their items scanned or otherwise tallied to transact the resulting purchase (i.e., checkout). Often a store will have many checkout lanes to expedite this process. Unfortunately, checkout lanes are almost never fully staffed and some lanes seem to move faster than others do. Customers may search for an open lane by roaming around the checkout area creating extra traffic. When multiple open lanes are found, a customer must rely on instinct to choose a lane. A need therefore exists for a device, system, and method to provide customers with situational awareness about the checkout lanes to help them choose a checkout lane.\n\nAccordingly, in one aspect, the present invention embraces a portable electronic device (PED). The PED includes a camera for gathering video images of a checkout area that has multiple checkout lanes. The PED also includes a graphical user interface (GUI) that is configured to function as a viewfinder. The viewfinder captures video images of the checkout area in real-time. The PED further includes a wireless interface for receiving Bluetooth-low-energy (BLE) messages from BLE devices located at each checkout lane. A processor functioning as part of the PED is configured by a software application to process the BLE message to obtain a checkout lane message for each checkout lane.",
  "cpc": [
    "H04W 4/80",
    "G06K 7/10881",
    "G06K 7/1413",
    "G06T 19/006",
    "G06V 20/20",
    "G07G 1/0081",
    "G07G 1/01",
    "G07G 1/14",
    "H04B 1/04",
    "H04M 1/72412",
    "H04N 23/631",
    "H04N 5/23216",
    "H04N 7/181",
    "H04N 7/185",
    "H04W 4/06",
    "Y02D 30/70"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G06K 15/00",
    "G06K 7/10",
    "G06T 19/00",
    "G07G 1/00",
    "G07G 1/01",
    "G07G 1/14",
    "H04M 1/72412",
    "H04N 5/232",
    "H04N 7/18"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Hand Held Products Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Erik Todeschini"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2015-02-23",
  "publication_date": "2016-07-12",
  "grant_date": "2016-07-12",
  "priority_date": "2015-02-23",
  "application_number": "US-201514628708-A",
  "family_id": "56321089",
  "cited_by_count": 409,
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