Assisting Customers At A Self-Checkout Terminal

1 . A method of assisting customers at a self-checkout terminal, the method comprising:

requesting, at the self-checkout terminal, intervention from a shopper assistant;

notifying, by the self-checkout terminal, the shopper assistant of the request for intervention;

checking in the shopper assistant at the self-checkout terminal, wherein checking in the shopping assistant at the self-checkout terminal includes:

capturing a digital image of the shopping assistant; and

comparing the captured image to an image template; and

displaying, at the self-checkout terminal, an additional intervention request initiated at another self-checkout terminal.

2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising resolving, at the self-checkout terminal, the additional intervention request initiated at another self-checkout terminal.

3 . The method of claim 2 wherein resolving, at the self-checkout terminal, the additional intervention request initiated at another self-checkout terminal includes displaying, at the self-checkout terminal, image data from a digital imaging device located at another self-checkout terminal.

4 . The method of claim 1 further comprising assigning, at the self checkout terminal, the additional intervention request initiated at another self-checkout terminal to the shopper assistant.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein displaying, at the self-checkout terminal, an additional intervention request initiated at another self-checkout terminal includes displaying the additional intervention request initiated at another self-checkout terminal in a list of intervention events ordered by priority.

6 . (canceled)

7 . A self-checkout terminal for assisting customers, the self-checkout terminal comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the self-checkout terminal to carry out the steps of:

requesting, at the self-checkout terminal, intervention from a shopper assistant;

notifying, by the self-checkout terminal, the shopper assistant of the request for intervention;

checking in the shopper assistant at the self-checkout terminal, wherein checking in the shopping assistant at the self-checkout terminal includes:

capturing a digital image of the shopping assistant; and

comparing the captured image to an image template; and

displaying, at the self-checkout terminal, an additional intervention request initiated at another self-checkout terminal.

8 . The self-checkout terminal of claim 7 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the self-checkout terminal to carry out the step of resolving, at the self-checkout terminal, the additional intervention request initiated at another self-checkout terminal.

9 . The self-checkout terminal of claim 8 wherein resolving, at the self-checkout terminal, the additional intervention request initiated at another self-checkout terminal includes displaying, at the self-checkout terminal, image data from a digital imaging device located at another self-checkout terminal.

10 . The self-checkout terminal of claim 7 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the self-checkout terminal to carry out the step of assigning, at the self checkout terminal, the additional intervention request initiated at another self-checkout terminal to the shopper assistant.

11 . The self-checkout terminal of claim 7 wherein displaying, at the self-checkout terminal, an additional intervention request initiated at another self-checkout terminal includes displaying the additional intervention request initiated at another self-checkout terminal in a list of intervention events ordered by priority.

12 . (canceled)

13 . A computer program product for assisting customers at a self-checkout terminal, the computer program product disposed upon a computer readable storage medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to carry out the steps of:

requesting, at the self-checkout terminal, intervention from a shopper assistant;

notifying, by the self-checkout terminal, the shopper assistant of the request for intervention;

checking in the shopper assistant at the self-checkout terminal, wherein checking in the shopping assistant at the self-checkout terminal includes:

capturing a digital image of the shopping assistant; and

comparing the captured image to an image template; and

displaying, at the self-checkout terminal, an additional intervention request initiated at another self-checkout terminal.

14 . The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to carry out the step of resolving, at the self-checkout terminal, the additional intervention request initiated at another self-checkout terminal.

15 . The computer program product of claim 14 wherein resolving, at the self-checkout terminal, the additional intervention request initiated at another self-checkout terminal includes displaying, at the self-checkout terminal, image data from a digital imaging device located at another self-checkout terminal.

16 . The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to carry out the step of assigning, at the self checkout terminal, the additional intervention request initiated at another self-checkout terminal to the shopper assistant.

17 . The computer program product of claim 13 wherein displaying, at the self-checkout terminal, an additional intervention request initiated at another self-checkout terminal includes displaying the additional intervention request initiated at another self-checkout terminal in a list of intervention events ordered by priority.

18 . (canceled)