Granted Patent B1

US 10,699,537 · App. 16/708,149 · Granted Jun 30, 2020

Inventor: Bernd Schoner (Cambridge, MA)

Assignee: Standard Cognitions Corp.

G07G1/0045G06Q10/087

Abstract

Claims (43)

1. A system for a mechanized store having one or more displays in an area and a plurality of items at the one or more displays, the system comprising:

one or more sensors configured to identify a user entering the area;

one or more sensors configured to identify one or more items, of the plurality of items, removed from the one or more displays;

one or more cameras configured to detect identities of items removed by the user from the one or more displays; and

one or more processors configured to:

receive identities of the one or more items identified as removed from the one or more displays;

receive an identity of the user;

match the identity of the user with the identities of the one or more items removed from the one or more displays based on detected identities of items removed from the one or more cameras to obtain a result; and

save the result to a record of the user.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors configured to identify the one or more items of the plurality of items includes an RFID tag reader.

3. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors configured to identify the one or more items of the plurality of items includes an optical scanner.

4. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors configured to identify the one or more items of the plurality of items includes a camera.

5. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors configured to identify the user includes a biometric sensor.

6. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors configured to identify the user includes an electromagnetic sensor.

7. The system as recited in claim 6 , wherein the electromagnetic sensor is a WiFi sensor, a bluetooth sensor, a nearfield-communication sensor, or a Radio Frequency Identification sensor.

8. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors configured to identify the user includes a camera.

9. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more cameras are configured to detect identities of items by identifying movement of a hand and determining that the hand is holding an item of the plurality of items.

10. A method for operating a mechanized store, the method comprising:

identifying, using one or more sensors, a user entering an area, wherein the area has a plurality of items at one or more displays;

identifying, using one or more sensors, one or more items of the plurality of items removed from the one or more displays;

detecting, using one or more cameras, identities of items removed by the user from the one or more displays;

matching the identity of the user with identities of the one or more items of the plurality of items to obtain a result, wherein matching is based on identifying the user, identifying the one or more items of the plurality of items, and detecting identities of items removed by the user; and

saving the result to a record of the user.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising transmitting the result to a mobile device of the user.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising alerting a store owner, store employee, independent contractor, and/or law enforcement based on the result.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising tracking the user in the area.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising initiating a credit card transaction on a credit card associated with an account of the user, such that the user is charged for items removed.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

authenticating the user after identifying the user; and

providing the user access to the area after the user is authenticated.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein providing the user access to the area includes allowing the user to bypass a physical barrier or pass through a doorway.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising linking the user to an existing account based on identifying the user.

18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising associating the user with a credit card, or other form of payment, based on identifying the user.

19. One or more memory devices comprising instructions that when executed cause one or more processors to perform the following steps:

identifying, using one or more sensors, a user entering an area, wherein the area has a plurality of items at one or more displays;

detecting, using one or more cameras, identities of items removed by the user from the one or more displays;

matching the identity of the user with detected identities of items removed by the user to obtain a result, wherein matching is based on identifying the user and detecting identities of items removed by the user; and

saving the result to a record of the user.

20. The one or more memory devices as recited in claim 19 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform the following steps:

identifying, using one or more sensors, one or more items of the plurality of items removed from the one or more displays;

updating a first electronic basket and a second electronic basket, wherein:

the first electronic basket corresponds to items identified using one or more sensors; and

the second electronic basket corresponds to detected identities of items using the one or more cameras.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (9)

Cited By (5)

US 12,190,285 US 12,243,256 US 12,254,750 US 12,705,576 US 12,737,741