Intelligent supermarket shopping system and method using RFID technology
The RFID-based smart supermarket system addresses the challenge of handling bulk items by automating the shopping process, improving convenience and efficiency for older customers and optimizing inventory management while reducing labor costs and ensuring secure transactions.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202510440903.X
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-04-09
- Publication Date
- 2025-07-15
AI Technical Summary
When the elderly buy heavy objects such as rice, flour, grain, and oil in supermarkets, there is inconvenience during the purchase and transportation to the cashier.
The smart supermarket shopping system using RFID technology includes smart shelves, bracelets, cashiers and goods transfer areas. It records and transmits goods information through the RFID writer to realize self-service purchase and checkout.
It improves shopping convenience, reduces inconvenience in handling and queuing and checking out, optimizes shopping experience, reduces labor costs, and improves the efficiency and safety of inventory management.
Smart Images
Figure CN120317271A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to the field of Internet of Things shopping, and particularly to an intelligent supermarket shopping system and method using RFID technology. Background Art
[0002] Since rice, flour, cooking oil, and grains are relatively heavy and difficult to carry by themselves, when encountering elderly customers with a purchase need, it is particularly difficult to pick up the goods during shopping, transport them to the cashier area, and load and unload them at the cashier area.
[0003] Therefore, how to provide a solution to the inconvenience of picking up / transporting goods to the cashier after selecting heavy items has become an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention
[0004] The present invention provides an intelligent supermarket shopping system and method using RFID technology to solve the problem of inconvenience in carrying goods during shopping for the elderly and middle-aged in the prior art when purchasing large items in a supermarket. In view of the above problems, a new type of intelligent shelf and a supporting shopping process are provided, which can solve this inconvenience in shopping, aiming to solve the inconvenience encountered by customers who have a purchase need for rice, flour, cooking oil, and grain products in a shopping supermarket.
[0005] To achieve the above object, the technical solution of the present invention provides an intelligent supermarket shopping system using RFID technology, including: a shelf with an RFID writer and a tag card, a bracelet with a unique number, a cashier desk with RFID function, and a goods transfer area. There are goods position partitions on the shelf, and price tags and RFID writers are provided at each of the goods position partitions; registration is performed in the background according to the types and categories of goods on the shelf; when the bracelet corresponds to an RFID writer on the shelf, it is used to record goods information and notify the warehouse to prepare goods; the goods transfer area transports corresponding goods according to the bracelet number recognized by the cashier desk.
[0006] As a preference of the above technical solution, preferably, the goods transfer area includes a picking basket, a conveyor belt, and a screen. The conveyor belt is used to connect the warehouse and the cashier desk, and the picking basket containing goods is placed thereon, and the screen is used to display the received shopping orders of customers and the goods information in each picking basket.
[0007] As a preference of the above technical solution, preferably, when the bracelet corresponds to an RFID writer on the shelf, it further includes that there is a button beside the RFID writer, and when the button is pressed, the bracelet is written with specification information.
[0008] The present invention also provides an intelligent supermarket shopping method using RFID technology, including: On the customer side: After receiving the bracelet, the customer selects goods and writes the selected information into the bracelet through the RFID writer on the shelf; the customer goes to the cashier's desk to settle the bill according to the information in the bracelet.
[0009] On the supermarket side: After the staff replenish the goods according to the labels on the shelf, they write the replenishment information into the background database; the RFID writer on the shelf transmits the purchase information to the warehouse; when receiving the information sent by the bracelet, the warehouse picks the goods according to the information sent by the bracelet and conveys the goods to the cashier's desk; the cashier reads the bracelet information of the customer through RFID, empties the information in the bracelet after completing the pick-up, and recovers the bracelet.
[0010] As a preference of the above technical solution, preferably, on the customer side: When the customer confirms the selected goods, stick the bracelet to the corresponding RFID writer of the corresponding goods. When the bracelet vibrates, the selection is successful; there is a button on the RFID writer. After the bracelet vibrates, press the selection button to write the specifications of the selected goods.
[0011] As a preference of the above technical solution, preferably, after the staff replenish the goods according to the labels on the shelf, they write the replenishment information into the background database, including: When the staff take inventory and stock the goods, take one of each different type of goods and put them into different compartments of the shelf, and record the goods information and the corresponding compartment numbers. Subsequently, hand over the placed goods, the corresponding compartment information, and the total number of various goods to the background database.
[0012] As a preference of the above technical solution, preferably, on the supermarket side: When the goods are being conveyed to the cashier's desk, the cashier confirms and settles other goods selected by the customer.
[0013] As a preference of the above technical solution, preferably, if the customer decides to abandon the goods, after the cashier uniformly places the goods behind the cashier's desk, they are uniformly returned to the warehouse and the background data is changed.
[0014] The technical solution of the present invention provides an intelligent supermarket shopping system and method using RFID technology. It includes a shelf with an RFID writer and a tag card, a bracelet, a cashier's desk with RFID function, and a goods circulation area. After receiving the bracelet, the customer selects goods and writes the selected information into the bracelet through the RFID writer on the shelf; the customer goes to the cashier's desk to settle the bill according to the information in the bracelet. The cashier's desk is used to obtain the goods prepared by the warehouse according to the information provided by the bracelet from the goods circulation area based on the RFID information of the bracelet. There are goods position partitions on the shelf, and price tags and RFID writers are provided at each goods position partition; registration is carried out in the background according to the types and categories of the goods on the shelf.
[0015] The advantages of the present invention are as follows: It improves shopping convenience. The intelligent shopping cabinets / shelves, in combination with RFID technology and bracelets, enable customers to easily select goods, especially heavy items such as rice, flour, cooking oil, etc., solving the inconvenience of carrying and queuing for checkout in the traditional shopping mode. It optimizes the shopping experience. The present invention reduces the waiting time caused by picking up goods and checking out during the shopping process. Especially for elderly customers, they can easily select goods and directly pick them up when checking out, improving the comfort and efficiency of shopping. It enables efficient inventory management. With the help of Internet of Things technology, inventory is monitored in real time and data is automatically updated, effectively reducing out-of-stock and overstock situations and optimizing the operation efficiency of the supermarket. It reduces labor costs. Through the design of self-service shopping and checkout processes, the dependence on manual services is reduced, thereby reducing labor costs. It increases security and accuracy. The contactless shopping using RFID bracelets and intelligent shelves ensures accurate recording of the goods selected by customers. At the same time, information security during the payment process is protected through encryption. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the following drawings are some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.
[0017] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the shopping process structure of an intelligent supermarket shopping system and method using RFID technology provided by the present invention.
[0018] Figure 2 It is a customer shopping flow chart of an intelligent supermarket shopping method using RFID technology provided by the present invention.
[0019] Figure 3 It is a functional flow chart inside the supermarket of an intelligent supermarket shopping method using RFID technology provided by the present invention.
[0020] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of an intelligent shelf in an intelligent supermarket shopping system using RFID technology provided by the present invention.
[0021] Figure 5 It is a diagram of other facility components in an intelligent supermarket shopping system using RFID technology provided by the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0022] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0023] First, the shopping method provided by the technical solution of the present invention is briefly described:
[0024] Customer side: After receiving the wristband, the customer uses it to select goods. After confirming the selected goods, the customer sticks the wristband to the RFID writer corresponding to the corresponding goods. This RFID writer is set on the shelf. The user writes the purchase information into the wristband. When the wristband vibrates, the purchase is successful. When the wristband vibrates, the customer can input by pressing the button on the wristband. After the purchase is completed, the customer goes to the cashier to check out according to the information in the wristband. Among them, there is an RFID device on the wristband, and each wristband has a corresponding unique number.
[0025] Supermarket side: When the warehouse receives the goods information sent by the wristband, the picking system generates a shopping order based on the information sent by the wristband. The warehouse picks the goods according to the information on the shopping order and sends the goods in the picking basket to the cashier via the conveyor belt. During the process of sending the goods to the cashier, the cashier confirms and settles the other goods selected by the customer. If the customer decides to give up the goods, the cashier will place the goods at the cashier, return them to the warehouse, and change the background data. After the cashier completes the pick-up according to the customer's wristband information, the information in the wristband is cleared and the wristband is recycled.
[0026] The warehouse replenishes the remaining quantity of goods on the shelves according to the information transmitted by the RFID writer: When the staff takes inventory and restocks the goods, they replenish the goods according to the labels on the shelves. They take one of each type of goods and place them in different compartments of the shelf, and record the replenishment information and the corresponding compartment numbers. Subsequently, they hand over the placed goods, the corresponding compartment information, and the total number of each type of goods to the background database. Specifically, in reality, there are often different specifications for the same type of goods (for example, there are options of different weights and capacities for goods such as rice and oil). To solve the problem that customers need to repeatedly approach different RFID writers to obtain product details (different specifications, flavors, packaging styles, etc.) when selecting the same type of goods, the technical solution of the present invention optimizes the RFID writers on the shelves as follows: A specification selection button is set on the RFID writer to combine the writing devices for the same type of goods, so that customers do not need to switch their shopping positions or reading devices again to select the specific specifications of the goods after selecting the type of goods. Thus, by setting the specification selection button, the number of RFID writers is reduced, the combination of different specification information for the same type of goods is realized, the installation cost and maintenance cost of supermarket equipment are reduced. From the perspective of customers, they can complete the product selection with a single operation, reducing misoperations and shopping time. The background system can directly record the different specifications of the goods, which is convenient for accurate inventory monitoring.
[0027] Input the information of the same type of goods into the same RFID writer (for example, 5kg and 10kg of rice).
[0028] Furthermore, the technical solution of the present invention
[0029] Now, the implementation mode of the present invention will be described in detail:
[0030] It includes: a shelf separated by intervals according to the size of the goods, with RFID writers and product corresponding information label cards on the shelf; there are RFID tags on the silicone bracelets, each bracelet has a corresponding unique number, and there are buttons (single or several) on the bracelet for selecting the product specifications. There is an RFID reader at the cashier's desk, and processing software capable of processing RFID information; in the picking area, there are picking baskets for sorting and transporting, a conveyor belt for transporting the picking baskets, and a screen for displaying the goods information.
[0031] As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown in the shopping process:
[0032] After entering the mall, customers receive numbered wristbands according to shopping units at the entrance. The wristbands have unique built-in numbers representing the customers' identities. When shopping in the mall, if purchasing goods using smart shelves, use the wristband issued at the entrance. After confirming the selected goods, approach the corresponding RFID shelf induction area (such as the RFID writer under the goods). The system will automatically identify and record the types of selected goods. After successful purchase, the wristband will give a slight vibration / flashing indicator light as feedback on successful purchase, confirming that the goods have been successfully added to the shopping list. If the selected goods have different specifications, the customer selects different specifications (such as 5kg, 10kg) through the buttons beside the RFID writer on the shelf. After the customer presses the corresponding specification button, the RFID writer confirms the specification information (for example, determined by flashing different numbers of times and then the data no longer changing), and directly writes the specification information into the wristband. The selected specifications include but are not limited to different net contents, different outer packaging sizes, and different styles of the same product.
[0033] After successful reading, the goods are automatically added to the customer's shopping list. After the customer successfully selects the goods, the picking system sends the purchase data (including the customer number and the information of the selected goods) to the picking area in the background. The picking system generates the customer's shopping order based on the received data and displays the order information on the picking screen, prompting the staff to perform the picking operation. The picking screen display system in the background shows the goods of the received shopping order, and the sorting staff in the background puts the goods into the coded picking basket corresponding to the customer's wristband.
[0034] After the customer finishes shopping, go to the checkout area to pick up the goods. Hand the wristband to the cashier. The cashier uses the RFID reader at the cashier desk to read the information in the wristband. The system automatically identifies the list of goods selected by the customer. After the cashier and the customer confirm that it is correct, submit the order. At the same time as reading the wristband information at the cashier desk, the system matches the wristband number with the cashier desk number by identifying the wristband number. There are sensors in the conveyor belt. According to the position of the cashier desk, the corresponding picking basket is automatically placed on the conveyor belt corresponding to the cashier desk selected by the customer. The picking basket moves on the conveyor belt and finally reaches the cashier desk where the customer is located. When placing the goods on the conveyor belt in the sorting area, the cashier confirms and settles the other goods selected by the customer, avoiding the time waiting for picking goods using smart shelves. After the customer pays the fee, the cashier takes back the wristband and deletes the information of the goods selected by the previous customer in the wristband using the reader-writer and software.
[0035] As Figure 3 shown in the supermarket functional process:
[0036] Before customers shop: When staff are taking inventory and restocking, they first select the goods to be placed on the smart shelves. They take one item of each different type of goods and place them in different compartments of the smart shelves, and record the goods information and the corresponding compartment numbers. Subsequently, they hand over the placed goods, the corresponding compartment information, and the total number of each type of goods to the back-end database, which writes the data into the corresponding software of the smart shelves.
[0037] After a customer selects and confirms a product via the bracelet, the warehouse sorting area receives the corresponding bracelet code of the customer and the selected product information. A dedicated person places the goods in a picking basket and places it in the area to be processed. After the customer goes to the cashier desk, the cashier scans the bracelet and confirms with the customer. The picking area then receives the bracelet code of the customer and the number of the cashier desk. The picking staff places the corresponding picking basket that has been placed in the area to be processed on the corresponding conveyor belt for the customer. If the customer decides to abandon the purchase of the goods in the smart cabinet, the cashier uniformly places the goods in the area behind the cashier desk and returns them to the warehouse and changes the back-end data.
[0038] When the customer checks out, the cashier places the information in the bracelet in the reader to read the information, confirm with the customer, and complete the pick-up. The cashier then places the bracelet on the reader, deletes the information on the software, and puts it into the collection box for blank bracelets. When the number of bracelets in the entrance area is small, the blank bracelets of the cashier are collected uniformly.
[0039] To match the above shopping process, the present invention provides a smart supermarket shopping system using RFID technology, as Figure 4 and Figure 5 shown, including: a shelf with an RFID writer and a tag card, a bracelet, a cashier desk with RFID function, and a goods circulation area.
[0040] As Figure 4 shown, the shelf is provided with goods position partitions, and each goods position partition is provided with a price tag and a corresponding RFID writer. The staff register according to the types and categories of the goods on the shelf in the back-end.
[0041] When the RFID tag on the bracelet corresponds to the RFID writer on the goods on the shelf, the bracelet vibrates, thus realizing recording the goods information and notifying the warehouse to prepare the goods.
[0042] The cashier desk is used to obtain the goods prepared by the warehouse according to the information provided by the bracelet from the goods circulation area based on the RFID information of the bracelet.
[0043] The goods circulation area includes picking baskets, conveyor belts, and screens. The conveyor belt is used to connect the warehouse and the cashier desk, and the picking baskets containing goods are placed on it. The screen is used to display the goods information in each picking basket.
[0044] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements for some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.
Claims
1. An intelligent supermarket shopping system using RFID technology, characterized in that, The system includes: a shelf with an RFID writer and a tag card, a bracelet with a unique number, a cashier desk with RFID function, and a goods transfer area; The shelf is provided with goods position partitions, and price tags and RFID writers are provided at each goods position partition; registration is performed in the background according to the types and categories of goods on the shelf; When the bracelet corresponds to an RFID writer on the shelf, it is used to record goods information and notify the warehouse to prepare goods; The goods transfer area conveys corresponding goods according to the bracelet number recognized by the cashier desk.
2. The intelligent supermarket shopping system using RFID technology provided in claim 1, characterized in that, The goods transfer area includes a picking basket, a conveyor belt, and a screen. The conveyor belt is used to connect the warehouse and the cashier desk, and the picking basket containing goods is placed thereon. The screen is used to display the received shopping orders of customers and the goods information in each picking basket.
3. The intelligent supermarket shopping system using RFID technology provided according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the bracelet corresponds to an RFID writer on the shelf, there is also a button beside the RFID writer. When the button is pressed, the bracelet is written with specification information.
4. An intelligent supermarket shopping method using RFID technology, characterized in that, Includes: Customer side: After the customer receives the bracelet and selects goods, the selected information is written into the bracelet through the RFID writer on the shelf; The customer goes to the cashier desk to settle the bill according to the information in the bracelet; Supermarket side: After the staff replenishes the goods according to the labels on the shelf, the replenishment information is written into the background database; The RFID writer on the shelf transmits the purchase information to the warehouse; When receiving the information sent by the bracelet, the warehouse picks goods according to the information sent by the bracelet and conveys the goods to the cashier desk; The cashier desk reads the bracelet information of the customer through RFID, clears the information in the bracelet after picking up the goods, and recovers the bracelet.
5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that Includes: Customer side: When the customer confirms the selected goods, the bracelet is pasted to the RFID writer corresponding to the corresponding goods. When the bracelet vibrates, the selection is successful; There is a button on the RFID writer. After the bracelet vibrates, press the selection button to write the specification of the selected goods.
6. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that After the staff replenishes the goods according to the labels on the shelf, the replenishment information is written into the background database, including: When the staff takes inventory and stocks goods, one of each different type of goods is placed in different compartments of the shelf, and the goods information and the corresponding compartment numbers are recorded. Subsequently, the placed goods, the corresponding compartment information, and the total number of various goods are handed over to the background database.
7. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, Includes: Supermarket side: When the goods are being conveyed to the cashier desk, the cashier confirms and settles other goods selected by the customer.
8. The method according to claim 4, wherein Includes: If the customer decides to abandon the goods, the cashier uniformly places the goods behind the cashier desk and then uniformly returns them to the warehouse and changes the background data.