Payment machine

Abstract

Method for identifying a shopping basket, recorded at a goods receipt unit and having a shopping basket identifier, at a payment terminal with a housing in which a cash input and output module and / or a card reading module and in which a receipt unit for recording the customer's shopping basket, comprising at least one item, are arranged, wherein the shopping basket identifier is integrated in a receipt issued by the goods receipt unit, with a receipt placement element facing the customer side of the receipt unit, at least partially transparent and having a recording area, and with a display unit for displaying a price to be paid by the customer for the shopping basket, wherein, - the document detection unit (5) comprises at least one lighting element (14) for illuminating the detection area (17) of the document placement element (15) and a camera (13) for optically detecting the detection area (17) of the document placement element (15), and - that at least one lighting element (14) and the camera (13) are arranged on a side of the document placement element (15) facing away from the customer, and - a recording document (11) provided by the goods recording unit (9) can be placed flat on the document support element (15), and - the recording document (11) can be recorded by means of the camera (13), wherein the shopping basket includes goods with a product identifier and at least one information carrier with an identification field containing identification information is placed on the recording area of ​​the document placement element of the document recording unit, characterized in that - Individual images of the detection area (17) of the document placement element (15) are continuously captured as an image sequence by the camera (13), - the image sequence is further processed in such a way that a single image having an identification field (22) of an information carrier is separated, and - the separated single image is processed in such a way that the identification information of the information carrier is read out to assign the information carrier to the shopping basket recorded at the goods recording unit (9).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a payment machine with a housing in which a money input and output module and / or a card reading module and in which a receipt recording unit for recording a shopping cart identifier identifying the customer's shopping cart comprising at least one item are arranged, wherein the shopping cart identifier is integrated in a recording receipt issued by a goods recording unit, with a receipt laying element facing the receipt recording unit on the customer side, which is at least partially transparent and has a recording area, and with a display unit for displaying a price to be paid by the customer for the shopping cart.

[0002] Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for identifying a shopping basket detected at a goods detection unit and having a shopping basket identifier at a payment machine, wherein the shopping basket comprises goods with a goods identifier and at least one information carrier with an identification field containing identification information is placed on a detection area of ​​a receipt placement element of a receipt detection unit.

[0003] A noticeable trend among various retail companies is to abandon traditional cashier-operated checkout systems in favor of self-service checkouts. Here, the customer registers their items independently. Payment is made by the customer at a payment machine that offers cash payment options, including currency exchange and / or card payment facilities.

[0004] The customer's goods can be scanned during shopping using a mobile handheld scanner, a scanner attached to a shopping cart, or a goods scanning unit, such as that sold by the applicant under the name "Scan Tower." The goods scanning unit is typically located in a checkout zone downstream of the sales area. The goods selected by the customer are scanned there, for example, using a conventional barcode reader. After the goods have been fully scanned, the customer receives a receipt. The receipt can be in the form of a paper receipt. It contains the price of the goods and a machine-readable shopping cart identifier, also in the form of a machine-readable barcode.

[0005] After the customer's goods have been registered, the customer pays for their purchase at a payment machine. The payment machine, which the applicant markets, for example, under the name "Pay Tower," can be located separately from the goods registration unit. At the payment machine, the registration receipt is scanned and used to identify the customer and their shopping cart.

[0006] Shopping cart recognition serves as a key to assigning a previously recorded shopping cart to the customer. The shopping data is available electronically at the payment machine. For this purpose, the payment machine is linked to the goods registration unit via data technology. The customer pays for their purchase in cash or by card and subsequently receives a purchase receipt containing the type and quantity of the purchased goods, the individual prices, the total price, and any other information required by tax law. The disadvantage of this is that scanning the registration receipts at the payment machine is often problematic. Correctly positioning the registration receipt, with its computer-readable shopping cart identification, in front of the scanning unit is difficult for inexperienced users. At the same time, it is common for the registration receipt to become crumpled or creased during transfer from the goods registration unit to the payment machine.In this case, reading the receipt at the payment machine is even more difficult.

[0007] An example of a company publication shows a payment machine with a cash deposit and dispensing module, a card reader module, and a receipt capture unit (Wincor Nixdorf: BEETLE / iSCAN Pay Tower 200R; Important Notes, Site Preparation and Commissioning; November 2007). DE 10254060 A1 shows an image capture device with an image capture unit and an image processing surface. DE 20221591 U1 shows a cashier system for use in a supermarket. EP 0403670 A1 shows a goods registration and accounting system for retail outlets.

[0008] The object of the present invention is therefore to further develop a payment machine with a receipt recording unit for recording a shopping cart identifier and a method for identifying a shopping cart recorded on a goods recording unit and having a shopping cart identifier in such a way that the functional reliability is further increased and error-free operation is possible in a simple manner even by inexperienced persons.

[0009] Such a payment machine is characterized in that the receipt detection unit comprises at least one lighting element for illuminating the detection area of ​​the receipt placement element and a camera for optically detecting the detection area of ​​the receipt placement element, that at least one lighting element and the camera are arranged on a side of the receipt placement element facing away from the customer, a registration receipt provided by the goods detection unit can be placed flatly on the receipt placement element and the registration receipt can be detected by means of the camera.

[0010] The particular advantage of the invention is that it eliminates the need for a traditional product scanner and instead optically scans the receipt using a camera. The shopping cart identifier provided on the receipt is determined using an image processing routine. By eliminating the error-prone scanning process, scanning the receipt becomes significantly safer and easier, even for inexperienced users, such as the elderly or occasional shoppers.

[0011] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the dimensions of the document to be captured correspond to the dimensions of the document placement element. This defines a defined placement surface and, in particular, a minimally sized area to be captured by the camera. The camera can now be selected so that the document to be captured can be reliably captured and processed in the downstream evaluation routine without requiring an unnecessarily large image and, consequently, an unnecessarily high and expensive camera resolution.

[0012] According to a further development of the invention, the receipt support element is arranged in a recess provided in the housing such that the detection area of ​​the receipt support element has a stop at least in sections along its edge. This ensures that the detection receipt is correctly positioned on the receipt support element and can thus be easily and error-free read. At the same time, the stop serves as user guidance, further enhancing usability.

[0013] According to a further development of the invention, the receipt support element is designed as a receipt support plate that extends horizontally or in a direction slightly inclined relative to the horizontal. This ensures that the receipt remains on the receipt support element "by itself" and does not need to be secured against slipping or falling. This gives the user freedom of movement during the payment process and eliminates the need to remove and store the receipt before payment. This is perceived as a convenience, particularly given the goods that have just been scanned and now have to be carried or supervised by the customer.

[0014] According to a further development of the invention, the camera is designed as a digital camera. This digital camera design is particularly cost-effective and robust. At the same time, the captured data is stored electronically, eliminating the need for analog-to-digital conversion for post-processing.

[0015] According to a further development of the invention, the receipt capture unit has two illumination elements arranged at a distance from each other and assigned to opposite sides of the camera. This advantageously ensures uniform illumination of the capture area of ​​the receipt capture unit, thereby facilitating the optical capture of the shopping cart identifier.

[0016] To achieve this object, a method for identifying a shopping basket recorded at a goods recording unit and having a shopping basket identifier at a payment machine is characterized in that individual images of the detection area of ​​the receipt application element are continuously recorded by a camera as an image sequence, the image sequence is further processed in such a way that an individual image having an identification field of an information carrier is separated, and the separated individual image is processed in such a way that the identification information of the information carrier is read out in order to assign the information carrier to the shopping basket recorded on the recording unit.

[0017] The particular advantage of the invention is that the customer's shopping cart is identified using electronic image processing routines. Reading an identification code or similar can thus be carried out very robustly and largely error-free.

[0018] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a receipt created at the goods registration station is read as the information carrier. In this way, the customer's purchase can be fully identified simply by reading the receipt, and the payment and receipt process can be initiated. This method is particularly time-efficient, customer-friendly, and less prone to errors.

[0019] According to a further development of the invention, the product identifier of at least one item from the shopping basket is read as the information carrier. If the receipt is lost or becomes unreadable on the way from the goods registration unit to the payment machine, a characteristic item can be removed from the customer's shopping basket and re-registered via the receipt registration unit. If the item is only present in one shopping basket to be paid for at this time, the receipt is also uniquely identified. Otherwise, a second or third item from the customer is re-registered until the paying shopping basket is identified. This eliminates the need to completely re-scan the purchased item.

[0020] According to a further development of the invention, the separated individual image is displayed on a monitor when an error signal is present, which is generated when the identification information of the receipt does not match any of the shopping cart identifiers pending for payment. By displaying the image of the unreadable receipt on the monitor, the customer is clearly shown what needs to be done to read the receipt. For example, a crumpled receipt can be smoothed out, a dog-ear removed, or a twisted receipt repositioned. This increases ease of use and manageability.

[0021] According to a further development of the invention, the identification information is applied to the information carrier as a barcode. The barcode is a long-standing, proven, and reliable information carrier that has been successfully used, particularly in retail, for many years. It is easy to use, secure, and standardized. When using a barcode, the product identifier provided by the manufacturer on the product can be used, eliminating the need to attach a separate product identifier. This makes the use of a barcode attractive, especially from a commercial perspective.

[0022] Further advantages of the invention emerge from the further subclaims.

[0023] Embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0024] They show: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of a payment machine in interaction with a goods registration unit, Fig. 2 a side view of a receipt capture unit and its integration into the payment machine according to Fig. 1, Fig. 3 a plan view of a receipt capture unit and its integration into a payment machine according to a second embodiment, Fig. 4a the first part of a flowchart for identifying a receipt at a payment machine and Fig. 4b the second part of a flowchart for identifying a receipt at a payment machine.

[0025] The payment machine 1 according to the invention has as essential components according to the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 comprises a housing 2, a cash deposit and dispensing module 3, a card reader module 4, a receipt capture unit 5, and a display unit 6. The payment machine 1 is connected to a goods capture unit 9 via a data line 7, 7' and a company network 8. The goods capture unit 9 comprises a receipt output unit 10 (e.g., a receipt printer) for creating and outputting a capture receipt 11, as well as a goods scanner 12 for identifying purchased goods.

[0026] The payment machine 1 and the goods registration unit 9 can be spatially separated from one another or implemented as a common functional unit or spatially integrated. The data connection between the goods registration unit 9 and the payment machine 1 can be wired or wireless, for example, in the form of 1:1 cabling, without the need for the interposition of the company network. Furthermore, a payment machine 1 can be connected to a plurality of goods registration units 9; likewise, a goods registration unit 9 can interact with a plurality of payment machines 1. In this case, the payment machines 1 and the goods registration units 9 are data-linked, for example, via the company network 8.

[0027] The receipt capture unit 5 of the payment machine 1 comprises a camera 13 and two lighting elements 14. A receipt capture element 15 designed as a receipt placement plate is assigned to the receipt capture unit 5. The receipt placement plate 15 is attached to the edge of the housing 2 and is recessed relative to the adjacent housing top. A recess 16 in the housing 2 is provided such that a capture area 17 of the receipt placement plate 15 is accessible and visible to the customer on the one hand, and optically detectable by the camera 13 on the other.

[0028] The detection area 17 of the receipt placement plate 15 is surrounded on the edge by a stop 18 formed by the housing 2. This delimits the detection area 17 of the receipt placement element 15, at least in sections, and simplifies the correct positioning of the receipt 11 in the detection area 17. Advantageously, the dimensions of the detection area 17 correspond to the dimensions of the receipt 11. In this way, the receipt 11 can be placed on the receipt placement plate 15 easily and without the risk of incorrect positioning or tilting. A rotation of the receipt 11 by 180° (placement "overhead") can be detected and compensated for by an image processing routine. Placing the receipt is very easy for the customer; they will intuitively place the receipt 11 on the receipt placement plate 15 while completely covering the detection area 17.

[0029] According to an alternative embodiment of the document recording unit 5 according to Fig. 3, instead of the stop 18, a (for example, optical) display means 19, 19', 19" can be provided. The detection area 17 is transparent in this case. The correct positioning of the detection document on the document support element 15 is simplified by highlighting the detection area, for example with the help of arrows 19 and / or contact edges 19'. A further optical display 19" is provided in that the visible part of the support element 15, which does not belong to the detection area 17, is optically marked as a surface, for example, is designed to be non-transparent or colored.

[0030] A customer shopping at a retail store with self-checkouts assembles their personal shopping as usual in the merchandise department, gathering groceries, drugstore items, or similar items into a shopping cart. The purchased items are referred to as a shopping cart, although they do not necessarily have to be physically grouped together in a shopping basket.

[0031] After selecting and assembling the goods, the customer goes to a so-called checkout zone, which is located between the sales area and the exit and can be used instead of or in addition to a traditional cash register. In the checkout zone, the customer first registers their goods at a goods registration unit 9. Typically, they scan the barcode provided on the packaging. In the goods registration unit 9, the customer's shopping cart is digitally reproduced by recording the type and quantity of the purchased goods and saving them with the stored price. Once the shopping cart has been completely entered by the customer, a shopping cart identifier 21 is assigned to the shopping cart. This shopping cart identifier 21 is saved with the digital image of the shopping cart and also applied to the registration receipt 11.In addition to the shopping cart identification 21, which is printed as a barcode 21 on the entry document 11 within an identification field 22 always provided in the same place, the final price 23 to be paid for the entire purchase is printed on the entry document 11.

[0032] The customer now proceeds from the goods registration unit 9 to the payment machine 1. They place the registration receipt 11, as the information carrier, onto the detection area 17 of the receipt placement element 15, thus identifying themselves to the payment machine 1. For this purpose, the camera 13 provided in the payment machine 1 continuously optically records the detection area 17 of the receipt placement element 15. The individual images are stored as an image sequence. The most recent individual image of the image sequence is checked by a first image processing routine R1 to determine whether identification information, i.e., a shopping cart identifier 21 or a product identifier 20, is part of the recorded image.

[0033] If the most recent frame in the image sequence contains identification information, this image is separated from the image sequence. A second image processing routine R2 reads the identification information from the image. The identification information is first stored as ID1 and then compared with shopping cart identifiers 21 provided by any goods registration unit 9. If the identification information corresponds to a shopping cart identifier 21, a confirmation signal B1 is generated. This identifies the shopping cart. At payment station 1, all information necessary to initiate the actual payment process—that is, the receipt of money, the return of any necessary change, and the printing of a receipt—is now available.

[0034] If the identification information cannot be read correctly from the separated image, for example, because the registration document 11 is crumpled or bent, or incorrectly positioned on the detection area 17, the image captured by the camera is displayed on the display unit 6. By displaying the image, the customer is clearly made aware of the measures they must take to ensure that the registration document 11 can be read by the machine. This could include, for example, smoothing the registration document 11 or correctly positioning it on the detection area 17.

[0035] If the registration receipt 11 is lost on the way from the goods registration unit 9 to the payment machine 1 or is so severely damaged that it can no longer be read by a machine, the customer can place a characteristic item from their shopping cart with the goods identification 20, which will typically be present in the form of a barcode provided on the goods packaging, onto the registration area 17 of the receipt placement element 15 as the information carrier instead of the registration receipt 11 and scan it again. The second image processing routine R2 reads the identification information and stores it (ID1), and determines that it does not correspond to any shopping cart identification 21 of a shopping cart intended for payment. The identification information is then compared with the goods identification 20 of the shopping carts intended for payment.If, at this point in time, the characteristic item, possibly a rarely purchased item, is only present in a single shopping cart to be paid for, the customer's shopping cart is identified by the item identifier 20. In this case, a confirmation signal B2 is generated, analogous to the identification of the shopping cart by the shopping cart identifier. The confirmation signal B2 may, but does not have to, correspond to the confirmation signal B1. Subsequently, the payment process is initiated as usual.

[0036] If a single item is not sufficient to identify the shopping cart, a second or third item is scanned again at payment machine 1. The product identifiers 20 of the newly scanned items are saved (ID2, ID3, ...) and compared with the customers' scanned but not yet paid shopping carts. Typically, the shopping cart will be identified by one or a small number of items. As soon as the customer's shopping cart is identified, the confirmation signal B2 is generated and the payment process is initiated. If the shopping cart with two or three items is not identified, theoretically all of the items in the shopping cart can be scanned again. The payment process is then initiated after the shopping cart has been identified or after all of the goods have been scanned again.

[0037] The information about the shopping carts awaiting payment, the shopping cart identifiers 21 assigned to them, the goods summarized in the shopping carts, the goods identifiers 20 identifying these goods, and the sales price information can be stored in a central processing unit. For this purpose, this central processing unit is linked to both the goods registration unit 9 and the payment machine 1. After the goods registration is complete, the information characterizing the purchase is forwarded from the goods registration unit 9 to the central processing unit. The payment machine 1 has access to this information and uses it to identify the shopping cart, to carry out the payment transaction, and to issue the receipt. Instead of a separate central processing unit, the relevant information can be kept in the payment machine 1 and / or the goods registration unit 9.

[0038] The goods registration carried out by the customer himself at the goods registration unit 9 as well as the identification of the shopping cart using characteristic articles can be carried out instead by a supervisor who is appropriately trained in the use of the equipment.

[0039] If the determined identifier does not match either a shopping cart identifier 21 or the product identifier 20 of a product in a shopping cart intended for payment, an error signal F is generated. As a consequence, for example, a supervisor can be notified or the recording process can be repeated.

[0040] After the payment transaction, payment machine 1 is unlocked and available to other customers. While payment machine 1 is in use, goods registration unit 9 can be used by another customer. This increases throughput in the checkout zone. LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS 1 payment machine 2 housings 3 Cash input and output module 4 Card reader module 5 Receipt capture unit 6 Display unit 7, 7' data line 8 Corporate network 9 Goods registration unit 10 Receipt issuing unit 11 Recording document 12 goods scanners 13 Camera 14 lighting elements 15 Receipt support element 16 Recess 17 Detection range 18 stop 19 Display means 20 Product identification 21 Shopping cart identifier 22 Identification field 23 Final price B1 Confirmation signal B2 Confirmation signal F error signal R1 image processing routine R2 image processing routine

Claims

[1] A method for identifying a shopping basket recorded at a goods recording unit and having a shopping basket identifier at a payment machine, comprising a housing in which a cash input and dispensing module and / or a card reading module and in which a receipt recording unit for recording the shopping basket identifier identifying the customer's shopping basket comprising at least one item are arranged, wherein the shopping basket identifier is integrated in a recording receipt issued by the goods recording unit, with a receipt laying element facing the receipt recording unit on the customer side, which is at least partially transparent and has a recording area, and with a display unit for displaying a price to be paid by the customer for the shopping basket, wherein, - the document detection unit (5) comprises at least one lighting element (14) for illuminating the detection area (17) of the document placement element (15) and a camera (13) for optically detecting the detection area (17) of the document placement element (15), and - the at least one lighting element (14) and the camera (13) are arranged on a side of the receipt support element (15) facing away from the customer, and - a registration document (11) provided by the goods registration unit (9) can be placed flat on the document placement element (15), and - the recording receipt (11) can be recorded by means of the camera (13), wherein the shopping basket comprises goods with a goods identification and at least one information carrier with an identification field containing identification information is placed on the recording area of ​​the receipt placement element of the receipt recording unit, characterized by , that - individual images of the detection area (17) of the document placement element (15) are continuously captured by the camera (13) as an image sequence, - the image sequence is further processed in such a way that an individual image having an identification field (22) of an information carrier is separated, and - the separated individual image is processed in such a way that the identification information of the information carrier is read out in order to assign the information carrier to the shopping basket recorded on the goods recording unit (9). [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by that the identification information of the information carrier is compared with the shopping basket identifier (21) of the shopping basket provided by the goods registration unit (9) and / or with the goods identifier (20) of the goods assigned to the shopping basket provided by the goods registration unit (9). [3] Method according to claim 2, characterized bythat if the identification information of the information carrier matches either the shopping cart identifier (21) or the goods identifier (20) of a product assigned to the shopping cart, a confirmation signal (B1, B2) is generated and that if the identification information of the information carrier does not match either the shopping cart identifier (21) or the goods identifier (20) of a product assigned to the shopping cart, an error signal (F) is generated. [4] Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by that a registration document (11) created at the goods registration unit (9) is read out as the information carrier. [5] Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by that when an error signal is present, the separated individual image is displayed on a display unit (6). [6] Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized bythat at least one item from the shopping basket is read as an information carrier. [7] Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by that the identification information is applied as a barcode on the information carrier. [8] Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by that the dimensions of the detection area (17) of the receipt support element (15) correspond to the dimensions of the detection document (11). [9] Method according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by that display means (19, 19', 19") and / or stop means (18) are provided such that the recording document (11) is placed on the document placement element (15) with complete coverage of the recording area (17). [10] Method according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized bythat the document laying element (15) is arranged in a recess (16) provided in the housing (2) such that the detection area (17) of the document laying element (15) has a stop (18) at least in sections on the edge. [11] Method according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized by that the document laying element (15) is designed as a document laying plate which extends in a horizontal direction or in a direction slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal. [12] Method according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized by that the camera (13) is designed as a digital camera. [13] Method according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized by that the camera (13) has a CCD sensor or a CMOS sensor as image sensor. [14] Method according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized by that the camera (13) and the at least one lighting element (14) form a common structural unit. [15] Method according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized by that the receipt recording unit (5) has two lighting elements (14) arranged at a distance and assigned to opposite sides of the camera (13).

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