Method for operating supermarket shopping system and mobile terminal by using fingerprint, and supermarket shopping system using same

Abstract

Provided is a method for operating a supermarket shopping system for convenient and quick shopping, comprising steps in which: a supermarket shopping system receives an input of fingerprint information of users; the fingerprint information is received from a display stand on which a product is displayed; a fingerprint that matches the fingerprint information received from the display stand from among user fingerprints that have been input is searched for; and the product displayed on the display stand is added to a purchase product list of a matching fingerprint if there is a fingerprint that matches the fingerprint information received from the display stand. In addition, provided is a method for operating a cart terminal for convenient and quick shopping, comprising steps in which: a cart terminal receives an input of fingerprint information of a user and stores same; product information and fingerprint information are received through D2D communication; and whether the received fingerprint information matches the stored fingerprint information is checked so that, if there is a match, a product of the received product information is added to a purchase product list.

Description

A mart shopping system using fingerprints and a mobile terminal operation method, and a mart shopping system using the same

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and device for operating a cart terminal and a mart shopping system for quickly shopping at a mart. When a user takes an item from a shelf at a mart and puts it in a cart, the user inputs biometric information such as a fingerprint registered in advance, transmits the item information and biometric information to the cart or the mart shopping system, and creates a list of purchased items, thereby allowing the user to make a payment without taking the item out of the cart at the payment counter.

[0002] Unmanned supermarkets have been appearing in increasing numbers recently. For example, in the United States, there's an unmanned store called Amazon Go.

[0003] In the case of Amazon Go, once a user authenticates and enters the store, multiple cameras and human recognition devices track them, recognize their movements as they pick up items, and determine which items they have picked up. Scale sensors installed on shelves also help accurately determine whether items have been picked up. Therefore, users can simply leave the store with their items without having to pay separately.

[0004] However, building such a system requires numerous cameras to perform real-time image processing, which can lead to errors in densely populated environments. Furthermore, transmitting camera footage to a cloud server in real time via the Internet requires a high-speed internet connection. Consequently, the installation and operating costs of unmanned systems in unmanned stores are relatively high compared to those in regular stores.

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to facilitate convenient and quick shopping at a supermarket or other retail store without the need for cameras or internet networks, which require significant installation and operating costs. In this invention, when a consumer picks up an item from a supermarket shelf and places it in a cart, a terminal communicating with the supermarket's shopping system automatically recognizes the item being picked up using the consumer's fingerprint, enabling the consumer to quickly and conveniently shop.

[0006] The technical problems to be achieved in the present invention are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention belongs from the description below.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, a method of operating a mart shopping system for creating a list of items to be purchased according to a first embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: receiving user fingerprint information; receiving fingerprint information from a display shelf on which items are displayed; searching for a fingerprint matching the fingerprint information received from the display shelf among the input user fingerprints; and, if a fingerprint matching the fingerprint information received from the display shelf is found, adding the item displayed on the display shelf to the list of items to be purchased for the matching fingerprint.

[0008] In the first embodiment of the present invention, input of the user's fingerprint information can be performed by receiving fingerprint information from a dedicated fingerprint input device connected to the mart shopping system, receiving fingerprint information input into a fingerprint input device attached to a cart terminal through device-to-device (D2D) communication, or receiving fingerprint information stored in the user's smartphone through D2D communication.

[0009] The first embodiment of the present invention may further include a step of mapping the input fingerprint information between the cart terminal or the user's device to device (D2D) device.

[0010] Here, the mart shopping system may map the input fingerprint information to the cart terminal by receiving and mapping the identifier (ID) of the cart terminal together with the fingerprint information from a dedicated fingerprint input device connected to the mart shopping system, or by receiving and mapping the fingerprint information input to a fingerprint input device attached to the cart terminal and the identifier (ID) of the cart through D2D communication.

[0011] In the first embodiment of the present invention, adding an item displayed on the shelf to the purchase item list of the matching fingerprint can be performed by having the mart shopping system internally create a purchase item list for the fingerprint, or by transmitting the item information to a cart terminal that creates a purchase item list for the fingerprint or a D2D device of the user through D2D communication.

[0012] The first embodiment of the present invention may further include a step of transmitting to the display shelf whether there is a fingerprint matching the fingerprint information received from the display shelf by the mart shopping system.

[0013] The first embodiment of the present invention may further include a step in which, after the mart shopping system receives fingerprint information from a payment device, it transmits to the payment device a list of purchased items whose fingerprints match the received fingerprint information.

[0014] In order to achieve the above object, a method of operating a cart terminal for creating a purchase item list according to a second embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: receiving and storing user fingerprint information; receiving product information and fingerprint information through D2D communication; and checking whether the received fingerprint information matches the stored fingerprint information, and if there is a match, adding the product of the received product information to the purchase item list.

[0015] In the second embodiment of the present invention, the user's fingerprint information can be input by receiving fingerprint information inputted into a dedicated fingerprint input device via D2D communication, directly inputting the fingerprint information from a fingerprint input device attached to a cart terminal, or receiving fingerprint information stored in the user's D2D device via D2D communication.

[0016] In the second embodiment of the present invention, in the step of receiving product information and fingerprint information through D2D communication, the cart terminal can receive product information and fingerprint information transmitted by a display shelf or a mart shopping system through D2D communication.

[0017] Here, if the fingerprint received via the D2D matches the stored user fingerprint, the cart terminal can transmit the matching information to the display shelf or the mart shopping system via D2D communication.

[0018] In a second embodiment of the present invention, when the fingerprint received by the D2D matches the stored user fingerprint, adding the item of the received item information to the purchase item list may be done by receiving a weight increase value from a scale sensor built into the cart terminal, calculating a ratio obtained by dividing the received weight increase value by the weight value of the item included in the received item information, and adding the item to the purchase item list when the calculated ratio is within a range of predetermined values.

[0019] A second embodiment of the present invention may further include a step in which the cart terminal transmits a list of items to be purchased from the cart terminal to a payment device or a large scale device via D2D communication.

[0020] In the first or second embodiments of the present invention, the D2D communication may include one or more of Bluetooth, near field communication (NFC), ultra-wideband (UWB), and Wi-Fi Direct.

[0021] According to the present invention, when a user performs grocery shopping at a supermarket, the supermarket shopping system or cart terminal can automatically create a list of items to purchase. Therefore, the user can register their fingerprint with the cart or supermarket shopping system, complete their shopping, and quickly complete payment without removing items from the cart.

[0022] The effects that can be obtained from the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs from the description below.

[0023] Figure 1 is a drawing showing the elements required for the proposed shopping system.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a cart terminal configuration diagram showing elements that may be included in configuring a cart terminal according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 3 is a configuration diagram of a dedicated fingerprint input device according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 4 is a display stand configuration diagram showing elements that may be included in constructing a display stand according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 5 is a payment device configuration diagram showing elements that may be included in configuring a payment device according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a large scale device showing elements that may be included in constructing a large scale device according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 7 is a diagram of a mart shopping system configuration showing elements that may be included in configuring a mart shopping system according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a mart shopping system for convenient and quick shopping according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a cart terminal for convenient and fast shopping according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] This disclosure may be subject to various modifications and various embodiments. Specific embodiments are illustrated and described in detail in the drawings. However, this is not intended to limit the disclosure to specific embodiments, but rather to encompass all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and technical scope of the disclosure.

[0033] While terms such as "first" and "second" may be used to describe various components, these components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, a first component could be referred to as a "second component," and similarly, a second component could also be referred to as a "first component." The term "and / or" includes a combination of multiple related items described herein or any of multiple related items described herein.

[0034] In embodiments of the present disclosure, “at least one of A and B” may mean “at least one of A or B” or “at least one of combinations of one or more of A and B.” Furthermore, in embodiments of the present disclosure, “at least one of A and B” may mean “at least one of A or B” or “at least one of combinations of one or more of A and B.”

[0035] When a component is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, but that there may be other components intervening. Conversely, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components intervening.

[0036] The terminology used in this disclosure is only used to describe specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this disclosure, it should be understood that the terms "comprises" or "has" indicate the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0037] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and shall not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein.

[0038] Technically, fingerprints can be recognized on a screen device. However, for clarity, the fingerprint recognition device in the present invention is expressed separately from the screen device. In other words, the fingerprint recognition device in the present invention can be implemented as a screen device capable of fingerprint recognition.

[0039] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings. In order to facilitate an overall understanding in describing the present disclosure, identical reference numerals will be used for identical components in the drawings, and redundant descriptions of identical components will be omitted.

[0040] Figure 1 illustrates the main elements used in the shopping method proposed by the present invention. Some or all of these main elements may be used in embodiments of the present invention. A user (400) refers to a consumer who shops while pulling a cart terminal (100). The user (400) may possess a device-to-device (D2D) device (410) such as a smartphone. Smartphones typically have built-in D2D communication modems such as Bluetooth, near field communication (NFC), ultra-wideband (UWB), and Wi-Fi Direct. The user (400) can move while pulling the cart terminal (100). The cart terminal (100) is a cart on which the user (400) carries items. The display stand (200) is a stand for displaying and placing items and may include multiple devices. The mart shopping system (300) is a central processing system for shopping that transmits and receives information through communication with various components, and processes, stores, and manages various types of information so that the user (400) can conveniently shop. The large scale device (500) can measure the total weight of the products contained in the cart terminal (100) using the weight of the cart terminal (100) itself, which is known in advance, and the total weight of the cart terminal (100) containing the products, and can be connected to the mart shopping system (300) or a payment device (600) via wires or wirelessly. The payment device (600) is a device that allows the user (400) to make payment for the products contained in the cart terminal (100). Typically, payment can be made by connecting to a credit card server via the Internet. The return device (700) is a mechanical device that allows the user (400) to conveniently return the products contained in the cart terminal (100) at a location other than the related display shelf (200).

[0041] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a cart terminal (100) showing elements that may be included in configuring the cart terminal (100) according to embodiments of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, the cart terminal (100) may be configured with a screen (110), a fingerprint recognition unit (120), a light-emitting diode (LED) (170), a D2D device (130), a scale sensor (140), a speaker (150), a frame (160), etc. The screen (110) is a device that visually transmits information to a user (400) and may express lights, letters, pictures, etc. In addition, in the present invention, the screen (110) may include a processor and memory for information processing and an input / output device such as a touch screen in addition to the visual information transmission device. The fingerprint recognition unit (120) is a device that receives a fingerprint of a user (400). The LED (170) transmits information to the user (400) by means of lights. The D2D device (130) is a device that enables the cart terminal (100) to transmit and receive data with an external D2D device through D2D communication. The scale sensor (140) is a device that can measure the total weight and the change in weight of items contained in the cart terminal (100). The speaker (150) is a device that transmits information to the user (400) through sound. The frame (160) is a frame of a cart on which the above-described various devices are mounted and can also contain items. Devices other than the frame (160) may be interconnected within the cart terminal (100) for information exchange. In the first embodiment described below, the cart terminal (100) may also be configured with only the frame.

[0042] FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a dedicated fingerprint input device (800) according to embodiments of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the dedicated fingerprint input device (800) may be composed of a frame (810), a fingerprint recognition device (820), a D2D device (830), and a transceiver device (840). The frame (810) is a frame of the dedicated fingerprint input device (800), and the fingerprint recognition device (820) is a device that recognizes a fingerprint from a user (400), and can receive input of letters / numbers in addition to a fingerprint. The D2D device (830) is a device that performs information exchange with an external D2D device through D2D communication, and the transceiver device (840) is a device that performs mutual information exchange by being connected to other external transceiver devices wired or wirelessly. It is used to recognize a user's (400) fingerprint and transmit it to a mart shopping system (300) or a cart terminal (100).

[0043] FIG. 4 is a diagram of a display stand (200) that illustrates elements that may be included in configuring the display stand (200) according to embodiments of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, the display stand (200) may include a frame (210) for displaying items, a fingerprint recognition device (220), a transmission / reception device (240) for information exchange, a D2D device (250) for information exchange between wireless terminals, an LED (230) for transmitting various information to a user (400) through light, and a barcode recognition device (270) for barcode recognition of items. In particular, items (260) to be sold to a user (400) may be displayed on the display stand (200), and these items (260) may be moved to a cart terminal (100) or a return device (700) by the user (400) in the future. The frame (210) is a frame of the display case (200) on which various devices are mounted and on which items (260) can be displayed. The LED (230) can be used to notify when a user (400) places a finger on the fingerprint recognition device (220) of the display case (200) or when a user (400) corresponding to the sensed fingerprint information is found. The fingerprint recognition device (220) is a device that receives a fingerprint of the user (400) and can transmit the fingerprint information obtained when the user (400) places a finger on it to the mart shopping system (300) through the transmission / reception device (240). The transmission / reception device (240) is a device that performs mutual information exchange by being connected to other external transmission / reception devices by wire or wirelessly. For example, it can be connected by wire using a local area network (LAN) cable or the like or connected wirelessly using long term evolution (LTE) or the like. A payment device transmitter / receiver (620), a large scale device transmitter / receiver (520), a mart shopping system transmitter / receiver (320), and a dedicated fingerprint input device transmitter / receiver (840) may also have the same configuration. The D2D device (250) is used to wirelessly transmit information to other D2D devices.The barcode recognition device (270) may include a fingerprint recognition device (271) and a D2D device (272) inside. The barcode recognition device (270) may be connected to the display stand (200) by wire or may be connected to the display stand (200) wirelessly via the D2D device (272). Devices other than the frame (210) may be interconnected to exchange information within the display stand (200).

[0044] FIG. 5 is a payment device configuration diagram showing elements that may be included in configuring a payment device (600) according to embodiments of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 5, the payment device (600) may include a point of sales (POS) (610) for performing payment, a transmission / reception device (620) for exchanging information with a D2D device (630), and a fingerprint recognition device (640). The POS device (610) is a device that performs payment by being connected to a payment server, such as a credit card server, using a communication means such as the Internet. The D2D device (630) is a device that enables the payment device (600) to transmit and receive information with an external D2D device through D2D communication. The transmission / reception device (620) is a device that is connected to other external transmission / reception devices by wire or wirelessly to perform mutual information exchange. The fingerprint recognition device (640) is a device that recognizes the fingerprint of a user (400). These devices may be interconnected to exchange information within the payment device (600).

[0045] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a large scale device (500) showing elements that may be included in configuring the large scale device (500) according to embodiments of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 6, the large scale device (500) may include a scale sensor (510) for placing a cart terminal (100) to be paid on, a D2D device (530) for D2D communication, a transmission / reception device (520) for information exchange, and an LED (540) for transmitting various types of information through light. The scale sensor (510) is a device that can measure the total weight of a cart terminal (100) containing a product. The D2D device (530) is a device that enables the large scale device (500) to transmit and receive information with an external D2D device through D2D communication. The transmission / reception device (520) is a device that is connected to other external transmission / reception devices by wire or wirelessly to perform mutual information exchange. These devices may be interconnected for information exchange within the large scale device (500).

[0046] FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of a supermarket shopping system (300) showing elements that may be included in configuring the supermarket shopping system (300) according to embodiments of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 7, a server (310) transmits and receives information through a D2D device (330) or a transmission / reception device (320), and provides a supermarket shopping service using the transmitted and received information. The transmission / reception device (320) is a device that is connected to other external transmission / reception devices via wires or wirelessly to perform mutual information exchange. The D2D device (330) is a device that enables the supermarket shopping system (300) to transmit and receive with an external D2D device through D2D communication. These devices may be interconnected for information exchange within the supermarket shopping system (300).

[0047] Here, D2D devices can be connected through device-to-device (D2D) communication. Each D2D device can transmit and receive wireless signals such as packets, beacons, signals, pulses, etc. In addition, D2D communication can support communication protocols based on TDMA (time division multiple access). Currently commercialized D2D communication methods include Bluetooth, near field communication (NFC), ultra-wideband (UWB), Wi-Fi Direct, and various other communication methods. The present invention can be configured using the commercialized D2D communication methods, and can also be configured using D2D communication methods that will be commercialized in the future.

[0048] The present invention assumes a situation where a consumer enters a supermarket while pulling a cart terminal (100). The consumer entering the supermarket is referred to as a user (400). There are two general scenarios of the supermarket environment, consumer behavior, and shopping to which the present invention applies.

[0049] The first scenario is as follows. The supermarket shopping system (300) obtains fingerprint information of the user (400). Then, when the user (400) places his / her finger on the fingerprint recognition device (220) of the display shelf (200), the supermarket shopping system (300) receives the fingerprint information from the display shelf (200) and adds the items on the display shelf (200) to the purchase list of the corresponding fingerprint. After shopping, the user (400) has his / her fingerprint recognized in front of the payment device (600) and places the cart terminal (100) on the large scale device (500). The payment device (600) receives the purchase list of items corresponding to the corresponding fingerprint from the supermarket shopping system (300) and calculates the total weight of the items. In addition, the payment device (600) receives the weight of the items measured from the large scale device (500) and compares whether the calculated weight and the measured weight are approximately the same. If the weight ratio falls within a predetermined range, the payment device (600) requests payment from the user (400), who then completes the purchase. If there are multiple users (400), for example, a family of four shopping, each of the four can have a purchase list using their fingerprints. Therefore, if all four people scan their fingerprints in front of the payment device (600), the payment device (600) can calculate the combined purchase list for the four people.

[0050] The second scenario is as follows. The user (400) registers his / her fingerprint on the cart terminal (100). Then, after placing his / her finger on the fingerprint recognition device (220) of the display shelf (200), he / she picks up an item and places it on the cart terminal (100). The cart terminal (100) receives fingerprint recognition information and item information broadcasted via D2D communication, and if the item corresponds to a fingerprint registered to the user, adds the item to the purchase list. In addition, the cart terminal (100) may have a built-in scale sensor (140), and calculates whether the weight increase measured by the scale sensor (140) is similar to the weight of the item information, thereby checking whether the item actually contained in the cart terminal (100) matches the information of the item received from the D2D device (130). After completing shopping, the user (400) has his / her fingerprint recognized in front of the payment device (600) and places the cart terminal (100) on a large scale device (500). The payment device (600) receives a list of items to be purchased corresponding to the recognized fingerprint from the cart terminal (100) and calculates the total weight of the items. In addition, the payment device (600) receives the weight of the items measured from the large scale device (500) and calculates the ratio of the calculated weight to the measured weight. If the weight ratio is within a predetermined range, the payment device (600) requests payment from the user (400), and the user (400) performs the payment and completes the shopping. Here, if there are multiple users (400), for example, if a family of four comes shopping, each of the four people can register their fingerprints on one cart terminal (100). Therefore, the four people can use one and the same cart terminal (100), and the list of items to be purchased can be added up on the cart terminal (100).

[0051] In this disclosure, a first embodiment in which a mart shopping system (300) plays the role of fingerprint recognition and a second embodiment in which a cart terminal (100) plays the role of fingerprint recognition are described separately.

[0052] First, a specific method of a first embodiment in which a mart shopping system (300) operates for convenient and fast shopping will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a mart shopping system (300) for convenient and fast shopping according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 8, the mart shopping system (300) receives fingerprint information of a user (400) (S801). Thereafter, the mart shopping system (300) receives fingerprint information from a display shelf (200). (S802) Then, the mart shopping system (300) searches for a fingerprint that matches the received fingerprint information among the user fingerprints stored in the mart shopping system (300). (S803) If a matching fingerprint exists, the mart shopping system (300) adds the corresponding product to the purchase list of the matching fingerprint. (S804)

[0053] In the first embodiment, there are multiple ways for the mart shopping system (300) to input fingerprint information from the user (400) (S801). The first way is to input the user's (400's) fingerprint from a dedicated fingerprint input device (800) that can be connected to the mart shopping system (300) and a transceiver (840) or a D2D device (830). That is, the user (400) can input his / her fingerprint to the fingerprint recognition device (820) of the dedicated fingerprint input device (800) before entering the mart and then enter the mart. The dedicated fingerprint input device (800) can transmit the input fingerprint information to the mart shopping system (300) via the D2D device (830) or the transceiver (840). In addition, when the user (400) inputs his / her fingerprint, he / she can also input the identifier (ID) of the cart terminal (100) that he / she will drive and shop with. For example, the cart terminal (100) may have numbers from 1 to 999 written on it, and the user (400) can input the numbers written on his or her cart terminal (100) into the dedicated fingerprint input device (800). Then, the mart shopping system (300) can map the input fingerprint with the cart terminal (100). The second method is that the mart shopping system (300) receives the fingerprint information input into the fingerprint input device attached to the cart terminal (100) through D2D communication. Therefore, unlike the first method, the second method requires a cart terminal (100) equipped with a D2D device (130) and a fingerprint recognition device (120). When the user (400) inputs a fingerprint into the fingerprint recognition device (120) attached to the cart terminal (100), the cart D2D device (130) can transmit the input fingerprint information to the mart shopping system (300) through D2D communication. At this time, since the cart terminal (100) can transmit its own ID together, the mart shopping system (300) can know the ID of the cart terminal (100) that is mapped to the received fingerprint.The third method is that when the D2D terminal (410) possessed by the user (400) transmits stored fingerprint information via D2D communication, the mart shopping system (300) receives it. Similarly, when transmitting the fingerprint information, the user D2D device (410) can transmit its ID together, and the mart shopping system (300) can map the received fingerprint information with the ID of the received user D2D device (410). Here, all three methods enable ID mapping with the cart terminal (100) or the user D2D device (410), but the first embodiment can operate without ID mapping.

[0054] In the first embodiment, the mart shopping system (300) receiving fingerprint information from the display shelf (200) (S802) can be performed by a user (400) recognizing his / her fingerprint on the display shelf fingerprint recognition device (220). In order to purchase an item on the display shelf (200), the user (400) recognizes his / her finger on the display shelf fingerprint recognition device (220). Then, the display shelf (200) transmits the recognized fingerprint information to the mart shopping system (300). This transmission can be performed via a transmission / reception device (240) or a D2D device (250).

[0055] In the first embodiment, the mart shopping system (300) searches for a fingerprint matching the fingerprint information received from the display shelf (200) among the stored user fingerprints (S803), and searches for a fingerprint matching the fingerprint received in step S802 among all user fingerprints input in step S801. Step S801 may be performed every time a consumer enters the mart.

[0056] In the first embodiment, the mart shopping system (300) adds the corresponding item to the purchase item list of the matching fingerprint (S804). Here, since the mart shopping system (300) knows in advance the item mapped to the ID of the display shelf (200), it can add the item corresponding to the ID of the display shelf (200) to the purchase item list of the fingerprint. There are two ways for the mart shopping system (300) to add the corresponding item to the purchase item list. The two methods can be used independently or in combination. The first method is for the mart shopping system (300) to internally create a purchase item list for each fingerprint. The second method is for a mobile terminal, such as a cart terminal (100) or a user D2D device (410), to transmit the item information via D2D communication so that the mobile terminal can create a purchase item list. The first method can operate without ID mapping, while the second method requires ID mapping between the mobile terminal and the ID. Since the mart shopping system (300) knows the mobile terminal mapped to the fingerprint, it can transmit a list of items to be purchased to the corresponding terminal via D2D communication. More specifically, the user (400) may want to check what items he or she has purchased while shopping. This check can be made using a screen (110) attached to the cart or a user D2D device (410). A typical user D2D device (410) may be a smartphone, which has a screen. In the step (S801) where the mart shopping system (300) receives fingerprint information from the user (400), it can receive the ID of the mobile terminal, such as the cart terminal (100) or the user D2D device (410), along with the fingerprint information, and map this to the fingerprint. Accordingly, if there is a fingerprint matching the fingerprint information received from the display shelf (200), the mart shopping system (300) can transmit information on items to be added to the purchase list to the mobile terminal mapped with the matching fingerprint to the D2D device (330).The user (400) can check the list of items to be purchased on the cart terminal screen (110) or the screen of the user D2D device (410).

[0057] Fresh foods, such as meat, may have different weights and price information for each product even if they are on the same shelf (200). Therefore, barcodes of the products need to be entered. Considering these products, a fingerprint recognition device may also be required for the barcode recognition device (270). That is, if the barcode recognition device (270) has a fingerprint recognition device (271), and a user (400) recognizes a fingerprint on the fingerprint recognition device (271) and scans the barcode of the product with the barcode recognition device (270), the barcode information and fingerprint information can be transmitted to the mart shopping system (300). If the barcode recognition device (270) is connected to the shelf (200) by a wire, this transmission can be performed through the shelf transceiver (240) or the D2D device (250). Alternatively, if the barcode reader includes a D2D device (272), the barcode reader can directly transmit the information to the mart shopping system (300) through the D2D device (272), or the barcode reader (270) can transmit the information to the display shelf D2D device (250) through the D2D device (272), and the display shelf (200) can then transmit the information to the mart shopping system (300).

[0058] From the user's (400) perspective, when recognizing a fingerprint on the display shelf (200), the user must be notified whether the fingerprint has been recognized correctly. To this end, the display shelf LED (230) may indicate this with a light. For example, when the user (400) places a fingerprint on the fingerprint recognition device (220), the LED (230) may turn red, and when fingerprint recognition is complete, the LED (230) may turn green. For this operation, the mart shopping system (300) may transmit to the display shelf (200) whether a fingerprint matching the received fingerprint information has been found through the transmission / reception device (320) or the D2D device (330). For example, when the display shelf (200) receives information on the presence or absence of a matching fingerprint from the mart shopping system (300), the display shelf LED (230) may turn green if a matching fingerprint is found, and the LED (230) may blink red if a matching fingerprint is not found. Accordingly, when the user (400) places his / her fingerprint on the fingerprint recognition device (220), if the LED (230) turns red and then blinks, he / she can know that he / she needs to remove the fingerprint and place it again.

[0059] After completing shopping, the user (400) recognizes his / her fingerprint in front of the payment device (600) and places the cart terminal (100) on the large scale device (500). The payment device (600) can transmit the recognized fingerprint information to the mart shopping system (300) via the transmission / reception device (620) or the D2D device (630). If the mart shopping system (300) finds a fingerprint that matches the received fingerprint information, it can transmit a list of purchased items with the matching fingerprint to the payment device (600). The payment device (600) can receive the list of purchased items corresponding to the fingerprint from the mart shopping system (300) and calculate the total weight of the items. In addition, the payment device (600) can receive the weight of the items measured from the large scale device (500) and check whether the ratio of the calculated weight to the measured weight is close to 1. If the weight ratio is within a predetermined range, for example, within a range of 0.98 or more and 1.02 or less, the payment device (600) requests payment from the user (400), and the user (400) can make payment and complete shopping.

[0060] Hereinafter, a specific method of the second embodiment in which the cart terminal (100) operates for convenient and fast shopping will be described. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the cart terminal (100) for convenient and fast shopping according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 9, the cart terminal (100) receives and stores fingerprint information of a user (400). (S901) Thereafter, the cart terminal (100) receives product information and fingerprint information through D2D communication. (S902) Then, the cart terminal (100) checks whether the fingerprint stored in it matches the received fingerprint information, and if it matches, adds the product of the received product information to the purchase product list. (S903)

[0061] In the second embodiment, the method for the cart terminal (100) to receive and store the fingerprint information of the user (400) (S901) can be performed in multiple ways. First, the dedicated fingerprint input device (800) can transmit the fingerprint information input by the user (400) to the cart terminal (100) through the D2D device (830). The cart terminal (100) can store the received fingerprint information. Second, the fingerprint information of the user (400) can be received through the fingerprint recognition device (120) attached to the cart terminal (100). Third, the user D2D device (410) can transmit the fingerprint information stored in it to the cart terminal (100) via D2D communication. Since 2013, a considerable number of smartphone products have been equipped with a D2D communication modem and a fingerprint recognition device.

[0062] In the second embodiment, the method (S902) for the cart terminal (100) to receive product information and fingerprint information through D2D communication is as follows. First, the user (400) can recognize a fingerprint on the display case fingerprint recognition device (220). Then, the display case (200) can directly broadcast the recognized fingerprint information and displayed product information through D2D communication, or the display case (200) can transmit the recognized fingerprint information to the mart shopping system (300) through the transceiver (240), and the mart shopping system D2D device (330) can broadcast the recognized fingerprint information and product information of the display case (200). Therefore, the cart terminal (100) can receive the broadcasted product information and fingerprint information.

[0063] In the second embodiment, the cart terminal (100) checks whether the fingerprint stored in the cart terminal matches the received fingerprint information, and if they match, the cart terminal (100) can add the product of the received product information to the purchase product list. (S903) In addition, if the match is 'match', the cart terminal (100) can transmit the match information to the display shelf (200) or the mart shopping system (300) via D2D communication. This transmission is necessary for the user (400) to confirm whether the fingerprint recognition has been performed properly. For example, when the user (400) recognizes his / her fingerprint on the display shelf fingerprint recognition device (220), the display shelf LED (230) may light up in red. Thereafter, the display shelf (200) broadcasts the fingerprint information (S902), and the plurality of cart terminals (100) that receive it can confirm whether the received fingerprint information is theirs. If the received fingerprint information matches the user's fingerprint, the cart terminal (100) sends information indicating a match to the display case through the D2D device (130), and the display case can change the LED (230) to green when it receives the information indicating a match from the cart terminal (100). When the cart terminal (100) sends information indicating a match to the display case, the cart terminal (100) can first send information indicating a match to the mart shopping system (300) through the D2D device (130), and then the mart shopping system (300) can transmit the information indicating a match to the display case.

[0064] When the fingerprint stored in the cart terminal (100) matches the fingerprint information received above, the weight increase of the scale sensor (140) can be measured. This is because the user (400) will pick up an item from the display shelf (200) and place it in the cart terminal (100) once fingerprint recognition is completed. Accordingly, if the ratio of the weight increase value of the cart scale sensor (140) divided by the weight value of the continuously received item information is within a predetermined range, the cart terminal (100) can add the item to the purchase item list, and if not, the cart terminal (100) can notify the user (400) that the ratio is not within the predetermined range by using light, sound, or screen guidance. For example, if the ratio is within the predetermined range, the LED (170) can turn green, and if not, the LED (170) can blink red, the speaker (150) can make a “beep” sound, and the screen guidance can display “Incorrect item has been placed.”

[0065] After shopping, the user (400) can have his / her fingerprint recognized in front of the payment device (600) and place the cart terminal (100) on the large scale device (500). The payment device (600) or the large scale device (500) can broadcast to the D2D device requesting a list of purchased items corresponding to the recognized fingerprint, and the cart terminal (100) that receives this broadcast can transmit the list of purchased items to the payment device (600) or the large scale device (500) via D2D communication if the broadcasted fingerprint information matches its own fingerprint information. When the large scale device (500) receives the purchase list via D2D communication, it can transmit it to the payment device (600) via a transmission / reception device (520), etc. The payment device (600) can receive the list of purchased items corresponding to the recognized fingerprint from the cart terminal (100) and calculate the total weight of the items. Additionally, the payment device (600) can receive the weight of the item measured from the large scale device (500) and calculate the ratio of the calculated weight to the measured weight. If the weight ratio is within a predetermined range, the payment device (600) can request payment from the user (400), and the user (400) can make the payment and complete the shopping.

[0066] In the first and second embodiments, there is one problem with using a large scale device (500) to weigh the entire item and calculate the ratio of the actual weight to the expected weight. Namely, it is difficult to confirm items that are too light. If an item is light but bulky, such as 'roasted seaweed', the item can be confirmed by additional technology such as image processing. However, if the item is light and small in volume, it is difficult to confirm the item using a large scale device (500) or image processing. To solve this problem, the frame of the cart terminal (100) can be divided into two parts, for example, A and B. Part A can contain heavy or bulky items, and Part B can contain light and small items. The user (400) can take out small items in front of the payment device (600) and scan the barcode to have the item recognized, or place them on a conveyor belt capable of automatic recognition to perform automatic recognition.

[0067] If a user (400) wants to return an item, he / she can return the item by having his / her fingerprint recognized by the return device (700) and having the barcode of the item recognized by the barcode recognition device of the return device (700) recognized. In the first embodiment, the return device (700) can transmit a request to the mart shopping system (300) to exclude the item recognized by the barcode from the list of purchased items based on the recognized fingerprint. In the second embodiment, the return device (700) can broadcast a request to the cart terminal (100) corresponding to the fingerprint to exclude the item from the list of purchased items via D2D communication. The cart terminal (100) that receives this request can exclude the item for which exclusion has been requested from its list of purchased items if the received fingerprint information matches its stored fingerprint.

[0068] The operations of the method according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented as a computer-readable program or code on a computer-readable recording medium. A computer-readable recording medium includes any type of recording device that stores information readable by a computer system. Furthermore, a computer-readable recording medium can be distributed across network-connected computer systems, allowing the computer-readable program or code to be stored and executed in a distributed manner.

[0069] Additionally, the computer-readable recording medium may include hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions, such as ROM, RAM, flash memory, etc. The program instructions may include not only machine language codes produced by a compiler, but also high-level language codes that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, etc.

[0070] While some aspects of the present disclosure have been described in the context of a device, they may also represent a description of a corresponding method, wherein a block or device corresponds to a method step or a feature of a method step. Similarly, aspects described in the context of a method may also be described as a corresponding block or item or a feature of a corresponding device. Some or all of the method steps may be performed by (or using) a hardware device, such as, for example, a microprocessor, a programmable computer, or an electronic circuit. In some embodiments, at least one or more of the most important method steps may be performed by such a device.

[0071] In embodiments, a programmable logic device (e.g., a field-programmable gate array) may be used to perform some or all of the functions of the methods described herein. In embodiments, the field-programmable gate array may operate in conjunction with a microprocessor to perform one of the methods described herein. In general, the methods are preferably performed by some hardware device.

[0072] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made to the present disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as set forth in the claims below.

[0073] There is.

Claims

1. As a method of operation of a mart shopping system that creates a list of items to purchase, Step of receiving user's fingerprint information; A step of receiving fingerprint information from a display shelf on which products are displayed; A step of finding a fingerprint that matches the fingerprint information received from the display case among the input user fingerprints; and Including a step of adding an item displayed on the display shelf to a list of purchased items with a matching fingerprint when there is a fingerprint matching the fingerprint information received from the display shelf. How a Fingerprint-Based Grocery Shopping System Works 2. In paragraph 1, Entering the user's fingerprint information, It is performed by receiving fingerprint information from a dedicated fingerprint input device (800) connected to the above mart shopping system, or by receiving fingerprint information entered into a fingerprint input device attached to a cart terminal through device-to-device (D2D) communication, or by receiving fingerprint information stored in the user's smartphone through D2D communication. How a Fingerprint-Based Grocery Shopping System Works 3. In paragraph 2, The above D2D communication includes at least one of Bluetooth, near field communication (NFC), ultra-wideband (UWB), and Wi-Fi Direct. How a Fingerprint-Based Grocery Shopping System Works 4. In paragraph 1, The above mart shopping system further includes a step of mapping the input fingerprint information with a cart terminal or a device to device (D2D) device of the user. How a Fingerprint-Based Grocery Shopping System Works 5. In paragraph 4, The above mart shopping system maps the entered fingerprint information to the cart terminal. It is performed by receiving and mapping the identifier (ID) of the cart terminal together with fingerprint information from a dedicated fingerprint input device connected to the mart shopping system or by receiving and mapping the identifier (ID) of the cart and the fingerprint information entered into the fingerprint input device attached to the cart terminal through D2D communication. How a Fingerprint-Based Grocery Shopping System Works 6. In paragraph 1, Adding the items displayed on the above shelf to the list of items to be purchased with the above matching fingerprints, The purchase list for the above fingerprint is created internally by the mart shopping system, or the product information is transmitted to the cart terminal creating the purchase list for the above fingerprint or the user's D2D device through D2D communication. How a Fingerprint-Based Grocery Shopping System Works 7. In paragraph 1, The above mart shopping system further includes a step of transmitting to the display shelf whether there is a fingerprint matching the fingerprint information received from the display shelf. How a Fingerprint-Based Grocery Shopping System Works 8. In paragraph 1, The above mart shopping system further includes a step of transmitting a list of purchased items whose fingerprints match the received fingerprint information to the payment device after receiving fingerprint information from the payment device. How a Fingerprint-Based Grocery Shopping System Works 9. How to operate the cart terminal to create a list of items to purchase: A step of receiving and storing the user's fingerprint information; A step of receiving product information and fingerprint information through D2D communication; and A step of checking whether the received fingerprint information matches the stored fingerprint information, and if there is a match, adding the product of the received product information to the purchase product list. How to operate a cart terminal using fingerprints 10. In paragraph 9, Receiving the user's fingerprint information, It is performed by receiving fingerprint information entered into a dedicated fingerprint input device through D2D communication, or by directly entering it from a fingerprint input device attached to a cart terminal, or by receiving fingerprint information stored in a user D2D device through D2D communication. How to operate a cart terminal using fingerprints 11. In paragraph 9, At the stage where the cart terminal receives product information and fingerprint information through D2D communication, Receiving product information and fingerprint information transmitted by a display shelf or mart shopping system through D2D communication. How to operate a cart terminal using fingerprints 12. In paragraph 11, If the fingerprint received through the D2D above matches the stored user fingerprint, the cart terminal transmits the matching information to the display shelf or the mart shopping system through D2D communication. How to operate a cart terminal using fingerprints 13. In paragraph 9, When the fingerprint received through the above D2D matches the stored user fingerprint, adding the product of the received product information to the purchase product list is: A cart terminal receives a weight increase value from a built-in scale sensor, calculates a ratio by dividing the received weight increase value by the weight value of the product included in the received product information, and adds the product to the purchase product list when the calculated ratio is within a range of a predetermined value. How to operate a cart terminal using fingerprints 14. In paragraph 9, The cart terminal further includes a step of transmitting the list of purchased items of the cart terminal to a payment device or a large scale device through D2D communication. How to operate a cart terminal using fingerprints 15. In the supermarket shopping system that creates a list of items to purchase, It includes a transmitting and receiving device that performs mutual information exchange by being connected to external transmitting and receiving devices through wired or wireless means, or a D2D device that performs complementary information exchange with an external D2D device through device-to-device (D2D) communication. Including a server that transmits and receives information through the above-mentioned transmission and reception device or the above-mentioned D2D device and operates using the transmitted and received information, The above server, Step of receiving user's fingerprint information; A step of receiving fingerprint information from a display shelf on which products are displayed; A step of finding a fingerprint that matches the fingerprint information received from the display case among the input user fingerprints; If there is a fingerprint matching the fingerprint information received from the above display shelf, a step of adding the product displayed on the display shelf to the list of purchased products of the matching fingerprint is performed. Fingerprint-based grocery shopping system

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