Ambient Commerce Sensing for Automated Checkout Notifications

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Solution Overview

Problem

Ambient commerce systems lack advanced features and functionality, limiting their effectiveness in providing enhanced customer experiences and efficient checkout processes.

Innovation Solution

An ambient commerce system equipped with sensors and processors that detect entity engagement with items, identify the entity, determine resource parameters, and generate notifications on associated electronic devices based on predefined criteria, enabling features like item recommendations and resource availability checks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If ambient commerce systems use traditional checkout processes, then customers can complete purchases, but checkout speed is slow and human resources are required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecheckout speedVSAvoidautomation level

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSExtent of automation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual checkout operations with automated sensor-based detection systems. Sensors detect items taken from shelves and track them to the customer's cart, eliminating the need for cashiers and manual scanning. The system automatically identifies customers via facial recognition or mobile devices and charges their accounts, substituting mechanical checkout processes with automated electronic detection and processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables customers to shop without assistance by automatically tracking their selections through sensors and autonomously processing payments. The ambient commerce system performs self-monitoring of inventory and customer purchases, with automatic account charging based on detected items, allowing customers to simply take items and leave without any checkout interaction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Productivity

If ambient commerce systems deploy sensors and automated detection, then checkout efficiency improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecheckout efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs multi-functional sensor systems that simultaneously perform multiple tasks: detecting items on shelves, tracking customer carts, identifying customers through facial recognition or mobile devices, monitoring inventory levels, and triggering automated charging. This universal approach consolidates what would otherwise require separate systems into a unified ambient commerce platform, managing complexity through integration rather than proliferation of separate components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system merges detection, identification, tracking, and payment processing functions into a single integrated ambient commerce system. Sensors, cameras, customer identification systems, and payment processing are combined into one cohesive infrastructure that operates automatically, reducing the need for multiple separate systems and their associated complexities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Adaptability or versatility

If ambient commerce systems provide basic functionality only, then system simplicity is maintained, but customer experience enhancement is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefeature functionalityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-identifying customers upon store entry through facial recognition or mobile device detection. It proactively monitors their shopping journey, pre-detects items they select, and prepares payment processing in advance. The system sends notifications to customers' devices about their selections and charges their accounts automatically, performing all necessary actions before the customer even reaches the checkout point.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The ambient commerce system implements continuous feedback loops where sensors monitor customer behavior, item selections, and cart movements in real-time. The system provides feedback to customers through mobile device notifications about their purchases and account charges. This feedback mechanism enables the system to adapt to customer actions dynamically, enhancing the shopping experience through real-time interaction and confirmation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS20250371605A1Enabling feature based on a sensed condition at ambient commerce premises

Publication Date: 2025.12.04 THE TORONTO DOMINION BANK

AI summary

According to an aspect there is provided an ambient commerce system. The ambient commerce system may include a sensor at an ambient commerce premises. The ambient commerce system may further include a processor coupled to the sensor and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory may store processor-executable instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to: detect, based on an output of the sensor at the ambient commerce premises, engagement of an entity with a first item satisfying first predetermined criteria; identify the entity; determine based on account data for the identified entity, a resource parameter for the identified entity; and when the resource parameter satisfies second predetermined criteria, generate a notification on an electronic device associated with the entity.