Checkout Settlement Apparatus Customer Presence Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In semi-self-service checkout systems, there is a risk of customer confusion when new settlement information is received by the settlement apparatus while it is processing another transaction or when the customer who completed a transaction remains in front of the apparatus, as the system currently receives new settlement information regardless of the processing status or customer presence.
Innovation Solution
The system includes a mechanism where the settlement apparatus determines if settlement processing is complete and if a predetermined time has elapsed since the last transaction, before receiving new settlement information, ensuring that it does not start new processing until the customer has left, thereby reducing confusion by avoiding simultaneous transaction handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the settlement apparatus receives new settlement information immediately after completing settlement processing, then the productivity of the checkout system is improved, but customer confusion occurs when the customer who finished settlement is still in front of the apparatus
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of customer presence before accepting new settlement information. The detection unit checks whether a customer is still in front of the settlement apparatus, and only allows new settlement information to be received when the area is confirmed empty, preventing customer confusion while maintaining efficient processing
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the settlement apparatus waits for customer departure before receiving new settlement information, then customer confusion is reduced, but the productivity of the checkout system decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous feedback through the detection unit that monitors the settlement area in real-time. This feedback mechanism dynamically controls the reception of new settlement information based on current customer presence, allowing the system to optimize between preventing confusion and maintaining productivity by processing new transactions as soon as the area is clear
3Productivity
If the settlement apparatus processes multiple transactions simultaneously, then the productivity is improved, but errors and confusion increase when settlement information overlaps
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by preventing new settlement information from being received when settlement processing is already in progress or when a customer is present. The detection unit and control unit work together to block overlapping transactions before they can cause errors, ensuring reliable sequential processing while maintaining high productivity through rapid turnarover
Data Source
AI summary
A checkout system includes a plurality of settlement apparatuses and a registration apparatus. The registration apparatus includes a scanner, a storage unit, a communication interface, and a processor. The processor controls the scanner, the storage unit and the communication interface to identify a commodity corresponding to a scanned code, generate the settlement information, and transmit the settlement information to a selected one of the plurality of settlement apparatuses. The selected one of the plurality of settlement apparatuses determines, with respect to itself, whether a settlement processing is currently being performed and whether a settlement processing was completed within a preceding predetermined amount of time. Based on the determination, the selected one of the plurality of settlement apparatuses performs one of the settlement processing with respect to the received settlement information and transmission of the settlement information to another one of the plurality of settlement apparatuses.