Mobile Device Barcode Transfer for Offline POS Checkout
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current point-of-sale systems are limited in their ability to handle electronic shopping carts and self-checkout functionality, particularly in brick and mortar retail environments, failing to effectively support the use of mobile electronic devices for creating and transferring shopping lists to POS terminals.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that enables customers to create a shopping cart on a mobile electronic device by scanning UPC codes, generating machine-readable codes such as 2D barcodes, and transferring the list to a POS terminal for checkout, allowing for self-checkout without the need for a network connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If current POS systems are used, then the system is simple and reliable, but it cannot handle electronic shopping carts and self-checkout functionality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses machine-readable codes (QR codes, barcodes) as intermediaries to transfer shopping cart data from mobile devices to POS terminals. These codes act as a bridge that enables communication between the mobile device and POS system without requiring complex integration or network connectivity, thus improving adaptability while keeping the POS system relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a digital copy of the shopping cart contents in the form of machine-readable codes on the mobile device. This copy can be independently stored, transmitted, and read by the POS terminal, enabling the POS system to handle electronic shopping carts without modifying its core structure significantly.
2Reliability
If network connection is required for transfer, then data transmission is reliable, but checkout cannot proceed without network connectivity
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by generating and storing machine-readable codes containing the shopping cart data on the mobile device before checkout. This pre-prepared data can be immediately read by the POS terminal without requiring network connectivity, ensuring both reliability and adaptability in various network conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
Machine-readable codes serve as a reliable intermediary that stores data locally on the mobile device. This intermediary enables data transfer without network connection, as the codes can be directly read from the device memory by the POS terminal, ensuring checkout capability regardless of network status.
3Productivity
If manual item scanning is used, then the process is simple, but checkout time is long and productivity is low
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of manually scanning each item, the system uses a digital copy of the entire shopping cart stored as machine-readable codes on the mobile device. The POS terminal reads this pre-formed digital copy, which contains all item information, thereby dramatically increasing checkout speed without requiring complex automated scanning systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical process of manually scanning and entering each item with an optical/electronic reading of machine-readable codes. The POS terminal's barcode/QR code reader automatically extracts and processes all item data from the codes, substituting manual mechanical operations with automated optical recognition, thus improving productivity.
4Productivity
If cashiers are used for checkout, then customer service is good, but labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service checkout by allowing customers to use their mobile devices to create shopping carts and transfer them to POS terminals. This eliminates the need for cashiers to manually process transactions, thereby improving checkout efficiency while reducing the number of cashiers needed. The mobile device becomes the customer's checkout assistant.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is disclosed for allowing a customer to create a digital shopping cart on a mobile electronic device while shopping at a brick and mortar store. The customer may scan barcodes, e.g. UPC variants, from a product with the camera of the mobile electronic device and record these product barcodes into the mobile electronic device. The shopping cart contents may be transferred to a checkout register without a data connection between the register and the device. The mobile electronic device may create one or more 2D barcodes with the item information embedded into the 2D barcode and may display the barcode on the device screen. Multiple 2D barcodes may be displayed in sequence. The 2D barcode may be scanned at the checkout register to read the barcode and thereby transmit the shopping cart information to the checkout register.