Mobile Self-Checkout Coupling With Point-of-Sale Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Customers often forget to purchase needed items during their shopping trips, leading to inconvenience for both the customer and other shoppers in line, as well as inefficiencies in the checkout process.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilizes a user computing device, such as a mobile phone or tablet, to scan barcodes, track purchasing habits, predict item needs, and provide real-time recommendations for missing items, allowing for mobile self-checkout and seamless integration with point of sale devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a customer retrieves a needed item after checkout, then the customer can complete their purchase, but the checkout time increases and other customers in line are delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by predicting needed items before checkout and providing them to the customer. The computing device proactively identifies items the customer is likely to need based on their shopping cart and purchase history, then presents these items to the customer before they reach the checkout counter, allowing the customer to make decisions about these items during the checkout process rather than after.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring customer behavior, purchase history, and shopping cart contents to dynamically adjust item recommendations. The computing device analyzes real-time data about what items customers typically purchase together and uses this feedback to refine future predictions, creating a loop that improves accuracy over time.
2Ease of operation
If a cashier waits for customers to retrieve items, then the customer can get needed items, but the checkout process becomes inefficient and line progress is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by having the computing device automatically analyze the customer's shopping cart and purchase history to identify needed items without requiring cashier intervention. The customer receives personalized recommendations on their device and can make decisions about additional items independently, eliminating the need for the cashier to wait or manually check what customers need.
Solution Approach 2:
The computing device acts as an intermediary between the customer and the checkout process. Instead of the cashier directly interacting with customers to determine their needs, the computing device serves as a mediator that automatically analyzes shopping patterns, predicts needed items, and presents recommendations to customers, thereby streamlining the checkout process.
3Loss of information
If customers check their carts manually, then they can verify purchased items, but time is lost and frustration increases for other shoppers
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides continuous feedback to customers about their shopping cart contents and predicted needs through the computing device. Instead of requiring customers to manually check their carts, the system actively notifies them of items they are likely to need based on real-time analysis of their shopping behavior and purchase history, eliminating the time loss associated with manual verification.
Solution Approach 2:
The computing device performs preliminary analysis of the customer's shopping cart and purchase history before checkout to predict needed items. This preliminary action allows the system to proactively inform customers about items they may need, rather than requiring customers to manually verify their carts after the fact.
Data Source
AI summary
In some embodiments, purchase systems and methods are provided. Some embodiments comprise one or more processors configured to receive, at a point of sale device, a request to use self-checkout through a user computing device; couple the point of sale device with the user computing device by: display by the point of sale device a coupling code configured to be scanned by the user computing device; receive the coupling code by a server system; and interpret, at the server system, the coupling code to identify the point of sale device; cause contents of an electronic shopping cart associated with a transaction to be transmitted to the identified point of sale device; receive a customer identifier associated with the transaction; and conclude, on the point of sale device, the transaction based on the coupling of the point of sale device with the user computing device.