POS Abnormal Operation Detection via Camera and Screen Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Self-service POS terminals often face issues with customers abandoning the settlement process without completing transactions, leading to potential losses and operational inefficiencies in retail environments.
Innovation Solution
A detection apparatus comprising a camera interface, network interface, and processor that identifies customer actions and operations, detects abnormal situations, and sends notifications to attendant terminals when a customer leaves without completing settlement, utilizing image data and monitoring screen changes to prevent such incidents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If self-service POS terminal is used, then labor cost is reduced and protection against infectious diseases is improved, but customers may leave without completing settlement
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors customer presence through camera imaging and compares it with settlement status data from the POS terminal. When a mismatch is detected (customer absent but settlement incomplete), the system provides feedback by notifying staff, enabling corrective action to prevent loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The detection apparatus acts as an intermediary between the self-service POS terminal and staff. It receives data from the POS terminal and camera, processes the information to detect abnormal operations, and transmits notifications to staff terminals, bridging the gap between automated service and human intervention.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If self-service POS terminal is used, then protection against infectious diseases is improved, but settlement abandonment by customers occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains contactless monitoring by using camera imaging and automated data processing to detect settlement abandonment, eliminating the need for staff to physically approach customers while still providing timely notifications to ensure settlement completion.
3Reliability
If monitoring is implemented to detect customer abandonment, then settlement completion rate is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The detection apparatus utilizes existing infrastructure components - the POS terminal's settlement data and the store's camera system - and integrates them through a processing unit that performs multiple functions: acquiring data, detecting abnormalities, and notifying staff, thereby avoiding the need for specialized dedicated hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The detection apparatus serves as an intermediary that integrates existing systems (POS terminal and camera) without requiring complex modifications to either. It receives standard data outputs from these systems and processes them to generate notifications, simplifying the overall system architecture.
4Productivity
If real-time detection and notification is implemented, then operational efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The detection apparatus acts as a simple intermediary that receives standard data from the POS terminal and camera, processes it through automated logic, and sends notifications to existing staff terminals. This approach adds minimal complexity while enabling real-time detection and response.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements real-time feedback by continuously monitoring settlement status and customer presence, automatically detecting abnormalities, and immediately notifying staff. This closed-loop feedback mechanism improves operational efficiency without requiring complex manual monitoring procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
A detection apparatus for detecting abnormal operations at a point of sales (POS) terminal in a POS system that includes the POS terminal and an attendant terminal for monitoring the status of the POS terminal. The detection apparatus includes a camera interface connected to a camera for capturing images of customers operating the POS terminal, a network interface to communicate with a display control apparatus for the attendant terminal, and a processor configured to identify an action performed by a customer using an image thereof, identify an operation performed on the POS terminal by the customer based on changes in monitoring screen data generated by the display control apparatus for the attendant terminal, detect whether an abnormal operation is performed by the customer based on the identified actions and operations, and control the network interface to transmit a notification to the attendant terminal when an abnormal operation is performed.