Touchless Retail Process Automation for Single-Command Store Operations

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional retail store opening and closing processes are complex, time-consuming, and prone to human errors due to the multiple touchpoints involved in managing tills, report generation, and varying operational conditions such as weekends or holidays.

Innovation Solution

A touchless multi-staged retail process automation system that receives a single command, such as a voice command, to automate key store functionalities like opening or closing a store, activating tills, and generating reports, thereby reducing the need for multiple manual steps.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual multi-touch processes are used for store opening and closing, then employees can perform store operations, but the process becomes time-consuming and error-prone

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestore operation speedVSAvoidtime required for store opening and closing

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical interactions (touching multiple devices, pressing buttons, navigating interfaces) with a voice-based acoustic system. The voice command interface eliminates the need for physical contact with multiple touchpoints, thereby reducing the time required for store opening and closing operations while maintaining operational capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent consolidates multiple discrete manual operations (opening tills, generating reports, adjusting settings) into a single voice command. This merging of multiple steps into one unified action reduces the overall time required for store operations and eliminates the sequential delays associated with manual multi-device interaction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Ease of operation

If multiple manual touchpoints are used for store operations, then employees can control various functions, but the complexity and potential for human error increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of store operationsVSAvoidaccuracy of store operations

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The voice-based interface replaces manual touching and clicking operations with acoustic commands. This substitution reduces the number of manual touchpoints employees must interact with, thereby simplifying the operation process and reducing the opportunities for human error to occur during store opening and closing procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system automatically processes voice commands and executes the corresponding store operations without requiring manual verification or intervention at each step. This self-service capability reduces human involvement in the operational sequence, thereby minimizing the potential for human error while maintaining ease of operation through simple voice input.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Productivity

If traditional multi-step processes are used, then store operations can be performed, but resource intensity and time consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveefficiency of store operationsVSAvoidduration of store opening and closing processes

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system is pre-configured with the necessary operational parameters and permissions for store opening and closing. When a voice command is given, the system already has the information ready to execute the operations immediately, eliminating the time required for manual configuration and setup steps that would otherwise be necessary.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The voice-based control system replaces the traditional multi-step manual process with a single acoustic command that triggers automated execution. This substitution dramatically reduces the duration of store operations by eliminating the sequential manual steps required in traditional processes, thereby improving overall productivity and efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS12292718B2Touchless multi-staged retail process automation systems and methods

Publication Date: 2025.05.06 T MOBILE US INC

AI summary

A touchless multi-staged retail process automation systems and methods (retail process automation system) to automate key store functionalities within retail stores is disclosed. The retail process automation system receives a set of commands (e.g., a voice command) to automatically perform retail store operations such as opening a store, closing a close, automatically opening tills, etc. with the single command. As a result, the retail process automation system replaces the multiple-touches required by conventional systems with a touchless solution, thereby providing increased time and resource efficiency of managing store operations. For example, the retail process automation system intercepts a voice command to identify the associated retail store information and source of the command. The retail process automation system then generates a set of operations associated with the received voice command to alter a state of the retail store.