FR3038106A1 - DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM - Google Patents

Abstract

Point-of-sale facility that includes a plurality of sales positions and computer access. Each sales station is equipped with a remote customer badge detector, designed to address on computer access, in case of detection, a customer identifier and an identifier of the detector, while the computer responds by launching a process. purchase on the sales item subject to detection.

Description

NU 1.FRD.doc Distribution system The invention relates to distribution, including food.

There are many distribution systems allowing the customer to freely use the products he wants and to be cashed later. We are talking about self-service checkouts, or "self-checkout" in English. Most often, the products are placed on shelves and their price is displayed on a label stuck to the packaging or on the shelf. The customer circulates in the store, chooses the products he wants to buy, puts them in a basket. He finally goes to the cashier where an operator records all the items in a cash register and cashes the customer.

Some devices allow the cashing of the customer without the intervention of an operator. After choosing the items he wants to buy, the customer comes to a special fund, called "self-service" and scans one by one the bar codes of the items.

He is often asked to have the items on a scale that allows a consistency check on the nature of products. To finish the transaction, the credit union accepts one or more means of payment: credit card, banknotes, coins, coupons, etc.

There are also self-scanning systems, or "self-scanning" in English. In the self-balancing system, the customer is equipped with a portable device such as a hand shower or a smart phone capable of reading barcodes or other identification systems (flash-tag, RFID, etc.). It is at the moment of the choice of the articles that the customer scans the barcode before disposing them in his basket. At the end of the journey, he goes to a special fund, to pay directly without additional control over the number and nature of products. This practice requires a relationship of trust between the customer and the store.

3038106 2 Whatever the method of collection, the self-service sale of bulk goods requires an additional operation for the customer or the operator: weighing and identification of the product.

5 There are two operating modes: Customer weighing: the customer himself uses bulk products, in very light bags (plastic or paper) and himself has each product on a specialized scale. On the same machine, he must inform the nature of the product. The machine then issues a ticket necessary for collection which will run as 10 for your pre-packaged items. Note that some machines are able to recognize the nature of products with a camera and an algorithm based on sales statistics. These detections are not completely reliable and require control and sometimes correction by the client. We also note cases of fraud by adding products of the same kind after weighing.

15 Weighing by the operator: the customer himself uses the bulk products, in very light bags (plastic or paper). It is at checkout that the operator recognizes the product, weighs it and records it in the cash register. Note that it is sometimes difficult for the operator to recognize the exact nature of the product (example: rice may look similar and have prices per kilo different) 20 The existing distribution devices still pose a number of problems, in particular for the sale of bulk products. As it is practiced today the sale is a source of error, creates points of contention and / or generates significant fraud rates.

Very rare are the stores that allow the customer to use his own containers. When this is the case, he must go to the cashier before using himself to pre-weigh each of his containers. The weight is written on a sticker that is affixed to the respective containers. The customer can then move among the shelves and serve himself. He then returns to checkout. The filled containers are then weighed again. It is the difference of weight with the indication of the sticker which is taken into account 3038106 3 for the calculation of the price. The operator must also be able to recognize the products. This case-by-case detection is a source of error and / or fraud. The shopping journey is slow and tedious. It drastically limits cash flow.

5 In stores that require the use of plastic bags or paper, the course is tedious because it is still necessary to weigh and identify the products. When the operation is done by the customer, it allows the customer to defraud by adding products after weighing. And when the operation is conducted by the cashier, it generates more waiting in cash. The existing machines (cash counters with treadmills, self-checkout or self-scanning) are bulky and represent a loss of useful sales area in store. In addition, they are manufactured by manufacturers with a design that is 15 own, rarely customizable by stores. In summary, the existing distribution methods are not suitable for bulk sales: - They do not allow a large flow of customers to serve in their own containers 20 - They are slow and tedious - They are a source of errors - They allow fraud - They are not ergonomic for the customer (many operations) - They are bulky and encroach on the useful sales area 25 - They interfere with the design of stores (bulky machines very little customizable) Other features and Advantages of the invention will appear on examining the detailed description below, and the accompanying drawings, in which: - Figure 1 illustrates a rack or "gondola", seen from the front, equipped with two magnetic lock doors , with a shelf El view in partial section. - Figure 2 illustrates the same rack as Figure 1, but equipped with a single door. - Figure 3 illustrates the same rack as Figure 1, but without door. 3038106 4 - Figure 4 illustrates a set of 2 bins, seen in perspective. - Figure 5 shows a set of 2 bins, seen from the front, the right tank seen in section. - Figure 6 illustrates a set of 4 bins, seen in perspective, the tank bottom right seen in section. 5 - Figure 7 illustrates an inclined bottom tank, seen in profile and in section. - Figure 8 shows a set of 2 deep tanks and its automatic leveling mechanism by hydraulic cylinder. The right tank seen in section, cylinder folded. - Figure 9 illustrates a set of 2 deep tanks and its automatic leveling mechanism by hydraulic cylinder. The right tank seen in section, cylinder 10 deployed. - Figures 8bis and 9bis show variants of the sets respectively of Figures 8 and 9. - Figure 10 illustrates a set of 4 silos distributors for bulk products, seen from the front. FIG. 11 illustrates a set of 4 dispensing silos for bulk products, viewed from the front and in partial section. FIG. 12 illustrates a set of 4 dispensing silos for bulk products, viewed from the front and in section. - Figure 13 illustrates a distribution cabinet of three bulk liquid products, seen from 20 and in section. - Figure 14 illustrates the architecture common to all embodiments, which binds the different devices of each device. FIG. 15 illustrates an example of arrangement of four scales under the same large plate. FIG. 16 illustrates in detail a sectional view of a set of trays, scales and support, present in the different embodiments. - Figure 17 illustrates a linear consisting of different devices. - Figures 18 to 23 are diagrams illustrating the operation of the installation.

In a store, a rack over several meters may consist of several appliances. For example, a combination of the different embodiments of the invention may be found. Each of these implementations does not usually exceed one meter wide. This width is chosen to correspond to the control area of the client: when a customer is in this zone to interact with a device, it is reasonably excluded, in particular physically, that another customer can use the same radius . Four different embodiments of the invention will be described below: the "gondola", the "bins", the "silos", the "guns". The functions of these four implementations are: - the gondola makes it possible to arrange the products on the shelves of a cabinet - the bins are used to bulk produce products which the customer usually uses by hand, with a shovel or forceps (examples: fruits, vegetables, dried fruits, olives, biscuits in bulk) - the silos allow the customer to use in bulk products whose granularity and weight allow a flow by gravity, through a valve manipulated directly by the customer (examples: rice, cereals, lentils, dry beans) - the pistols, or hand driers, handled directly by the customer, trigger a pump which draws a liquid product in a barrel, allowing the customer to fill his container with the quantity of desired product Here, the term "apparatus" refers to the physical elements of one of these four implementations. The gondola 25 Reference is now made to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The device of FIG. 1 is described, it being noted that that of FIG. 2 differs only in the presence of a single door, and that of FIG. of Figure 3 by the absence of door.

The shelf E1 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3) comprises a support 3 fixed to the uprights 11-1 and 112 of the rack. A large plate 2 is placed on at least one balance (or two scales) 1-1 and 1-2, themselves placed or fixed on the support 3.

Here, two scales are placed under the left and right ends of the plate 2. It is possible to envisage other arrangements, for example four scales placed under the four corners of the plate 2, or one or more scales in intermediate position (s).

The tray 2 resting on the balance or scales is the second useful shelving shelf. The other shelves E0, as well as E2 to E4, can be arranged in the same way as the shelf El, if necessary with different arrangements of scales, depending on the products stored on each shelf.

There may be further provided a Near Field Communication (NFC) reader 4, and an LCD screen 6, placed here between the shelves E2 and E3, without touching the tray of the shelf E2, such that they are located just behind the handles of the hinged doors when they are present and closed (Figures 1 and 2). In the upper part, under the upper wall 11-3 of the rack, there is provided: - in the center, a surveillance camera 7, - on either side two suckers or magnetic stops 15, each of which can hold a magnetic bar 16 of a half-door 12 (Figure 1) or the only door 12 (Figure 2), hinged to the amount of racking. The same system of magnetic stops is provided at the bottom. The NFC reader 4 allows the customer to initiate one or more transactions on the gondola 30 concerned, and to terminate them later.

3038106 7 For a transaction, at the time of use, the customer can seize the products arranged on a shelf, for example the shelf El; he does it as naturally as he would take an article at home in a closet. The mass variation due to the removal of the products seized by the customer is recorded, in correspondence of an identifier of the or 5 scales concerned. The unit price and other regulatory information may be displayed on the edge of the shelves.

As the customer uses, the list of his purchases and the price of each item are displayed on the LCD screen 6. To close the transaction, the customer can close the door or doors 12 (FIGS. 2). Door closing / opening detection can be provided which conditions the existence of a transaction. As described in the paragraph "Operation common to the four embodiments", it is also possible to detect the distance of the customer, or to wait for the customer to close the session by pressing a button. * The gondola is suitable for the sale of solid products and whose mass of independent elements is sufficient to be detected by the scales. Examples: pre-packaged products, canned goods, jars, biscuit tubs, bottles, etc. It is not suitable for items sold in grains (rice, cereals, lentils in bulk ...) or liquids sold in bulk.

Bins Reference is now made to Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7. Here, the customer's control area includes one or more bins.

At least one balance 1 is fixed in the bottom of each tray 20 (Figure 4, 5 and 6) on which rests directly the box 21 which will contain the products on sale. It may be further provided with an NFC reader 4, and an LCD screen 6, placed near all the bins of the same control zone, here, facing the customer, between the bins B1 and B2 (FIG. , 5 and 6).

When the products are to be presented on an inclined plane, it is possible to use a box 23 inclined bottom 24 as shown in Figure 7. The products or their containers are retained by a stop 25 which prevents contact with the tray 22. The weight of the box and its contents is permanently measured by scale 1 in the same way as for flat-bottomed bins.

When the bins are deep (Figures 8 and 9) it is expected to allow the stacking of several boxes, here Cl, C2, C3 and C4. A mechanism makes it possible to keep the highest box at the same level as the rest of the shelf. Here, the mechanism shown is a hydraulic cylinder 24 whose base is fixed to the bottom of each of the tanks. A support 3 is fixed to the top of the cylinder 24. At least one balance 1 is fixed on the support 3 and continuously measures the weight of the boxes and the products they contain. When the upper crate is empty or almost empty, it is removed manually from the stack and the jack is actuated automatically or manually to raise the level of the remaining crates. The automatic actuation of the jack is controlled by a photocell 25 positioned at the top of the tank. At the time of use, the customer takes the products arranged inside the boxes 21 or 23. Depending on the nature of the product, the customer will be asked to use a specific way (for example by hand, with a shovel or forceps).

Silos Reference is made to Figures 10, 11, and 12.

The distributor silo is one of the existing bulk and self-service distribution channels. Here, one or more silos are arranged in a cabinet 30. There is a support 3, fixed on the uprights 30-1 and 30-2 of the furniture. A large plate 2 is placed on at least two scales 1-1 and 1-2, themselves placed or fixed on the support 3. Here, the two scales are placed under the ends of the plate 2. We can consider 5 d ' other arrangements, for example four scales placed under the 4 corners of the plate 2, or one or more balance (s) in position (s) intermediate (s). The silos are fixed on the big plate 2.

Below the valves V1, V2, V3 and V4, a space 32 is provided in the furniture so that the customer can place a container on the tray 35 before actuating one of the valves. Lighting 34 of the space 32 is provided to flood the photocells 33-1, 33-2, 33-3 and 33-4 with light.

There may be further provided an NFC reader 4, and an LCD screen 6, facing the customer, between the silos S2 and S3 (Figures 10 and 11). At the time of use, the customer approaches a container of one of the valves, for example the valve V2 and actuates the valve that delivers the product contained in the silo. The sensing of the actuated silo causes electrical contact in the valve or tampering by the photocell 33-2 located just below the valve V2. These two detection means can be used together, one serving as a confirmation for the other.

The measurement of the mass of sampled product is as for the other embodiments of the invention, by the differential measured by the scales 1-1 and 1-2. Guns 30 Reference is made to FIG. 13, which illustrates a dispensing cabinet for three bulk liquid products.

A large tray 2 is placed on one or more scales (here 1-1 and 1-2), themselves placed or fixed on the bottom of furniture 40-3. Barrels 41-1, 41-2 and 41-3 containing the products on sale, are placed on the large plate 2.

Here, the two scales are placed under the ends of the plate 2. It is possible to envisage other arrangements, for example four scales placed under the four corners of the plate 2, or one or more scales in position (s). intermediate (s). It may be further provided an NFC reader 4, and an LCD screen 6, placed in front of the customer, at the level of guns or handguns. At the time of use, the customer introduces the head of the gun or the shower in the neck of its bottle. A button on the handshower or trigger on the gun allows him to trigger the pump that will fill his bottle. The nature of the product selected by the customer is recognized by the hand shower or spray gun. The measurement of the mass of sampled product is done as for the other embodiments of the invention, by the differential measured by the scales 11 and 1-2. Reference is now made to Figures 14, 15, 16 and 17. These four different embodiments use the same mechanism to determine the amount of product that the customer has taken from the shelf. There is a support 3 fixed in the furniture that contains it. A large plate 2 is placed on one or more scales 1, themselves placed or fixed on the support 3. Here, the two scales are placed under the ends of the plate 2 (FIG. 14). Other arrangements can be envisaged, for example example four scales placed under the 4 corners of the plate 2 (Figure 15), or one or more balance (s) position (s) intermediate (s). In each device, it can be provided: A surveillance camera 7, one or more suction cups or magnetic stops 15, to hold the magnetic strip of a door or half-door 12, if any, or multiple colored LED ribbons for adapting the luminous signage to the state of the apparatus, - A sound transmitter with which the apparatus can broadcast messages addressed to the customer, - A temperature probe (9) - A probe of moisture (10).

10 All devices on the same device are connected to a PCB that controls them. The PCBs are all connected to a local area network that allows a "SMASH-MON" monitoring program to access the status of each device, and measurements made by scales or other devices.

In practice, whatever the form of the apparatus, the act of purchase can be summarized as follows: 1) the customer identifies himself, for example using an NFC medium, read by the reader 4 , 2) the customer uses the product as recommended by the device (examples: by hand, with a shovel, with a pliers, with a spout, with a pistol) 20 3) the customer "closes" purchase in three possible ways: a. closing a hinged door or cover, where applicable b. the client can operate the button 5 located at the NFC reader c. the customer can move away from the radius, which will have the effect of automatically closing the session by detecting the distance of the NFC medium. The session also has a rolling expiration from the last client interaction measured by the device. In case of expiration, the session will be closed automatically.

With regard to the identification (1), we will rely here on the NFC technology. Each station or station at the point of sale is equipped with an NFC reader. Each customer has a 3038106 12 NFC badge, which can be permanent (stored for example in his smartphone (smartphone), or given to him at the point of sale.With this NFC badge, all necessary data are combined to identify the customer, and 5 to be able to pay for its purchases IT has a supervisor (100) of the NFC readers (Figure 17) The supervisor is normally in the standby state When one of the readers NFC detects (101) that an NFC badge is close enough to read it, this monitor 10 initiates a purchase process 200 with the coordinates associated with that badge, and the identifier of the NFC reader that detected it. The setting of the proximity threshold depends on the dimensions of the apparatus and its arrangement in the store, so as to guarantee a control zone in which only the customer is able to use the products concerned. remains valid and consistent with identification methods based on other technologies such as RFID or Bluetooth Low Energy. The purchasing process 200 (FIGS. 18 and 19) begins with checks 201 20 relating to the identity of the customer, in particular with the following control: the customer data of the NFC badge is known to the computer, and the customer does not is not prohibited from purchases (active account, unblocked badge, positive prepaid balance or valid means of payment). In phase (203), the customer uses product (s).

Phase 205 involves detection of the nature and amount of product. Whatever the item considered, the products are based on trays 2, themselves placed on the scales 1, which continuously measure the mass of products they support. The scales 1 may be digital electronic scales, for example with piezoelectric sensors, and which operate continuously.

The mass measured by each scale is transmitted, with an identifier of the scale concerned to the computer "SMASH-MON".

3038106 13 It has in memory the nature of the products present on the plate 2 of the scale, and associated prices.

It is first assumed that the tray 2 supports only one type of product. When the weight of a plate varies, the quantity of the product taken by the customer is detected by the mass differential. In the case of a product sold individually, it is sufficient to know the approximate mass of one unit to deduce the number of units entered by the customer.

It is also conceivable that the same plate supports different types of products, the unit mass of which would be different. The nature of the product is determinable when the unit mass differential is sufficiently discriminating. Otherwise, a question can be asked to the customer on the screen of the device. Phase 207 ends with the calculation of mass and price. The customer may continue with another purchase in the same position, or the session may be closed under the conditions indicated above. A supervisory process 300 (FIG. 20) of all the devices is provided, in particular to measure the weight variations on the scales. This supervision takes place continuously whether a purchase process (200) is in progress or not.

In case of weight variation (301), it is immediately checked whether a purchase process (200) is in progress. If this is not the case, an alert is raised (500) because the variation could be due to a handling error or an attempted fraud. If a purchase process is in progress, a consistency test (303) verifies that the change in weight is expected: for each type of product, it will have been parameterized that a discrete variation is expected (solid products of which the unit mass is approximately the same for all products of the same kind) or continuous (liquid or 14 grain products). When a discreet variation is expected, it will be verified that the variation corresponds to a multiple of the unit weight of the products in question. In case of return of product, it may be authorized to the customer to rest the product on a tray (2) different from the one on which he had initially taken it. The weight variation on the new shelf is then considered as an expected variation (see restitution process 600). If the variation is unexpected, an alert is raised (500).

More generally, it is intended to record patterns of weight variation. If a measurement differs strongly from the average diagrams, we may then suspect abnormal activity on the scales and thus raise an alert (500).

The alerting process 500 (FIG. 21). starts by transmitting to the central server the information summarizing the cause of the alert (plateau, scales concerned, weight variation traces, error message). The device is then labeled in the state "DIRTY" meaning that the intervention of a member of the store staff will have to perform an operation to regularize the situation. Although in "DIRTY" state 20 the device is still functional and in service for sale to customers. The selling process 400 (FIG. 22) is started when an expected and negative variation is detected (303 and 304) during the supervision (300). It starts with 401, adding the detected products to the basket and displaying on the LCD (6) associated with the device. The inventory data is then decremented by the quantities in question (402). Finally, the means of payment of the customer, if he has been previously informed, is then debited (403). The rendering process 600 (FIG. 23) is started when an expected and positive variation is detected (303 and 304) during the supervision (300). It begins with the credit of the customer's means of payment, if he has been previously informed (601). The inventory data is then incremented by the quantities in question (602). The 3038106 products are removed from the customer's cart (603) and displayed on the LCD (6) associated with the device. If the customer places the product or products on a shelf different from the original one, the server is updated (605) to keep track of the location of each product. The apparatus is then labeled in the "DIRTY" state, meaning that the intervention of a store staff member will have to perform an operation to regularize the situation. Although in "DIRTY" state the device is still functional and in service for sale to customers.

3038106 16 Index of numerical references of the figures: 1, 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4: balance 5 2: plate resting on one or more scales, allowing mutualized weighing on several scales 3: surface on which are placed or fixed the scales 4: contactless identification reader (NFC, RFID, Bluetooth Low Energy) 5: button for manual closure of the purchase process 10 6: LCD screen 7: surveillance camera 8 : sound transmitter 9: temperature sensor 10: humidity sensor 15 L1, L2: LED strip E0, E1, E2, E3, E4: gondola shelves 11: gondola furniture structure 11-1, 11-2 , 11-3, 11-4: cabinet walls, respectively left, right, up, down 12: optional hinged door or half-door on gondola 20 13: gondola door hinges 14: gondola door handle 15: suction cup electromagnetic 16: counterplate for electromagnetic suction cup Bl, B2, B3, B4: outer structure of cabinet type tray 25 21: ba c interior containing the product sold in bulk 22: outer walls of the bottom of tray-type furniture in inclined plane 23: high support for inclined plane in a cabinet type 24: inclined plane to support the products sold in bulk 25: bumper for avoid the fall of the product sold in bulk on inclined plane 30 26: hydraulic cylinder 27: laser photoelectric sensor Si, S2, S3, S4: bulk distributor silo 3038106 17 V1, V2, V3, V4: distribution valve for silo 30, 30 -1, 30-2, 30-3: external structure of the silo cabinet 32: space provided for the customer's container 33, 33-1, 33-2, 33-3, 33-4: photocell 5 34: source of light (LED strip or neon) for illuminating the cells 33: tray for supporting the containers of the customers Pl, P2, P3, P4: guns or spray for dispensing liquid products 40, 40-1, 40-2, 40- 3, 40-4: bulk liquid furniture structure 41-1, 41-2, 41-3: barrels containing liquid products Fri due in bulk 10

Claims (7)

REVENDICATIONS1. Point-of-sale installation comprising - a plurality of sales points, - network access to a computer, characterized in that each sales station is provided with a remote customer badge detector, arranged to address the network access to the computer, in case of detection, a customer identifier and a detector identifier, while the computer includes a supervisor (100) who responds by launching a purchase process (200 - 204) on the item selling subject to detection. 2. Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the purchasing process (200 - 204) comprises a verification of the customer identifier. 3. Installation according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that at least some of the sales items comprise scales, and in that said computer further comprises a supervision process (300), provided for measuring variations weight on the scales. 4. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the sales positions include positions of the gondola type. 5. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the sales positions include stations of the type tray. 6. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the sales items include stations of the silo type. 7. Installation according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the sales stations comprise positions of the gun type.