Abstract: Display assemblies providing alerts, along with related systems and methods, are provided. A side assembly with an electronic display is movably attached to a structural subassembly. A latching device selectively secures the side assembly to the structural subassembly. Where a controller receives data from a sensor indicating that the latching device is latched, the controller causes the side assembly to provide normal operations, including displaying normal programming images at the electronic display. Where the controller receives data received from the sensor indicating that the latching device is unlatched, the controller causes the side assembly to interrupt the normal operations and display an unlatched alert image at the electronic display indicating that the side assembly is unlatched.

Abstract: Methods, techniques, and systems for the live presentation of products and services to potential consumers in a manner that levels the playing field for suppliers/providers of different sizes, capabilities and with differing resources are provided. Examples provide a Dynamic Product Presentation System (“DPPS”), which enables suppliers and/or vendors to advertise and place new or replacement products before consumers according in a new commerce stream and enables potential consumers to interact on a personalized level with products including goods and/or services that may interest them before they buy them, to engage specialized services, return or exchange goods or other things, be presented with products and/or services that are automatically targeted to their buying habits and predicted needs, etc., all in the comfort of their own residence or location without the inconveniences of traditional shopping models or online environments.

Abstract: This invention provides a high-volume check stand with a front transport that has two belted input conveyors so that a customer can load one belt while the cashier is checking out products purchased by a second customer on the second belt. This two belt module has a flush rear end to which is attached a scanner that can be slid from one belt to the other. Preferably this check stand has an output module which has two belts and two rollers so that the check stand can use a bagger on each side for bagging the items, to speed checkout time. Embodiments of this check stand may have an output module that is a carousel or a turntable. It could also have any combination of one or two conveyor belts and one or two rollers on an incline for use in packing the products. A scanner is placed between the flush rear end of the front transport and the flush front end of the output module.

Abstract: Selectively deploying barriers for intra-order separation at a retail checkout terminal includes scanning products purchased by a consumer, determining a position of at least one product in a bagging portion of the retail checkout station relative to a plurality of selectively deployable barrier members, and activating a selector element on a user interface of the retail checkout station to deploy a select one of the plurality of selectively deployable barrier members based upon the position of the at least one product in the bagging portion serve to provide an intra-order separator that shields the at least one product resting in the bagging portion from other products moving toward the bagging portion on a product transport assembly.

Abstract: A system and method for transporting items along a conveyor for a checkout system may include starting a conveyor in a transporting direction upon an item being placed in proximity to a start sensor, transporting the item beyond the start sensor and stopping the conveyor prior to the item reaching an end of the conveyor if a checkout sensor positioned in a checkout area indicates that a user is absent at the checkout area. The system and method may further include transporting the item toward the end of the conveyor if the checkout sensor indicates a user is present at the checkout area, transporting the item toward the second end of the conveyor upon a second item being placed in proximity to the start sensor and stopping the conveyor upon the item being sensed by a stopping sensor.

Abstract: A conveyor system for a self-checkout apparatus including a first side support rail having an inner side and an outer side and a second side support rail spaced apart from said first side support rail and positioned parallel thereto, where the second side support rail includes an inner side and an outer side. The system also includes a first motor mount affixed to the first side support rail at a first end, a second motor mount affixed to the second side support rail at the first end, and a drive roller having a knurled surface. The drive roller transmits a driving force from a drive motor and positioned at one end of the first side support rail and the second side support rail. The system further includes a return roller positioned at a second end of the first side support rail and the second side support rail, a pair of first tracking guides provided adjacent both ends of the driver roller, a pair of second tracking guides provided adjacent both ends of the return roller and a conveyor belt.

Abstract: A collection, storage and dispensing system (10 or 30) for shopping carts (E) including an elongated tubular conduit sized to allow a shopping cart (E) to rollably pass therethrough. The conduit includes a novel upright or a sloped first end section (38 or 14) defining an entrance opening (16 or 36) through which shopping carts (E) enter the system (10 or 30), a generally horizontal mid section (12, 32 or 52), and a sloping or an upright second end section (18 or 38) which defines an exit opening (20 or 40) through which shopping carts (E) exit the system (10 or 30). The mid section (12 or 32) is preferably buried below grade, but may also be elevated above a parking lot surface of a store for vehicles to drive beneath. A floor (62) is provided within the conduit (52) atop which shopping carts (E) roll.

Abstract: A collection, storage and dispensing system for shopping carts including an elongated tubular conduit sized to allow a shopping cart to rollably pass therethrough. The conduit includes a sloped first end section defining an entrance opening through which shopping carts enter the system, a generally horizontal mid section, and a sloping second end section which defines an exit opening through which shopping carts exit the system. The mid section is preferably buried below grade, but may also be elevated above a parking lot surface of a store for vehicles to drive beneath, A floor is provided within the conduit atop which shopping carts roll. An elongated slender guide engaging probe is connected to each shopping cart which both laterally guides the carts by slidably engagement into a guide channel longitudinally in the floor and is pullably engaged onto a chain-type conveyor in one end section which is upwardly sloped.

Abstract: The present invention describes the incorporation of self-serve checkout systems within a supermarket. The installation of self-serve checkout systems is shown whereby the productivity of the supermarket is maintained, no significantly increased floorspace requirements occur, the human supervisor of the self-serve checkout systems is able to strategically carry out his/her duties and the co-existence with conventional checkout lanes is allowed. As well, a method and apparatus for integrating a labor savings car order bag handling system with the checkout lanes of the supermarket is shown. In addition, a method and apparatus for augmenting the checkout productivity of produce items is shown.

Abstract: The invention provides an arrangement for scanning bar codes applied to articles, such as UPC or EAN codes of goods in a supermarket cashier stand. A laser scanner is provided with a window through which the scanning rays exit before they impinge on a scanning area (11). The laser scanner (4) is arranged at the side of the transport flow and with its window (5) tilted to the rear and being above the transport plane (6). The different rays (20-23, 25-25c, 26-26c, 30a-30f, 31a-31f) of the cluster of scanning rays of scanner (4) are oriented such that they are concentrated and focused mainly on the scanning area (11) in front of the window (5), that they do not leave the transport plane (6) immediately opposite the window, and that generally a ray-free area is formed there where at least head and chest of an operating cashier (1) that sits opposite to the scanner (4) with its window ( 5), is situated.

Abstract: A person desiring to check out articles protected by security tags deposits these articles at one end of a check-out aisle. From there, they are transported to the opposite end of the check-out aisle as part of the check-out procedure. The person who deposited the articles is restrained from accompanying these articles all the way through the check-out aisle, but is able to reach its opposite end only via a path which is separate from the check-out aisle itself. That separate path is equipped with an electronic article surveillance system. The same separate path and its associated electronic article surveillance system serve several check-out aisles.

Abstract: A checkout station dispossesses a shopper of items identified by the shopper for purchase, which items contain theft-prevention indicators, and then detects the presence of any of such items in the possession of the shopper after the shopper has been dispossessed of the items. After the total cost of the items is printed and paid, the shopper is returned possession of the items.