Statistical sampling security methodology for self-scanning checkout system

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein the state space is a statistical representation of possible events (E) that may occur in a self-checkout.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 wherein the action space is a statistical representation of possible actions that may be taken in response to the possible events.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 wherein the loss function measures a loss resulting from an action.

Claim 6

The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of determining and defining an average loss for a self check-out as a Bayes loss.

Claim 7

The method of claim 5 where the Bayes average loss is given by the equation: ##EQU8## where θ i represents random events.

Claim 8

The method of claim 1 wherein the loss function is a function of L(c) and p where L(c) is the expected inventory loss associated with a shopper (c) and p is the probability of performing an audit on the shopper.

Claim 9

In a self-service shopping checkout system wherein a shopper is provided with a portable self-scanning terminal for scanning of a bar code of an item selected for purchase prior to depositing the item into a shopping cart, and wherein a list of items self-scanned by the shopper is compiled and made available to a cashier for surveillance and payment purposes, the improvement comprising a method for enhancing the accuracy and reducing overall audit level and achieving a lowest average loss of a self-checkout system wherein a customer selects a plurality of items for purchase and registers the plurality of items with the portable terminal, comprising the steps of: a) determining if the customer is to be audited to obtain the lowest average loss for the customer using statistical decision analysis; a) determining, as a function of a plurality of input criteria, the number of items n to be scanned; b) selecting from the shopper's cart of items presented for purchase n items to be scanned; c) scanning a bar code located on each of said n items selected for scanning; and d) allowing the shopping transaction if each item selected for scanning is present on the list of self-scanned items compiled by the shopper.

Claim 10

In a self-service shopping checkout system wherein a shopper is provided with a portable self-scanning terminal for scanning of a bar code of an item selected for purchase prior to depositing the item into a shopping cart, and wherein a list of items self-scanned by the shopper is compiled and made available to a cashier for surveillance and payment purposes, the improvement comprising a method for enhancing the accuracy and reducing overall audit level and achieving a lowest average loss of a self-checkout system wherein a customer selects a plurality of items for purchase and registers the plurality of items with the portable terminal, comprising the steps of: a) determining if the customer is to be audited to obtain the lowest average loss for the customer using statistical decision analysis; a) determining, as a function of a plurality of input criteria, the number of items n to be scanned; b) selecting from the shopper's cart of items presented for purchase n items to be scanned; c) scanning a bar code located on each of said n items selected for scanning; and d) allowing the shopping transaction if each item selected for scanning is present on the list of self-scanned items compiled by the shopper.

Claim 11

The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of disallowing the shopping transaction if the minimum checkout loss exceeds a threshold.

Claim 12

A self-service shopping checkout system comprising: a) a plurality of portable self-checkout devices, each of said self-checkout devices to be used by a customer to scan a bar code located on an item to be purchased so as to record therein a list of such items to be purchased, each of said devices comprising bar code scanning means for scanning and decoding a bar code located on an item to be purchased, means for compiling a list of items scanned by said customer, and a data output port for allowing transfer of said scanned item list to an associated data port located external to said portable device; b) a stationary dispenser unit for the releasable containment of said plurality of portable self-checkout devices, said dispenser unit comprising: (i) a plurality of device containment slots, each of said slots being configured for releasable containment of a mating self-scanning device, each of said slots having associated therewith a data input port suitable for mating with a data output port located on a portable self-checkout device; and (ii) a printer for printing a tally list of items scanned for purchase by said shopper, said tally list being supplied by a self-checkout device after said self-checkout device is returned to a device containment slot after being used by a shopper, said tally list further comprising a two-dimensional bar code encoded with said items scanned by said shopper, a unique identification record associated with said shopper, and the number of items scanned by said shopper; c) a plurality of point of sale terminals, each of said point of sale terminal comprising: (i) bar code reading means for reading said two-dimensional bar code from a tally list presented to a cashier operating said point of sale terminal, said bar code reading means providing as output data signals representing said items scanned by said shopper, said unique identification record associated with said shopper, and said number of items scanned by said shopper; said bar code reading means also configured so as to scan select items presented for checking by said cashier; (d) means for generating at least one state space of possible events (E) that may occur in a self-checkout by a shopper; (e) means for generating an action space in response to each state space; (f) means for generating a loss function in response to each action space; and (g) means for auditing a self-check out to obtain a minimum checkout loss for a customer.

Claim 13

A self-service shopping checkout system comprising: a) a plurality of portable self-checkout devices, each of said self-checkout devices to be used by a customer to scan a bar code located on an item to be purchased so as to record therein a list of such items to be purchased, each of said devices comprising bar code scanning means for scanning and decoding a bar code located on an item to be purchased, means for compiling a list of items scanned by said customer, and a data output port for allowing transfer of said scanned item list to an associated data port located external to said portable device; b) a stationary dispenser unit for the releasable containment of said plurality of portable self-checkout devices, said dispenser unit comprising: (i) a plurality of device containment slots, each of said slots being configured for releasable containment of a mating self-scanning device, each of said slots having associated therewith a data input port suitable for mating with a data output port located on a portable self-checkout device; and (ii) a printer for printing a tally list of items scanned for purchase by said shopper, said tally list being supplied by a self-checkout device after said self-checkout device is returned to a device containment slot after being used by a shopper, said tally list further comprising a two-dimensional bar code encoded with said items scanned by said shopper, a unique identification record associated with said shopper, and the number of items scanned by said shopper; c) a plurality of point of sale terminals, each of said point of sale terminal comprising: (i) bar code reading means for reading said two-dimensional bar code from a tally list presented to a cashier operating said point of sale terminal, said bar code reading means providing as output data signals representing said items scanned by said shopper, said unique identification record associated with said shopper, and said number of items scanned by said shopper; said bar code reading means also configured so as to scan select items presented for checking by said cashier; (d) means for generating at least one state space of possible events (E) that may occur in a self-checkout by a shopper; (e) means for generating an action space in response to each state space; (f) means for generating a loss function in response to each action space; and (g) means for auditing a self-check out to obtain a minimum checkout loss for a customer.

Claim 20

In a self-check out system, a method of determining the average loss for a customer in a self-check out, comprising the steps of: a) identifying a plurality of factors including store busy; level of audit (full, patial, none) and affecting the self-check out; b) selecting a at least one of the plurality of the events; and c) calculating the average loss for the customer in the self-check out using a Bayes' loss factor based upon the selected at least plurality of events.

Claim 21

In a self-check out system, a method of determining the average loss for a customer in a self-check out, comprising the steps of: a) identifying a plurality of factors including store busy; level of audit (full, patial, none) and affecting the self-check out; b) selecting a at least one of the plurality of the events; and c) calculating the average loss for the customer in the self-check out using a Bayes' loss factor based upon the selected at least plurality of events.

Claim 22

A self-service shopping checkout system for enhancing the accuracy and reducing overall audit level while achieving a lowest average loss of a self-checkout by a customer, comprising: a) means for registering a plurality of items by the customer using a portable terminal; b) means for determining if the customer is to be audited to obtain the lowest average loss for the customer using statistical decision analysis; c) means for determining, as a function of a plurality of input criteria, which items n and the number thereof to be scanned; d) means for selecting from the shopper's cart of items presented for purchase n items to be scanned; e) means for properly scanning a bar code located on each of said n items selected for scanning; and f) means for allowing the shopping transaction if each item selected for scanning is present on a list of self-scanned items compiled by the shopper.

Claim 23

A self-service shopping checkout system for enhancing the accuracy and reducing overall audit level while achieving a lowest average loss of a self-checkout by a customer, comprising: a) means for registering a plurality of items by the customer using a portable terminal; b) means for determining if the customer is to be audited to obtain the lowest average loss for the customer using statistical decision analysis; c) means for determining, as a function of a plurality of input criteria, which items n and the number thereof to be scanned; d) means for selecting from the shopper's cart of items presented for purchase n items to be scanned; e) means for properly scanning a bar code located on each of said n items selected for scanning; and f) means for allowing the shopping transaction if each item selected for scanning is present on a list of self-scanned items compiled by the shopper.

Claim 24

The system of claim 15 further comprising: a) means for disallowing the transaction if any item selected for scanning is not present on the list of self-scanned items compiled by the shopper.

Claim 25

An article of manufacture, comprising: a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for enhancing the accuracy and reducing overall audit level while achieving a lowest average loss of a self-checkout by a customer in a self-check out system including a plurality of portable self-checkout devices, each of said self-checkout devices to be used by a customer to scan a bar code located on an item to be purchased so as to record therein a list of such items to be purchased, each of said devices comprising bar code scanning means for scanning and decoding a bar code located on an item to be purchased and means for compiling a list of items scanned by said customer, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacturing, comprising: (a) computer readable program code means for registering a plurality of items by the customer using a portable terminal; b) computer readable program code means for determining if the customer is to be audited to obtain the lowest average loss for the customer using statistical decision analysis; c) computer readable program code means for determining, as a function of a plurality of input criteria, which items n and the number thereof to be scanned; d) computer readable program code means for selecting from the shopper's cart of items presented for purchase n items to be scanned; e) computer readable program code means for properly scanning a bar code located on each of said n items selected for scanning; and f) computer readable program code means for allowing the shopping transaction if each item selected for scanning is present on a list of self-scanned items compiled by the shopper or disallowing the transaction if each item selected for scanning is not present on the list of self-scanned items compiled by the shopper.

Claim 26

An article of manufacture, comprising: a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for enhancing the accuracy and reducing overall audit level while achieving a lowest average loss of a self-checkout by a customer in a self-check out system including a plurality of portable self-checkout devices, each of said self-checkout devices to be used by a customer to scan a bar code located on an item to be purchased so as to record therein a list of such items to be purchased, each of said devices comprising bar code scanning means for scanning and decoding a bar code located on an item to be purchased and means for compiling a list of items scanned by said customer, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacturing, comprising: (a) computer readable program code means for registering a plurality of items by the customer using a portable terminal; b) computer readable program code means for determining if the customer is to be audited to obtain the lowest average loss for the customer using statistical decision analysis; c) computer readable program code means for determining, as a function of a plurality of input criteria, which items n and the number thereof to be scanned; d) computer readable program code means for selecting from the shopper's cart of items presented for purchase n items to be scanned; e) computer readable program code means for properly scanning a bar code located on each of said n items selected for scanning; and f) computer readable program code means for allowing the shopping transaction if each item selected for scanning is present on a list of self-scanned items compiled by the shopper or disallowing the transaction if each item selected for scanning is not present on the list of self-scanned items compiled by the shopper.