FR3148660A1 - Method and system for using a supermarket trolley - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of using a supermarket trolley, said trolley comprising sensors adapted to determine at any time the contents of said trolley and a transmitter adapted to transmit the information of said contents to a server associated with a digital identity of said trolley, comprises: the association (23) of a digital twin of the trolley with a digital identity of a user of said trolley when the user takes the trolley to begin a purchasing process; then the detection (31) of an operation of emptying the contents of the trolley near a vehicle identified as belonging to the user. Figure to be published with the abstract: Fig 2

Description

Method and system for using a supermarket trolley

The present invention relates to a system and method for using a supermarket trolley comprising sensors adapted to determine at any time the contents of the trolley and a transmitter adapted to transmit the information of the contents to a server associated with a digital identity of the trolley.

State of the art

The typical shopping process in a self-service store involves taking a shopping cart at the store entrance, putting the desired products in the cart and then going to a checkout to pay for the products in the cart before transferring them to personal containers.

Checkout is often a problematic step, as it requires staff and often causes queues that create dissatisfaction for customers. In addition, it is often difficult to secure to prevent theft of merchandise.

Also, different automation solutions are being tested and some of them industrialized in order to limit these drawbacks.

One of the most recent solutions is offered by the company Amazon Inc. with the connected trolley called "Dash Cart" (registered trademark of Amazon Inc.). It is a trolley allowing you to do your shopping without going through the checkout.

To use this trolley, you need to download a QR code onto your phone, which you then scan using the cameras on board the trolley. Once the two devices are connected, you can start shopping by scanning the items on the trolley and placing them directly in the trolley. If the items do not have a barcode — fruits and vegetables for example — you select the type of product via the onboard screen and place the food in the bin. The weighing is then done live and you just have to validate — still from the screen — for everything to be added to the basket.

Whether items are installed or removed from the cart, the user always keeps an eye on the amount of their invoice in real time. The latter is sent to the consumer by email, once the shopping is finished and the customer has returned the cart. The debit is then made to the credit card linked to the user's account.

This solution has the merit of eliminating the checkout step. However, it does not, on its own, resolve certain disadvantages previously mentioned such as theft or handling of goods at the end of the purchasing process.

There is therefore a real need for a method and system for using a supermarket trolley which solves all or part of the disadvantages mentioned above.

Description of the invention

• l’association d’un double numérique du chariot avec une identité numérique d’un utilisateur dudit chariot lorsque l’utilisateur prend le chariot pour débuter un processus d’achat ; puis
• la détection d’une opération de vidage du contenu du chariot près d’un véhicule identifié comme appartenant à l’utilisateur.

To solve one or more of the drawbacks mentioned above, according to a first embodiment, a method of using a supermarket trolley, said trolley comprising sensors adapted to determine at any time the contents of said trolley and a transmitter adapted to transmit the information of said contents to a server associated with a digital identity of said trolley, comprises:

• associating a digital twin of the cart with a digital identity of a user of said cart when the user picks up the cart to begin a purchasing process; then
• the detection of a cart emptying operation near a vehicle identified as belonging to the user.

This process therefore makes it possible to avoid going through the checkout by considering emptying the contents into the vehicle as the end of the purchase.

• le double numérique est intégré dans une chaine de blocs  ;
• le procédé se déroulant dans une zone commerciale comprenant une aire de stationnement, le véhicule est identifié numériquement à l’entrée de l’aire de stationnement  ;
• l’identité numérique de l’utilisateur est associée à l’identité numérique du véhicule  ;
• le double numérique du chariot comprend une liste de produits mis dans le chariot  ;
• la liste de produits comprend en outre, pour chaque produit, l’horodatage et la position géographique de l’entrée dans le chariot et de la sortie du chariot  ; et/ou
• la sortie d’un produit près du véhicule génère une opération de facturation du produit.

Particular features or embodiments, usable alone or in combination, are:

• the digital twin is integrated into a blockchain;
• the process taking place in a commercial area comprising a parking area, the vehicle is digitally identified at the entrance to the parking area;
• the user's digital identity is associated with the vehicle's digital identity;
• the digital double of the cart includes a list of products placed in the cart;
• the product list further includes, for each product, the timestamp and geographical position of entry into the cart and exit from the cart; and/or
• the release of a product near the vehicle generates a product billing operation.

In a second embodiment, a computer program product downloadable from a communications network and/or recorded on a computer-readable medium and/or executable by a processor, is characterized in that it comprises program code instructions for implementing the above method.

• recevoir l’information transmise par le transmetteur ;
• associer un double numérique du chariot avec une identité numérique d’un utilisateur dudit chariot lorsque l’utilisateur prend le chariot pour débuter un processus d’achat ; et
• détecter une opération de vidage du contenu du chariot près d’un véhicule identifié comme appartenant à l’utilisateur.

In a third embodiment, a system for using a supermarket trolley comprises said trolley comprising sensors adapted to determine at any time the contents of said trolley and a transmitter adapted to transmit the information of said contents associated with a digital identity of said trolley. It further comprises a calculator adapted to:

• receive the information transmitted by the transmitter;
• associating a digital twin of the cart with a digital identity of a user of said cart when the user picks up the cart to begin a purchase process; and
• detect a cart emptying operation near a vehicle identified as belonging to the user.

Brief description of the figures

• représente une vue d’un système d’utilisation d’un chariot de supermarché selon un premier mode de réalisation ; et
• représente un ordinogramme du fonctionnement du système de la .

The invention will be better understood by reading the following description, given solely by way of example, and with reference to the appended figures in which:

• represents a view of a system for using a supermarket trolley according to a first embodiment; and
• represents a flow chart of the operation of the system of the .

Methods of implementation

The embodiments presented below refer to a motor vehicle, a car. However, the person skilled in the art understands that these are also usable with other types of vehicle such as vans, vans, etc.

A supermarket trolley is any type of container that can be used to make purchases in a self-service store. Thus, in addition to a trolley, this definition includes baskets, bags, etc.

In reference to the , a trolley use system comprises a supermarket trolley 1 which comprises sensors 3 for detecting at any time the products placed in the trolley or removed from it. The sensors 3 may consist of a barcode reader allowing a user to scan the products placed or removed. They may also be formed of NFC (Near Field Communication) antennas detecting the NFC tags of the products placed in the trolley 1.

The sensors 3 are connected to a controller 5. The controller 5 is also connected to a human-machine interface 7 for communicating with the user of the trolley 1 and to a transmitter 9 for transmitting data between the controller 5 and a server 11. The server 11 contains a digital twin of the trolley 1.

A digital double, also called a digital twin, is a digital model of the physical object, here the cart, which constantly exchanges data with the latter to reflect in real time the state of the physical object. It is therefore a dynamic software model of a physical object or system that is based on sensor data.

In the embodiment described, the digital twin of the cart 1 includes in real time a status of the contents of the cart 1 as determined by the sensors 3. A digital identifier, or digital identity, makes the link between the physical cart 1 and the digital twin.

A user 13 has a digital identity also known to the server 11. For example, user 13 has a loyalty card 15 from the store.

The user 13 comes to do his shopping with a motor vehicle 17. This vehicle 17 is known to the system, in particular to the server 11, as belonging to the user 13. By belonging, it is understood that the system makes a link between the user 13 and the vehicle 17 which does not necessarily correspond to a title of ownership. The system only knows that the user 13 uses the vehicle 17 when he comes to do his shopping.

The system works as follows, .

When the user 13 takes a trolley 1, he identifies himself, step 21, for example by presenting his loyalty card 15 to the person-machine interface 7 of the trolley 1. This step can also be made mandatory by only allowing the trolley 1 to be unlocked by the identification of the user 13.

An association is then made, step 23, between the digital identity of the cart 1 and the digital identity of the user 13.

User 13 then makes his purchases, step 25, by putting products in cart 1. Sensors 3 continuously record the contents of cart 1 and this is found in the digital double of cart 1. If user 13 removes a product to put it back on the shelf, it is also removed from the digital double of cart 1. Thus, the digital double contains a list of the products contained by the cart.

When user 13 has completed his purchases, he then heads, step 27, towards his vehicle 17.

The system detects, step 29, that the cart 1 is near the user's vehicle 17, for example, via geolocation beacons.

Having arrived near the vehicle, user 13 transfers, step 31, the purchased products into vehicle 17, which results, at the level of the digital double of the trolley, in a reduction in the contents of trolley 1.

The system concludes, step 33, that the user 13 purchases the products transferred to the vehicle 17 and generates, step 35, the associated invoicing and payment.

There illustrates a system according to certain embodiments. The breakdown presented is for educational purposes to highlight the various functions. However, it is understood that each block can be implemented using different means or their combinations, such as hardware components, software, one or more computers and/or electronic circuits. Each of the components can include at least one computer or a control-command unit. At least one memory can be included in each component. The memory can include computer program instructions or software code.

The computers can be implemented by any type of data processing device, such as a central computing unit, a signal processing processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, a programmable gate array, etc. The computers can be implemented as a single controller, or a plurality of controllers or computers.

• interface radiofréquence RF, de type Wi-Fi® (selon IEEE 802.11), dans les bandes de fréquence à 2,4 ou 5 GHz, ou de type Bluetooth® (selon IEEE 802.15.1), dans la bande de fréquence à 2,4 GHz, ou de type Sigfox utilisant une technologie radio UBN [de l’anglais « Ultra Narrow Band », en français bande ultra étroite], ou LoRa dans la bande de fréquence 868 MHz, LTE [de l’anglais « Long-Term Evolution » ou en français « Évolution à long terme »], LTE-Advanced (ou en français LTE-avancé) ;
• interface USB [de l’anglais « Universal Serial Bus » ou « Bus Universel en Série » en français] ;
• interface HDMI [de l’anglais « High Definition Multimedia Interface », ou « Interface Multimedia Haute Definition » en français].

The different modules are connected to each other by data links adapted to the environment. These can be wired or wireless, such as, for example:

• RF radio frequency interface, of the Wi-Fi® type (according to IEEE 802.11), in the 2.4 or 5 GHz frequency bands, or of the Bluetooth® type (according to IEEE 802.15.1), in the 2.4 GHz frequency band, or of the Sigfox type using UBN [Ultra Narrow Band] radio technology, or LoRa in the 868 MHz frequency band, LTE [Long-Term Evolution] or LTE-Advanced;
• USB interface [from the English “Universal Serial Bus” or “Universal Serial Bus” in French];
• HDMI interface [from the English “High Definition Multimedia Interface”, or “High Definition Multimedia Interface” in French].

For software, the implementation may include modules or units distributed in the form of procedures, functions, etc. Memories may be any type of storage circuit. They may be part of the processor circuit, or separate from it and connected via electrical data links. These may be non-volatile memories, hard disks, random access memories, flash memories, etc.

Furthermore, the program instructions stored in memory and processed by computers can be any type of program code, for example, a compiled or interpreted program written in a suitable programming language.

The computer program instructions stored in the memory are such that, when executed by the computer, the latter carries out one or more of the steps of the methods described above.

The invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and the preceding description. The latter should be considered as illustrative and given by way of example and not as limiting the invention to this description alone. Numerous variant embodiments are possible.

In particular, the digital twin of cart 1 can be integrated into a blockchain.

Blockchain, also known as distributed ledger technology, is a digital tool for storing and communicating data without a central control body. Blockchain is configured to allow users of the blockchain, connected in a network, to share data directly, without an intermediary. A blockchain is a register or a large database that has the particularity of being shared simultaneously with all its users, all of whom are also holders of this register, and who also all have the capacity to enter data into it, according to specific rules set by a computer protocol secured by means of cryptography.

In a blockchain, the identification of each party is carried out by a cryptographic process.

Each transaction is sent to a network (also called a storage “node”) of remote devices or computations (e.g. computers or servers) located in different locations.

Each node hosts a copy of the database in which the history of transactions is recorded. All stakeholders can access it simultaneously.

The security system is based on different mechanisms, including a consensus mechanism of all nodes each time information or data is added. The data is decrypted and authenticated by data centers (also called “miners”). Each transaction thus validated is added to the database in the form of a block (of the blockchain) of encrypted data, a block being able to host several transactions.

Decentralization of security management prevents tampering with transactions. Each new block added to the blockchain is linked to the previous one (except for the first block in the chain) and a copy of this new block is transmitted to all nodes in the network. The integration of blocks is chronological, indelible and unfalsifiable.

Blockchain technology is known to those skilled in the art. For example, it is described in a summary report from the French National Assembly dated December 2018 and entitled “Report of the joint information mission on the “blockchain” and its uses: a sovereignty issue”.

Blockchain-related terms have also been standardized, including in the following standards: ISO 22739:2020, ISO/TR 23244:2020, ISO/TR 23455:2019, and ISO/TR 23576:2020.

Integrating the digital twin of the cart into a blockchain thus advantageously guarantees the contents of the cart against any external manipulation and therefore acts as proof of purchase.

When the store has a parking area, the vehicle 17 can be identified when it enters this area. For example, a camera can read its license plate, or the user has installed an identification badge on the windshield of the vehicle. And the parking area is equipped with sensors to determine the parking space of the vehicle 17. Thus, associated with the link between the user and the vehicle, the system can easily determine when the cart 1 is near the vehicle 17.

In order to strengthen the traceability of purchases, the list of products placed in the cart in the digital double of the cart can include the time they were placed in the cart and, possibly, the geographic position of the cart at that time. This timestamp and geographic position can also be added when the product is removed from the cart.

Claims (9)

Method of using a supermarket trolley, said trolley comprising sensors adapted to determine at any time the contents of said trolley and a transmitter adapted to transmit information on said contents to a server associated with a digital identity of said trolley, the method comprising:

• associating (23) a digital twin of the cart with a digital identity of a user of said cart when the user picks up the cart to begin a purchasing process; then
• the detection (31) of an operation of emptying the contents of the cart near a vehicle identified as belonging to the user.

The method of claim 1, wherein the digital twin is integrated into a blockchain. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, the method taking place in a commercial area comprising a parking area, the vehicle is digitally identified at the entrance to the parking area. The method of claim 3, wherein the digital identity of the user is associated with the digital identity of the vehicle. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the digital twin of the cart comprises a list of products placed in the cart. The method of claim 5, wherein the product list further comprises, for each product, the timestamp and geographic location of entry into the cart and exit from the cart. A method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the output of a product near the vehicle generates a product billing operation. Computer program product downloadable from a communications network and/or recorded on a computer-readable medium and/or executable by a processor, characterized in that it comprises program code instructions for implementing the method according to any one of the preceding claims. System for using a supermarket trolley (1) comprising said trolley comprising sensors (3) adapted to determine at any time the contents of said trolley and a transmitter (9) adapted to transmit the information of said contents associated with a digital identity of said trolley, the system further comprising a calculator (11) adapted to:

• receive the information transmitted by the transmitter;
• associating a digital twin of the cart with a digital identity of a user of said cart when the user picks up the cart to begin a purchase process; and
• detect a cart emptying operation near a vehicle identified as belonging to the user.