EP-4742204-A2 - FRICTIONLESS VISION-BASED CHECKOUT

EP4742204A2EP 4742204 A2EP4742204 A2EP 4742204A2EP-4742204-A2

Abstract

A payment code is generated for a transaction. The payment code includes a substring of information that identifies the code as a payment token for a frictionless payment of the transaction. The substring of information includes a payment token identifier that identifies the payment code as being representative of a payment request. The substring of information, when captured in an image taken of a transaction area for the transaction or when scanned, causes the terminal to enter a payment state during which payment details are obtained from the payment code and a payment service is contacted with the payment details based on the payment type. The terminal processes a frictionless payment for the transaction through the payment service to complete the transaction.

Inventors

GUNDA, PRANEETH KUMAR
Bennett, Gina Torcivia
MOLUGU, ARAVIND KUMAR
MORGAN, KIP OLIVER

Assignees

NCR Voyix Corporation

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20231230

Claims (15)

A method for frictionless vision-based checkouts, comprising: receiving, by a server, a request for a payment code; identifying, by the server, a payment method and a payment type of the payment method; obtaining, by the server, payment details for the payment method; generating, by the server, the payment code as an encoding of a payment token identifier for allowing a transaction manager of a transaction terminal to identify the payment code as being representative of a payment request, the payment type, and the payment details; and providing, by the server, the payment code to a mobile device of a shopper for a frictionless payment during a vision-based checkout transaction of the shopper; wherein the payment code is displayed on a display of the mobile device and is scanned by a scanner of the transaction terminal or wherein the payment code is provided from the mobile device to the transaction terminal via a near field communication transmission; and wherein the transaction manager of the transaction terminal recognizes the payment code as being representative of the payment request via the payment token identifier.
The method of claim 1, wherein the vision-based checkout transaction comprises placing items being purchased by the shopper on a tray of the transaction terminal, capturing images of the items by one or more cameras of the transaction terminal, and identifying the items based on the images by an item recognizer of the transaction terminal.
The method of claim 1, wherein receiving further includes receiving a store identifier for a store associated with the transaction terminal.
The method of claim 1, wherein receiving further includes receiving a current location for the mobile device and obtaining a store identifier for a store associated with the transaction terminal based on the current location and a known location associated with the store.
The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the payment method includes selecting the payment method based on a store associated with the transaction terminal.
The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the payment method includes identifying the payment method based on a selection made by the shopper through an interface that identifies a store associated with the transaction terminal.
The method of claim 1, further comprising assembling the payment token identifier and the payment type as a string of information, wherein generating the payment code includes prepending or appending the string of information to the payment details.
The method of claim 1, wherein generating the payment code further includes encoding, in the payment code, a loyalty identifier for a loyalty account of the shopper with a store associated with the transaction terminal.
The method of claim 1, wherein generating the payment code further includes encoding, in the payment code, an expiration date and time of day; or wherein generating the payment code further includes encoding, in the payment code, a number representing a total number of times that the payment code is usable by the shopper.
A method for frictionless vision-based checkouts, comprising: receiving, by a wallet application of a mobile device, a request for a payment code; identifying, by the wallet application, a payment method for the payment code; obtaining, by the wallet application, payment details associated with the payment method; appending, by the wallet application, a string of information to the payment details, the string of information at least comprises a payment token identifier for a payment token, for allowing a transaction manager of a transaction terminal to identify the payment code as being representative of a payment request, and a payment type associated with the payment method; encoding, by the wallet application, the string of information and the payment details as the payment code; and rendering, by the wallet application, the payment code on a display of the mobile device for a shopper to present to the transaction terminal for a frictionless payment during a vision-based checkout transaction at the transaction terminal, wherein the payment code is displayed on the display of the mobile device and is scanned by a scanner of the transaction terminal; or providing the payment code from the mobile device to the transaction terminal via a near field communication transmission for the frictionless payment during the vision-based checkout transaction at the transaction terminal; wherein the transaction manager of the transaction terminal recognizes the payment code as being representative of the payment request via the payment token identifier.
The method of claim 10, wherein identifying further includes selecting the payment method from a plurality of payment methods associated with the shopper based on a store associated with the transaction terminal.
The method of claim 10, wherein identifying further includes presenting available payment methods to the shopper through an interface of the mobile device based on a store associated with the transaction terminal and receiving the payment method as a selection made by the user from the available payment methods.
The method of claim 10, wherein appending further includes adding an expiration date and time and a total number of uses for the payment code to the string of information.
A system for frictionless vision-based checkouts comprising: a server comprising at least one first processor and a first non-transitory computer-readable storage medium; a mobile device comprising at least one second processor and a second non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the second non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising second executable instructions for a wallet application of the mobile device; a transaction terminal comprising at least one third processor and a third non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the third non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising third executable instructions for a transaction manager of the transaction terminal; the first non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising first executable instructions; the first executable instructions when provided to or obtained by the at least one first processor from the first non-transitory computer-readable storage medium cause the at least one first processor to perform operations, comprising: receiving a request for a payment code from the wallet application of the mobile device operated by a shopper; determining a store where the shopper wants to use the payment code as a frictionless payment during a vision-based checkout transaction at the transaction terminal of the store; identifying the payment services supported by the transaction terminal based on the store; identifying payment types supported by the payment services; identifying available payment methods registered to the user based on the payment types; selecting an available payment method; obtaining payment details for the selected payment method; generating a string of information comprising a payment token identifier for a payment token, for allowing the transaction manager of the transaction terminal to identify the payment code as being representative of a payment request, and the payment type associated with the selected payment method; appending or prepending the string of information on the payment details; encoding the string of information appended on or prepended to the payment details as the payment code; and providing the payment code to the mobile device for a frictionless payment during the vision-based checkout transaction of the shopper; wherein the payment code is displayed on a display of the mobile device and is scanned by a scanner of the transaction terminal by instructing the wallet application to render the payment code on the display of the mobile device or wherein the payment code is provided from the mobile device to the transaction terminal via a near field communication transmission; wherein the transaction manager of the transaction terminal recognizes the payment code as being representative of the payment request via the payment token identifier.
The system of claim 14, wherein the operations associated with the generating further include: adding a loyalty account associated with the shopper at the store, an expiration date and time of day for the payment code, and a total number of uses for the payment code to the string of information.

Description

In a typical vision-based checkout scenario, a customer places their items on a tray, images of the items are captured, the items are recognized using the captured images, and the customer uses a personal identification number (PIN) pad or card reader to complete the transaction. While vision-based checkout approaches seek to make the customer experience more frictionless, payment processing - which requires customer operation of the PIN pad and/or card reader at the checkout - remains a point of friction. In various embodiments, methods and a system for frictionless vision-based checkouts are presented. A mobile application converts loyalty and/or payment details for a payment of a shopper into a code based on a store of a shopper. The application modifies the code with a prefix or postfix string of information. A transaction manager of a vision-based checkout system recognizes the modified code as a payment request of the shopper. The code can be displayed on the shopper's phone, and the phone can be placed on a tray alongside the items being purchased by the shopper such that the displayed code is visible to a camera or a barcode reader of the vision-based checkout system. According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for frictionless vision-based checkouts, comprising: receiving, by a server, a request for a payment code;identifying, by the server, a payment method and a payment type of the payment method;obtaining, by the server, payment details for the payment method;generating, by the server, the payment code as an encoding of a payment token identifier for allowing a transaction manager of a transaction terminal to identify the payment code as being representative of a payment request, the payment type, and the payment details; andproviding, by the server, the payment code to a mobile device of a shopper for a frictionless payment during a vision-based checkout transaction of the shopper;wherein the payment code is displayed on a display of the mobile device and is scanned by a scanner of the transaction terminal or wherein the payment code is provided from the mobile device to the transaction terminal via a near field communication transmission; and wherein the transaction manager of the transaction terminal recognizes the payment code as being representative of the payment request via the payment token identifier. Aptly, wherein the vision-based checkout transaction comprises placing items being purchased by the shopper on a tray of the transaction terminal, capturing images of the items by one or more cameras of the transaction terminal, and identifying the items based on the images by an item recognizer of the transaction terminal. Aptly, wherein receiving further includes receiving a store identifier for a store associated with the transaction terminal. Aptly, wherein receiving further includes receiving a current location for the mobile device and obtaining a store identifier for a store associated with the transaction terminal based on the current location and a known location associated with the store. Aptly, wherein identifying the payment method includes selecting the payment method based on a store associated with the transaction terminal. Aptly, wherein identifying the payment method includes identifying the payment method based on a selection made by the shopper through an interface that identifies a store associated with the transaction terminal. Aptly, further comprising assembling the payment token identifier and the payment type as a string of information, wherein generating the payment code includes prepending or appending the string of information to the payment details. Aptly, wherein generating the payment code further includes encoding, in the payment code, a loyalty identifier for a loyalty account of the shopper with a store associated with the transaction terminal. Aptly, wherein generating the payment code further includes encoding, in the payment code, an expiration date and time of day; or wherein generating the payment code further includes encoding, in the payment code, a number representing a total number of times that the payment code is usable by the shopper. According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for frictionless vision-based checkouts, comprising: receiving, by a wallet application of a mobile device, a request for a payment code;identifying, by the wallet application, a payment method for the payment code;obtaining, by the wallet application, payment details associated with the payment method;appending, by the wallet application, a string of information to the payment details, the string of information at least comprises a payment token identifier for a payment token, for allowing a transaction manager of a transaction terminal to identify the payment code as being representative of a payment request, and a payment type associated with the payment method;encoding, by the wallet application