Mobile battery powered workstation carts for order fulfillment are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a battery powered workstation cart may comprise a wheeled cart having a frame, a rechargeable lithium battery, a computer, a barcode reader/scanner, a RFID reader/scanner, a printer, an artificial intelligence hub, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and/or GPS. The frame may also comprise two side bracket arms and/or shelves, which may be modular to receive various different sized baskets, bins, or totes therein to expedite retail order fulfillment.

A retail checkout system includes a mobile point-of-sale (POS) apparatus, one or more fixed POS stations, and a server. The mobile POS apparatus includes a wireless communication interface and a processor configured to perform a registration operation. The registration operation includes controlling the wireless communication interface to transmit a product code and transmit instructions. The server is configured to generate a transaction data record, cause the transaction data record to be transmitted to a fixed POS station upon receiving a checkout instruction, determine, after receiving an end instruction, whether the checkout processing has been completed, and cause the mobile POS apparatus to end the registration operation if checkout processing has been completed.

According to an embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a device connection unit to allow a plurality of devices to be detachably connected thereto, a processor, and a network communication interface to communicate with a server apparatus. The processor receives from, the device connection unit, an input of first identification information from a first device connected to the device connection unit. The first identification information identifies a particular mobile terminal connected to the network. The processor notifies the server apparatus, via the network communication interface, of an association between the first identification information and second identification information of the information processing apparatus to cause the server apparatus to relay information between the mobile terminal and the information processing apparatus. The processor also executes an accounting processing, using one or more devices connected to the device connection unit, for receiving payments for items registered by the mobile terminal.

A network node associated with a retail store.

A device may receive, from a client device associated with a customer, an agreement of the customer to join a rewards program, and may receive, from the client device and based on the customer joining the rewards program, item data identifying an item placed in a shopping cart by the customer and customer data identifying the customer, wherein the item data is received by a transaction card from a price tag of the item, and wherein the item data is received after the item has been removed from a shelf and placed in the shopping cart. The device may receive rewards data identifying rewards associated with a plurality of items, and may process the item data, the rewards data, and the customer data, with a machine learning model, to identify a reward for the customer. The device may provide, to the client device, data identifying the reward.

A reading device according to an embodiment includes a scanner configured to read code information indicated by a code symbol, a holder configured to detachably hold the scanner, a detecting unit configured to detect a first state in which the scanner is held by the holder and a second state in which the scanner is detached from the holder, and a setting-condition changing unit configured to, if the detecting unit detects the second state, set setting conditions relating to the reading by the scanner such that a reading distance of the scanner is shorter than the reading distance in the first state.

An embodiment of an information processing system includes a user terminal carried by a user; and a server being capable of communicating with the user terminal. The user terminal is comprised of: an obtaining unit configured to obtain product information and expiration information related to an expiration date of a product from the product; and a display controller configured to cause a display to show information containing an offered price of the product, which is acquired from the server. The server is comprised of: a price determination unit configured to determine the offered price of the product based on the product information and the expiration information acquired from the user terminal; and a price information providing unit configured to provide information that contains the offered price of the product determined by the price determination unit, to the user terminal.

A portable scan-assistance device is provided. A mobile device operated by a customer establishes a connection to the scan-assistance device at the start of a shopping trip by tapping the mobile device on the scan-assistance device or by the mobile device scanning a code affixed to the scan-assistance device. A status light on the scan-assistance device illuminates a designated color (such as blue) upon successful connection. A camera/image sensor/barcode reader of the scan-assistance device captures an item code of an item placed in front of the camera and forwards the item code to a mobile shopping application on the user mobile device during the customer's shopping trip. When an item code is successfully captured the status light of the scan-assistance device illuminates a second color (such as green), otherwise the status light of the scan-assistance device illuminates a third color (such as red).

A transaction session is established directly or indirectly between a wearable processing device and a cloud-based server of a store. During the session, items are recognized by placing the items in a field-of-view of a front-facing camera of the device. Item recognition does not require item barcode identification. A depth sensor associated with the camera creates a three-dimensional mapping of a given item. The mapping and image features are processed to uniquely identify the item even when the item is associated with a same category of items. Customer input during the session can be achieved through gestures (hand, eyes, head, fingers, etc.) and/or voice commands. The customer input is translated and mapped into transaction interface commands/options and processed during the session to select items, delete items, view a transaction receipt, identify a quantity of items, obtain item details for a given item, etc.

A method for determining whether shoppers are eligible for frictionless checkout is disclosed. The method may include obtaining image data captured using a plurality of image sensors positioned in a retail store; analyzing the image data to identify at least one shopper at one or more locations of the retail store; detecting, based on the analysis of the image data, at least one product interaction event associated with an action of the at least one shopper at the one or more locations of the retail store; based on the detected at least one product interaction event, determining whether the at least one shopper is eligible for frictionless checkout; and in response to a determination that the at least one shopper is ineligible for frictionless checkout, causing delivery of an indicator that the at least one shopper is ineligible for frictionless checkout.