Invalidity dossier
US 5186281
Method for retail checkout
Current assignee: NCR Voyix Corp
Added 9/23/2026, 11:36:02 PM
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Patent summary
Title, assignee, inventors, filing/issue dates, abstract, and a plain-language overview of the claims.
Patent Overview — US5186281A
Title: Method for retail checkout
Patent number: US5186281A
Application number: US07/712,835
Inventor: Alfred D. Jenkins
Original assignee: NCR Corp; current assignee listed as NCR Voyix Corp
Priority/filing date: 1991-06-10
Publication (grant) date: 1993-02-16
Legal status as listed: Expired – Lifetime; anticipated expiration 2011-06-10
Purpose: The invention relates to a method and system for retail checkout of purchased articles. Customers select articles from a display of samples; the articles are automatically retrieved from a product stocking area, placed in an article accumulating area, and provided to customers after pre-check and finalizing check-out operations.
Plain-language scope (from the supplied text): The described method includes: (a) providing identification by a customer; (b) viewing samples of items in a display area; (c) entering selection of a desired item via selection means associated with the display area; (d) entering a desired quantity via quantity means; (e) repeating steps (c)–(d) for additional items; (f) performing a pre-check operation; (g) receiving an itemized, totaled receipt with identification number and account verification; (h) retrieving selected items from a product stocking area and assembling them in an item accumulating area; (i) checking out at a checkout station; and (j) receiving the purchased items. The display area has individual compartments for actual samples, with selection means employing vertical and horizontal values associated with rows and columns of compartments. The facility may include display panels, aisles, a pre-check terminal station, product stocking area, order accumulation area, conveyor, finalizing terminal, and a vehicle check-out area through which automobiles move from "zone 1" to "zone 2." A wireless-transceiver-based queuing arrangement is mentioned to serve customers on a "first arrived, first served" basis.
Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/[US5186281](/patent/US5186281)/en
What the excerpt does not establish: It does not provide the full claims, all drawing details, the complete description, or the specific prior-art references. It does not establish litigation history, ownership transfers beyond the listed assignments, validity, or a legal conclusion on patent status.
Generated 10/1/2026, 9:32:35 PM
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Litigation summary
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Proceedings on file (0)
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PTAB challenges
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Assignment history
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Prior art
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Obviousness
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Extensions
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Derivative works
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