According to the filing, the system would capture a variety of sounds in the store to figure out employees' performance and effectiveness at checkout.
For instance, the system can be used to capture beeps produced by a scanner and the rustling of bags at checkout to find out the number of items in a transaction or even the number of bags used.
More alarmingly, the patent mentions that the system could be used to listen to guests' conversations to determine the lengths of checkout lines.
"Additionally, the sound sensors can capture audio of conversations between guests and an employee stationed at the terminal," the patent states. "The system can process the audio of the conversation to determine whether the employee stationed at the terminal is greeting guests."
The new concept hasn't been implemented in Walmart stores and Walmart didn't say whether it ever will be. more
