System and method of encoding item information from a scale in a self-service scanning solution

• US 10,001,403 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2015
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Inventors: Brouhard, Jesse, Grimes, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Huls, Natalie
• Application Number:
  US14/742,993
• Publication Number:
  US 20150285671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/44 Coding devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06112 the marking being simulated using a light source, e.g. a barcode shown on a display or a laser beam with time-varying intensity profile
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

This invention relates to a system including a scale that weighs an item placed on the scale and encodes the weight and/or other item information into a machine readable code. The system may include a display that is coupled to the scale and displays the machine readable code. The scale may encode the item in Quick Response (QR) code format, Universal Product Code (UPC) format, and/or other computer-readable format. A mobile device may take a picture of or otherwise scan the machine readable code to determine the weight and/or other information encoded therein. The system may include a wireless transmitter that wirelessly transmits the weight. The mobile device may include a wireless receiver that wirelessly receives the weight transmitted from the scale. The mobile device may execute a self-scan application that uses the de-encoded or otherwise obtained weight for pricing the item based on the weight or other purposes.

Claims

1. A handheld device programmed with a self-scan program that generates information relating to scanned items in a self-scanning checkout system, comprising:

an imaging device; and

a processor coupled to the imaging device, the processor configured programmed by one or more computer program instructions to;

receive an identification of an item that is to be weighed;

read, via the imaging device, a machine readable code communicated from a scale, the machine readable code comprising a mask pattern associated with a service specific to the item and encoding information relating to the item comprising a weight of the item that is measured by the scale;

determine at least the weight of the item based on the machine readable code; and

add the identification of the item and the weight to a listing of scanned items.

2. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the imaging device comprises an integrated camera device.

3. The handheld device of claim 2, wherein to read the machine readable code, the processor is programmed to take a picture, via the integrated camera device, of a display screen associated with the scale and decode the machine readable code from the picture.

4. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the machine readable code comprises a Quick Response (QR) code.

5. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the machine readable code comprises a Universal Product Code (UPC).

6. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the machine readable code comprises a SnapTag, SPARQCode, Touchatag, Aztec Code, MaxiCode, or Semacode format.

7. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to obtain a discount off a price of the item based on the machine readable code.

8. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to cause the identification of the item to be transmitted, via a wireless communication channel, to the scale.

9. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein to receive the identity of the item, the processor is programmed to decode a second machine readable code affixed to or associated with the item.

10. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein to receive the identity of the item, the processor is programmed to decode the identity of the item from the machine readable code.

11. A method for scanning weight information, the method being implemented by a handheld device having an imaging device and one or more physical processors programmed with computer program instructions that, when executed by the one or more physical processors, programs the handheld device to perform the method, the method comprising:

receiving, by the handheld device, an identification of an item that is to be weighed;

reading, by the handheld device, via the imaging device, a machine readable code communicated from a scale, the machine readable code comprising a mask pattern associated with a service specific to the item and encoding information relating to the item comprising a weight of the item that is measured by the scale;

determining, by the handheld device, at least the weight of the item based on the machine readable code; and

adding, by the handheld device, the identification of the item and the weight to a listing of scanned items.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the imaging device comprises an integrated camera device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein reading the machine readable code comprises taking, by the handheld device, a picture, via the integrated camera device, of a display screen associated with the scale and decoding the machine readable code from the picture.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the machine readable code comprises a Quick Response (QR) code.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the machine readable code comprises a Universal Product Code (UPC).

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the machine readable code comprises a SnapTag, SPARQCode, Touchatag, Aztec Code, MaxiCode, or Semacode format.

17. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising:

obtaining, by the handheld device, a discount off a price of the item based on the machine readable code.

18. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising:

causing, by the handheld device, the identification of the item to be transmitted, via a wireless communication channel, to the scale.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the identity of the item comprises:

decoding, by the handheld device, a second machine readable code affixed to or associated with the item.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions for causing a processor to execute a method for scanning weight information, the method comprising:

receiving, by a handheld device, an identification of an item that is to be weighed;

reading, by the handheld device, via an imaging device of the handheld device, a machine readable code communicated from a scale, the machine readable code comprising a mask pattern associated with a service specific to the item and encoding information relating to the item comprising a weight of the item that is measured by the scale;

determining, by the handheld device, at least the weight of the item based on the machine readable code; and

adding, by the handheld device, the identification of the item and the weight to a listing of scanned items.