Point-of-sale terminal and method of operating same

• US 10,262,312 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2015
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Costello, Christopher John, Utsumi, Yoshitaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawley, Talia F
• Application Number:
  US14/744,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20160371669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader

Abstract

Embodiments of a symbol for identification of a property of a presented item at a Point-Of-Sale Terminal (POS) are generally described herein. A method can include a detecting a presence of a symbol other than a barcode within at least one image captured by a scanner of the POS of an item presented to the scanner, the symbol indicating that the presented item has a property, and when the presence of the symbol is detected, outputting an indication that the presented item has the property.

Claims

1. A method for operating a point-of-sale terminal, the method comprising:

capturing, with a camera of the point-of-sale terminal, at least one image of an item presented to the camera;

applying edge detection, with a processor of the point-of-sale terminal, to the at least one image to detect a presence of a predefined shape within the at least one image, the predefined shape indicating that the presented item has a property; and

displaying, on a display operatively coupled to the processor of the point-of-sale terminal, at least one user selectable option corresponding to the presented item and at least one non-selectable option corresponding to a corresponding item that lacks the property, the at least one non-selectable option being dimmed on the display compared with the at least one selectable option.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one user selectable option is a limited set of options corresponding to the property.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the property indicates that the presented item is an item of organic produce.

3. A point-of-sale terminal;

comprising;

a camera configured to scan presented items and obtain at least one image of a presented item;

a processor configured to apply edge detection to the at least one image to detect a presence of a predefined shape other than a barcode within the at least one image, the predefined shape indicating that the presented item has a property; and

a display operatively coupled to the processor and configured to display at least one user selectable option corresponding to the presented item and at least one non-selectable option corresponding to a corresponding item that lacks the property, the at least one non-selectable option being dimmed on the display compared with the at least one selectable option.

4. The point-of-sale terminal of claim 3, wherein the at least one user selectable option is a limited set of options corresponding to the property.

5. The point-of-sale terminal of claim 3, wherein the non-text symbol includes or is printed upon a reflective surface of a reflective material on the item.

9. The point-of-sale terminal of claim 3, wherein the property indicates that the presented item is an item of organic produce.

6. A method for operating a point-of-sale terminal, the method comprising:

capturing, with a camera of the point-of-sale terminal, at least one image of an item presented to the camera;

applying edge detection, with a processor of the point-of-sale terminal, to the at least one image to detect a presence of a predefined shape other than a barcode within the at least one image, the predefined shape indicating that the presented item has a property; and

displaying, on a display operatively coupled to the processor of the point-of-sale terminal, at least one user selectable option corresponding to the presented item and at least one non-selectable option corresponding to a corresponding item that lacks the property, the at least one non-selectable option being dimmed on the display compared with the at least one selectable option.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the predefined shape is positioned on a reflective material on the item.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the property indicates that the presented item is an item of organic produce.