Checkout system with a flexible security verification system

• US 20030024982A1
• Filed: 07/01/2002
• Published: 02/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ECR Software Corporation
• Original Assignee: ECR Software Corporation
• Inventors: Denimarck, Paul F., Bellis, Donald C. Jr., Keys, Barry H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,044,370 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 9/047 for recording self-service articles without cashier or assistant
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/4144 for controlling weight of goods in commercial establishments, e.g. supermarket, P.O.S. systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3728 with wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3735 using a digital network
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3742 using a mobile telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0054 with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 3/006 False operation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1472 with force or weight detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/246 Check out systems combined with EAS, e.g. price information stored on EAS tag anti-theft systems in point of sale systems G07G3/003

Abstract

A method and system for self-checkout of items from a retail or non-retail establishment is disclosed. The system verifies security by comparing a measured physical characteristic of an item with the stored security characteristic for that item and determining if the measured physical characteristic is within an operator-modifiable tolerance range. The operator-modifiable tolerance range is different for different of items in the store. Moreover, a stored security characteristic of an item can be updated automatically. In addition, the system includes a dynamic-weight scale that reports a measured weight before the scale settles.

Claims

1. A method for checking out an item having an item code, said method comprising the steps of:

identifying the item;

measuring a physical characteristic of the item;

retrieving a stored security characteristic of the item and a tolerance range for the item;

comparing the physical characteristic of the item with the stored security characteristic of the item;

accepting the item if the physical characteristic is within the tolerance range;

said tolerance range being modifiable by an operator and is different for different items.

2. The method in claim 1 wherein the tolerance range is a function of a tolerance value, and said tolerance range is modified by applying a global tolerance variable to the tolerance value such that the tolerance range for each item is modified relative to the global tolerance variable.

3. The method in claim 2 wherein the tolerance value is a number representing a unit of measurement.

4. The method in claim 3 wherein the unit of measurement is a unit of mass.

5. The method in claim 1 wherein the physical characteristic is selected from a group consisting of a weight, length, width, depth, and height of the item.

6. The method in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

automatically updating the stored security characteristic of the item.

7. The method in claim 6 wherein the step of automatically updating the stored security characteristic comprises the steps of:

calculating a statistically determined value from a plurality of measurements of the physical characteristic for items having the same item code;

replacing the stored security characteristic of the item with the calculated statistically determined value.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising calculating a value representing a tolerance value for the item and replacing the stored tolerance value with the calculated tolerance value.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the statistically determined value is an average value from the plurality of measurements.

10. The method in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

creating a record for a new item after the new item has been scanned for a first time;

storing the measured physical characteristic of the new item as the stored security characteristic of the new item.

calculating a statistically determined value from a plurality of measurements of the physical characteristic for items having the same item code as the new item; and

replacing the stored security characteristic of the new item with the calculated statistically determined value.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising calculating a value representing a tolerance value for the new item based on the plurality of measurements for items having the same item code as the new item.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the statistically determined value is an average of the plurality of measurements.

13. A method of checking out an item having an item code from a store, said method comprising the steps of:

identifying the item;

measuring a weight of the item using a weighing scale;

reporting the weight of the item before the weighing scale settles;

retrieving a stored security weight of the item and a tolerance range for the item;

comparing the reported weight of the item with the stored security weight of the item;

accepting the item if the reported weight is within the tolerance range;

said tolerance range being modifiable by an operator.

14. The method in claim 13 further comprising setting a time wherein the step of comparing the reported weight and the stored security weight is performed after the time.

15. The method in claim 13 further comprising:

setting a time at which the reported weight is compared with the stored security weight, said time being before the weighing scale settles and said time is modifiable by an operator.

16. A self-checkout system for checking out an item having with an item code, said system comprising:

a measuring apparatus generating an item-characteristic signal corresponding to a measured characteristic of the item;

a memory comprising;

a stored item code;

a stored security characteristic of the item;

a stored operator-modifiable tolerance range associated with the item, said tolerance range being different for different items; and

a processor executing a program such that the system accepts the item if the measured characteristic is within the tolerance range.

17. The checkout system in claim 16 wherein the tolerance range is a function of a tolerance value and said tolerance range is modified by applying a global tolerance variable to the tolerance value such that the tolerance range for each item is modified relative to the global tolerance variable.

18. The checkout system of claim 17 wherein the tolerance value is a number representing a unit of measurement.

19. The checkout system of claim 18 wherein the unit of measurement is a unit of mass.

20. The checkout system in claim 16 wherein the measured characteristic and the stored security characteristic correspond to a physical characteristic selected from a group consisting of weight, length, width, depth, and height of the item.

21. The checkout system in claim 16 wherein the memory further comprises a plurality of data records, each data record comprises a measurement from a plurality of measurements for items with the same item code;

and

wherein the processor executes a program such that a statistically determined value based on the plurality of measurements is stored in the memory as the stored security characteristic of the item.

22. The checkout system in claim 21 wherein the statistically determined value is an average of the plurality of measurements.

23. The checkout system in claim 22 wherein the average represents a rolling average of the plurality of measurements for items with the same item code.

24. The checkout system in claim 16 further comprising an identification-code reader, and wherein the operator-modifiable tolerance range may be modified through the identification-code reader.

25. The checkout system in claim 16 wherein the measuring apparatus is a continuously reporting weight scale such that a measured weight is compared with a stored security weight before the continuously reporting weight scale settles.

26. The checkout system in claim 16 wherein the memory further comprises:

a time value representing a time at which the reported weight is compared to the stored security weight.

27. The method in claim 26 wherein the time value is different for different items.

28. The method in claim 26 wherein the time value is modifiable by an operator.