APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR MEASURING LIGHT-WEIGHT PURCHASE ITEMS

• US 20080121702A1
• Filed: 11/28/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fortenberry, Robert Scott
• Granted Patent: US 7,841,522 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/4144 for controlling weight of goods in commercial establishments, e.g. supermarket, P.O.S. systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0054 with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for measuring purchase items. An identification module identifies a purchase item conforming to a specified characteristic. A communication module directs the customer to place the purchase item in an auxiliary receptacle in response to the purchase item conforming to the specified characteristic. A measurement module measures the parameter for the purchase item when placed in the auxiliary receptacle. In one embodiment, a verification module verifies that the measured parameter is substantially equivalent to an expected parameter for the purchase item. In a certain embodiment a notification module communicates a security notification in the response to the measured parameter not being substantially equivalent to the expected parameter.

Claims

1. An apparatus to measure purchase items, the apparatus comprising:

an identification module configured to identify a purchase item conforming to a specified characteristic;

a communication module configured to direct a customer to place the purchase item in an auxiliary receptacle in response to the purchase item conforming to the specified characteristic; and

a measurement module configured to measure a parameter for the purchase item when placed in the auxiliary receptacle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a verification module configured to verify that the measured parameter is substantially equivalent to an expected parameter for the purchase item and to communicate a notification that the purchase item is verified.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a notification module configured to communicate a security notification in the response to the measured parameter not being substantially equivalent to the expected parameter.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the measurement module further comprises a scale.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the scale is configured as a digital scale.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the scale is disposed on a security scale platter such that the scale is weighed by the security scale platter.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the specified characteristic is configured as a weight range, the measured parameter is configured as a weight, and the expected parameter is configured as a weight range.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the specified characteristic weight range is in the range of 1 to 100 grams.

9. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the auxiliary receptacle is configured as a bag disposed so as to be weighed by the scale.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary receptacle is configured as surface.

11. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

identify a purchase item conforming to a specified characteristic;

direct a customer to place the purchase item in an auxiliary receptacle in response to the purchase item conforming to the specified characteristic; and

measure a parameter for the purchase item when placed in the auxiliary receptacle.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer readable code is further configured to cause the computer to verify that the measured parameter is substantially equivalent to an expected parameter for the purchase item and to communicate a notification that the purchase item is verified.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer readable code is further configured to cause the computer to communicate a security notification in the response to the measured parameter not being substantially equivalent to the expected parameter.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the parameter is a weight and wherein the computer readable code is further configured to cause the computer to measure the weight for the purchase item by receiving a weight value from a digital scale disposed on a security scale platter such that the digital scale is weighed by the security scale platter.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the specified characteristic is configured as a weight range and the expected parameter is configured as a weight range.

16. A system to verify purchase items, the system comprising:

an identification module configured to identify a purchase item conforming to a specified characteristic;

a security platter configured to cumulatively weigh purchase items;

an auxiliary receptacle disposed on the security platter;

a communication module configured to direct a customer to place the purchase item in the auxiliary receptacle in response to the purchase item conforming to the specified characteristic;

a measurement module configured to measure a weight for the purchase item when placed in the auxiliary receptacle; and

a verification module configured to verify that the measured weight is substantially equivalent to an expected weight for the purchase item and to communicate a notification that the purchase item is verified.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a notification module configured to communicate a security notification in the response to the measured weight not being substantially equivalent to the expected weight.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the measurement module comprises a digital scale.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the specified characteristic is configured as a weight range in the range of 1 to 100 grams.

20. A method for deploying computer infrastructure, comprising integrating computer-readable code into a computing system, wherein the code in combination with the computing system is capable of performing the following:

identifying a purchase item conforming to a specified characteristic;

directing a customer to place the purchase item in an auxiliary receptacle in response to the purchase item conforming to the specified characteristic;

measuring a parameter for the purchase item when placed in the auxiliary receptacle;

verifying that the measured parameter is substantially equivalent to an expected parameter for the purchase item; and

communicating a security notification in the response to the measured parameter not being substantially equivalent to the expected parameter.