ITEM SCANNING SYSTEM

• US 20090026269A1
• Filed: 07/24/2007
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Velliquette, Craig, Hampapur, Arun, Pankanti, Sharathchandra U., Connell, Jonathan H. II, Senior, Andrew W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,544,736 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.410
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence

Abstract

The present invention provides an item scanning system in which an appearance of an item is received (e.g., at checkout). The appearance is captured with an image capture device (e.g., still frame camera, video camera, etc.) that can be collocated with a barcode scanner. In being collocated, the image capture device can be positioned proximate (e.g., near, attached to, etc.) the bar code scanner, integrated within a common housing/unit with the barcode scanner, etc. In any event, a search engine will then search a database of items based on the appearance to identify a set of items that potentially match the item. When one of the set of items is selected (e.g., by the checkout clerk), the selection will be received and stored for future investigation/auditing.

Claims

1. A method for scanning an item, comprising:

receiving an appearance of the item at checkout as captured with an image capture device that is collocated with a barcode scanner;

searching a database of items based on the appearance to identify a set of items that potentially match the item; and

receiving and storing a selection of one of the set of items.

2. The method of claim 1, the image capture device being located proximate to a barcode scanner.

3. The method of claim 1, the image capture device being contained within an integrated scanning and image capture system.

4. The method of claim 1, the selection being made by a checkout clerk.

5. The method of claim 1, the searching being further based on at least one of a weight of the item, an approximate weight of the item, an approximate appearance of the item, approximate dimensions of the item, a description of the item, a functionality of the item, or a set of retail departments to which the item corresponds.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a barcode for the item based on the selection.

7. A system for scanning an item, comprising:

a module for receiving an appearance of the item at checkout as captured with an image capture device that is collocated with a barcode scanner;

a module for searching a database of items based on the appearance to identify a set of items that potentially match the item; and

a module for receiving and storing a selection of one of the set of items.

8. The system of claim 7, the image capture device being located proximate to a barcode scanner.

9. The system of claim 7, the image capture device being contained within an integrated scanning and image capture system.

10. The system of claim 7, the selection being made by a checkout clerk.

11. The system of claim 7, the module for searching comprising a search engine.

12. The system of claim 11, the search engine further searching the database of items based on at least one of a weight of the item, an approximate weight of the item, an approximate appearance of the item, approximate dimensions of the item, a description of the item, a functionality of the item, or a set of retail departments to which the item corresponds.

13. The system of claim 7, further comprising a module for providing a barcode for the item based on the selection.

14. A program product stored on a computer readable medium for scanning an item, the computer readable medium comprising program code for causing a computer system to:

receive an appearance of the item at checkout as captured with an image capture device that is collocated with a barcode scanner;

search a database of items based on the appearance to identify a set of items that potentially match the item; and

receive and store a selection of one of the set of items.

15. The program product of claim 14, the image capture device being located proximate to a barcode scanner.

16. The program product of claim 14, the image capture device being contained within an integrated scanning and image capture system.

17. The program product of claim 14, the selection being made by a checkout clerk.

18. The program product of claim 14, the computer readable medium further comprising program code for causing the computer system to further base the search on at least one of a weight of the item, an approximate weight of the item, an approximate appearance of the item, approximate dimensions of the item, a description of the item, a functionality of the item, or a set of retail departments to which the item corresponds.

19. The program product of claim 14, the computer readable medium further comprising program code for causing the computer system to provide a barcode for the item based on the selection.

20. A method for deploying a system for scanning an item, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

receive an appearance of the item at checkout as captured with an image capture device that is collocated with a barcode scanner;

search a database of items based on the appearance to identify a set of items that potentially match the item; and

receive and store a selection of one of the set of items.