METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IDENTIFYING AND TALLYING OBJECTS

• US 20100158310A1
• Filed: 12/11/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Datalogic Adc, Inc. (Datalogic S.p.A.)
• Original Assignee: Datalogic Scanning Incorporated (Datalogic S.p.A.)
• Inventors: Cherry, Criag D., McQueen, Alexander M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,571,298 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 9/046 Arrangement of recording means in or on check-out counters record carriers or readers per se G06K
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/06 Recognition of objects for industrial automation
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures

Abstract

An system and method for tallying objects presented for purchase preferably images the objects with a machine vision system while the objects are still, or substantially still. Images of the objects may be used to recognize the objects and to collect information about each object, such as the price. A pre-tally list may be generated and displayed to a customer showing the customer the cost of the recognized objects. A prompt on a customer display may be given to urge a customer to re-orient unrecognized objects to assist the machine vision system with recognizing such unrecognized objects. A tallying event, such as removing a recognized object from the machine vision system'"'"'s field of view, preferably automatically tallies recognized objects so it is not necessary for a cashier to scan or otherwise input object information into a point of sale system.

Claims

1. A data reading system comprising:

a machine vision system including (a) a first field of view defining a pre-transaction zone and (b) a second field of view located adjacent and downstream of the first field of view, the second field of view defining a transaction zone;

a computer system operatively connected to the machine vision system for receiving images from the machine vision system; and

a customer display operatively connected to the computer system;

wherein the computer system is programmed to (a) recognize objects appearing in the first field of view;

(b) display a pre-tally list of recognized objects via the customer display;

(c) collect information about recognized objects in the first field of view;

(d) track recognized objects when recognized objects are moved; and

(e) automatically tally recognized objects when recognized objects are removed from the second field of view.

2. A data reading system according to claim 1, wherein:

the computer system is further programmed to (f) via the customer display, prompt for re-orienting objects that appear in the first field of view, but are not recognized; and

(g) remove objects from the pre-tally list when recognized objects are removed from the pre-transaction zone, but do not enter the transaction zone.

3. A data reading system according to claim 1, wherein the computer system is further programmed to (h) indicate via the cashier display which objects in the second field of view are recognized.

4. A data reading system according to claim 1, further comprising a cashier display operatively connected to the computer system;

and

wherein the customer display includes a plurality of colored light beams for indicating recognized objects in the pre-transaction zone and to prompt for re-orienting unrecognized objects; and

the cashier display includes a plurality of colored light beams for indicating recognized objects in the transaction zone.

5. A data reading system according to claim 4, wherein:

the plurality of colored light beams included in the customer display includes light beams of one color for indicating recognized objects and light beams of a second color to prompt for re-orienting objects.

6. A data reading system according to claim 5, further comprising lasers to generate the plurality of colored light beams.

7. A data reading system according to claim 1 further comprising a cashier display operatively connected to the computer system;

wherein the customer display includes a first display screen; and

the cashier display includes a second display screen.

8. A data reading system according to claim 7, wherein:

the second display screen includes an augmented reality display viewable by a cashier.

9. A data reading system according to claim 8, wherein:

the augmented reality display includes a head mounted display worn by a cashier.

10. A data reading system according to claim 8, wherein:

the augmented reality display includes a see-through screen interposed between a cashier and recognized objects.

11. A data reading system according to claim 1, wherein:

the machine vision system includes a first camera and a second camera; and

the first field of view corresponds to the first camera and the second field of view corresponds to the second camera.

12. A data reading system according to claim 11, wherein the first and second cameras include CMOS imagers with rolling reset shutters.

13. A data reading system according to claim 11, wherein the first and second cameras include CMOS imagers with global reset shutters.

14. A data reading system comprising:

a machine vision system including a field of view coincident with a substantially flat surface;

a computer system operatively connected to the machine vision system for receiving images from the machine vision system; and

a customer display operatively connected to the computer system;

wherein the computer system is programmed to (a) recognize objects appearing in the field of view;

(b) collect information about recognized objects in the field of view;

(c) track recognized objects when recognized objects are moved; and

(d) automatically tally recognized objects when recognized objects are removed from the field of view.

15. A data reading system according to claim 14, wherein the computer system is further programmed to (e) display a prompt via the customer display for re-orienting objects that appear in the field of view, but are not recognized.

16. A data reading system according to claim 15, further comprising a cashier display operatively connected to the computer system;

wherein the computer system is further programmed to (f) indicate via the cashier display which objects in the field of view are recognized.

17. A data reading system according to claim 14, wherein the computer system is further programmed to (e) automatically tally recognized objects when recognized objects are removed from the field of view in a first direction.

18. A data reading system according to claim 17, wherein:

the computer system is further programmed to (f) display a pre-tally list of recognized objects via the customer display; and

(g) remove objects from the pre-tally list when objects are removed from the field of view in a second direction.

19. A data reading system according to claim 14, further comprising a cashier display operatively connected to the computer system;

wherein the customer display includes a plurality of colored light beams for indicating recognized objects in the field of view and to prompt for re-orienting unrecognized objects; and

the cashier display includes a plurality of colored light beams for indicating recognized objects in the field of view.

20. A data reading system according to claim 19, wherein:

the plurality of colored light beams included in the customer display includes light beams of one color for indicating recognized objects and light beams of a second color to prompt for re-orienting unrecognized objects.

21. A data reading system according to claim 14, further comprising a cashier display operatively connected to the computer system;

wherein the customer display includes a first display screen; and

the cashier display includes a second display screen.

22. A data reading system according to claim 21, wherein:

the second display screen includes an augmented reality display viewable by a cashier.

23. A data reading system according to claim 22, wherein:

the augmented reality display includes a head mounted display worn by a cashier.

24. A data reading system according to claim 22, wherein:

the augmented reality display includes a see-through screen interposed between a cashier and recognized objects.

25. A data reading system according to claim 14, wherein:

the machine vision system includes a camera having a CMOS imager with a rolling reset shutter.

26. A data reading system according to claim 14, wherein:

the machine vision system includes a camera having a CMOS imager with a global reset shutter.

27. A method for tallying objects comprising:

recognizing objects appearing in a field of view using a machine vision system;

prompting via a customer display for re-orientation of objects appearing in the field of view that are not recognized using the machine vision system;

recognizing re-oriented objects appearing in the field of view using the machine vision system;

indicating recognized objects in the field of view via the customer display;

tracking recognized objects in the field of view using the machine vision system when recognized objects are moved; and

automatically tallying recognized objects using a computer system operatively connected to the machine vision system when recognized objects are removed from the field of view.

28. A method for tallying objects according to claim 27, further comprising:

displaying via the customer display a pre-tally list of recognized objects.

29. A method for tallying objects according to claim 27, wherein automatically tallying recognized objects occurs when recognized objects are removed from the field of view in a first direction.

30. A method for tallying objects according to claim 29, further comprising:

displaying via the customer display a pre-tally list of recognized objects; and

removing objects from the pre-tally list when objects are removed from the field of view in a second direction.

31. A method for tallying objects according to claim 27, wherein:

the field of view includes a first field of view and a second field of view; and

tracking recognized objects includes tracking recognized objects moved from the first field of view to the second field of view, and further comprising;

indicating recognized objects in the second field of view via a cashier display; and

wherein automatically tallying recognized objects using the computer system operatively connected to the machine vision system occurs when recognized objects are removed from the second field of view.

32. A method for tallying objects according to claim 31, further comprising:

displaying via the customer display a pre-tally list of recognized objects appearing in the first field of view; and

removing objects from the pre-tally list when objects are removed from the first field of view, but do not appear in the second field of view.

33. A method for tallying objects according to claim 31, further comprising:

recognizing objects that were not recognized in the first field of view that appear in the second field of view using the machine vision system.