LABEL ISSUING DEVICE AND LABEL ISSUING METHOD

• US 20120043375A1
• Filed: 08/22/2011
• Published: 02/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ueda, Hiroyuki, Sano, Masahito, Watanabe, Nobuo, Koyama, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,622,293 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/3
• 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 23/18 Indicating devices, e.g. for remote indication; Recording devices; Scales, e.g. graduated
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0054 with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00

Abstract

A label issuing device includes an imaging portion, an image output portion that outputs images captured by the imaging portion, an object recognition portion that recognizes a specific object by reading a feature amount of the output images, an information reading portion that reads information for the recognized object from a file storing information related to the object, and a label issuing portion that prints the read information for the object on a label and issues the label.

Claims

1. A label issuing device comprising:

an imaging portion;

an image output portion that outputs images captured by the imaging portion;

an object recognition portion that recognizes a specific object by reading a feature amount of the output images;

an information reading portion that reads information for the recognized object from a file storing information related to the object; and

a label issuing portion that prints the read information for the object on a label and issues the label.

2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a notification portion that sends a notification of the read information for the object.

3. The device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a similarity determination portion that calculates similarity indicating to what degree the recognized object is similar to a reference image of the object which is defined in advance, and determines whether or not the calculated similarity exceeds a threshold value set in advance; and

a defective product notification portion that sends a notification indicating that the object is not recognized as a normal product if it is determined that the calculated similarity does not exceed the threshold value set in advance.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the similarity determination portion calculates the similarity according to a surface state of the object using the surface state of the object as the feature amount of the images.

5. The device according to claim 3, wherein the label issuing portion prints price cut information for the object which is not recognized as a normal product on a label and issues the label, if the notification indicating that the object is not recognized as a normal product is sent by the defective product notification portion.

6. The device according to claim 3, wherein the label issuing portion prints price cut information for the object which is not recognized as a normal product on a label and issues the label, if there is an instruction for a price cut sale after the notification indicating that the object is not recognized as a normal product is sent by the defective product notification portion.

7. The device according to claim 3, wherein the label issuing portion stops printing information for the object which is not recognized as a normal product on a label and issuing the label, if the notification indicating that the object is not recognized as a normal product is sent by the defective product notification portion.

8. The device according to claim 3, wherein the label issuing portion stops printing information for the object which is not recognized as a normal product on a label and issuing the label, if there is an instruction for a price cut sale after the notification indicating that the object is not recognized as a normal product is sent by the defective product notification portion.

9. A label issuing method comprising:

outputting images captured by an imaging portion;

recognizing a specific object by reading a feature amount of the output images;

reading information for the recognized object from a file storing information related to the object; and

printing the read information for the object on a label and issuing the label.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising sending a notification of the read information for the object.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

calculating similarity indicating to what degree the recognized object is similar to a reference image of the object which is defined in advance, and determining whether or not the calculated similarity exceeds a threshold value set in advance; and

sending a notification indicating that the object is not recognized as a normal product if it is determined that the calculated similarity does not exceed the threshold value set in advance.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the recognizing of the object includes calculating the similarity according to a surface state of the object using the surface state of the object as the feature amount of the images.