METHOD OF AND SYSTEM FOR DETECTING PRODUCE WEIGHING INTERFERENCES IN A POS-BASED CHECKOUT/SCALE SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A bi-optical checkout/scale system comprising:
- a housing having a vertical housing section with a vertical scanning window and a horizontal housing section with a horizontal scanning window adjacent said vertical scanning window;
a laser scanning subsystem, disposed in said housing, for generating and projecting a plurality of laser scanning planes through said vertical and horizontal scanning windows, which intersect within a 3D scanning volume defined between said vertical and horizontal scanning windows and provide a laser scanning pattern within said 3D scanning volume, for scanning one or more objects within said 3D scanning volume and producing scan data for decode processing,a scan data processor for processing said scan data produced by said laser scanning subsystem in effort to read a bar code symbol on each object passed through said 3D scanning volume, and generate symbol character data representative of each said read bar code symbol;
a weigh scale subsystem mounted within said horizontal housing section, for weighing produce items placed on a weigh platter supported above the horizontal scanning window, and producing weigh data representative of the weight of said produce items weighed on said weigh platter;
wherein said weigh platter is supported about said horizontal scanning window;
an automatic produce weighing interference detection subsystem, disposed in said housing, for automatically detecting produce weighing interference conditions during produce weighing operations, and generating control signals indicative of said detected weighing interference conditions during produce weighing operations; and
a system controller for automatically controlling the operation of said bi-optical checkout/scale system.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A POS-based checkout/scale system having (i) a bar code symbol reading subsystem for reading bar code symbols on products being purchased at a retail POS station, and (ii) a produce weigh scale having a weigh scale assembly for weighing one or more produce items on a weigh platter during produce weighing operations carried out at the time of checkout at said retail POS station. The system also includes an automatic produce weighing interference detection subsystem, supporting an IR-based light curtain about the weigh platter, automatically detects when any object is overhanging the weigh platter during produce weighing operations, and generates an alert signal when such conditions are automatically detected.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A bi-optical checkout/scale system comprising:
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a housing having a vertical housing section with a vertical scanning window and a horizontal housing section with a horizontal scanning window adjacent said vertical scanning window; a laser scanning subsystem, disposed in said housing, for generating and projecting a plurality of laser scanning planes through said vertical and horizontal scanning windows, which intersect within a 3D scanning volume defined between said vertical and horizontal scanning windows and provide a laser scanning pattern within said 3D scanning volume, for scanning one or more objects within said 3D scanning volume and producing scan data for decode processing, a scan data processor for processing said scan data produced by said laser scanning subsystem in effort to read a bar code symbol on each object passed through said 3D scanning volume, and generate symbol character data representative of each said read bar code symbol; a weigh scale subsystem mounted within said horizontal housing section, for weighing produce items placed on a weigh platter supported above the horizontal scanning window, and producing weigh data representative of the weight of said produce items weighed on said weigh platter; wherein said weigh platter is supported about said horizontal scanning window; an automatic produce weighing interference detection subsystem, disposed in said housing, for automatically detecting produce weighing interference conditions during produce weighing operations, and generating control signals indicative of said detected weighing interference conditions during produce weighing operations; and a system controller for automatically controlling the operation of said bi-optical checkout/scale system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A bi-optical checkout/scale system comprising:
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a housing having a vertical housing section with a vertical window and a horizontal housing section with a horizontal window adjacent said vertical window; a digital imaging based bar code symbol reading subsystem, disposed in said housing, for generating and projecting at least one field of view (FOV) through at least one of said vertical and horizontal windows and into a 3D imaging volume defined between said vertical and horizontal windows, for capturing digital images of one or more objects within said 3D imaging volume, and processing said digital images in effort to read a bar code symbol on each object passed through said 3D imaging volume, and generate symbol character data representative of each said read bar code symbol; a weigh scale subsystem mounted within said horizontal housing section, for weighing produce items placed on a weigh platter supported above the horizontal window, and producing weigh data representative of the weight of said produce items weighed on said weigh platter; wherein said weigh platter is supported above said horizontal window; an automatic produce weighing interference detection subsystem, disposed in said housing, for automatically detecting produce weighing interference conditions during produce weighing operations, and generating control signals indicative of said detected weighing interference conditions during produce weighing operations; and a system controller for automatically controlling the operation of said bi-optical checkout/scale system. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12-14. -14. (canceled)
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15. A method of weighing produce items on a weigh platter having spatial boundaries and being associated with a POS-based checkout/scale system installed at a POS station, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) a cashier placing one or more produce items on said weigh platter associated with said POS-based checkout/scale system installed at said POS station; (b) automatically detecting produce weighing interference conditions during produce weighing operations, wherein said produce weighing interference conditions including said one or more produce items extending over the spatial; (c) in response to the detection of said produce weighing interference conditions during step (b), automatically alerting said cashier of said detected produce weighing interference condition so as to allow said cashier to reposition and reweigh said one or more produce items, and thereby eliminate under-weighing said produce items at said POS station. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18-21. -21. (canceled)
Specification