Fast retail security weighing system

• US 5,125,465 A
• Filed: 02/04/1991
• Issued: 06/30/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Frontech North America Incorporated (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: Howard Schneider
• Inventors: Schneider, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER JR, GEORGE
• Application Number:
  US07/650,027
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 177/50, 177/25.15, 186/61
• US Class Current: 177/50
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/4144 for controlling weight of goods in commercial establishments, e.g. supermarket, P.O.S. systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0054 with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0072 with means for detecting the weight of the article of which the code is read, for the verification of the registration weighing combined with recording means, e.g. in weighing scale, G01G19/415

Abstract

A fast retail security weighing system is disclosed whereby if a second purchased item'"'"'s product code is entered before the weight corresponding to the first purchased item'"'"'s product code has been measured and verified, the system will consider the weight on the scale as corresponding to the first purchased item alone, but if such weight does not correspond with the allowed weight for the first purchased product, then the system will consider whether the weight on the scale corresponds to the summation of the first and second purchased items'"'"' weights. The fast retail security weighing system may also approximate the actual weight on the scale from the rate of weight change and the instantaneous weight reading.

Claims

1. A retail security weighing system comprising:

(a) a scale sending a first signal representative of the weight being measured;

(b) a product code input device sending a second signal representative of the product code of a purchased product;

(c) a timing means sending a third signal indicative of time elapsed;

(d) a product lookup table receiving said second signal and in return sending a fourth signal representative of allowed weights for a purchased product whose product code is indicated by the said second signal;

(e) a set of memory registers receiving said fourth signal for temporary storage;

(f) said set of memory registers sending a fifth signal indicative of the contents of said set of memory registers;

(g) said set of memory registers receiving a first processor signal from a controller circuit;

(h) said controller circuit receiving said first, third, and fifth signals where said controller circuit generates a first controller signal related to the value of the first said signal and related to the variation of the said first signal with respect to the said third signal where the said first controller signal is indicative of the weight present on the said scale and where the said controller circuit verifies the said first controller signal against the portion of the said fifth indicative of the contents of the registers within the said set of memory registers containing the weight information for the last purchased product and where if said verification is valid said controller circuit sends a first processor signal to said set of memory registers so as to erase the contents of the said memory registers containing the weight information for the last purchased product and sends a second processor signal to an output transmission line whose destination is the host point of sale system in which the said retail security weighing system functions and if said verification is invalid then said controller circuit via the said fifth signal sums within a controller circuit register the contents of the said registers with the said set of memory registers containing the weight information for the last purchased product with the contents of the registers within the said set of memory registers containing the weight information for the second to last purchased product and in doing so generates a second controller signal indicative of said controller circuit register and verifies the said second controller signal against the said first controller signal and if the latter verification is valid said controller circuit sends a first processor signal to said set of memory registers so as to erase the contents of the said memory registers containing the weight information for the last purchased product and weight information for the second to last purchased product and sends a second processor signal to an output transmission line whose destination is the host point of sale system in which the said retail security weighing system functions.

2. The retail security weighing system of claim 1 containing a circuit capable of inhibiting further signals from the said product code input device when the capacity of the system has been exceeded.

3. The retail security weighing system of claim 1 where there are additional said scales which can alternatively be used by the user.

4. The retail security weighing of claim 1 containing an indicating means whose output is controlled by the said controller circuit.

5. The retail security weighing system of claim 1 containing an interrupt processor circuit which alerts the said controller circuit to the generation of a new said second signal.

6. The retail security weighing system of claim 1 containing an interrupt processor circuit which alerts the said controller circuit to the arrival of said first signal.

7. The retail security weighing system of claim 1 where the said second signal is stored within the said set of memory registers.

8. The retail security weighing system of claim 1 where if said verifications are invalid, the weight information corresponding to the third to last purchased product is summated to the second controller signal and said verification is repeated.

9. The retail security weighing system of claim 1 where the said controller circuit generates a first controller signal related to the value of the said first signal and related to the variation of the said first signal with respect to the said third signal where the said first controller signal is indicative of the weight present on the said scale and where the said controller circuit verifies the changes in said first controller signal against the portion of the said fifth signal indicative of the contents of the registers within the said set of memory registers containing the weight information for the last purchased product and where if said verification is valid said controller circuit sends a first processor signal to said set of memory registers so as to erase the contents of the said memory registers containing the weight information for the last purchased product and sends a second processor signal to an output transmission line whose destination is the host point of sale system in which the said retail security weighing system functions and if said verification is invalid and if the contents of the said set of memory registers indicate that another product code has since been received, then said controller circuit sums the contents of the said registers within the said set of memory registers containing the weight information for the last purchased product with the registers within the said set of memory registers containing the weight information for the second to last purchased product and in doing so generates a second controller signal and verifies the said second controller signal against the said first controller signal and if the latter verification is valid said controller circuit sends a first processor signal to said set of memory registers so as to erase the contents of said memory registers containing the weight information for the last purchased product and weight information for the second to last purchased product and sends a second processor signal to an output transmission line whose destination is the host point of sale system in which the said retail security weighing system functions.

10. The retail security weighing system of claim 1 where the said product code input device is a laser bar code scanner.

11. The retail security weighing system of claim 1 where the said product code input device is a keypad.

12. The retail security weighing system of claim 1 where the said scale computes the rate of weight change.

13. The retail security weighing system of claim 1 where there are more than one of said scale which can alternatively be used by the user and where there is an indicating means which advises the user which scale is available for usage.

14. The retail security weighing system of claim 1 where the said controller circuit generates a first controller signal related to the value of the first signal and related to the variation of the said first signal with respect to the third signal where the said first controller signal is indicative of the weight present on the said scale and where the said controller circuit verifies the said first controller signal against the portion of the said fifth signal indicative of the contents of the registers within the said set of memory registers containing the weight information for the last purchased product and where if said verification is valid said controller circuit sends a first processor signal to said set of memory registers so as to erase the contents of the said memory registers containing the weight information for the last purchased product and sends a second processor signal to an output transmission line whose destination is the host point of sale system in which the said retail security weighing system functions and if said verification is invalid the user is prompted by output user interface means to remove the said purchased product from the said scale.

15. The retail security weighing system of claim 1 where the said timing means, the said set of memory registers, the said controller circuit and a program controlling the said controller circuit reside within a single semiconductor chip.