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Produce recognition method

  • US 6,577,983 B1
  • Filed: 10/06/2000
  • Issued: 06/10/2003
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2000
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A produce recognition system for recognizing a non-bar coded produce item comprising:

  • a storage medium having a produce database and a look up data file, the produce database stores reference produce data items and item identification numbers;

    a produce data collector for receiving light data reflected from the non-bar coded produce item and converting the light data to a digitized collected produce data;

    wherein the produce data collector includes a housing;

    a window mounted within the housing; and

    a light source having one or more light emitted diodes for producing a white light spectral distribution, the white light transmitted through the window on to the non-bar coded produce item to create a reflected light;

    spectrometer having a light-separating element and a photodetector array, the light separating element converts the reflected light received through the window to a continuous band of wavelengths, the photodetector array spatially samples the continuous band of wavelengths to produce discrete signal levels; and

    a control circuit converts the discrete signal levels to digitized produce data;

    a transaction software component;

    a processor and produce recognition software for comparing the digitized collected produce data with the reference produce data items, retrieving the item identification number for the non-bar coded produce item on a successful match of the digitized collected produce data and the reference produce data item, and obtaining a corresponding price for the non-bar coded item from the look up data file; and

    a display for displaying the price retrieved from the look up data file.

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