Retail terminal utilizing an imaging scanner for product attribute identification and consumer interactive querying
First Claim
1. A retail terminal comprising:
- an imager;
a processing unit electronically coupled to said imager; and
a memory device electronically coupled to said processing unit and said imager, wherein said memory device has stored therein a plurality of instructions which, when executed by said processing unit, causes said processing unit to;
(a) cause said imager to scan a label of a product;
(b) convert alphanumeric information on said label into label data;
(c) compare at least some of the label data to stored data; and
(d) return information relative to a user query and corresponding to the stored data.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a system, method and apparatus for identifying a product through reading of the product label by a retail terminal. The product/product label is scanned by an imager of a retail terminal. An attribute recognition program such as an optical character recognition (OCR) program is used on the scanned product label which generates text strings from alphanumeric label information and graphics maps/images from graphics/logos. Text strings and/or graphics data are then compared to various text strings and graphics data in a database or look-up table to return information relative to the scanned text string(s)/graphic(s). In one form, kiosks, incorporating an imager and the necessary hardware and software to scan a product label and process the scanned information in accordance with the present principles, may provide printouts of product information, instructions, order forms or the like for the scanned product. Additionally, standard queries or user-generated queries may be answered relative to the scanned product label. Data, stored either locally or at a remote site accessible via a network or the like, is correlated to a plurality of text strings/graphics that correspond to alphanumeric text/graphics on a plurality of product labels.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A retail terminal comprising:
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an imager;
a processing unit electronically coupled to said imager; and
a memory device electronically coupled to said processing unit and said imager, wherein said memory device has stored therein a plurality of instructions which, when executed by said processing unit, causes said processing unit to;
(a) cause said imager to scan a label of a product;
(b) convert alphanumeric information on said label into label data;
(c) compare at least some of the label data to stored data; and
(d) return information relative to a user query and corresponding to the stored data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method of operating a retail terminal, comprising the steps of:
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(a) imaging a product label with an imager;
(b) converting alphanumeric information on the product label into label data;
(c) comparing at least some of the label data to stored data on a storage device dependent upon a user query; and
(d) obtaining data associated with said stored data on said storage device dependent upon said user query. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. A retail terminal comprising:
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an imaging scanner;
a processing unit electronically coupled to said imaging scanner; and
a memory device electronically coupled to said processing unit and said imaging scanner, wherein said memory device has stored therein a plurality of instructions which, when executed by said processing unit, causes said processing unit to;
(a) cause said imaging scanner to scan a product;
(b) convert alphanumeric product information located on said product into product attribute data;
(c) compare the product attribute data to stored product attribute data; and
(d) return information in response to a query that corresponds to the stored product attribute data. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of operating a retail terminal, comprising the steps of:
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(a) imaging a product with a scanner;
(b) converting alphanumeric product information located on the product into product attribute data;
(c) comparing at least one of the product attribute data to product attribute data stored on a storage device dependent upon a query; and
(d) obtaining data associated with said product attribute data stored on said storage device dependent upon said query. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification