Method and system for performing security on multiple unresolved objects in a self checkout

• US 7,341,184 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2005
• Issued: 03/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Frontech North America Incorporated (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Transaction Solutions Inc. (Fujitsu Limited)
• Inventors: Williamson, Leslie, Morris, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Michael G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Koyama; Kumiko C.
• Application Number:
  US11/054,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20060180663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 235/376, 235/378, 235/381, 235/383, 235/385, 235/375, 705/16, 705/23, 186/61, 702/129, 702/173, 177/50, 177/25.11
• US Class Current: 235/383
• 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 3/006 False operation

Abstract

A self-checkout system receives a plurality of objects for the identification of each object in the plurality of objects. The system allows security for a collection of the objects and a subset of the collection of objects to be resolved during a self checkout. In order for security to be resolved on an object, a subset of the collection of objects, or a collection of objects the weight detected on a security scale must be equal to the weight of the object, a sum of a subset weight of the collection, or a sum of the collection weight within a given tolerance. If security is not resolved, the system will prevent an additional object from being recognized by the system until the security for the object is resolved.

Claims

1. A method for performing security on multiple unresolved objects in a self checkout comprising:

(a) receiving a plurality of objects for an identification of each object in the plurality of objects;

(b) detecting a weight value for a collection of objects in the plurality of objects;

(c) obtaining data for each object in the collection of objects wherein each object in the collection of objects has at least one associated weight data value, and at least one object in the collection of objects has at least two associated weight data values

(d) calculating an expected weight value for each object in the collection of objects that has at least two associated weight data values;

(e) determining whether security has been resolved for the collection of objects, as a combined collection of objects, by summing each expected weight value calculated for each object in the collection of objects having at least two associated weight data values and each associated weight data value for each object in the collection having one associated weight data value, comparing the sum to the detected weight value for the collection of objects, and confirming that the comparison of the sum and the detected weight value are within a predetermined tolerance;

(f) if the comparison of the sum and the detected weight value are within a predetermined tolerance allowing a reception of an additional object for the identification of the additional object;

(g) otherwise, determining whether security has been resolved for a subset of the collection of objects, as a partial collection of objects, by summing each expected weight value calculated for each object in the subset of the collection of objects having at least two associated weight data values and each associated weight data value for each object in the subset of the collection having one associated weight data value, comparing the sum of subset to the detected weight value for the collection of objects, and confirming that the comparison of the sum of the subset and the detected weight value are within a predetermined tolerance;

(h) if the comparison of the sum of the subset and the detected weight value are not within a predetermined tolerance signaling a security violation; and

(i) otherwise, if the comparison of the sum of the subset and the detected weight value are within a predetermined tolerance allowing the reception of an additional object for the identification of the additional object.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising scanning each object in the plurality of objects to obtain identification information for each object.

3. A method according to claim 2, further comprising determining that a scanned object is a new object.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein determining that the scanned object is a new object further includes resolving security for objects in the plurality of objects that have been scanned prior to the new object, and recording a weight value for the new object.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein determining that the scanned objects is the new object further includes preventing the reception of an object for identification of the object.

6. A method according to claim 5, determining that an object in the plurality of objects is the new object further includes allowing the reception of the object for identification of the object when the weight value for the new object has been recorded.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein determining whether security has been resolved for the collection of objects includes determining that a security scale has increased by a sum.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein determining whether security for the partial collection of the objects includes determining that a security scale has increased by a partial sum.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein signaling a security violation includes prompting a cashier to verify each object in the collection of objects for which security is not resolved.

10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising preventing the reception of an object for identification of the object when a security violation is signaled.

11. A computer program product for performing security on multiple unresolved objects in a self checkout comprising:

a computer readable medium; and

computer program instructions, embodied on the computer readable medium, executable by a processor, for performing the steps of;

(a) receiving a plurality of objects for an identification of each object in the plurality of objects;

(b) detecting a weight value for a collection of objects in the plurality of objects;

(c) obtaining data for each object in the collection of objects wherein each object in the collection of objects has at least one associated weight data value, and at least one object in the collection of objects has at least two associated weight data values

(d) calculating an expected weight value for each object in the collection of objects that has at least two associated weight data values;

(e) determining whether security has been resolved for the collection of objects, as a combined collection of objects, by summing each expected weight value calculated for each object in the collection of objects having at least two associated weight data values and each associated weight data value for each object in the collection having one associated weight data value, comparing the sum to the detected weight value for the collection of objects, and confirming that the comparison of the sum and the detected weight value are within a predetermined tolerance;

(f) if the comparison of the sum and the detected weight value are within a predetermined tolerance allowing a reception of an additional object for the identification of the additional object;

(g) otherwise, determining whether security has been resolved for a subset of the collection of objects, as a partial collection of objects, by summing each expected weight value calculated for each object in the subset of the collection of objects having at least two associated weight data values and each associated weight data value for each object in the subset of the collection having one associated weight data value, comparing the sum of subset to the detected weight value for the collection of objects, and confirming that the comparison of the sum of the subset and the detected weight value are within a predetermined tolerance;

(h) if the comparison of the sum of the subset and the detected weight value are not within a predetermined tolerance signaling a security violation; and

(i) otherwise, if the comparison of the sum of the subset and the detected weight value are within a predetermined tolerance allowing the reception of an additional object for the identification of the additional object.

12. A system for performing security on multiple unresolved objects in a self checkout comprising:

a processor operable to execute computer program instructions; and

a memory operable to store computer program instructions executable by the processor, for performing the steps of;

(a) receiving a plurality of objects for an identification of each object in the plurality of objects;

(b) detecting a weight value for a collection of objects in the plurality of objects;

(c) obtaining data for each object in the collection of objects wherein each object in the collection of objects has at least one associated weight data value, and at least one object in the collection of objects has at least two associated weight data values

(d) calculating an expected weight value for each object in the collection of objects that has at least two associated weight data values;

(e) determining whether security has been resolved for the collection of objects, as a combined collection of objects, by summing each expected weight value calculated for each object in the collection of objects having at least two associated weight data values and each associated weight data value for each object in the collection having one associated weight data value, comparing the sum to the detected weight value for the collection of objects, and confirming that the comparison of the sum and the detected weight value are within a predetermined tolerance;

(f) if the comparison of the sum of the subset and the detected weight value are within a predetermined tolerance allowing a reception of an additional object for the identification of the additional object;

(g) otherwise, determining whether security has been resolved for a subset of the collection of objects, as a partial collection of objects, by summing each expected weight value calculated for each object in the subset of the collection of objects having at least two associated weight data values and each associated weight data value for each object in the subset of the collection having one associated weight data value, comparing the sum of subset to the detected weight value for the collection of objects, and confirming that the comparison of the sum of the subset and the detected weight value are within a predetermined tolerance;

(h) if the comparison of the sum of the subset and the detected weight value are not within a predetermined tolerance signaling a security violation; and

(i) otherwise, if the comparison of the sum of the subset and the detected weight value are within a predetermined tolerance allowing the reception of an additional object for the identification of the additional object.