System and method of notifying an operator of a result of attempting to read a product label

• US 7,347,372 B1
• Filed: 09/05/2003
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Inventors: Goodwin, John C III
• Primary Examiner(s): ST CYR, DANIEL
• Application Number:
  US10/656,783
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.25, 235/462.14, 235/472.01, 235/472.02, 340/572.1, 340/3.6, 340/3.7, 340/815.45, 340/384.1
• US Class Current: 235/462.25
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisions for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0004 Hybrid readers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48

Abstract

A system for notifying an operator of a result of attempting to read a number of product labels on an item which produces only a single good read indication or bad read indication. The system includes a good read indicator, a bad read indicator, and control circuitry for notifying an operator of a result of attempting to read a number of product labels, including at least one of a barcode label and a radio frequency identification label on an item. The control circuitry activates a bad read indicator to indicate a single bad read indication if the control circuitry fails to receive item identification information from at least one of the barcode label and the radio frequency identification label, and activates a good read indicator to indicate a single good read indication if the control circuitry receives item identification information from at least one of the barcode label and the radio frequency identification label.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of notifying an operator of a result of attempting to read item identification information from a number of product labels on an item, the method comprising:

a) attempting to read the item identification information for the item from both a barcode label and a radio frequency identification label by a checkout device;

b) if the checkout device in the attempting step fails to read the item identification information from both the barcode label and the radio frequency identification label, activating a single bad read indicator to produce a single bad read indication indicating that the read of both labels by the checkout device has failed; and

c) if the item identification information is read from at least one of the barcode label and the radio frequency identification label by the checkout device in response to the attempting step, activating a single good read indicator to produce a single good read indication where the single good read indication is used by the checkout device to indicate a good read from both labels.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step b) further comprises:

b-1) activating a bad read light indicator to produce a single bad read indication by the checkout device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step b) further comprises:

b-1) activating a bad read tone indicator to produce a single bad read indication by the checkout device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step c) further comprises:

c-1) activating a good read light indicator to produce a single good read indication by the checkout device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step c) further comprises:

c-1) activating a good read tone indicator to produce a single good read indication by the checkout device.

6. A computer implemented method of notifying an operator of a result of attempting to read item identification information from a number of product labels on an item, the method comprising:

a) receiving an indication that the item has passed over by a checkout device;

b) attempting to read the item identification information for the item from both a barcode label and a radio frequency identification label by the checkout device;

c) if the item identification information is not read by the checkout device in response to the attempting step, activating a single bad read indicator to produce a single bad read indication indicating that the read of both labels by the checkout device has failed; and

d) if the item identification information is read from at least one of the barcode label and the radio frequency identification label by the checkout device in response to the attempting step, activating a single good read indicator to produce a single good read indication where the single good read indication is used by the checkout device to indicate a good read from both labels.

7. A system for notifying an operator of a result of attempting to read item identification information from a number of product labels on an item, the system comprising:

a barcode reader;

a radio frequency identification label reader;

a good read indicator;

a bad read indicator; and

control circuitry for notifying an operator of a result of attempting to read the item identification information for the item from both a barcode label and a radio frequency identification label using the barcode reader and the radio frequency identification label reader,

wherein the control circuitry activates the bad read indicator to produce a single bad read indication if the control circuitry fails to read the item identification information from both of the barcode label and the radio frequency identification label, and

wherein the control circuitry activates the good read indicator to produce a single good read indication if the control circuitry receives the item identification information from at least one of the barcode label and the radio frequency identification label where the single good read indication is used to indicate a good read from both labels.

8. A checkout device comprising:

a barcode reader;

a radio frequency identification label reader;

a good read indicator;

a bad read indicator; and

control circuitry for reading item identification information for an item by causing the barcode reader to generate a scan pattern for reading a barcode label and the radio frequency identification label reader to generate a sensing field for interrogating a radio frequency identification label, and for notifying an operator of a result of attempting to read the item identification information for an item from the barcode label and radio frequency identification label on the item,

wherein the control circuitry activates the bad read indicator to produce a single bad read indication if the control circuitry fails to receive the item identification information from both of the scan pattern and the sensing field, and

wherein the control circuitry activates the good read indicator to produce a single good read indication if the control circuitry receives the item identification information from at least one of the scan pattern and the sensing field where the single good read indication is used to indicate a good read from both the scan pattern and the sensing field.