Apparatus, system, and method for measuring light-weight purchase items

• US 7,841,522 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2006
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fortenberry, Robert Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess; Daniel A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Savusdiphol; Paultep
• Application Number:
  US11/564,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20080121702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• Field of Search: 235/383, 235/375, 235/380, 705/16, 705/23
• 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: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0054 with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for measuring purchase items. An identification module identifies a purchase item conforming to a specified characteristic. A communication module directs the customer to place the purchase item in an auxiliary receptacle in response to the purchase item conforming to the specified characteristic. A measurement module measures the parameter for the purchase item when placed in the auxiliary receptacle. In one embodiment, a verification module verifies that the measured parameter is substantially equivalent to an expected parameter for the purchase item. In a certain embodiment a notification module communicates a security notification in the response to the measured parameter not being substantially equivalent to the expected parameter.

Claims

1. An apparatus to measure purchase items, the apparatus comprising:

an identification module that identifies a purchase item conforming to a specified characteristic;

a communication module that directs a customer to place the purchase item in an auxiliary receptacle in response to the purchase item conforming to the specified characteristic;

a measurement module that measures a parameter for the purchase item when placed in the auxiliary receptacle, wherein the measurement module measures the parameter of the purchase item using an auxiliary measuring device in response to the purchase item conforming to the specified characteristic and wherein a primary measuring device measures a parameter for the purchase item in response to the purchase item not conforming to the specified characteristic, wherein the auxiliary measuring device measures the parameter for the purchase item with a measurement system that is different than a measurement system used by the primary measuring device; and

a verification module that verifies that the measured parameter for the purchase item, measured by the auxiliary measuring device in response to the purchase item conforming to the specified characteristic and measured by the primary measuring device in response to the purchase item not conforming to the specified characteristic, is substantially equivalent to an expected parameter for the purchase item.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the measurement system of the auxiliary measuring device is capable of measuring the parameter of the purchase item with a different precision than a precision of the measurement system used by the primary measuring device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a notification module that communicates a security notification in response to the measured parameter not being substantially equivalent to the expected parameter.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the auxiliary measuring device and the primary measuring device comprises a scale that measures weight.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein both the auxiliary measuring device and the primary measuring device comprise scales that measure weight and wherein the expected parameter is an expected weight, wherein a weight of an item weighed by the auxiliary measuring device is added to a weight of an item measured by the primary measuring device to produce a cumulative weight, wherein the verification module at least partially verifies the measured parameter for a purchase item by comparing an increase in the cumulative weight with the expected weight for the purchase item.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the specified characteristic is configured as a weight range, the measured parameter is configured as a weight, and the expected parameter is configured as a weight range.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the specified characteristic weight range is in the range of 1 to 100 grams.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the auxiliary measuring device comprises a scale and wherein the auxiliary receptacle is configured as a bag disposed so as to be weighed by the auxiliary measuring device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the specified characteristic comprises a weight range and wherein the primary measuring device lacks sufficient precision to distinguish a purchase item having a weight falling within the weight range, the auxiliary measuring device having a sufficient precision to distinguish a purchase item having a weight falling within the weight range.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary receptacle is configured as surface that is substantially flat.

11. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

identify a purchase item conforming to a specified characteristic;

direct a customer to place the purchase item in an auxiliary receptacle in response to the purchase item conforming to the specified characteristic;

measure a parameter for the purchase item when placed in the auxiliary receptacle, wherein the parameter of the purchase item is measured using an auxiliary measuring device in response to the purchase item conforming to the specified characteristic and wherein a primary measuring device measures a parameter for the purchase item in response to the purchase item not conforming to the specified characteristic, wherein the auxiliary measuring device measures the parameter for the purchase item with a measurement system that is different than a measurement system used by the primary measuring device; and

verify that the measured parameter for the purchase item, measured by the auxiliary measuring device in response to the purchase item conforming to the specified characteristic and measured by the primary measuring device in response to the purchase item not conforming to the specified characteristic, is substantially equivalent to an expected parameter for the purchase item.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the measurement system of the auxiliary measuring device is capable of measuring the parameter of the purchase item with a different precision than a precision of the measurement system used by the primary measuring device.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer readable code further causes the computer to communicate a security notification in the response to the measured parameter not being substantially equivalent to the expected parameter.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the specified characteristic comprises a weight range and wherein the primary measuring device lacks sufficient precision to distinguish a purchase item having a weight falling within the weight range, the auxiliary measuring device having a sufficient precision to distinguish a purchase item having a weight falling within the weight range.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the expected parameter is configured as a weight range.

16. A system to verify purchase items, the system comprising:

an identification module that identifies a purchase item conforming to a specified characteristic;

a security platter that cumulatively weighs purchase items;

an auxiliary receptacle disposed on the security platter;

a communication module that directs a customer to place the purchase item in the auxiliary receptacle in response to the purchase item conforming to the specified characteristic;

a measurement module that measures a weight for the purchase item when placed in the auxiliary receptacle, wherein the measurement module measures the weight of the purchase item using an auxiliary measuring device in response to the purchase item conforming to the specified characteristic and wherein the security platter measures a weight for the purchase item in response to the purchase item not conforming to the specified characteristic, wherein the auxiliary measuring device is capable of measuring the weight of the purchase item with a different precision than a precision of the security platter; and

a verification module configured to verify that the measured weight for the purchase item, measured by the auxiliary measuring device in response to the purchase item conforming to the specified characteristic and measured by the security platter in response to the purchase item not conforming to the specified characteristic, is substantially equivalent to an expected weight for the purchase item and to communicate a notification that the purchase item is verified.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a notification module configured to communicate a security notification in the response to the measured weight not being substantially equivalent to the expected weight.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the specified characteristic comprises a weight range and wherein the security platter lacks sufficient precision to distinguish a purchase item having a weight falling within the weight range, the auxiliary measuring device having a sufficient precision to distinguish a purchase item having a weight falling within the weight range.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the specified characteristic is configured as a weight range in the range of 1 to 100 grams.

20. A method for deploying computer infrastructure, comprising integrating computer-readable code into a computing system, wherein the code in combination with the computing system is capable of performing the following:

identifying a purchase item conforming to a specified characteristic;

directing a customer to place the purchase item in an auxiliary receptacle in response to the purchase item conforming to the specified characteristic;

measuring a parameter for the purchase item when placed in the auxiliary receptacle, wherein the parameter of the purchase item is measured using an auxiliary measuring device in response to the purchase item conforming to the specified characteristic and wherein a primary measuring device measures a parameter for the purchase item in response to the purchase item not conforming to the specified characteristic, wherein the auxiliary measuring device measures the parameter for the purchase item with a measurement system that is different than a measurement system used by the primary measuring device;

verifying that the measured parameter for the purchase item, measured by the auxiliary measuring device in response to the purchase item conforming to the specified characteristic and measured by the primary measuring device in response to the purchase item not conforming to the specified characteristic, is substantially equivalent to an expected parameter for the purchase item; and

communicating a security notification in the response to the measured parameter not being substantially equivalent to the expected parameter.