Secure self-checkout

• US 8,746,557 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2008
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Connell, Jonathan H. II, Haas, Norman, Pankanti, Sharathchandra U.
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, TUYEN KIM
• Application Number:
  US12/037,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20090212102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,296 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/383, 235/385, 235/462.01, 235/462.14, 235/462.24, 235/462.41, 705/14.24, 705/14.37, 705/14.38
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 9/047 for recording self-service articles without cashier or assistant
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0063 with means for detecting the geometric dimensions of the article of which the code is read, such as its size or height, for the verification of the registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 3/003 Anti-theft control theft alarms G08B13/00

Abstract

Under the present invention, item verification is automated and expedited. Specifically, items to be purchased can be scanned by the shopper using a barcode reader (e.g., a scanner) attached to or positioned near the shopping receptacle. As items are scanned, they are identified based on their barcode and added to an item list. Item verification can then performed at checkout using imaging technology. For example, the shopping cart or shopping basket can be brought into the field of view of a computer-connected camera. The camera and computer can, working from the customer'"'"'s item list developed when the items are scanned, observe each product in the receptacle and “ring it up”. If all products can be accounted for, the customer is free to leave; otherwise the customer is denied egress, informed of the problem, etc. A store employee can also be signaled to investigate. The total time required to make the decision is the time to take a picture and process it, which by human standards is very fast; faster than existing verification methods.

Claims

1. A secure self-checkout method, comprising:

receiving a set of scans of a set of barcodes corresponding to a set of items in a shopping receptacle, the set of scans having been performed prior to arrival at a checkout area;

determining a scanned identity of each of the set of items based on the set of scans;

receiving a capturing of at least one image of the shopping receptacle that includes the set of items in the shopping receptacle at the checkout area, the shopping receptacle containing all of the set of items for purchase during the capturing;

determining a visual identity of each of the set of items in the shopping receptacle based on a comparison of the at least one image with a set of images in a library; and

verifying, during checkout, that all of the set of items in the shopping receptacle have been previously scanned by;

comparing the scanned identity of each of the set of items with the visual identity of each of the set of items to determine whether the scanned identity of each of the set of items is consistent with the visual identity of each of the set of items in the shopping receptacle; and

comparing a weight of the shopping receptacle and the items in the shopping receptacle with an expected weight of the shopping receptacle and the items in the shopping receptacle to determine whether the weight of the shopping receptacle and the items in the shopping receptacle is consistent with the expected weight of the shopping receptacle and the items in the shopping receptacle.

2. The self-checkout method of claim 1, further comprising automatically processing payment of the set of items if the set of items are successfully verified.

3. The self-checkout method of claim 1, the set of scans being received via at least one barcode reader positioned near the shopping receptacle.

4. The self-checkout method of claim 1, the at least one image being captured by an image capture device positioned near a checkout station, and the method further comprising separating the at least one image into the set of items.

5. The self-checkout method of claim 4, the image capture device being integrated with a bar code scanner at the checkout station.

6. The self-checkout method of claim 5, the image capture device being selected from a group consisting of a still image camera and a video camera.

7. The self-checkout method of claim 1, further comprising:

registering a discrepancy if the scanned identity is inconsistent with the visual identity; and

providing a notification of the discrepancy, the notification being at least one of a visual notification and/or an audible notification.

8. The self-checkout method of claim 1, further comprising:

segmenting the at least one image from a background; and

extracting at least one visual feature of the item to determine the visual identity.

9. A secure self-checkout system, comprising:

a module for receiving a set of scans of a set of barcodes corresponding to a set of items in a shopping receptacle and determining a scanned identity of each of the set of items based on the set of scans, the set of scans having been performed prior to arrival at a checkout area;

a module for receiving a capturing of at least one image of the shopping receptacle that includes the set of items in the shopping receptacle at the checkout area, the shopping receptacle containing all of the set of items for purchase during the capturing;

a module for processing the at least one image to individually reveal the set of items and determining a visual identity of each of the set of items in the shopping receptacle based on a comparison of the at least one image with a set of images in a library; and

a module for verifying, during checkout, that all of the set of items in the shopping receptacle have been previously scanned by;

comparing the scanned identity of each of the set of items with the visual identity of each of the set of items to determine whether the scanned identity of each of the set of items is consistent with the visual identity of each of the set of items in the shopping receptacle, and

comparing the weight of the shopping receptacle and the items in the shopping receptacle with the expected weight of the shopping receptacle and the items in the shopping receptacle to determine whether the weight of the shopping receptacle and the items in the shopping receptacle is consistent with the expected weight of the shopping receptacle and the items in the shopping receptacle.

10. The self-checkout system of claim 9, further comprising a module for automatically processing payment of the set of items if the set of items are successfully verified.

11. The self-checkout system of claim 9, the set of scans being received via at least one barcode reader positioned near the shopping receptacle.

12. The self-checkout system of claim 9, the at least one image being captured by an image capture device positioned near a checkout station.

13. The self-checkout system of claim 12, the image capture device being integrated with a bar code scanner at the checkout station.

14. The self-checkout system of claim 13, the image capture device being selected from a group consisting of a still image camera and a video camera.

15. The self-checkout system of claim 9, further comprising:

a module for registering a discrepancy if the scanned identity is inconsistent with the visual identity; and

a module for providing a notification of the discrepancy, the notification being at least one of a visual notification and/or an audible notification.

16. The self-checkout system of claim 9, further comprising:

a module for segmenting the at least one image from a background; and

a module for extracting at least one visual feature of the item to determine the visual identity.

17. A program product stored on a computer readable medium for secure self-checkout, the computer readable medium comprising program code that causes a computer system to:

receive a set of scans of a set of barcodes corresponding to a set of items in a shopping receptacle, the set of scans having been performed prior to arrival at a checkout area;

determine a scanned identity of each of the set of items based on the set of scans;

receive a capturing of at least one image of the shopping receptacle that includes the set of items in the shopping receptacle at the checkout area, the shopping receptacle containing all of the set of items for purchase during the capturing;

determine a visual identity of each of the set of items in the shopping receptacle based on a comparison of the at least one image with a set of images in a library; and

verify, during checkout, that all of the set of items in the shopping receptacle have been previously scanned by;

comparing the scanned identity of each of the set of items with the visual identity of each of the set of items to determine whether the scanned identity of each of the set of items is consistent with the visual identity of each of the set of items in the shopping receptacle, and

comparing the weight of the shopping receptacle and the items in the shopping receptacle with the expected weight of the shopping receptacle and the items in the shopping receptacle to determine whether the weight of the shopping receptacle and the items in the shopping receptacle is consistent with the expected weight of the shopping receptacle and the items in the shopping receptacle.

18. The program product of claim 17, the computer readable medium further comprising program code that causes the computer system to automatically process payment of the set of items if the set of items are successfully verified.

19. The program product of claim 17, the set of scans being received via at least one barcode reader positioned near the shopping receptacle.

20. The program product of claim 17, the at least one image being captured by an image capture device positioned near a checkout station.

21. The program product of claim 20, the image capture device being integrated with a bar code scanner at the checkout station.

22. The program product of claim 21, the image capture device being selected from a group consisting of a still image camera and a video camera.

23. The program product of claim 17, the computer readable medium further comprising program code that causes the computer system to:

register a discrepancy if the scanned identity is inconsistent with the visual identity; and

provide a notification of the discrepancy, the notification being at least one of a visual notification and/or an audible notification.

24. The program product of claim 17, the computer readable medium further comprising program code that causes the computer system to:

segment the at least one image from a background; and

extract at least one visual feature of the item to determine the visual identity.

25. A method for deploying a system for secure self-checkout, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

receive a set of scans of a set of barcodes corresponding to a set of items in a shopping receptacle, the set of scans having been performed prior to arrival at a checkout area;

determine a scanned identity of each of the set of items based on the set of scans;

receive a capturing of at least one image of the shopping receptacle that includes the set of items in the shopping receptacle at the checkout area, the shopping receptacle containing all of the set of items for purchase during the capturing;

determine a visual identity of each of the set of items in the shopping receptacle based on a comparison of the at least one image with a set of images in a library; and

verify, during checkout, that all of the set of items in the shopping receptacle have been previously scanned by;

comparing the scanned identity of each of the set of items with the visual identity of each of the set of items to determine whether the scanned identity of each of the set of items is consistent with the visual identity of each of the set of items in the shopping receptacle, and

comparing the weight of the shopping receptacle and the items in the shopping receptacle with the expected weight of the shopping receptacle and the items in the shopping receptacle to determine whether the weight of the shopping receptacle and the items in the shopping receptacle is consistent with the expected weight of the shopping receptacle and the items in the shopping receptacle.