Point-of-sale-scanner

• US 9,685,021 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2016
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CVS Pharmacy Incorporated (CVS Health Corporation)
• Original Assignee: CVS Pharmacy Incorporated (CVS Health Corporation)
• Inventors: Auger, Raymond W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Claude J
• Application Number:
  US15/045,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20160163142A1
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: 235383, 23546224
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0614 the marking being selective to wavelength, e.g. color barcode or barcodes only visible under UV or IR methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers using a selected wavelength, see G06K7/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10564 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1447 extracting optical codes from image or text carrying said optical code
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0043 using barcodes
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/12 Visible light, infrared or ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/2033 Matching unique patterns, i.e. patterns that are unique to each individual paper
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/086 by passive credit-cards adapted therefor, e.g. constructive particularities to avoid counterfeiting, e.g. by inclusion of a physical or chemical security-layer for security documents G07D7/00; for the reading of record-carriers in general G06K7/00; for the design of coded credit-cards G06K19/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0081 the reader being a portable scanner or data reader G07G1/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00005 relating to image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/02815 Means for illuminating the original, not specific to a particular type of pick-up head
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0081 Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0096 Portable devices

Abstract

Verifying the authenticity of a bill of currency includes configuring an ultraviolet filter mounted within a point-of-sale scanner to allow the passage of ultraviolet light within, illuminating the bill of currency with ultraviolet light, capturing, with the point-of-sale scanner, an image of the bill of currency, and determining if the bill of currency is authentic by analyzing the image.

Claims

1. A method for using a point-of-sale scanner, the method comprising:

capturing, with the point-of-sale scanner, an infrared image of a bar code associated with an item for sale while the passage of ultraviolet light is blocked;

determining if the item for sale is associated with use of a counterfeit bill of currency offered as payment for the item for sale;

configuring an ultraviolet filter mounted within a point-of-sale scanner to allow the passage of ultraviolet light within;

illuminating the bill of currency with ultraviolet light emitted from the point-of-sale scanner;

capturing, with the point-of-sale scanner while the passage of ultraviolet light is allowed, an image of the bill of currency that includes a fluorescent response to the ultraviolet light;

comparing a size, a shape, a position, and a wavelength of the fluorescent response to known factors for the bill of currency stored in a database on a remote computer; and

determining if the bill of currency is authentic based on a presence or absence of the fluorescent response and the comparison of the size, the shape, the position, and the wavelength of the fluorescent response to the known factors for the bill of currency stored in the database on the remote computer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising re-configuring the ultraviolet filter to block the passage of ultraviolet light.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the item for sale comprises an alcohol product, a tobacco product, or a drug product.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining if the item for sale is associated with use of the counterfeit bill of currency is performed on the point-of-sale scanner, at a point-of-sale computer, or on a remote server.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising capturing, with the point-of-sale scanner while the passage of ultraviolet light is blocked, a full-spectrum visible light image of the bill of currency.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining a type of the bill of currency based on the full-spectrum visible light image.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing audio or haptic feedback upon determining that the bill of currency is authentic.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if the bill of currency is authentic if the bill of currency has a denomination greater than a minimum value.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if the bill of currency is authentic if the point-of-sale scanner is disposed in a store having a history of counterfeiting.

10. A system for verifying the authenticity of a bill of currency, the system comprising:

a light source for providing infrared and ultraviolet light;

an image sensor for capturing image data;

a filter for filtering ultraviolet light;

a filter controller for configuring the filter such that, in a first mode, the filter blocks ultraviolet light from striking the sensor and, in a second mode, permits ultraviolet light to strike the sensor; and

a processor for controlling the light source, image sensor, and filter controller such that a point-of-sale scanner captures an image of a bar code associated with an item for sale while the light source illuminates the bar code with infrared light and while the filter filters ultraviolet light from the light source and, if the item for sale associated with the bar code is associated with use of a counterfeit bill of currency offered as payment for the item for sale, captures an image of a bill of currency offered as payment for the item for sale while the bill of currency is being illuminated by ultraviolet light from the light source,

wherein the captured image of the bill of currency includes a fluorescent response to the ultraviolet light,

wherein a size, a shape, a position, and a wavelength of the fluorescent response is compared to known factors for the bill of currency stored in a database on a remote computer; and

wherein the bill of currency is determined to be authentic based on a presence or absence of the fluorescent response and the comparison of the size, the shape, the position, and the wavelength of the fluorescent response to the known factors for the bill of currency stored in the database on the remote computer.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured for controlling the light source, image sensor, and filter controller such that the point-of-sale scanner captures a second image of the bill of currency while the bill of currency is being illuminated by ambient light.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising a point-of-sale computer in communication with the point-of-sale scanner.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a computer display in communication with the point-of-sale computer.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the point-of-sale scanner further comprises a speaker for providing audio feedback.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the point-of-sale scanner further comprises a vibrating element for providing haptic feedback.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the point-of-sale scanner further comprises a computer memory for storing the image data.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein filter controller comprises a mechanism for moving the filter.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein filter controller comprises an electrical circuit for changing an electrical property of the filter.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the light source comprises a first LED for providing infrared light and a second LED for providing ultraviolet light.

20. The system of claim 10, wherein the light source comprises an LED for providing both infrared and ultraviolet light.