Method for detecting a non-scan at a retail checkout station

US7448542B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Russell P. Bobbitt · New York, US
• Myron D. Flickner · San Jose, US
• Arun Hampapur · Norwalk, US
• Charles A. Otto · Lansing, US
• Sharathchandra U. Pankanti · Darien, US
• Unsang Park · Suwon-si, KR
• Akira Yanagawa · New York, US
• Yun Zhai · Pound Ridge, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 5, 2008
• Grant date: Nov 11, 2008
• Expiry date: May 5, 2028

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G07G1/0054
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A method for detecting a non-scan at a retail checkout station includes detecting the passing of an item across a scanner device of a retail checkout station, obtaining an image of the item passing across the scanner, detecting a scan of an item passing across the scanner to establish a scanned item, and establishing a register associated with the scanned item. A scan occurs if the image of the item passing across the scanner substantially matches the register associated with the scanned item. Conversely, a non-scan is triggered when the image of the item passing across the scanner does not match the register associated with the scanned item.