Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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71576-31
SYSTEM FOR OPERATOR-UNATTENDED CHECKOUT
OF BULK AND OTHER ARTICLES
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
Thls lnventlon relates generally to operator-unattended
checkout systems and methods and pertalns more partlcularly to the
self-servlce checkout of bulk artlcles, whlch are not provided
wlth unlversal product code (UPC) lndicatlon by the source of the
artlcles and are for sale on a welght or piece prlce basls, as
well as other artlcles of type havlng source~provlded UPC indica-
tlon.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Commonly-asslgned U.S. Patents No. a,676,343 and No.
4,792,081 dlsclose systems for the automated checkout of artlcles
selected by a customer for purchase ln supermarkets and llke
facllltles. The former patent lnvolves an arrangement addressing
artlcles whlch bear a UPC lndlcation, typlcally ln the form of a
bar code unlquely lndlcative of the identlty of the artlcle bear-
lng the code. The UPC of each artlcle selected for purchase ls
scanned or read and a slgnal indlcatlve of the artlcle ldentlty ls
generated and applled to a central processlng unlt whlch has
stored ln associated memory the UPCs of all artlcles available for
purchase whlch are so encoded, correlated wlth the prlce and other
characterlstlcs of the artlcles, such as welght.
131~04
Articles are placed on a conveyor following UPC
scanning and thereby led into a so-called `'security tunnel`',
which is guarded against customer fraud by various light
curtains, which are in the form of light sources and associated
photocells. In the course of article conveyance, its weight is
physically measured and a signal is generated indicative of the
measurement.
Comparison is made of the stored, weight-indicative
signal and the physical measured signal. If the comparison is
negative, indicative of potential customer fraud, article
processing is interrupted and various courses of action are
obtainable, one being the reverse movement of the conveyor.
Otherwise, in the course of continuing positive comparison
results, the customer's order is carried forward, with price
totalization effected from stored price-indicative signals.
In the latter patent, a number of further security
measures are effected to detect customer fraud or checkout
failure. In one such additional measure, article shape is
detected, such as by the light curtain at the entry to the
security tunnel. The CPU storage includes, with the article
identity code a cross-correlation of article shape. This
compilation is desirably made from the system itself, as by
storage of detected article shape in a system set up mode,
through use of the light curtain output signals.
13166~
A second additional measure is the repeat reading of
article UPC in the security tunnel and comparison of the same
with that read by the scanner. Checkout failure would be
present on negative comparison in this respect.
A third additional measure is the introduction of
electronic article surveillance (EAS) practice in the security
tunnel. Here, storage is made with UPC of whether or not the
article so encoded should have an EAS tag thereon. If the
article is detected as having an EAS tag thereon and storage
indicates that it should not, such as would be the case where a
customer tries fraudulently to substitute an expensive wine
purchase for a cheaper wine subjected to UPC scanning, checkout
failure would again occur.
One difficulty in the operator-unattended checkout of
articles, in the supermarket environment, has been the matter of
bulk or non-prepackaged goods. These goods, such as food market
produce items, are provided in bulk layout in bins or other
compartments, for customer selection and bagging in plastic
wrappers dispensable at the produce location. Typically, the
customer selects the produce, places the same in the plastic
wrapper, brings same to the point of checkout and manual,
checkout assistance is requisite for effecting pricing and
output of the selected produce.
l3l~a~
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has as its primary object the
provision of improved systems and methods for operator-
unassisted checkout.
A more particular object of the invention is to provide
enhanced systems an~ methods of type above discussed which also
effect automated checkout of bulk articles not prepackaged and
not UPC-identified by a source or supplier to food supermarkets
and like facilities.
In attaining the foregoing and other objects, the
invention provides a method for the operator-unassisted checkout
of articles, inclusive of articles having source-applied UPC
indication and bulk articles, typically of the nature of produce
or the like. In a first enhanced system embodiment in
accordance with the invention, the bulk articles to be processed
bear no UPC indication whatever, i.e., do not have
source-applied or locally (facility]-applied UPC indication. In
a second system embodiment per the invention, the articles to be
processed, while not having source-applied UPC indication, have
facility-applied readable labels. Both system embodiments also
process articles having source-applied UPC indication and may be
described in common as follows. There is provided hereby, in
combination, in an operator-unattended checkout system for
processing articles selected for purchase and of first type
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bearing supplier-applied UPC indication and of second type not
having supplier-applied UPC indication:
(a) a reader for generating output signals indicative
of article UPC indication where present on articles;
~ b) a first processing part operable without customer
input for using the reader output signals for determining first
type article price and generating output signals indicative
thereof;
(c) a customer-interactive display unit for use through
customer input thereto for directing system operation
selectively from such first processing part operation to the
computation of second type article price;
(d) a scale for determining article weight and
generating output signals indicative of determined article
weight; and
(e) second processing means operable on said customer
input to said display means for using said scale means output
signals for generating output signals indicative of second type
article price.
Where the second type article selected for purchase
bears no UPC indication, the display presents a first display
message for customer initiated checkout of the articles. This
activity would typically succeed checkout of all articles of the
first type. More particularly, the second processor part is
responsive to customer interaction with the display during
--5--
13i660~
display of the first message for displaying a second display
message comprising icons indicative of articles of the second
type bearing no UPC indication, the display being responsive to
customer interaction with the second display message for
generating output signals indicAtive of customer selected icons.
The second processor part includes memory storing
therein first signals indicative of the icons and second signals
correlated with the first signals and indicative of price per
unit weight of articles of the second type bearing no UPC
indication.
The second processor part further includes a comparator
for receiving the display output signals and comparing them with
the stored first signals and generating as the second processor
part output signals, the stored second signal correlated with
stored first signals giving rise to affirmative comparison. The
price thus provided is used with article weight indication for
computing article price.
In the alternative system embodiment wherein the
articles of second type selected bear UPC indication which is
facility-applied, the second processor part includes a
comparator for receipt of the reader output signals and provides
first and second separate output signals respectively indicating
that the UPC indication in the reader output signals is for an
article retailed by bulk weight pricing, and the UPC indication
131~
in the reader output signals is for an article retailed per
piece pricing.
In this system embodiment, the second processor part
includes memory for storage of first and second stored signals
respectively indicative of article price per unit of weight and
article price per piece, both cross-correlated with article UPC
indication. The customer is interfaced with the display and
advised to participate, as by weighing the selected article or
indicating the number of pieces of the selected article. First
and second identifying signals are generated, respectively
indicative of the weight and the numbers of an article selected
for purchase. The second processor part further includes first
computer circuitry operative upon occurrence of the comparator
first output signal for receiving the first stored signal and
the first identifying signal and computing selected article
price therefrom and second circuitry operative upon occurrence
of the comparator second output signal for receiving the second
stored signal and the second identifying signal and computing
selected article price therefrom.
The foregoing and other objects and features of the
invention will be further understood from the following detailed
description of preferred embodiments and practices of the
invention and from the drawings wherein like reference numerals
identify like parts and components throughout.
`""` 13166QA
71576-31
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Flg. 1 is a perspectlve vlew of a self-checkout counter
accordlng to the prlor art.
Flg. 2 ls a block dlagram lllustratlng the lnventlon as
lncorporated ln lts flrst embodlment lnto the system controlllng
the Flg. 1 counter.
Flgs. 3-7 lllustrate a typlcal se~uence of vldeo dls-
plays provlded for customer selectlon of lcons correspondlng to
produce ltems belng checked-out.
Flg. 8 ls a block dlagram lllustratlng the lnventlon as
lncorporated ln lts second embodlment lnto the system controlllng
the Fig. 1 counter.
Flg. g and 10 are flow charts of the operatlons lnvolved
ln the system and practlce of the second embodlment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The self-checkout system accordlng to thls lnventlon, ls
lncorporated lnto a self-checkout system for artlcles whlch are
provlded wlth source-applled UPC labels, such as ls descrlbed ln
the aforementloned U.S. Patents.
The parts of such a prlor art system most pertlnent to
thls lnventlon are shown ln Flgure 1. A check-out counter 20
comprlses a laser universal product code ~UPC) reader 10, a
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display screen 11 for interactive customer communication, an
entry conveyor 12, an outfeed conveyor 13, a bagging area 14, a
security tunnel 15, passageway control gate 17 and an assistance
signal lamp 18.
A single cashier and cashier register may be provided
for groups of check-out counters, each group having two or more
counters therein. Each cashier register station is provided
with a master monitor screen, a keyboard with cash drawer, a
final sales slip printer and a customer viewable display. The
details of the cashier station are available directly from the
noted patents.
Most products in a supermarket are provided with
identification in the form of source-applied UPC indication,
which iniquely identifies the product.
In using such a check-out counter, a customer
approaches the counter with items to be purchased, usually
transported in a conventional shopping cart. If the counter is
available for use, the display screen 11 will carry certain
messages instructing the customer in use of the system. The
display screen 11 is preferably touch-sensitive or
touch-activated by touching with a human digit at any one of a
number of predetermined locations. Applying a finger to one of
the locations is equivalent to operating a switch or pressing a
signal button, and communicates to a csntral processor whatever
. .
13~6~
affirmative response has been made in answer to the query
displayed on the screen. Appropriate responses will result in
activation of the UPC reader 10, which may be of the laser
sc:anner or other variety.
Once the reader has been activated, the customer may
pass each item or article, one by one, UPC code down, over the
reader and deposit same on the entry conveyor 12. Absent any
problems, the prices and item identifications will appear on the
display 11 as the items are transported by the conveyors through
the security tunnel 15, out of reach of the customer to the
bagging area 14. When all items or articles have been scanned
over reader 10 and placed on entry conveyor 12, the customer
will touch the touch sensitive input location corresponding to
comple~ion of the check-out tasks. This initiates the
presentation to the customer of a printed receipt from the
receipt unit 16 and preferably displays a message on screen 11
directing the customer to pass through the control or security
gate 17 to the bagging area 14. After the customer has bagged
the items and placed the loaded bags in the shopping cart, the
customer then proceeds to the cashier station. Each counter 20
will have a separate coded identifier by which it can be
identified to the cashier. This coded identification will
appear on the printed receipt proffered to the cashier, and will
also appear on the master monitor screen along with a subtotal
--10--
- .-.. ~ .... .
~3166~4
corresponding to that totaled by the receipt unit and
temporarily stored in the central processor.
The cashier can use the keyboard to enter credit for
proffered coupons and can add any items that could not be
handled automatically by the counter 20. These might be
oversize items which cannot pass through the conveyor, and would
almost certainly be all produce items, which are not ordinarily
provided with machine-scannable UPC price labels. As the
cashier makes entries through the keyboard, a visual
confirmation is provided to the customer by the corresponding
display. A final receipt is printed and furnished by another
printer, and the payment transaction is accomplished in the
conventional manner.
In order for a self-service system to be effective it
must include various safeguards to accommodate inadvertent
customer mistakes, to separate customers and to prevent
comingling of the articles of one customer with those of
another. The system must also insure against attempts to either
bypass the system or defraud. For this purpose there are
provided a series of electronic curtains or photoelectric
devices 21, a weigh scale 22 and, optionally, an article
surveillance system 29.
--11--
,
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Upon satisfactory scan of an article, the description
thereof and its price may be displayed on screen 11. At the
same time, the central processor 23 receives information from a
data store concerning the normal weight of the article just
scanned. This weight is compared with that determined by the
weigh scale 22. If there is proper correlation, the conveyors
12 and 13 will convey the article to the bagging area 14. If
there is a discrepancy, the system will return the article to
the customer for repetition of the scanning operation.
Such a system functions very efficiently, and is
meeting with commercial acceptance. Even so, the system, cannot
cope with articles which do not bear source-applied UPC
indication. For example, produce items are not provided with
supplier or source-applied labels for this purpose.
In the first embodiment of systems in accordance with
the invention, the situation addressed is that where no UPC
indication, source-applied or facility-applied, is provided on
articles selected for purchase.
In the block diagram of a first embodiment system is
shown in Figure 2. It will be appreciated by those skilled in
the art that the invention, as illustrated, has been
incorporated into a self-checkout system otherwise adapted for
handling only such items as are provided with UPC price labels.
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13~660~
A central processor 23 may form part of a local,
network or remote computer. The central processor 23 includes
means for storing price data from all articles not provided with
a machine-scannable code, in the form of price data store 24.
The central processor 23 also comprises means for storing icons,
that is, a pictorial image or symbol, corresponding to each of
the articles not provided with a machine-scannable code, in the
form of an icon store 25.
The video monitor 11 provides a means for displaying
the icons, as well as additional information. The
touch-actuatable screen of the video monitor 11 forms a customer
actuatable means for selectively displaying an icon
corresponding to an article placed on the entry conveyor 12.
In use, a customer would approach a self-checkout
counter, having selected for purchase both articles with and
without UPC labels. Figure 3 illustrates a typical initial
message display 40 on video monitor 11. The screen offers a
customer the choice of scanning articles with UPC labels,
checking out produce (that is, articles without UPC labels),
requesting additional instructions, concluding the check-out and
requesting HELP. The touch actuatable screen comprises a set of
"buttons", in the form of predetermined blocks or areas which
send signals to the central processor responsive to touching the
specific area. The video monitor message displays in Figures
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1316604
3-7 utilize five such blocks or areas, merely for purposes of
illustration. The "buttons" or blocks are identified by
reference numerals 41, 42, 43, 44 and 45.
In order to self-checkout all produce items, a customer
confronted by message display 40 will press or touch block 42.
This will deactivate certain security functions associated with
weigh scale 22, and will place the system in a mode appropriate
for successively weighing each of the conveyed articles.
Actuation of button 42 from message display 40 will result in
message display 50 as shown in Figure 4. Message display 50
instructs the customer to select among broad categories of
produce, for example fruit, vegetables, salad greens and melon.
Touch buttons or blocks 41, 42, 43 and 44 are associated with
each of these selections respectively. An icon is also
associated with each of the categories. Icon 46 may be a bowl
of fruit, icon 47 may be a tomato, cucumber or the like, icon 48
may be a head of lettuce and icon 49 may be a slice of
watermelon. The appropriate category of produce may be selected
by touching any one of buttons 41 through 44, or in a presently
preferred embodiment, touching one of icons 46, 47, 48 or 49.
If a customer chooses button 42 or icon 47, the customer may be
presented with message display 50 as shown in Figure 5. For
purposes of simplifying the illustration, message display 60
provides a selections between three kinds of vegetables, namely
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tomatoes, corn and potatoes. The three selections have buttons
41, 42 and 43 associated therewith, as well as corresponding
icons 51, 52 and 53. If a customer selects tomatoes by touching
button 41 or icon 51, the customer may be presented with message
display 70, as shown in Figure 6. Message display 70 offers the
customer a final selection between three kinds of tomatoes,
namely beefsteak, cherry and sauce tomatoes. The three types of
tomatoes have associated therewith buttons 42, 43 and 44, as
well as icons 54, 55 and 56 respectively.
If a customer then touches but~on 43 or icon 55, a
message display 80 as shown in Figure 7 will indicate that
cherry tomatoes have been selected and that the price of cherry
tomatoes is $0.98 per pound. Upon customer selection of the
proper icon, the article is automatically conveyed to the weigh
scale and the weight of the article(s) is transmitted back to
the central processor 23. The central processor 23 can
a~ omatically calculate the price for each article in accordance
with the selected icon, the stored price data and the weight of
the article. Message display 80 can then indicate that the
cherry tomatoes weigh 1.5 pounds and that the cost is $1.47.
The screen may then provide the customer with an opportunity to
check out more produce, to conclude produce check-out or to get
HELP.
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It will be appricated by those skilled in the art that
many hierarchies of groups and classes of produces can be
provided to facilitate prompt customer selection of the
appropriate produce icon. The selections might be ordered upon
category, alphabet listing or even color. Those skilled in the
art will also appreciate that touch-actuatable video screens can
be provided with large numbers of "buttons", over the entire
surface of the screen.
Certain security measures may also be appropriate for
this mode of operation. A first security measure requires that
the weight of each article be compared to a predetermined range
of values for detecting customer selection of incorrect icons.
A weight range store 26 can provide typical upper and lower
limits of average produce weights for average purchases. For
example, a weight of 20 pounds would likely be inappropriate
when the icon for celery has been selected, and a weight of only
several ounces is likely inappropriate when the icon for
watermelon has been selected. Such anomalies would result in
reverse operation of the entry conveyor and a displayed
instruction to reselect the proper icon.
An optional surveillance system 29 can also be provided
which would include article surveillance security gates 17 as
described in the incorporated reference patents, as well as a
remotely controllable video camera 19, which can be monitored at
any of the cashier stations or at a central security control
1316604
station 31, having a security station display 3Q. When the item
has been stopped in security zone, the actual item description
will appear in large letters on the video monitor 11 and the
actual picture of the item, together with the price and
description thereof, will appear on the monitor at the cashier
station or security. The cashier or security personnel can then
activate controls to allow the items to proceed, or to reject
the item. The video monitor may also be provided with a speaker
27, which will announce the item chosen as the calculation is
being made. To the extent that certain items are more
susceptible to customer fraud or mistake than others, selection
of a "flagged" article can result in a security review each time
such an article is checked-out.
Turning now to the second system embodiment, shown in
Figs. 8-10, the invention provides a system for
operator-unassisted checkout of an article selected, from a
plurality of articles available for purchase, the selected
article bearing UPC indication. The system includes a UPC code
reader for reading the UPC indication and for generating an
output signal indicative thereof. A storage facility is
included for storing signals indicative of the UPCs of all
articles available for purchase correlated with identification
of articles as being in the categories of (1) those having~
1316~04
source of manufacture applied UPC indication, (2) those having
facility-applied or customer-applied UPC indication and priced
per unit weight, and (3) those having customer-applied UPC
indication and priced per article unit.
For category (1) articles, "normal" price processing
takes place, i.e., per the systems of the referenced patents,
wherein the price is obtained from memory having price and UPC
indication cross-correlated.
For category (2) articles, the article weight is
obtained and is multiplied by the price per unit weight,
obtained from memory having price per unit weight and UPC
indication cross-correlated.
~ ?~r category (3) articles, the number of articles
purchased is determined, and that number is multiplied by the
price per individual article, obtained from memory having price
per individual article and UPC indication cross-correlated.
The determination of article weight and the
determination of number of articles purchased may be determined
by apparatus comprising a part of the systems of the referenced
patents, as discussed below, or may be otherwise achieved.
Referring to Fig. 8, system 110 in accordance with the
invention includes upper channel 112 which is configured per the
referenced commonly-assigned patents and a lower channel 114
configured per the subject invention. Upper channel 112 has a
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13166B4
product select aspect 116, wherein a customer selects articles
for purchase, dotted line 118 indicating the mechanical passing
of the selected articles individually to UPC reader or scanner
120. The output of the reader is applied over line 122 to lower
channel 114 and a price store and totalizer 124 is furnished
with input signals from lower channel 114, both as below
discussed in connection with lower channel operation.
In normal article processing, i.e., where the article
has a source-applied UPC indication, per the disclosure of the
first referenced patent, the scanned UPC identification, per
selected article, provided on line 126, gives rise to the
obtaining of the weight of the article from memory on entry of
the article into security tunnel 128. Comparison is effected
with an actual weight measurement of the selected article in
product weight store and compare unit 130 and the comparison
result (when negative) is applied over line 132 to checkout
failure system 134, which provides suitable output indication of
the checkout failure, likely due to customer fraud.
In following the procedures outlined in the second
referenced patent, the line 126 UPC identification signal is
applied to product shape store and compare unit 136, which
effects a comparison of memory stored article shape
characteristics with those obtained from article examination,
such as would be obtained from the aforementioned entry light
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.
.
1316604
curtain associated with the security tunnel of the referenced
patents. The UPC identification signal may also be applied from
line 126 to second UPC read and compare unit 138 t wherein the
article UPC is again read in the security tunnel and compared
with that obtained from reader 120. Further, the line 126
signal may be applied to EAS store and compare unit 140 which
functions as above described. The outputs, on failure of
positive results in comparisons in units 136, 138 and 140, apply
an actuating input over line 132 to checkout failure system 134.
Lower channel 114, which may be considered to be a
subsystem to the system of upper channel 112 includes a product
UPC lookup table comparator 142, which receives the UPC
identification on line 144 from reader 120. Comparator 142
includes in storage all UPC identifications cross-correlated
with categories (1) - (3) above noted. The comparator
regenerates the input UPC signal as NORMAL, on line 146 where
the UPC lookup establishes that the input UPC signal corresponds
to an article which bears a source-applied UPC indication, as
PER WEIGHT, on line 148 where the UPC lookup establishes that
the input UPC signal corresponds to an article which bears a
customer-applied UPC indication and is to be sold by bulk
weight, and as PER PIECE, on line 150 where the UPC lookup
establishes that the input UPC signal corresponds to an article
which bears a customer-applied UPC indication and is to be sold
at a certain price per unit.
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The line 146 NORMAL signal s applied to price store
and totalizer 124 and responsive thereto, article price is
obtained from memory cross-correlating UPC and price. Th2 price
is then totalized with any prior price totalization.
The line 148 PER WEIGHT signal is applied to PER WEIGHT
price store 152 which is responsive thereto to provide an output
signal on line 154 indicative of the price per unit weight for
the article corresponding to the UPC indication in the line 148
signal. Line 156 has a signal thereon which is indicative of
the actual weight (WT) of the article selected for purchase,
which may be obtained, for example, from unit 130 of upper
channel 112, which is in turn served with weight input from a
scale beneath a conveyor transporting articles in the referenced~
patents.
The line 154 and line 156 signals are applied to PER
WEIGHT price computer 158, which multiplies the weight by the
price per unit weight to obtain the cost for the selected
article. An output signal indicative of such cost is applied to
line 160 and thence to an advanced processing stage of price
store and totalizer 124, i.e., to be added to prior cost
totalizations therein.
The line 150 PER PIECE signal is applied to PER PIECE
price store 162 which is responsive thereto to provide an output
signal on line 164 indicative of the price per piece for the
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article corresponding to the UPC indication in the line 150
signal. Line 166 has a signal thereon which is indicative of
the actual number (#) of the article selected for purchase,
which may be obtained, for example, from unit 136 of upper
channel 112, which is in turn served with article shape input
from circuitry responsive to the entry light curtain in the
referenced patents. Number of articles may otherwise be entered
through the use of a numeric key pad.
The line 164 and line 166 signals are applied to PER
PIECE price computer 168, which multiplies the number of the
article by the price per piece to obtain the cost for the
selected article. An output signal indicative of such cost is
applied to line 170 and thence to the advanced processing stage
of price store and totalizer 124 as above discussed for the line
160 signal.
By way of example, a customer is assumed to have
selected one-half dozen bananas. The bananas are placed in a
bag at the point of selection and bearing a UPC indication for
bananas, the indication either being pre-applied by the store
personnel or applied by the customer. In the course of
operator-unassisted checkout, the UPC indication on the bag is
read and, preferably, the individual bananas are taken from the
bag and placed individually on the conveyor. As the bananas
pass through the entry light curtain they are individually
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sensed and their number is counted to provide the line 166
signal above. The system operation is concurrently as above
discussed.
Logic operations, indicative particularly of those of
comparator 142 and computers 158 and 168, will be further
understood from the flow charts of Figs. 9 and 10.
Subsystem 114 is entered (ENTER) in step 200. In step
202 (READ ARTICLE UPC), article UPC is scanned. In step 204 (?
IS UPC SOURCE-APPLIED UPC), a determination is made as to
whether the article is of the customary type, having its UPC
indication applied at the point of origin. If this in~uiry is
answered in the affirmative, line 206 leads to step 208 (GO TO
NORMAL PROCESSING).
If the step 204 inquiry is answered in the negative,
line 210 leads to step 212 (? IS UPC FOR AN ARTICLE TO BE SOLD
BY WEIGHT), determination is made as to whether the article is
of type to be bulk weight retailed. If yes, line 214 leads to
step 216 (OBTAIN PRICE PER UNIT WEIGHT & WEIGHT), wherein
reference is made to the aforementioned actual weight indication
and to memory correlating UPC and price per unit weight. Step
218 follows (OUTPUT ARTICLE COST), wherein the weight indication
is multiplied by the per unit weight price. This leads to step
220 (GO TO ADVANCED PROCESSING).
` 131~6~
In the event that the response to the step 212 inquiry
is answered in the negative, line 222 leads to step 224 (? IS
UPC FOR AN ARTICLE TO BE SOLD BY PIECE), determination is made
as to whether the article is of type to be piece retailed. If
yes, line 226 leads to step 228 (OBTAIN PRICE PER PIECE & # OF
PIXCES), wherein reference is made to the actual piece count and
to memory correlating UPC and price per unit weight. Step 230
follows (OUTPUT ARTICLE COST), wherein the piece count
indication is multiplied by the per piece price. Line 232 leads
to step 220 (GO TO ADVANCED PROCESSING).
In the event that the selected article is not found to
be in any one of categories (1) - (3), as would be the case
where negative response occurs in each of steps 204, 212 and
224, line 234 leads to step 236 (ERROR), wherein the subsystem
provides output indication of an error condition to store
personnel.
Phantom line indication is made in Fig. 2 of step 238
(EXERCISE SECURITY MEASURES) to indicate the option in the
subsystem operation to include the security measures set forth
with particularity in the referenced patents. By way of
example, lines 240 and 242 show step 238 in practice
concurrently with steps 216 and 218, whereby a weight
verification is made as between the article weight as measured
and the article weight as derived from memory containing article
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weight correlated with UPC indication. Absent such
verification, the customer is presumed to have made a product
substitution from the point of article scanning to conveyor
transport thereof. Lines 244 and 246 indicate the security
measure option in place with practice of steps 228 and 230.
Various changes in system structure and modifications
in practice may be introduced without departing from the
invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the
foregoing specific embodiments and particularly described
practices are intended in an illustrative and not in a limiting
sense. The true spirit and scope of the invention is set forth
in the appended claims.
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