Infonautics Corp.

Evolution Robotics Retail, Inc.

Howard Morgan

Lawrence A Husick

Michael S Krupit

Marvin I Weinberger

James T Beattie

Thomas Barr

Joshua Kopelman

Alec Hudnut

Edwin Howell Watkeys, Iii

Michael Cremean

Alex Simonini

Methods and computer readable media for recognizing and identifying items located on the belt of a counter and/or in a shopping cart of a store environment for the purpose of reducing/preventing bottom-of-the-basket loss, checking out the items automatically, reducing the checkout time, preventing consumer fraud, increasing revenue and replacing a conventional UPC scanning system to enhance the checking out speed. The images of the items taken by visual sensors may be analyzed to extract features using the scale-invariant feature-transformation (SIFT) method. Then, the extracted features are compared to those of trained images stored in a database to find a set of matches. Based on the set of matches, the items are recognized and associated with one or more instructions, commands or actions without the need for personnel to visually see the items, such as by having to come out from behind a check out counter or peering over a check out counter.

Method of merchandising for checkout lanes

A split-server architecture for processing a search query provided by a user, and identifying and retrieving documents from a database corresponding to the search query. A session server is provided for receiving the search query from the user. The session server has at least a first processor coupled to the user over a communications channel. A query server is coupled to the session server. The query server has at least a second processor coupled to a first database having records representative of the documents to be searched. The query server includes the ability to receive the search query from the session server, the ability to search the first database to identify documents responsive to the search query; and the ability to send search results information representative of the documents identified by the first database search from the query server to the session server. The session server includes the ability to send the search query to the query server, the ability to receive the search results information from the query server, the ability to send a search results list representative of the search results information across the communications channel to the user, the ability to receive a document retrieval request transmitted from the user over the communications channel, the ability to retrieve a document in response to the retrieval request and transmitting a file representative of the document to the user over the communications channel, and the ability to increment an accounting record on an accounting database coupled to the session server, the accounting record representing a number of retrievals of the document by the session server.

Architecture for processing search queries, retrieving documents

A method and apparatus for identifying textual documents and multi-media files corresponding to a search topic. A plurality of document records, each of which is representative of at least one textual document, are stored, and a plurality of multi-media records, each of which is representative of at least one of multi-media file, are also stored. The document records have text information fields associated therewith, each of the text information fields representing text from one of the plurality of textual documents. The multi-media records have multi-media information fields for representing only digital video or audio information and associated text fields, each of the associated text fields representing text associated with one of the multi-media information fields. A single search query corresponding to the search topic is received. The single search query is preferably in a natural language format. An index database is searched in accordance with the single search query to simultaneously identify document records and multi-media records related to the single search query. The index database has a plurality of search terms corresponding to terms represented by the text information fields and the associated text fields. The index database also includes a table for associating each of the document and multi-media records with one or more of the search terms. A search result list having entries representative of both textual documents and multi-media files related to the single search query is generated in accordance with the document records and the multi-media records identified by the index database search. Text corresponding to the search topic is retrieved by selecting entries from the search result list representing document records to be retrieved, and then retrieving text represented by the text information fields associated with the selected document records. Digital video or audio information corresponding to the search topic is retrieved by selecting entries from the search result list representing selected multi-media records to be retrieved, and then retrieving digital video or audio information represented by multi-media information fields associated with the selected multi-media records.

Method and apparatus for identifying textual documents and

A computer-implemented method and apparatus for composing a composite document on a selected topic from a plurality of information sources by searching the plurality of information sources and identifying, displaying and copying files corresponding to the selected topic. A plurality of records, each of which is representative of at least one information file, are stored in a database. A single search query corresponding to the search topic is received. The database is searched in accordance with the single search query to identify records related to the single search query. A search result list is then generated having entries representative of information files identified during the database search, and the search result list is displayed in a first display window open on a user display. Signals representative of at least first and second selected entries from the search result list are received from the user, the first and second selected entries respectively corresponding to first and second information files. A second display window for displaying at least a portion of the first information file is opened on the user display, a third display window for displaying at least a portion of the second information file is opened on the user display, and a document composition window for receiving portions of the and second first information files is opened on the user display. The composite document is then composed by copying portions of the first and second information files from the second and third display windows, respectively, to the document composition window.

Method and apparatus for generating a composite document on a selected

A method for storing information in an information retrieval system having a database for retrieval of the input information in response to a query. Text information representative of text is received for storing in the system. Image information representative of an image is also received for storing in the system. Additionally, image text information representative of text associated with the image information is received. The image information is stored in an image information format. The text information and the image text information are stored in a common text information format whereby the format of the stored text information is identical to the format of the stored image text information. The text information and image text information are searched in the common text format and the text information and image text information are retrieved in response to a single query. The image information is associated with the retrieved image text information is selected and the selected image information is retrieved whereby the text information and the image information are retrieved in accordance with the same query.

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Villanova, PA, United States of America

Howard Morgan