Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation

International Business Machines Corporation

Lenovo (singapore) Pte. Ltd.

Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Coporation

Hye Suk Makley

Stacy Leigh Arrington

Joseph Paul Kuczynski

Dean Frederick Herring

Jing Zhang

Jason Aaron Matteson

Brad Matthew Johnson

Robert Andrew Myers

Melissa K Miller

Kimberly Wood

Heidi D Williams

Stacy Arrington

Sharon Corinne Freedman

Richard Hunter Harris

David John Steiner

Jeff David Thomas

Susan Winter Brosnan

Craig W Turner

Nancy Yaguda

Daniel Hunt

William Larry Vaught

Alecia Ellison

Anna Maria Britain

Tracy C Payne

A self-checkout system can include a plurality of telescoped bagging arm segments moveably coupled together in an order according to respective diameters of the plurality of telescoped bagging arm segments. A scanning system can be configured to provide a characteristic of an item purchased by a user of the self-checkout system and a processor circuit can be operatively coupled to the plurality of telescoped bagging arm segments and to the scanning system, where the processor circuit can be configured to move the plurality of telescoped bagging arm segments relative to one another based on the characteristic of the item to be placed in a bag in use with the self-checkout system.

System, apparatus and article of manufacture for moveable bagging systems in self-checkout systems

A network node associated with a retail store.

Controlling a customer's mobile device to selectively perform the functions of a self-checkout (SCO) station

A self-checkout (SCO) station for a retail store has a reconfigurable bagging section that receives items scanned by a user. The SCO station determines whether the user does or does not require the SCO station to operate in a mode that complies with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If so, the SCO station automatically reconfigures the bagging section to ensure that the user is able to reach all items in the bagging section.

Operating a self-checkout station

A control server associated with a retail store places or assigns people that are determined to be socially interrelated into corresponding groups. When a group member becomes separated from the group, an image of that person is analyzed and used to identify his/her group. Once identified, the control server generates a notification indicating the current locations in the retail store of both the group and the person who became separated, and indicates a route the person can take through the store to reunite with the group.

Method and apparatus for reuniting group members in a retail store

Printers and printer systems for printing images on paper in different configurations and for dispensing printed paper in different directions are disclosed herein. According to an aspect, a printer includes a body defining openings. A printing unit is positioned within the body and can receive an instruction for printing an image. In a first print mode, the printing unit can print the image on the paper in a first configuration and dispense the paper in a first direction through one of the openings of the body. In the second print mode, the printing unit can print the image on the paper in a second configuration and dispense the paper in a second direction through another of the openings of the body. A sensing component can determine whether the printer is in the first print mode or the second print mode.

Printers and printer systems for printing images on paper in different configurations and for dispensing printed paper in different directions

A printing system for indicating print media quality to printer users includes a printing assembly configured to route print media along a pathway for printing. In an example, the system includes, but is not limited to, a thermal printer having a thermal print head for printing onto paper. The system also includes a light meter configured to detect light reflected from the print media, such as the paper. The light meter also measures a characteristic of the detected light. An indicator is coupled to the light meter, and configured to present a quality level of the print media to a user based on the measured characteristic of the detected light.

Indication of print media quality to printer users

A printer has a heat source disposed adjacent a temperature sensor to transfer heat upon activation across a portion of an introduced print media to the temperature sensor and a controller to receive a signal from the temperature sensor and to obtain a temperature signature generally identifying attributes of the introduced print media and to adjust print head settings in response to the identified attributes. The printer may further comprise a sensor to detect access to a print media storage compartment and to initiate examination of the heat transfer properties of the introduced print media upon detecting that the print storage compartment has been accessed.

Printer characterization of print media

A method is provided for detecting the type of print media provided to a thermal printer. A printer has a heat source disposed adjacent a temperature sensor to transfer heat upon activation across a portion of an introduced print media to the temperature sensor and a controller to receive a signal from the temperature sensor and to obtain a temperature signature generally identifying attributes of the introduced print media and to adjust print head settings in response to the identified attributes. The printer may further comprise a sensor to detect access to a print media storage compartment and to initiate examination of the heat transfer properties of the introduced print media upon detecting that the print storage compartment has been accessed.

Print media characterization

A method of marking products purchased through a self-service checkout terminal includes scanning a product to be purchased into a computer and issuing a tamper resistant label from a printer at the self-service checkout terminal. The tamper resistant label includes a visual indicator including product data section, and a radio frequency identifier including product data portion. The method also includes adhesively bonding the tamper resistant label to the product scanned into the computer such that removal of the tamper resistant label from the product destroys the product data section of the visual indicator and the radio frequency identifier. Finally, the method includes scanning for each of the visual indicator and the radio frequency identifier after the product passes through the self-service checkout terminal to verify that the product was scanned into the computer.

Method of marking and monitoring products at a self-service checkout terminal

Growing community of inventors

Morrisville, NC, United States of America

Hye Suk Makley