Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation

International Business Machines Corporation

Other

Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions

Kimberly Wood

David John Steiner

John David Landers, Jr

Paul Morton Wilson

Brad Matthew Johnson

Timothy Wayne Crockett

Dean Frederick Herring

Hye Suk Makley

Sharon Corinne Freedman

Jose R Figueroa

Richard Hunter Harris

Jeff David Thomas

William Laird Dungan

Stacy Leigh Arrington

Stacy Arrington

Suzanne M Bleakley

William L Dungan

Craig Compton

Daniel Hunt

Dora Merrick

Tracy C Payne

Alecia Ellison

Barry Stewart

A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) enabled Self-Checkout (SCO) station includes an RF antenna that emits RF energy, such as RFID interrogation signals, through the variable apertures of one or more aperture layers into a scan zone. The size of the scan zone is selectively varied by electrically modifying the effective size of the variable aperture in the aperture layer.

Radio frequency identification (RFID) self-checkout (SCO) station having a variable aperture for a selectively sized scan zone

The present disclosure describes a system (e.g., a self-checkout system) that includes a modifiable cabinet. The self-checkout system includes a cabinet, a scanner, a sleeve, and a panel. The cabinet includes a front side and a back side opposite the front side. The scanner is positioned on the cabinet. The scanner scans an item during checkout. The sleeve is positioned within the cabinet. The sleeve moves away from the front side of the cabinet and out the back side of the cabinet. The sleeve defines a chamber. The panel is positioned within the chamber. When the sleeve is moved away from the front side of the cabinet and out the back side of the cabinet, the panel folds down to create a shelf within the chamber.

Modifiable cabinet for checkout system

Self-checkout station

The present disclosure describes a directional radio frequency identification (RFID) system, which provides directional RFID tag scanning using RFID enclosures and moveable radio signal blocking components. The RFID systems herein also prevent unwanted RFID tag activation and focuses RFID readers on specific scan areas. The directional RFID systems may be implemented in any type of system that utilizes RFID tag reading, such as a point of sale systems and other related systems, which utilize RFID scanning.

Directional radio frequency identification system

The present disclosure provides for radio frequency identification in self-checkout via a first product pathway; a single Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID) antenna, having a first scanning zone aligned with the first product pathway; wherein the first product pathway is configured to: position a first set of objects within the first scanning zone at a first position relative to the single RFID antenna at a first time; and position the first set of object within the first scanning zone at a second position relative to the single RFID, different than the first position, at a second time; and wherein the single RFID antenna is configured to: receive, at the first time, a first set of identifier signals associated with at least some of the first set of objects; and receive, at the second time, a second set of identifier signals associated with at least some of the first set of objects.

Radio frequency identification in self-checkout

A method includes scanning, by a checkout station, a plurality of items and determining, by the checkout station, a total price for the plurality of items. Each item of the plurality of items is coupled to a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag that identifies that item. The method also includes detecting, by an RFID scanner of a centralized payment station, one or more of the RFID tags of the plurality of items moving within a threshold distance of the centralized payment station and retrieving, by a hardware processor of the centralized payment station and based on the detected one or more RFID tags, the total price. The method further includes processing, by the hardware processor, a payment in satisfaction of the total price.

Radio-frequency-identification-based checkout process

An RFID in-store point-of-sale system can include a first RFID tag reader with a first reader antenna that extends on a first substrate oriented in a first plane; and a second RFID tag reader with a second reader antenna that extends on a second substrate oriented in a second plane that intersects the first plane to form an offset angle between the first plane and the second plane that is about 45 degrees to about 135 degrees. A processor circuit can be operatively coupled to the first RFID tag reader and to the second RFID tag reader and can be configured to control the first RFID tag reader to transmit a signal from the first reader antenna into a buy-zone and is configured to detect movement of an RFID tag relative to the buy-zone based on a signal from the RFID tag that is detected by the first RFID tag reader or that is detected by the second RFID tag reader.

Systems and methods of using multiple RFID devices to implement in-store point-of-sale buy-zones and related articles of manufacture

A non-transitory computer-readable medium whose contents, when executed by a computing system, can cause the computing system to perform operations for an audited shopping system that include receiving scanned product information identifying a current product and an associated weight of the current product. An indication can be determined to place the current product in a selected bag among a plurality of bags. The associated weight of the current product can be added to a previous calculated weight of products in the selected bag to provide a current calculated weight of products in the selected bag and then all previous operations can be repeated until receiving an indication that shopping is done to provide a plurality of products that are distributed among the plurality of bags, wherein each bag has a respective calculated weight of all products in the bag and indicating a selected one of the plurality of bags as an audited bag for weighing.

Methods for auditing shopping, related devices, and articles of manufacture

A method, computer program product, and system are disclosed for facilitating access by a first person to a secure region that is at least partly defined by an access control device. The method acquires, using at least one visual sensor, first image information including the first person and the access control device. The method identifies the first person using image analysis performed on the first image information. The method further identifies a first behavior of the first person relative to the access control device. Upon determining the first behavior corresponds to a predefined visual access behavior indicating that the first person is in the process of manually operating the access control device, and that the security level of the first person satisfies a predetermined threshold security level associated with the access control device, the method permits the first person to physically access the secure region.

Accessing a secure region of an environment using visually identified behaviors relative to an access control device

A portable payment terminal (PPT) that is used to facilitate customer transactions in a mobile point-of-sale (MPOS) system is assigned to a particular tablet device. The PPT device may dock with to charge its batteries, and undock from the tablet device to facilitate customer transactions. To maintain a requisite one-to-one relationship between the two devices, a timer is started whenever the PPT device is undocked from the tablet device. Additionally, checks are performed to ensure that the PPT device is authorized to dock with the tablet device. If the PPT device remains undocked from the tablet device for a predetermined time period, or if the PPT device is not authorized to dock with the tablet device, the functions of the tablet device and/or the PPT device are disabled to reduce or eliminate the usability of the devices to a user.

Monitoring the docking states of portable payment terminals in mobile point-of-sale (MPOS) systems

A method, computer program product, and system are disclosed for facilitating access by a first person to a secure region within an environment having a plurality of items, wherein the secure region is at least partly defined by an access control device. The method acquires, using at least one visual sensor disposed within the environment, first image information including the first person and the access control device. The method identifies the first person using image analysis performed on the first image information. Further, the method identifies, using image analysis a first behavior of the first person relative to the access control device. Upon determining the first behavior corresponds to a predefined visual access behavior, and the security level of the first person satisfies a predetermined threshold security level associated with the access control device, deactivating a security element to permit the first person to physically access the secure region.

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 method, a data processing system, and a computer program product identify blockages in a heat sink of a data processing system. An electromagnetic emitter and an electromagnetic detector are positioned on opposite sides of the heat sink. An intensity of a stream of electromagnetic radiation directed from the electromagnetic emitter is measured by the electromagnetic detector. Based on the measured intensity of the stream of electromagnetic radiation as measured by the electromagnetic detector, a blockage level of the heat sink is determined. If the blockage level of the heat sink exceeds a blockage threshold, an alert is generated.

Heat sink blockage detector

A point of sale (POS) system includes primary and auxiliary printers powered by a shared power supply. A POS terminal includes the shared power supply, a user interface, and a host including a printer driver for dynamically generating primary print commands. A printer connection card connected to the POS terminal includes a Universal Serial Bus (USB) hub in communication with the host and having at least one USB connector powered by the shared power supply. The primary printer is connected to the USB hub for receiving power and the primary print commands through the USB hub from the POS terminal. An auxiliary printer has a power-only connection to the printer connection card, receiving independently generated auxiliary print commands from a separate host computer. A controller includes control logic for selectively blocking the primary print commands to the primary printer in response to the signal drawn by the auxiliary printer exceeding a threshold.

Powering a point of sale printer and coupon printer from a shared power supply

Graphical retail item identification including receiving, from a digital camera, an image of a retail item to be identified; decoding, by an image decoding module, the image into one or more image processing tasks; assigning, by a task assignment engine, the one or more image processing tasks to one or more of the POS terminals, the one or more POS terminals characterized as image processing terminals; executing the image processing tasks by the image processing terminals, including reporting results of the image processing tasks to an item identification engine; and identifying, by the item identification engine upon completion of the image processing tasks by the image processing terminals, the retail item.

Growing community of inventors

Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Kimberly Wood