International Business Machines Corporation

Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation

Paul Morton Wilson

David John Steiner

John David Landers, Jr

Kimberly Wood

Dean Frederick Herring

Duane Scott Miller

John A Hibbard

Brad Matthew Johnson

Jeffrey John Smith

Jeff David Thomas

Timothy Wayne Crockett

William L Talley

Charles Ray Kirk

Tong Yu

Craig W Turner

Jose R Figueroa

Suzanne M Bleakley

Scott Graham

Craig Compton

Ashley Lanier Trimpey

Sally Ierston

Paul Kokkelenberg

Charles Kurtz

Edna Novido

D Williams

John David Landers

Kimberly Ann Wood

The present disclosure provides improved packaging detection at self-checkout kiosks by identifying a given bag type for a bag selected at a self-checkout kiosk out of a plurality of bag types available from a bag dispenser associated with the self-checkout kiosk; identifying a weight range for the given bag type; in response to determining that the bag has been moved to a packing area of the self-checkout kiosk, comparing a first weight in the packing area from before the bag was moved to the packing area with a second weight in the packing area that includes the bag; and in response to a difference between the first weight and the second weight falling outside of the weight range, generating a loss prevention alert and pausing a transaction at the self-checkout kiosk.

Packaging detection for self checkout

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.

Multi-mode computing systems for point of sale transactions are disclosed. According to an aspect, a computing system includes a first housing and a processing device disposed in the first housing. A user interface and a first input/output interface is integrated with the first housing and in communication with the processing device. The first input/output interface is configured to receive power for delivery to the processing device. A second housing is configured to carry the first housing. An attachment mechanism is configured to selectively attach together the first housing and the second housing for carry of the first housing. A second input/output interface is configured to be communicatively coupled to the first input/output interface when the first housing and the second housing are attached. A power source is connected to the second input/output interface for delivery of power to the processing device via the first input/output interface.

Multi-mode computing systems for point of sale transactions

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.

Graphical retail item identification with point-of-sale terminals

Method, system and apparatus enabling a computing system to automatically identify the capabilities of a power supply coupled to the computing system. The power supply includes a controller that sends an identification code to a computing system prior to sending a power good signal to the computing system. The identification code and the power good signal are preferably sent over a single conductor, such as a power supply connector pin. The computing system receives the identification code for cross-referencing against a list of power supply identification codes and associated capabilities. Optionally, instructions from the computer system to an output device may be controlled as a function of the identified power supply capabilities.

Power supply identification using a modified power good signal

A circuit is attached in parallel to a universal serial bus interface of a data processing system. A capacitor in the circuit is charged by receiving power from a power pin of the universal serial bus interface while the data processing system is not in a reduced power state. A vibration sensor is unpowered while the data processing system is not in a reduced power state. The vibration sensor is disconnected from a data pin of the universal serial bus interface while the data processing system is not in a reduced power state. When the data processing system enters a reduced power state, the capacitor provides power to the vibration sensor. When a vibration is detected by the vibration sensor, a switch connects the vibration sensor to the data pin of the universal serial bus interface, providing a wake up signal to the data processing system.

Universal serial bus wakeup circuit

A computer implemented method and computer program product for detecting and communicating boot failures in a client device. A Dynamic Host Control Protocol server is configured to monitor Dynamic Host Control Protocol communications from one or more client devices, wherein the client devices are configured to boot from local media. A boot request is received from a client device in response to a failure of the client device to boot from the local media. Responsive to receiving the boot request, a determination is made that a boot failure has occurred on the client device.

Point of sale system boot failure detection

Systems and methods are disclosed for tracking items in a shopping cart using radio frequency identification. In one embodiment, a first set of items is positioned in a first item zone alongside an aisle. An electronic tag reader is capable of remotely reading identification tags on the items into an electronic record of shopping cart contents when the identification tags are within a readable range from the electronic tag reader. An energy field generator such as an electromagnetic field generator generates a first electromagnetic field extending from a location within the readable range of at least some of the items in the first item zone to a location outside the readable range of any of the items in the first item zone. The tag reader is movable along the aisle into and out of the first electromagnetic field, and is configured to not read the identification tags into the electronic record while the tag reader is within the first electromagnetic field and to selectively read the identification tags into the electronic record when the tag reader is outside the first electromagnetic field.

Growing community of inventors

Cary, NC, United States of America

Paul Morton Wilson