Methods and apparatus for providing a comprehensive decision support system to include predictions, recommendations with consequences and optimal follow-up actions in specific situations are described. Data is obtained from multiple disparate data sources, depending on the information deemed necessary for the situation being modeled. The decision support system provides a prediction or predictions and a recommendation or a choice of recommendations based on the correlative analysis and/or other analyses. Also described are methods and apparatus for developing application specific decision support models. The decision support model development process may include identifying multiple disparate data sources for retrieval of related information, selection of classification variables to be retrieved from the data sources, assignment of weights to each classification variable, selecting and/or defining rules, and selecting and/or defining analysis functions.

An automatic retail device including a housing including an enclosure having a plurality of shelves mounted in the enclosure, and a door providing access to the enclosure when open and preventing access to the enclosure when closed, a first camera mounted along a top portion of the enclosure and configured to capture images in a top-down manner, a second camera mounted on a side of the enclosure and configured to capture images from of the automatic retail device, and an application stored in a memory to detect a presence of a user's hands in the images generated by the first and second camera, detect a presence of a product in the user's hands in the images, determines an identity and number or products removed from the automatic retail device, and charges the user based on the identity and number of products removed from the automatic retail device.

A scanner is integrated as a peripheral device into a POS terminal. Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are selectively activated and deactivated during item scanning for items being processed during a transaction at the POS terminal. The activation and deactivation of the LEDs are visible to an overhead security camera during the transaction. The selective activation and deactivation providing indications during the transaction as to whether the items are successfully scanned or unsuccessfully scanned during the transaction as the items are passed in front of at least one scan window of the scanner.

A monitoring device according to an embodiment determines whether an information terminal, which moves together with a purchaser and receives data input regarding commodities for purchase by the purchaser, is present in a second place different from a set first place. The monitoring device detects that the information terminal is left unattended in the second place. The monitoring device activates an alarm in response to the information terminal being left unattended in the second place for a threshold period of time.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a skip-scanning identification method and apparatus, a self-service cash register terminal and system. The method includes: obtaining a video of a user scanning an item; determining posture data of the user based on the obtained video; determining, according to the posture data of the user, a time period in which a scanning action of the user takes place; receiving a scanning result of the item; and determining whether the user has skipped scanning the item based on the scanning result and the time period.

Provided are a checkout device, a control method, and a storage medium that can smoothly perform a checkout process for a customer in accordance with a status. The checkout device includes: a first input/output unit; a second input/output unit provided to face a different direction from the first input/output unit; and a control unit that selects an input/output unit which accepts input related to a checkout process from the first input/output unit and the second input/output unit based on at least one of status of the checkout device and time.

A sales processing apparatus includes a processor and an input and output unit configured to perform an operation for a sales transaction processing. The processor is configured to acquire the time required for the input and output unit to perform the operation for the sales transaction processing of a sales transaction, then determine whether the time required for the input and output unit to perform the operation during the sales transaction exceeds a reference time for the input and output unit to perform the operation. A notification is output if the time required for the input and output unit to perform the operation during the sales transaction exceeds the reference time.

Systems and methods for reducing erroneous weighing of items such as by detecting items extending beyond a periphery of a weigh platter whereby in one configuration, the system employs a light source disposed in or on a housing of a scanner-scale for producing a light beam along an edge of the weigh platter, the light beam being modulated to contain a defined packet of data; a detector for receiving the data-modulated light beam, the detector being disposed in or on the housing; and a processor coupled with the detector for decoding the defined packet of data responsive to the detector receiving the data-modulated light beam. Various indicators for alerting the operator of off-scale detection are also described.

A method includes controlling a shared location. Item identifiers are read from a set of items (pertaining to one or more operators sharing the shared location) reaching a gate of the shared location. A verification request message for the item identifiers is broadcast for receiving corresponding verification response messages from central computing systems of the operators. A passage of the items through the gate is controlled according to the verification response messages. A computer program and a computer program product for performing the method are also proposed. Moreover, a system for implementing the method is proposed.

In some implementations, a device may receive data identifying products and encoded data identifying smart tags of the products. The device may map the data and the encoded data to generate encoded product data. The device may receive encoded data provided by smart tags of products received by a store. The device may receive images of the products. The device may compare the encoded data and the encoded product data to identify a set of the products received by the store. The device may correlate the images with the set of the products. The device may process the correlated data to identify locations of the set of the products in the store. The device may generate an instruction to relocate a product to a new location and may provide the instruction to a device, associated with the store, to cause the product to be relocated to the new location.