Apparatuses, components and methods are provided herein useful to provide assistance to customers and/or workers in a shopping facility. In some embodiments, a shopping facility personal assistance system comprises: a plurality of motorized transport units located in and configured to move through a shopping facility space; a plurality of user interface units, each corresponding to a respective motorized transport unit during use of the respective motorized transport unit; and a central computer system having a network interface such that the central computer system wirelessly communicates with one or both of the plurality of motorized transport units and the plurality of user interface units, wherein the central computer system is configured to control movement of the plurality of motorized transport units through the shopping facility space based at least on inputs from the plurality of user interface units.

A bioptic barcode reader is disclosed for selective use of illumination color to capture appropriate data. The bioptic barcode reader includes a housing and a primary imager positioned within the housing, configured to scan a target object during a first time period. The bioptic barcode reader further includes a primary illumination source positioned within the housing configured to emit primary illumination in a primary wavelength range during the first time period. The bioptic barcode reader further includes a secondary imager configured to capture one or more images of a target object during a second time period. The bioptic barcode reader further includes a secondary illumination source configured to emit secondary illumination in a secondary wavelength range during the second time period, wherein the second time period and first time period are interleaved and the secondary wavelength range is different from the primary wavelength range.

A presentation stand for enabling a mobile device to read barcodes in presentation mode includes a cradle portion that is connected to the base portion. The cradle portion is configured to hold the mobile device in a position for reading a barcode. A shield portion is attached to the cradle portion and configured to modify a field of view of a camera of the mobile device. The shield portion is also configured to modify a field of illumination of an illumination source of the mobile device. The shield portion includes a camera optic system that is at least partially aligned with the camera of the mobile device when the mobile device is held in the cradle portion. The shield portion also includes an illumination optic system that is at least partially aligned with the illumination source of the mobile device when the mobile device is held in the cradle portion.

Methods and apparatuses are provided for use in monitoring product placement within a shopping facility. Some embodiments provide an apparatus configured to determine product placement conditions within a shopping facility, comprising: a transceiver configured to wirelessly receive communications; a product monitoring control circuit coupled with the transceiver; a memory coupled with the control circuit and storing computer instructions that when executed by the control circuit cause the control circuit to: obtain a composite three-dimensional (3D) scan mapping corresponding to at least a select area of the shopping facility and based on a series of 3D scan data; evaluate the 3D scan mapping to identify multiple product depth distances; and identify, from the evaluation of the 3D scan mapping, when one or more of the multiple product depth distances is greater than a predefined depth distance threshold from the reference offset distance of the product support structure.

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.

An optically variable device uses a data storage layer with a nano-optical bit system to store data. The optically variable device encodes the data using spectral signatures (such as colors) as variables. In some embodiments, the optically variable device uses angle multiplexing to store machine-readable data and an image. The optically variable device can be used as a secure data storage medium for a large volume of data. The storage capacity can be increased by increasing the number of color variables and by introducing additional variables such as intensity and polarization.

In a system and method of recognizing a barcode from a stream of video frames, a processor-implemented camera module receives a stream of video frames, with at least one video frame including a barcode. A processor-implemented barcode blur estimate module estimates an amount of defocus blur in a video frame. The processor-implemented barcode blur estimate module further estimates an identity of the barcode. A processor-implemented barcode localization module identifies a region of the video frame containing the barcode. A processor-implemented barcode geometric modeler module generates a geometric model of the barcode that includes an identified barcode deformity. A processor-implemented barcode decoder module decodes the barcode from the video frame using the estimated amount of defocus blur, the estimated identity of the barcode, and the geometric model of the barcode.

A barcode reader may include barcode reading hardware, which may include an image sensor. The image sensor may capture an image of a barcode within a field of view. The barcode reading hardware may also include a communication interface for output of decoded data to a remote computing system. The barcode reader may also include volatile memory and non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory may include start-up instructions. The barcode reader may also include a processor. The processor may be configured to, upon power-up of the barcode reader, execute the start-up instructions to obtain firmware for operating the barcode reader from a remote configuration server, load the firmware to the volatile memory, and commence execution of the firmware to commence barcode reading functions of the barcode reader without performing a re-boot operation.

A method for battery binding that is to be implemented by a service end electronic device includes obtaining a carrier identifier corresponding to a carrier device. The method further includes sending the carrier identifier to a battery device via near-field communication for storage in the battery device.

Hardware controls associated with features of a scanner are removed, and a combined scanner and transaction terminal is provided without the hardware controls. Operations associated with the removed hardware controls are graphically depicted as selectable window options within scanner-generated windows. The scanner generated windows are provided as a projected human interface for the missing hardware controls. The projected human interface is provided with and accessible from a display that includes transaction windows produced by transaction software of the transaction terminal, such that the selectable window options are always accessible from the display during transaction processing performed by the transaction software.