A checkout-system for retail is disclosed for secure and comfortable checkout of collected articles, whereby the customer scans the articles with a mobile article scanner by itself, and whereby the checkout-system includes a security system with an RFID scanner to scan RFID-transponder placed on the articles to identify whether all articles bought by the customer were scanned.

In part, the invention relates to computing systems and methods for electronically indicating the acceptability of a product. An image capture and communication device may analyze a product label that includes one or more monitors, authentication elements, and identification elements. The image capture and communication device may determine the type and features of the monitors, authentication elements, and identification elements. The image capture and communication device may transmit data based on the type and features to a host server, which may transmit data associated with the host product to the image capture and communication device in, inter alia, the form of an acceptability report.

Systems and methods for detecting potential shrink events via RFID technology are provided. The systems include a point of sale (POS) system that includes an optical scanner, an RFID transceiver arrangement, a user interface and a controller. The controller is configured to perform example methods disclosed herein. For example, the controller may detect that the optical scanner has decoded a barcode, trigger the RFID transceiver arrangement to write a data string to an RFID tag located within the object scanning area, conduct a detection operation to detect the RFID tag with the data string in the bagging area. Responsive to detecting the RFID tag with the data string, the method involves the user interface performing a first operation. Responsive to not detecting the RFID tag with the data string, the method involves the user interface performing a second operation.

A shopping cart system that includes an image that can be applied to the packaging of an item. The image may be invisible in a visible light spectrum but only visible in radiations of a specific spectrum or within a range of wavelengths that are outside the visible light spectrum. An optical scanner unit that can scan the image on the package. The optical scanner unit can include a lamp that can generate the radiations in the specific spectrum in which the image can be scanned. The optical scanner unit can be mounted to a shopping cart such as to track items being placed or removed from the shopping cart.

Method and apparatus for performing security checks at a self-checkout kiosk in a retail store. The customers can create lists of items for purchase as they shop. When a customer is ready to pay, his list can be divided into sub-lists. Each sub-list can include items that require the same type of security check. The customer can then be provided with the sub-lists and an instruction for each sub-list that explains how the customer should arrange the items on the sub-list for a security check. After the customer has properly arranged the items on a sub-list, the relevant security check can be performed.

A bioptical workstation captures images of illuminated symbols with a solid-state imager. In an embodiment, the workstation includes a removable camera module in the workstation away from the imager. The camera module captures an image of the operator through an upright window. The captured image of the illuminated symbol and the captured image of the operator are independently processed. The image of the operator is captured only with ambient light.

Methods of detecting scan avoidance events are disclosed herein. An example method includes measuring, by a weighing scale associated with a barcode reader, an unstable weight over a timeframe having a duration that is greater than a threshold duration. The method further includes monitoring for (i) the barcode reader's failure, during the first timeframe, to transition from a first state in which an imager of the barcode reader does not transmit images for decoding to a second state in which the imager captures images over an FOV including a product scanning region and transmits the captured images for decoding; or (ii) the barcode reader's failure to decode a barcode from images captured over the FOV including the product scanning region during the first timeframe; and generating an alert indicating a potential scan avoidance event responsive to both the measured unstable weight over the timeframe and one of (i) or (ii).

The disclosure is directed to system, methods and programs for automatic verification and validation of users' actions during assembly of products intended for purchase in a shopping cart, more specifically, the disclosure is directed to systems, methods and programs for automatically validating correct identification and markings of items inserted to an artificially intelligent shopping cart by using action-recognition associated with correct scanning/presentation of the item to a product recognition module coupled to the artificially intelligent shopping cart.

Example aspects include a method, apparatus and computer-readable medium of determining losses at a point of sale (POS) device, comprising receiving, by a processor from an imaging device, a video feed of a scanning area. The aspects further include detecting, by the processor, an entry of an item into the scanning area. Additionally, the aspects further include identifying, by the processor, one or more motion parameters of the item. Additionally, the aspects further include determining, by the processor, a dwell-time for the item based at least on the one or more motion parameters. Additionally, the aspects further include identifying, by the processor, a scan time anomaly for the item. Additionally, the aspects further include outputting a notification, by the processor, indicating a suspicious activity for the item, wherein the notification indicating the suspicious activity is based on the scan time anomaly.

According to one embodiment, a checkout apparatus includes an interface and a processor. The interface is configured to acquire images from a camera positioned to image an interior opening of a basket. The processor is configured to count the total number of items removed from the basket during a registration of items in a sales transaction based on a detection of the items being removed from the basket in the acquired images from the camera, and then compare the number of items registered in the sales transaction to the total number of items removed from the basket to determine if an unregistered item remains.