A supply chain management system is provided that includes a label having a first side with an adhesive and a second side with a plurality of information units printed thereon. The plurality of information units are printed in visible ink or invisible ink and the invisible ink is activated by environmental conditions such as temperature or light spectrum. The label is affixed to an object being processed and the visible appearance of one or more information elements originally printed in invisible ink is used for further processing or the object.

This disclosure describes techniques for utilizing sensor data to automatically determine the results of events within a system, as well as utilizing associate applications of human associates to supplement the sensor data. Upon receiving sensor data indicative of an event, the techniques may analyze the sensor data to determine a result of the event, such as that a particular user associated with a user identifier selected a particular item associated with an item identifier. Contents of a virtual shopping cart of the user may be maintained based on this automated analysis of sensor data. In addition, a human associate may interact with the particular user to further modify the virtual shopping cart.

A distribution item is disclosed. The distribution item includes a first item comprising a container having an outer surface defining an enclosed space. A computer-readable code is disposed on the outer surface. The computer-readable code is associated with a first level entity. The first item also includes destination information associated with a second level entity disposed on the outer surface. The distribution item also includes one or more second items removably positioned within the enclosed space of the first item. Each of the one or more second items includes the computer-readable code associated with the first level entity.

An electronic device may be attached to an external item. The electronic device may include an optical identification sensor configured to sense a color-encoded tag in the external item when the item is attached to the device. The optical identification sensor may include a board layer, a protective filter layer, wall structures for supporting the protective filter layer on the board layer, a linear array of photodetectors disposed between the board layer and the protective filter layer, a field-of-view restriction filter interposed between the photodetectors and the protective filter layer, and a light source having multiple emitters for illuminating the color-encoded tag. The emitters may be activated sequentially to produce multiple images that are combined to reconstruct an accurate reading of the color-encoded tag, which can then be used to identify the type of external item currently attached to the electronic device.

According to one embodiment, a code reading device includes: a camera including an image sensor with a plurality of image pickup elements, the camera being configured to pick up an image of a symbol attached to merchandise; a decision unit configured to decide a position of clipping in the image sensor, based on change information for changing a set position of clipping in the image sensor, when the change information is inputted; and an image processing unit configured to perform image processing on the symbol, based on an image by the image sensor corresponding to the decided position of clipping.

The application relates to a fixedly mounted ticket detection device (100, 200, 400, 500, 600) of an access control system (560, 660) comprising at least one camera-based detection equipment (102, 202, 402, 502, 602) configured to detect images of a graphical ticket code of a ticket medium (452, 552) in a detection area (108, 208, 408) of the camera-based detection equipment (102, 202, 402, 502, 602) and to generate detected image data from the detected images, at least one evaluation equipment (104, 204) configured at least to obtain the detected image data from the camera-based detection equipment (102, 202, 402, 502, 602) and to extract a data content of the graphical ticket code from the obtained detected image data, and at least one evaluation equipment (104, 204) communicatively coupled to the camera-based detection equipment (102, 202, 402, 502, 602) and configured to obtain the detected image data from the camera-based detection equipment (102, 202, 402, 502, 602) and to display obtained detected image data as images.

According to one embodiment, a commodity reading device includes a hand-held scanner configured to read a code symbol on a commodity, a fixed scanner configured to read a code symbol on a commodity by capturing an image of the code symbol, and a processor. The processor is configured to detect the code symbol in the image captured by the fixed scanner, extract commodity information for identifying the commodity from the detected code symbol, and provide a notification to a user when a time between the detection of the code symbol and the extracting of the commodity information exceeds a preset threshold length of time, the notification indicating that the hand-held scanner is available to read the code symbol.

A digital camera processing system with software to manage taking photos with a digital camera. Camera software controls the digital camera. A downloaded software component controls the digital camera software and causes a handheld mobile device to perform operations. The operations may include instructing a user to have the digital camera take photos of a check; displaying an instruction on a display of the handheld mobile device to assist the user in having the digital camera take the photos; or assisting the user as to an orientation for taking the photos with the digital camera. The digital camera processing system may generate a log file including a bi-tonal image formatted as a TIFF image.

A method for parcel delivery service that permits secure and timely delivery of items to unattended vehicles. The method includes receiving an order to deliver an item to a vehicle. A current location of the vehicle may be determined using vehicle identification information. After the vehicle has been located, the item may be authenticated at the vehicle, and access to the interior of the vehicle may be automatically provided to enable the vehicle to securely receive the item. A corresponding system is also disclosed and claimed herein.

In some arrangements, product packaging is digitally watermarked over most of its extent to facilitate high-throughput item identification at retail checkouts. Imagery captured by conventional or plenoptic cameras can be processed (e.g., by GPUs) to derive several different perspective-transformed views—further minimizing the need to manually reposition items for identification. Crinkles and other deformations in product packaging can be optically sensed, allowing such surfaces to be virtually flattened to aid identification. Piles of items can be 3D-modelled and virtually segmented into geometric primitives to aid identification, and to discover locations of obscured items. Other data (e.g., including data from sensors in aisles, shelves and carts, and gaze tracking for clues about visual saliency) can be used in assessing identification hypotheses about an item. Logos may be identified and used—or ignored—in product identification. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.