Disclosed are visual recognition and sensor fusion weight detection system and method. An example method includes: tracking, by a sensor system, objects and motions within a selected area of a store; activating, by the sensor system, a first computing device positioned in the selected area in response to detecting a presence of a customer within the selected area: identifying, by the sensor system, the customer and at least one item carried by the customer; transmitting, by the sensor system, identifying information of the customer and the at least one item to a computing server system via a communication network; measuring, by the first computing device, a weight of the at least one item; transmitting, by the first computing device, the weight to the computing server system via the communication network; and generating, by the computing server system, via the communication network, transaction information of the at least one item.

According to one embodiment, a reading device is configured to read information from an RFID tag attached to a product. The reading device includes a housing, an antenna, an opening-and-closing lid, a detector, a reading unit, and an alert unit. The housing includes an opening portion, and therein a space for accommodating the product. The antenna is provided within the space. The opening-and-closing lid is opening and closing the opening portion. The detector is configured to detect an open or closed state of the opening-and-closing lid. The reading unit is configured to read the information from the RFID tag. The alert unit is configured to issue an alert on an operation method in accordance with the open or closed state of the opening-and-closing lid and an operation state of the reading unit.

A shopping assistance system includes a moving device (bagging device) and an information acquisition device. The moving device includes a support portion and a guide portion. The support portion is provided with a placement surface on which a product with an RF tag is placed. The guide portion includes a shielding space for shielding radio waves therein, and is disposed around the support portion along outer circumferential edges of the placement surface. The information acquisition device reads product information from the RF tag by performing wireless communication with the RF tag using an antenna when a relative positional relationship between a communication area of the antenna and the RF tag changes in the shielding space, the communication area being an area which is set around the antenna and in which wireless communication with the RF tag is performed.

Provided are a system and method for determining a weight of an item for purchase, comprising determining from a digital image of an item generated by a single camera, a volume of the item, the single camera separated from the item at a distance in a horizontal and vertical direction established by a stationary rigid fixture; identifying the item; accessing a database to determine an average weight per volume measurement unit of the identified item; and calculating a weight of the item from the volume and the average weight per volume measurement unit.

The invention relates to a product identification system when the goods are purchased by a buyer in a self-service store. The product identification system in the self-service store includes a scanning device, a goods collecting device with an individual identification number, a camera, at least one self-service payment terminal and a server. The scanning device reads the identification number, scans the barcodes of goods, creates a list of goods and a resulting barcode. The camera is installed on the goods collecting device and reads images of the goods and tracks its movement. The terminal sends information to the server, wherein the server receives and analyzes information from the camera and terminal. In case when the information from the camera and from the resulting barcode coincide, the buyer pays for the purchase, and receives a check.

According to one embodiment, a reading apparatus includes a shielding body, an antenna, and a reader and writer. The shielding body is formed in a box shape with an upper opening, to place an accommodating body and to shield radio waves. The antenna is provided in the shielding body to receive information from an RFID tag attached to a product that is passing through the opening. The reader and writer is connected to the antenna to read information of the product from the information received by the antenna.

A bagging station, comprises a base; a carousel that rotates relative to the base, the carousel including a plurality of bag holding elements; an indicator at each bag holding element that provides a status regarding a bag hanging from the bag holding element; and a bag selection system that controls the indicators to identify bags for allocating items according to a predetermined criteria about at least one of the bag or the items.

A self-checkout method includes an image recognizing system performing a first recognition process on at least a product placed on a checkout conveyor to obtain an item information corresponding to the at least a product from a product database; performing a second recognition process for positioning a first product of the at least a product to determine a position of the first product relative to the checkout conveyor when the image recognizing system fails to recognize the first product based on the first recognition process; controlling an indicating light to markedly label the first product when the position of the first product is determined, and stopping running the checkout conveyor; and resuming running the checkout conveyor after the first product is removed or when no product cannot be recognized by the first recognition process.

According to one embodiment, a reading device is configured to read information from an RFID tag attached to a product. The reading device includes a housing, an antenna, an opening-and-closing lid, a detector, a reading unit, and an alert unit. The housing includes an opening portion, and therein a space for accommodating the product. The antenna is provided within the space. The opening-and-closing lid is opening and closing the opening portion. The detector is configured to detect an open or closed state of the opening-and-closing lid. The reading unit is configured to read the information from the RFID tag. The alert unit is configured to issue an alert on an operation method in accordance with the open or closed state of the opening-and-closing lid and an operation state of the reading unit.

Provided are a system and method for determining a weight of an item for purchase, comprising determining from a digital image of an item generated by a single camera a volume of the item, the single camera separated from the item at a distance in a horizontal and vertical direction established by a stationary rigid fixture; identifying the item; accessing a database to determine an average weight per volume measurement unit of the identified item; and calculating a weight of the item from the volume and the average weight per volume measurement unit.