Aspects described herein include an apparatus for retaining a bag, and a related checkout system. The apparatus comprises a base portion that is positionable, by a user, at any of a plurality of positions along a surface. The base portion comprises one or more attachment members operable by the user to removably attach the base portion to the surface at a selected position of the plurality of positions. The apparatus further comprises a support portion projecting upwardly from the base portion, and one or more arms projecting outwardly from the support portion. The one or more arms are dimensioned to receive one or more handles of the bag.

Item recognition of a given item is trained on a single item from different views. The item recognition is then trained on images of the given item partially occluded by a second item having same, similar, or different shapes and features to that of the given item. General features of the item are noted and used to detect the given item when the given item is presented with multiple different items having multiple different occluded views.

The present disclosure provides for radio frequency identification in self-checkout via a first product pathway; a single Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID) antenna, having a first scanning zone aligned with the first product pathway; wherein the first product pathway is configured to: position a first set of objects within the first scanning zone at a first position relative to the single RFID antenna at a first time; and position the first set of object within the first scanning zone at a second position relative to the single RFID, different than the first position, at a second time; and wherein the single RFID antenna is configured to: receive, at the first time, a first set of identifier signals associated with at least some of the first set of objects; and receive, at the second time, a second set of identifier signals associated with at least some of the first set of objects.

A portable checkout unit automatically generates training data for an automatic checkout system as a customer collects items in a store. A customer uses an item scanner of portable checkout unit to generate a virtual shopping list of items collected in the shopping cart. When the customer adds a new item to the shopping cart or on some regular interval, the portable checkout unit captures images of the items contained by the shopping cart and can generate bounding boxes for each product in each image. The bounding boxes can be associated with item identifiers from previously-generated bounding boxes to identify the items captured by the bounding boxes. Each bounding box paired with an item identifier can then be used as training data for an automated checkout system.

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.

This disclosure is directed to item-identifying carts that may be utilized by users to automatically identify items that the users place in their carts. In addition, these carts may automatically determine the outcome of respective events that occur with respect to these identified items. For example, the carts may be configured to identify one or more items that are placed into or removed from the cart, and thereafter determine one or more actions taken with respect to the identified items and a quantity of the items involved. For example, after identifying a first item and a second item either placed into or removed from the cart, the cart may determine that the user added two instances of the first item and removed one instance of the second item. In response to making this determination, the cart may update a virtual cart of a user operating the physical cart.

A personal protection barrier includes at least panel, a plurality of support members, and a plurality of connection elements. The plurality of connection elements connect the at least one panel to the plurality of support members in a manner that allows the at least one panel to be vertically adjusted relative to the plurality of support members.

A personal protection barrier includes at least panel, a plurality of support members, and a plurality of connection elements. The plurality of connection elements connect the at least one panel to the plurality of support members in a manner that allows the at least one panel to be vertically adjusted relative to the plurality of support members.

This disclosure is directed to item-identifying carts that may be utilized by users to automatically identify items that the users place in their carts. In addition, these carts may automatically determine the outcome of respective events that occur with respect to these identified items. For example, the carts may be configured to identify one or more items that are placed into or removed from the cart, and thereafter determine one or more actions taken with respect to the identified items and a quantity of the items involved. For example, after identifying a first item and a second item either placed into or removed from the cart, the cart may determine that the user added two instances of the first item and removed one instance of the second item. In response to making this determination, the cart may update a virtual cart of a user operating the physical cart.

A method apparatus are directed to identify items disposed on the bottom shelf of a shopping cart bottom of basket (BoB). Certain aspects envision a distance measurement sensor and computing system connected to the shopping cart. A first set of distance measurements of the bottom shelf when empty is obtained via the distance measurement sensor. Next, at a checkout stand, a second set of distance measurements of the shelf are taken, which can be used to compare with the first set of distance measurements to identify if there is an object on the BoB. An alert can be provided to a checkout attendant if there is an object on the BoB.