Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
131 words
A method of monitoring item shuffling in a post-scan
area of a self-service checkout terminal (10), with the
post-scan area including a post-scan surface (38,42b),
characterized by the steps of detecting removal of a first number of items from the
post-scan surface(38,42b) and generating a first weight
decrease value in response thereto which corresponds to the
weight of the first number of items, detecting placement of a second number of items onto
the post-scan surface and generating a first weight increase
value in response thereto which corresponds to the weight of
the second number of items, and comparing the first weight decrease value to the first
weight increase value and generating a first match control
signal in response thereto if the first weight decrease
value matches the first weight increase value.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method according to claim 1, characterized by the
step of generating an improper-use control signal if the first
weight increase value (i) does not match the first weight
decrease value, and (ii) is greater than the first weight
decrease value.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
56 words
A method according to claim 2, characterized by the
steps of updating an electronic log value in response to
generation of the improper-use control signal, and comparing the electronic log value to a log threshold
and generating an intervention signal in response thereto if
the electronic log value has a predetermined relationship to
the log threshold.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
98 words
A method according to claim 1, characterized by the
steps of detecting placement of a third number of items onto the
post-scan surface (38,42b) and generating a second weight
increase value in response thereto which corresponds to the
weight of the third number of items, and comparing the first weight decrease value to a sum of
the first weight increase value and the second weight
increase value and generating a second match control signal
in response thereto if the first weight decrease value
matches the sum of the first weight increase value and the
second weight increase value.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method according to claim 4, characterized by the
steps of generating an improper-use control signal if the first
weight decrease value does not match the sum of the first
weight increase value and the second weight increase value.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
56 words
A method according to claim 5, characterized by the
steps of updating an electronic log value in response to
generation of the improper-use control signal, and comparing the electronic log value to a log threshold
and generating an intervention signal in response thereto if
the electronic log value has a predetermined relationship to
the log threshold.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
92 words
A method according to claim 4, characterized by the
steps of generating an item-displaced control signal if the
first weight increase value (i) does not match the first
weight decrease value, and (ii) is less than the first
weight decrease value, generating an item-entered control signal if the user
enters a subsequent item into the self-service checkout
terminal (10), and generating an improper-use control signal if the item-entered
control signal is generated (i) subsequent to
generation of the item-displaced control signal, and (ii)
prior to generation of the second match control signal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
56 words
A method according to claim 7, characterized by the
steps of updating an electronic log value in response to
generation of the improper-use control signal, and comparing the electronic log value to a log threshold
and generating an intervention signal in response thereto if
the electronic log value has a predetermined relationship to
the log threshold.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
98 words
A method according to claim 1, characterized by the
steps of detecting removal of a third number of items from the
post-scan surface (38,42b) and generating a second weight
decrease value in response thereto which corresponds to the
weight of the third number of items, and comparing the sum of the first weight decrease value
and the second weight decrease value to the first weight
increase value and generating a second match control signal
in response thereto if the sum of the first weight decrease
value and the second weight decrease value matches the first
weight increase value.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
103 words
A method according to claim 1, characterized in
that the post-scan surface includes (i) a post-scan shelf
(42b), and (ii) a bagwell (38) having a grocery container
(40)positioned therein, a weight scale (20) is positioned so as to detect
weight of items positioned both on the post-scan shelf
(42b)and in the grocery container (40), the removal detecting step includes the step of
detecting removal of the first number of items from the
post-scan shelf with the weight scale, and the placement detecting step includes the step of
detecting placement of the second number of items into the
grocery container with the weight scale.