Multifunction point of sale system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10366380-B2
Application number	US-201916239157-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 3, 2019
Priority date	Apr 4, 2014
Publication date	Jul 30, 2019
Grant date	Jul 30, 2019

Abstract

A point of sale system capable of operating in an indicia-reading mode or a verification mode is disclosed. In the indicia-reading mode, the point of sale system configures its illumination, imaging, and processing to read indicia as part of a normal checkout process. If triggered by a user or by an event, the point of sale system may operate in a verification mode. In the verification mode, the point of sale system enables the necessary illumination, imaging, and processing to verify an item. This verification includes illuminating the item in a way that causes a noticeable response from a security mark (or marks) on the item. An image of the response may be captured and processed to authenticate/verify the item. The point of sale system may then respond to the verification and/or may store the image/results as a record of the verification.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system operable in an indicia reading mode and a verification mode, the system comprising:
an imaging subsystem configured to:
acquire an indicia image of an indicia in the indicia reading mode, and
acquire a verification image of an item to be verified in the verification mode,

wherein the item to be verified includes a security mark, and the verification image is captured such that the security mark is visible in the captured verification image;
an indicia-reading subsystem that is configured to decode the indicia in the indicia image and is further configured to change from the indicia reading mode to the verification mode in response to the decoded indicia; and
a verification subsystem configured to:
verify the item to be verified based upon a presence or absence of the security mark being visible in the captured verification image, and
produce an output corresponding to the verification, wherein the output is configured to restrict a checkout process in case of failed verification.

2. The system of claim 1 , comprising a memory for storing a library of verification settings.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the system is configured to switch from the indicia reading mode to the verification mode based on at least one verification setting from the library of verification settings.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to switch from the indicia reading mode to the verification mode based on an authentication criterion being met.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the authentication criterion comprises a transaction requiring a customer's credentials, a transaction using a currency above a certain denomination, a transaction using a credit card, a transaction using a debit card, a transaction using near field communication and/or a transaction using a smartphone payment service.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system illuminates items with radiation in the verification mode.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the radiation comprises ultraviolet light and/or infrared light.

8. An indicia-reading device, comprising:
an imaging subsystem comprising a processor, the imaging subsystem further configured to capture an indicia image of an indicia in an indicia reading mode;
an indicia-reading subsystem configured to decode the captured indicia; and
a switching subsystem;
wherein the processor is configured to:
cause the switching subsystem to change the indicia reading mode to a verification mode in response to the decoded captured indicia;
cause a verification image of an item to be captured by the imaging subsystem, wherein the item to be verified includes a security mark, and the verification image of the item to be verified is captured in a predetermined manner so that the security mark is visible in the verification image;
cause the item to be verified based on a presence or absence of the security mark in the verification image; and
cause a checkout process to be restricted in response to the verification.

9. The indicia-reading device of claim 8 , wherein the switching subsystem further comprises a button on the indicia-reading device.

10. The indicia-reading device of claim 8 , wherein the indicia-reading device further comprises an illumination subsystem for illuminating the item with radiation.

11. The indicia-reading device of claim 10 , wherein the radiation comprises ultraviolet light and/or infrared light.

12. The indicia-reading device of claim 10 , wherein the illumination subsystem is configured to illuminate the item with visible light in the indicia reading mode.

13. The indicia-reading device of claim 8 , wherein the indicia-reading device further includes a memory for storing a library of verification settings.

14. The indicia-reading device of claim 13 , wherein the processor being configured to cause the switching subsystem to change the indicia reading mode to the verification mode in response to the decoded captured indicia is based on at least one verification settings stored in the library of verification settings.

15. The indicia-reading device of claim 8 , wherein the processor being configured to cause the switching subsystem to change the indicia reading mode to the verification mode in response to the decoded captured indicia is based on an authentication criterion being satisfied.

16. The indicia-reading device of claim 15 , wherein the authentication criterion comprises a transaction requiring a customer's credentials, a transaction using a currency above a certain denomination, a transaction using a credit card, a transaction using debit card, a transaction using near field communication, and/or a transaction using a smartphone payment service.

17. The indicia-reading device of claim 8 , wherein the item to be verified comprises at least one of a currency tender, a credit card, a debit card, a driver's license, or an identity card.

18. The indicia-reading device of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to cause an audible and/or visual alert to be output in response to the verification.

19. An apparatus, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory including computer program code, the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:
cause an indicia image of an indicia in an indicia reading mode to be captured, wherein the indicia image is captured in an indicia reading mode;
decode the captured indicia;
alter a mode from the indicia reading mode to a verification mode in response to the decoded captured indicia;
cause a verification image of an item to be captured, wherein the item to be verified includes a security mark, and the verification image of the item to be verified is captured in a predetermined manner so that the security mark is visible in the verification image;
cause the item to be verified based on a presence or absence of the security mark in the verification image; and
cause a checkout process to be restricted in response to the verification.

Assignees

• Hand Held Prod Inc

Inventors

• Van Horn Erik
• Kearney Sean Philip
• Giordano Patrick Anthony
• Good Timothy
• Dickinson Chandler
• Au Ka Man
• Wilz Sr David
• Furlong John A
• Hejl Benjamin
• Walczyk Joseph A
• Coyle Larry
• Rosetti James
• Haggerty Thomas

Classifications

• G06Q20/405

  Establishing or using transaction specific rules · CPC title

• G06Q20/208 Primary

  Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing · CPC title

• G06K7/10722

  Photodetector array or CCD scanning · CPC title

• G06Q20/327

  Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices · CPC title

• G06K19/0614

  the marking being selective to wavelength, e.g. color barcode or barcodes only visible under UV or IR (methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers using a selected wavelength, see G06K7/12) · CPC title