Inadvertent subsequent scan prevention for symbology reader with weighing platter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11619539-B2
Application number	US-202016945536-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2020
Priority date	Jul 31, 2020
Publication date	Apr 4, 2023
Grant date	Apr 4, 2023

Abstract

Methods of detecting scan avoidance events during decode sessions are disclosed herein. An example method includes during a timeout period at one or more processors of the symbology scanner, identifying and decoding a transaction affecting indicia on an object in one or more images to obtain a transaction affecting payload; during the timeout period at the one or more processors, identifying one or more visual features in the one or more images; and in response to identifying a non-transaction affecting indicia associated with the one or more visual features, and failing to identify or decode the transaction affecting indicia, determining a potential scan avoidance attempt and generating a scan avoidance alarm signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for preventing inadvertent subsequent scanning using a symbology reader, the method comprising:
scanning and decoding a barcode on an object using the symbology scanner;
detecting presence of the object at a weighing platter of the symbology reader and detecting stabilization of the object at the weighing platter; and
responsive to detecting the stabilization of the object, preventing reporting of subsequent decoding of the barcode until a release condition is satisfied
wherein the release condition is a timeout period, the method further comprising:
if the object is no longer detected within a field of view of the symbology reader during the timeout period, ending the timeout period and allowing a reporting of a subsequently decode barcode.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
monitoring for the release condition starting from the detection of the stabilization of the object.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the release condition is a timeout period measured from the detection of the stabilization of the object.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting an destabilization of the object; and
monitoring for the release condition from the detection of the destabilization of the object.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the release condition is a timeout period measured from the detection of the destabilization of the object.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the destabilization is movement of the object determined by an imaging assembly of the symbology reader platter.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the release condition is movement of the object out of a field of view of an imaging assembly of the symbology reader.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the stabilization of the object is placement of the object on the weighing platter, the method further comprising: detecting at least a partial removal of the object from the weighing platter, wherein the release condition is a timeout period measured from the removal of the object from the weighing platter.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein detecting at least the partial removal of the object from the weighing platter comprises detecting when the weighing platter detects a zero weight value.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein detecting at least the partial removal of the object from the weighing portion comprises analyzing one or more images of the object captured by an imaging assembly of the symbology reader and determining from the one or more images when the object is off of the weighing platter.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , the method further comprising detecting the stabilization of the object by detecting a scale signal of the weighing platter and determining that the scale signal does not vary within a stabilization time period.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the barcode is associated with a weight data element.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein the barcode is a GS1 code.

14. A symbology reader to prevent inadvertent subsequent scanning, the symbology reader comprising:
a housing having a weighing platter;
an imaging assembly within the housing and configured to capture one or more images over at least one field of view;
a processor within the housing;
a tangible machine-readable storage medium within the housing and storing machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
scan and decode a barcode on an object;
detect a presence of the object on the weighing platter and detect stabilization of the object on the weighing platter;
responsive to detecting the stabilization of the object, prevent reporting of subsequent decoding of the barcode until a release condition is satisfied;
detect a destabilization of the object; and
monitor for the release condition from the detection of the destabilization of the object,

wherein at least one of (i) the release condition is movement of the object determined by the imaging assembly or (ii) the release condition is movement of the object out of a field of view of the imaging assembly.

15. The symbology reader of claim 14 , wherein the tangible machine-readable storage medium stores machine-readable instructions that cause the processor to: monitor for the release condition starting from the detection of the stabilization of the object.

16. The symbology reader of claim 15 , wherein the release condition is a timeout period measured from the detection of the stabilization of the object.

17. The symbology reader of claim 14 , wherein the release condition is a timeout period measured from the detection of the destabilization of the object.

18. The symbology reader of claim 14 , wherein the stabilization of the object is placement of the object on the weighing platter, wherein the tangible machine-readable storage medium stores machine-readable instructions that cause the processor to: detect at least a partial removal of the object from the weighing platter, wherein the release condition is a timeout period measured from the removal of the object from the weighing platter.

19. The symbology reader of claim 18 , wherein the tangible machine-readable storage medium stores machine-readable instructions that cause the processor to detect at least the partial removal of the object from the weighing portion by detecting when the weighing platter detects a zero weight value.

20. The symbology reader of claim 18 , wherein the tangible machine-readable storage medium stores machine-readable instructions that cause the processor to detect at least the partial removal of the object from the weighing portion by analyzing one or more images of the object captured by the imaging assembly and determining from the one or more images when the object is off of the weighing platter.

21. The symbology reader of claim 14 , wherein the tangible machine-readable storage medium stores machine-readable instructions that cause the processor to detect the stabilization of the object by detecting a scale signal of the weighing platter and determining that the scale signal does not vary within a stabilization time period.

22. The symbology reader of claim 14 , wherein the release condition is a timeout period, wherein the tangible machine-readable storage medium stores machine-readable instructions that cause the processor to:
if the object is no longer detected within a field of view of the weighing platter during the timeout period, end the timeout period and allow a reporting of a subsequently decode barcode.

23. The symbology reader of claim 14 , wherein the symbology reader is a bioptic scanner having a tower portion and a horizontal portion comprising the weighing platter.

24. The symbology reader of claim 23 , wherein the imaging assembly comprises an imager in at least one of the tower portion or the horizontal portion.

Assignees

• Zebra Tech Corp

Inventors

• Fjellstad Christopher J
• Doering William

Classifications

• G01G21/22

  Weigh pans or other weighing receptacles; Weighing platforms · CPC title

• G06K7/10792

  Special measures in relation to the object to be scanned · CPC title

• G01G19/4144 Primary

  for controlling weight of goods in commercial establishments, e.g. supermarket, P.O.S. systems · CPC title

• G06K7/1413

  1D bar codes · CPC title

• A47F9/04

  Check-out counters, e.g. for self-service stores · CPC title