Abstract: A sales-data processing apparatus comprises a main body section of a columnar shape. A reader is in the main body section and configured to read information for identifying a commodity in a sales transaction. An operator display is directed to an operator side of the main body section. A customer display, adjacent the operator display section, is directed to a customer side of the main body section. An input device is provided for receiving input operations related settlement processing from a customer on the customer side of the main body section. The input device is positioned adjacent to the customer display. A supporting section is attached to the main body section to support the input device at the position substantially adjacent to the customer display.

Abstract: A sales data processing terminal for a retail location, includes an image capturing device to capture an image of an item being registered in a sales transaction or a gift certificate presented for settlement of the sales transaction. A controller is configured to identify the item in the image by comparing the image to stored commodity reference information for items for sale at the retail location, and identify whether the gift certificate is a type accepted at the retail location for settlement by comparing the gift certificate in the image to stored gift certificate reference information.

Abstract: A handcart includes a cart frame having a receiving portion on which a shopping basket is placeable and a handle portion, a caster disposed at a bottom region of the cart frame, a display mounting arm adjacent to the handle portion and extending upward from the cart frame, and a display device attached to an upper end of the display mounting arm. The display mounting arm is movable to position the display device at a location that is shifted to a left or a right side with respect to a center of the cart frame in a width direction thereof.

Abstract: A handcart includes a cart frame, a caster, and a code reader. The cart frame includes a receiving portion on which a shopping basket is placeable and a lateral portion extending in a width direction of the cart frame. The caster is disposed at a bottom region of the cart frame. The code reader is attached to the lateral portion of the cart frame so as to be rotatable around the lateral portion. The code reader may be rotated around the lateral portion of the cart frame to a first position at which a reading window of the code reader faces an inner space of the shopping basket on the receiving portion of the cart frame, and to a second position at which the reading window of the code reader faces a front of the cart frame.

Abstract: A symbol reading device includes a reading unit to read a code symbol attached to a commodity and a control unit. The control unit is configured to determine whether start button or the like for the reading unit has been pressed, allow the reading unit to read a first symbol within a first predetermined time after pressing of the button, and allow the reading unit to read a second symbol within a second predetermined time if the reading unit reads the first symbol. Registration processing is executed based on the first symbol and the second symbol when read. Symbol reading is ended when either the reading unit does not read the first symbol within the first predetermined time or the reading unit does not read the second symbol within second predetermined time.

Abstract: A commodity-data processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes a first acquiring unit configured to acquire commodity identification information for identifying a commodity, a second acquiring unit configured to acquire an image or a moving image including a container in its field of view in which a user puts the commodity, and an output unit. If the commodity identification information is acquired by the first acquiring unit, the output unit inputs the commodity to commodity acquisition information indicating a list of commodities for checkout. If a commodity not input to the commodity acquisition information is put in the container, the output unit outputs, on the basis of the image or the moving image including the container acquired by the second acquiring unit, information indicating that the commodity not input to the commodity acquisition information is put in the container.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a reading apparatus for registering one or more commodities. The reading apparatus includes a display, a storage device, an image sensor, and a processor. The processor is configured to control the image sensor to capture an image of one or more commodities and measure a distance to each of the commodities, select one of the commodities, the distance of which from the image sensor is the smallest, control the display to display the captured image such that the selected commodity is highlighted, and execute a registration process on the selected commodity using commodity information about the selected commodity retrieved from the storage device.

Abstract: An image recognition system includes an imaging device and a processor. The processor is configured to detect an image of an article within an image captured by the imaging device, in response to detection of the image of the article, start a code detection process and an image recognition process to select one or more candidates. When the code symbol is detected within a predetermined period of time after the code detection process is started, the processor decodes the code symbol and determines an article associated with the decoded code symbol as the article within the captured image. When the code symbol is not detected within the predetermined period of time, and said one or more candidates are selected within the predetermined period of time, processor determines one of said one or more candidates as the article within the captured image.

Abstract: A reading device includes an image capturing device, a light emitting device, and a processor. The processor controls the image capturing device to capture an image of an image capturing area. When the reading device is in a standby mode, the processor determines, based on the captured image, whether an object is in the image capturing area. If the object is determined to be in the image capturing area, the processor switches an operation mode of the reading device from the standby mode to a reading mode in which a commodity in the image capturing area is identified based on the captured image. The processor controls an amount of light emitted by the light emitting device based on whether the reading device is in the standby mode or in the reading mode, such that it is less in the standby mode than in the reading mode.

Abstract: A commodity information reading device includes an imaging device, a display device, and a controller configured to acquire an image of a commodity from an imaging device, calculate feature data of the commodity from the image, calculate a similarity value for the commodity using the calculated feature data and pre-registered feature data for a plurality of pre-registered commodities, cause commodity information of each pre-registered commodity that has a similarity value higher than a predetermined threshold value to be displayed as one candidate commodity in a plurality of candidate commodities on the display device, receive a selection designating one of the plurality of candidate commodities as a purchased commodity, and issue an alert when the designated candidate commodity does not have the highest similarity value from among the plurality of candidate commodities.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an information processing apparatus has an imaging device, a memory, a display and a processor. The processor extracts, based on similarities of an imaged image by the imaging device and reference images of a plurality of commodities which are previously stored in the memory, at least one commodity from the plurality of commodities as a candidate for the commodity imaged by the imaging device. The processor controls the display to display the extracted candidates for commodity in the commodity selection screen in a display form in which the extracted candidates for commodity are weighted in accordance with sizes of the similarities.

Abstract: A self-service point-of-sale terminal includes an image sensor configured to convert light into an electric signal, a light source to illuminate an imaging target, and a processor configured to cause the light source to blink and then remain turned on without blinking when an imaging target is within a predetermined range of the image sensor.

Abstract: An object recognition apparatus includes an image capturing unit sensitive to light in a first wavelength range and to light in a second wavelength range, and a processing unit programmed to identify an article in an image captured by the image capturing unit using first image data that is generated by the image capturing unit from the light in the first wavelength range received by the image capturing unit and second image data that is generated by the image capturing unit from the light in the second wavelength range received by the image capturing unit.

Abstract: An object recognition system includes a storage device, a reading unit, an output device, and a processor. The storage device stores a dictionary containing attributes of a plurality of registered objects. The attributes includes at least a category and feature values. The reading unit includes an image capturing device. The processor registers a new object by (i) extracting a feature value of the new object from an image of the new object captured by the image capturing device, (ii) comparing the extracted feature value with feature values of registered objects that are registered in the dictionary to calculate a similarity degree therebetween, (iii) registering the extracted feature value in the dictionary as a determination criteria for an object recognition, and (iv) outputting a notification through the output device prior to the registering, upon a result of the comparing meets a predetermined condition.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a checkout apparatus including a first placing section configured to place thereon a commodity having a commodity specifying information for specifying the commodity; a reading unit configured to read the commodity specifying information of the commodity placed on the first placing section; a second placing section configured to place the commodity the commodity specifying information of which is read by the reading unit; an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of the commodity placed on the first placing section; a display unit configured to display the image of the commodity; and a display section configured to display an image captured by the image capturing unit on the display unit if the image capturing unit captures the image showing at least a part of a movement of the commodity placed on the first placing section to the second placing section.

Abstract: An image recognition system includes a data storage, a camera configured to capture an image of an article to be identified, a display, and a processor configured to calculate a feature value of the article to be identified, based on the captured image, determine one or more high-ranked candidates based on a similarity level between the feature value of the article to be identified and each of the feature values of reference articles stored in the data storage, and control the display to display a graphical user interface. The graphical user interface includes a plurality of objects arranged in a predetermined region thereof, each of one or more objects that corresponds to one of said one or more high-ranked candidates being displayed at a fixed display position that is associated with the corresponding high-ranked candidate.

Abstract: An image recognition system includes an imaging device and a processor. The processor is configured to detect an image of an article within an image captured by the imaging device, in response to detection of the image of the article, start a code detection process and an image recognition process to select one or more candidates. When the code symbol is detected within a predetermined period of time after the code detection process is started, the processor decodes the code symbol and determines an article associated with the decoded code symbol as the article within the captured image. When the code symbol is not detected within the predetermined period of time, and said one or more candidates are selected within the predetermined period of time, processor determines one of said one or more candidates as the article within the captured image.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes: an acquisition module configured to acquire an image photographed by an image capturing module; an extraction module configured to extract, from the image, a feature amount representing an external feature of a commodity photographed; a recognition module configured to recognize a standard commodity that is a candidate for the commodity by comparing the feature amount extracted with a feature amount of each standard commodity; a determination module configured to determine whether there is any related standard commodity belonging to a same commodity item as the standard commodity recognized and having an external feature different from an external feature of the standard commodity recognized; and a display module configured to display the standard commodity recognized as the candidate for the commodity contained in the image, and display the related standard commodity as a candidate for the commodity if there is any related standard commodity.

Abstract: An image pick-up device which photographs an object to generate an image signal representing the object, including: a housing including an opening; a transparent plate which covers the opening; an image detector arranged in the housing; an optical lens forming an image of the object on the image detector through the transparent plate; a lighting device arranged in the housing and placed both in an inner area in which an imaging area outside the housing is folded into the housing with reference to one surface of the transparent plate, and in an outer area of the imaging area; and an optical-path modifying element which causes an optical path of the light to be refracted such that the light is emitted from a virtual image of the lighting device, the virtual image being placed outside the inner area.

Abstract: A commodity recognition apparatus comprises an image capturing unit for capturing image of a commodity in an image capturing area, a first unit for illuminating a first illumination area closer to the image capturing unit within the image capturing area according to an exposure period of the image capturing unit, a second unit for illuminating a second illumination area including part of the first illumination area and an area further than the first illumination area from the image capturing unit within the image capturing area for an illumination period according to the exposure period, and a control module for controlling, if overexposure of the image is detected, an execution timing of the second unit so that a shifting amount of the illumination period of the second unit to an exposure period next to the exposure period in which the overexposure is detected is different from a predetermined reference value.