Price Patents (Class 177/25.15)
  • Patent number: 11907965
    Abstract: An information processing device includes a processor configured to provide an incentive to a first user who sells or returns a first vehicle in which a part of a first coating film including an easily peelable layer does not peeled off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yukinori Il, Kenji Yamaguchi, Junya Ogawa, Yuki Naganuma, Junya Yamamoto, Yuta Tone, Naoki Ishizuka, Tadayuki Tanaka, Keisuke Ito, Yuka Yokoi, Takashi Hayashi, Naoya Oka, Yu Hamada
  • Patent number: 11898896
    Abstract: A scale apparatus is described. The scale apparatus may include a housing sized to fit within a playing card tuck box; a pressure plate operable to measure a weight of a plurality of objects; a wireless transmitter; and a microcontroller in communication with the pressure plate and the wireless transmitter. The microcontroller may be configured to: continuously measure the weight on the pressure plate; when the weight holds steady for a sequence of measurements, transmit a first weight measurement via the wireless transmitter; measure a change in the weight; and when the change in the weight is steady, transmit a second weight measurement via the wireless transmitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Penguin Magic, Inc.
    Inventor: Acar Altinsel
  • Patent number: 11717859
    Abstract: A mail item sortation system and method that includes an external controller for culling candidate letters in a mailing job to produce groupings of letters based on industry average weights and/or thicknesses in order to place all the candidate letters going to a single address adjacent to each other, an internal controller, interfaced with the external controller, that utilizes the groupings of letters to manage multiple letter sorters, wherein a specific letter sorter is selected to pair a calculated number of pockets to accommodate the groupings with an actual number of pockets in the selected letter sorter, and a transfer process for moving letters within the letter sorter pockets to a StatementPack machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Broadridge Output Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: Marc Fagan
  • Patent number: 11680846
    Abstract: Noise that is present in the output of a weight sensor can lead to erroneous weight data. A moveable device, such as a tote, may be used by a customer while shopping in a facility. This tote can include one or more weight sensors that are used to determine the weight of items added to or removed from the tote. However, noise can affect the output of the weight sensors, where such noise is attributed to movement or vibration of the tote. Data from a vibration sensor or a motion sensor coupled to the tote can be analyzed to determine noise that is common to weight data and vibration data or motion data associated with the tote. This common noise can then be removed or attenuated from the weight signals to determine de-noised and valid weight data for the tote.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: William Spencer Worley, III
  • Patent number: 11657683
    Abstract: A transaction terminal includes a vertically integrated bagging weigh scale and a vertically integrated scanner. The scale includes two posts that extend horizontally out from the terminal and upon which a bag hangs. Items placed in the bag cause displacement of the posts and/or pressure detected on the posts resulting in a recorded weight by a weight sensor of the scale. A current recorded weight of the bag is reported from the scale to the terminal during a transaction as each item is placed into the bag. The terminal uses the item weights to record prices for those items sold by weight and to verify that items scanned by the scanner and placed in the bag have expected weights for those items.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventor: Rafael Yepez
  • Patent number: 11587382
    Abstract: A package delivery system for secured delivery of packages without the need for a person to be present to accept them in person is disclosed. The package delivery system includes a vertical structure such as a wall, a door, and a garage door; a package delivery door dispositioned within the vertical structure; and one or more user devices in communication with the package delivery door via a network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Inventor: Quinn Valentine
  • Patent number: 11520584
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a digital signal processing (DSP) block that includes a plurality of columns of weight registers and a plurality of inputs configured to receive a first plurality of values and a second plurality of values. The first plurality of values is stored in the plurality of columns of weight registers after being received. Additionally, the DSP block includes a plurality of multipliers configured to simultaneously multiply each value of the first plurality of values by each value of the second plurality of values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Martin Langhammer, Dongdong Chen, Jason R. Bergendahl
  • Patent number: 11455591
    Abstract: Method and system are provided for customer table service management. The method includes receiving sensor load data over time from a customer table. The method analyzes the sensor load data during a waiting time between a time of one or more customers arriving at the table and a time of consumables being served to the table to learn background noise data of the one or more customers. The method further analyzes the sensor load data during a dining time after the time of consumables being served to the table to detect one or more events that require a service action, wherein analyzing the sensor load data during the dining time removes the learnt background noise data to distinguish sensor load data changes relating to consumption of the consumables on the table. The method outputs event detection notifications to prompt the required service action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James Lee, Jack Anthony Woodhouse, Heloise Rozes, Dominik Kloepfer, Grace Jansen
  • Patent number: 11353357
    Abstract: A weighing machine includes a weighing unit that measures the weight of a product placed on a weighing table, a calculation unit that calculates the price of the product based on the weight of the product measured by the weighing unit, and a control unit that sets the price calculated by the calculation unit when the product is removed from the weighing table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Ishida Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hironori Tsutsumi, Kengo Aoyama, Takayuki Morita, Futoshi Yurugi, Mizuki Iwabuchi, Yasunari Nonohara, Kosuke Fuchuya
  • Patent number: 11354985
    Abstract: A system and method for distribution of product price and/or sales data in a retail establishment. Product price and/or sales data is stored locally, either in a central computer or master electronic cash register (ECR) or remotely at a master computer. The product price data is stored in the form of a price look-up (PLU) table. The price data can be pushed from the master ECR, local or master computers to and ECR emulation hub to an ECR emulation hub. Similarly, the ECR emulation hub can request product price data from the master ECR, local or master computers. Once the product price data arrives at the ECR emulation hub, it can be processed and sent to a display, which will be located near the appropriate product. The ECR emulation hub can also record and/or transmit prices actually charged for products over time to allow for automatic auditing of promotional pricing offers such as those made by manufacturers of the product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventor: William R. Sweeney
  • Patent number: 11279603
    Abstract: Systems and methods for mobile dimensioning and weighing are disclosed. An example mobile weighting and dimensioning system includes a truck scale system and a tape measure. The truck scale system includes: a fork scale to weigh a parcel that is held by forks; and a weight indicator to receive an indication of the weight of the parcel from the fork scale. The tape measure includes: a tape cartridge to spool and unspool a tape having electronically readable indicia; a measurement circuit to determine linear dimensions of the parcel by reading the electronically readable indicia in response to trigger events; and a communications circuit to transmit the first linear dimension of the parcel to the weight indicator. The weight indicator associates the weight and the first linear dimension with an identifier of the parcel, and transmits the weight, the first linear dimension, and the identifier to a computing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Stewart Campbell, Paul Steven Hines
  • Patent number: 11229368
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for quantifying fluid includes estimating a first volume of a first fluid contained in an item based on a difference between a dry weight and a wet weight of the item, and displaying a graphical representation of a container containing a volume of a second fluid and a second volume of the first fluid, wherein the graphical representation includes a first display element for receiving a first user input indicating the volume of the second fluid in the container, and a second display element for receiving a second user input indicating a total fluid volume in the container, estimating the second volume of the first fluid based on at least one of the first and second user inputs, and estimating a quantity of the first fluid based on the first and second volumes of the first fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Gauss Surgical, Inc.
    Inventors: Siddarth Satish, Julian Thayn
  • Patent number: 11227456
    Abstract: A peer to peer sale locker apparatus for allowing safe peer to peer transactions for physical goods includes a front locker frame and a central housing coupled to the front locker frame. A central CPU is coupled within the central housing. A central power source, a display, a scanner, a central transmitter, a central receiver, and a Wi-Fi transceiver are coupled within the central housing and are in operational communication with the central CPU. A plurality of locker units is coupled within the front locker frame. Each locker unit comprises a locker body and a locker door hingingly coupled to the locker body. An electronic lock is coupled to the locker door to lock and unlock the locker door to the locker body to allow sellers and buyers to access a locker unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Inventor: Nicholas Carter
  • Patent number: 11221401
    Abstract: The invention relates to a detector device assisted by majority current, comprising a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, a plurality of control regions of the first conductivity type, at least one detection region of a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type and a first source for generating a majority carrier current associated with an electrical field, characterized in that it further comprises control circuitry arranged for controlling the first source and controlling individually at least one of said first majority carrier currents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Sony Depthsensing Solutions SA/NV
    Inventors: Ward Van Der Tempel, Daniel Van Nieuwenhove
  • Patent number: 11188726
    Abstract: Methods of detecting scan avoidance events are disclosed herein. An example method includes measuring, by a weighing scale associated with a barcode reader, an unstable weight over a timeframe having a duration that is greater than a threshold duration. The method further includes monitoring for (i) the barcode reader's failure, during the first timeframe, to transition from a first state in which an imager of the barcode reader does not transmit images for decoding to a second state in which the imager captures images over an FOV including a product scanning region and transmits the captured images for decoding; or (ii) the barcode reader's failure to decode a barcode from images captured over the FOV including the product scanning region during the first timeframe; and generating an alert indicating a potential scan avoidance event responsive to both the measured unstable weight over the timeframe and one of (i) or (ii).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Abhilash Gururaja, Christopher J. Fjellstad
  • Patent number: 11142406
    Abstract: An automated parcel singulator includes a conveyor system, a control and monitoring system, an infeed table, and a hopper system. The hopper system stores and dispenses parcels and boxes onto the infeed table. The infeed tables singulates and moves the boxes and parcels, so that when the boxes and parcels are placed on the conveyor system they form a single line of packages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: National Presort, L.P.
    Inventor: Brent Daboub
  • Patent number: 11037412
    Abstract: A transaction terminal includes a vertically integrated bagging weigh scale and a vertically integrated scanner. The scale includes two posts that extend horizontally out from the terminal and upon which a bag hangs. Items placed in the bag cause displacement of the posts and/or pressure detected on the posts resulting in a recorded weight by a weight sensor of the scale. A current recorded weight of the bag is reported from the scale to the terminal during a transaction as each item is placed into the bag. The terminal uses the item weights to record prices for those items sold by weight and to verify that items scanned by the scanner and placed in the bag have expected weights for those items.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventor: Rafael Yepez
  • Patent number: 11023698
    Abstract: A barcode reader has a housing, weigh platter, and off-platter detection assembly including first and second imaging assemblies in communication with a controller. The first imaging assembly has a first imager configured to capture an image of a first lateral edge of the weigh platter. The second imaging assembly has a second imager configured to capture an image of a second lateral edge of the weigh platter. The controller is configured to: identify and locate the first and second lateral edges; receive first and second images from the imagers; allow the weight of an object to be recorded if determined that a footprint of the object does not extend over the first or second lateral edges; and prevent the weight of the object from being recorded and/or providing an alert to a user if determined that the footprint of the object does extend over the first or second lateral edges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Darran Michael Handshaw, Edward Barkan, Mark Drzymala
  • Patent number: 10969268
    Abstract: A weighing scale (1) for a retail store counter includes a housing (2), a load-receiving platform (3) on top of the housing, and operating components (27) enclosed therein, including a weighing cell (24). A load-transmitting mechanical connection (25) couples the weighing cell to the load-receiving platform. Analog and digital weighing electronics convert electrical weight signals of the weighing cell into digital weighing results. A touchscreen display panel (7, 22, 23) interacts with a human operator, and is configured as a layered assembly with a liquid crystal display (23), a projected capacitive (PCAP) touch screen (22) with a plurality of touch-sensing points, and a protective glass plate (21) on top of each other. The layered assembly is integrated horizontally in the load-receiving platform facing the human operator. The top surface operates as a load-receiving surface (45) a touch field keyboard (40, 41, 42, 47) and a display window (43, 46, 48).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Mettler-Toledo (Albstadt) GmbH
    Inventors: Edgar Kempf, Alexander Witt, Walter Ehresmann, Denis Huber
  • Patent number: 10891262
    Abstract: Systems and techniques for compressing shipping data are provided. Origin/destination location code pairs are arranged, compressed, and de-duplicated to provide data files that can be processed and updated efficiently regardless of the number of location codes used or updated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: QUADIENT TECHNOLOGIES FRANCE
    Inventor: Jeff Goeters
  • Patent number: 10815068
    Abstract: An automated parcel singulator includes a conveyor system, a control and monitoring system, an infeed table, and a hopper system. The hopper system stores and dispenses parcels and boxes onto the infeed table. The infeed tables singulates and moves the boxes and parcels, so that when the boxes and parcels are placed on the conveyor system they form a single line of packages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: National Presort, L.P.
    Inventor: Brent Daboub
  • Patent number: 10745039
    Abstract: Disclosed herein relates to a system, comprising: at least one load receiver mounted on a shopping cart or basket and configured to receive an item placed into the shopping cart or basket for a weighing operation; a plurality of sensors configured to detect a plurality of parameters relating to the weighing operation of the item including at least one of: a relative angle between a force sensing axis of the at least one load receiver and a direction of gravity, a motion of the shopping cart or basket, and an ambient temperature surrounding the shopping cart or basket and the at least one load receiver; and a processor configured to determine an actual weight of the item based on at least a portion of the plurality of parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: SBOT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Lin Gao, Michael Joseph Sanzari, Yilin Huang, Shiyuan Yang, Ahmed Beshry
  • Patent number: 10732907
    Abstract: A printer connectable to a weight measuring apparatus includes: a head configured to perform printing on a print medium; a controller; a memory; and an operation part. The controller executes: an identifying processing of identifying the weight measuring apparatus based on identification information; a first storing processing of storing, in the memory, first data transmitted from the weight measuring apparatus in a first loading state; a second storing processing of storing, in the memory, second data transmitted from the weight measuring apparatus in a second loading state; a data specifying processing of specifying, as weight data areas, data areas having mutually different values and included in code strings constructing the first data and the second data, respectively; and a registering processing of registering, in the memory, the identification information and the weight data areas while associating the identification information and the weight data areas with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hidekazu Ishii
  • Patent number: 10675660
    Abstract: A mail item sortation system and method that includes an external controller for culling candidate letters in a mailing job to produce groupings of letters based on industry average weights and/or thicknesses in order to place all the candidate letters going to a single address adjacent to each other, an internal controller, interfaced with the external controller, that utilizes the groupings of letters to manage multiple letter sorters, wherein a specific letter sorter is selected to pair a calculated number of pockets to accommodate the groupings with an actual number of pockets in the selected letter sorter, and a transfer process for moving letters within the letter sorter pockets to a StatementPack machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Broadridge Output Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: Marc Fagan
  • Patent number: 10679470
    Abstract: An example item carousel system is described. The system includes a terminal including a processor and a scanner. The system includes a carousel rotatably mounted to the terminal, the carousel including two or more bagging sections configured to receive bags. The system includes a motorized actuator configured to actuate rotation of the carousel relative to the terminal. The terminal is configured to read data from a machine readable identifier associated with an item using the scanner, and retrieve, using a retrieval module, item characteristics associated with the item from an item database. The terminal is configured to identify one bagging section of the two or more bagging sections of the carousel capable of receiving the item with the item characteristics, and mechanically rotate the carousel relative to the terminal with the motorized actuator such that the identified one bagging section is oriented toward a bagging area of the terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC
    Inventors: Nicholaus Adam Jones, Aaron Vasgaard, Matthew Allen Jones
  • Patent number: 10642543
    Abstract: A printer connectable to a weight measuring apparatus includes: a printing head performing printing on a print medium; and a controller. The controller performs: a data base obtaining processing of obtaining a data base having first and second fields; a template obtaining processing of obtaining a template having an input object and an output object arranged therein in a predetermined aspect; a weight data allocating processing of allocating the weight data received from the weight measuring apparatus to the input object of the template; an output value allocating processing of allocating, to the output object, an output value corresponding to the weight data and determined based on the data base; and a printing processing of performing the printing on the print medium based on the template wherein the weight data is allocated to the input object and the determined output value is allocated to the output object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hidekazu Ishii
  • Patent number: 10628954
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for verifying one or more physical metrics to verify self-checkout procedures. When checking out, a user may scan a barcode for each product and submit an image of the bag that should contain the scanned products. The image is then analyzed to calculate various dimensions that are indicative of a cumulative weight and/or volume of the scanned products. By performing such measurements, an expected range of weights and/or volumes may be calculated and associated with the bag including each of the scanned products. The scanned product barcode data may also be used to lookup information such as weight and volume of each product, and to calculate a total weight and/or volume for all scanned products. These calculated totals may be compared to the expected range of values to verify that all scanned products have been bagged, and thus authenticate the self-checkout process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: WALGREEN CO.
    Inventors: Timothy P. McCauley, Andrea Farris
  • Patent number: 10607433
    Abstract: A queuing structure leading to an event of short-term duration is formed, at least in part, by a bank of dual access lockers with one face accessible to guests on an ingress path within the queuing structure. The second and opposite face of the dual access lockers is accessible to guests on an egress path leading from an exit from the short-term event. The bank of lockers defines a wall that separates the ingress and egress paths serviced by the dual access lockers. An electronic controller identifies each guest and opens an ingress side door of an assigned locker at the ingress side of the locker bank, and again identifies the guest and opens an egress side door of the assigned locker at the egress side of the locker bank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: VLocker PTY LTD
    Inventor: Alan Maurice Danson
  • Patent number: 10540551
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for capturing color images of items for a machine-learning model. In one method, a request, for adding an item to be visually recognized during sales transactions, is detected at a checkout apparatus. Further, the method includes capturing and storing a color image, by each of one or more cameras of the checkout apparatus, of an examination space when the item is present. Further, the capturing and storing of color images of the item is repeated at different poses until at a predetermined number of color images of the item are captured. Further, the method includes generating, by a processor of the checkout apparatus, additional images of the item by modifying the captured color images. A machine-learning model for item recognition is built by training a machine-learning tool with the captured images and the additional images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Mashgin Inc.
    Inventors: Abhinai Srivastava, Mukul Dhankhar, Yong Li, Maxwell William Olson
  • Patent number: 10539454
    Abstract: An optical code scanner is presented that includes a weigh scale and a least one image capture device. The image capture device captures images that are used to read optical codes presented to the optical code scanner for reading. The image capture device further captures images of the top surface of a weigh plate on the weigh scale. The optical code scanner analyzes the images of the weigh plate before performing a zero function on the weigh scale to determine if an object has been placed on or is touching the weigh plate. The zero function is only performed when no object is placed on or is touching the weigh plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventor: Michael K. Reed
  • Patent number: 10308269
    Abstract: A shopping cart with sensor system is used by customers of a retail store to collect and scan items to be purchased. The shopping cart with sensor system includes a shopping cart and a shopping cart sensor system. Items to be purchased are placed in the shopping cart, where they are automatically scanned by the sensor system. The shopping cart sensor system includes a frame and a sensor coupled to the frame. The frame rotates with respect to the shopping cart so that the sensor can collect product information from items in the shopping cart. A first and a second light bar and a microcomputer are also coupled to the frame. The product information is used to ring up the items a customer wishes to purchase, so the customer does not have to visit a checkout station to have their items rung up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: WALMART APOLLO, LLC
    Inventors: Yurgis Mauro Bacallao, Joshua David Osmon
  • Patent number: 10297133
    Abstract: Among other things, there is disclosed a system for notifying a user of mailbox activity. A transmitter module and a receiver module are linked together so that when the transmitter module senses the opening of the mailbox, a signal is transmitted to the receiver module. A portion of the receiver module changes color and a sound is emitted to indicate mailbox activity. The receiver module is connected via the internet to a cloud server, which is connected to a user's smart device, so that a notification of mailbox activity is sent to the smart device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Inventors: Bart Waclawik, Elizabeth Waclawik
  • Patent number: 10286939
    Abstract: Disclosed is a shopping cart with a scanner system that is used by customers of a retail store to collect and scan items to be purchased. The shopping cart with scanner system includes a shopping cart, a scanner support structure, and a scanner. Items to be purchased are placed in the shopping cart, where they are automatically scanned by the scanner system. The scanner support structure includes a base bar, an extension bar, and a scanner support bar. The base bar and extension bar are coupled to each other and to a shopping basket of the shopping cart. The scanner support bar holds the scanner and related electronic devices, and is supported above the shopping cart basket by the base bar and the extension bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: WALMART APOLLO, LLC
    Inventors: Yurgis Mauro Bacallao, Natalie L. Scott
  • Patent number: 10275735
    Abstract: A sales data processing apparatus comprises a control module which switches between a first mode for enabling a reading section, which reads a three-dimensional shape of an article and a two-dimensional image of the article, to read the three-dimensional shape of the article and a second mode for reading the two-dimensional image of the article; a calculation module which calculates a delivery charge of the article based on the three-dimensional shape of the article read in the first mode and a list in which the charge is determined for each volume of the article to be delivered; a registration module which registers an amount of the article contained in the two-dimensional image based on the two-dimensional image read in the second mode; and a first display control module which displays the delivery charge calculated by the calculation module or the amount registered by the registration module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Daisuke Miyagi
  • Patent number: 10249127
    Abstract: A pay-per-use receptacle, suitable for use in an attended or unattended manner, especially at a trash or waste disposal facility. The receptacle is a generally box-like enclosure, having a payment terminal for receiving a payment and an access door on the front surface for receiving a bag of material (such as trash) after a payment is made. The bag of material is placed on a generally horizontal surface of a rotatable bin, positioned immediately inside the access door. Upon closing the access door, the rotatable bin rotates, thereby moving the deposited bag to a discharge position above a chute guide. The bag is urged from the rotatable bin by the motion of the bin and gravity, and falls downwardly and outwardly through an opening in the rear of the receptacle, into an external bin, dumpster, or compactor. Also disclosed is an ornamental design for a pay-per-use receptacle, and a process for controlling the operations thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: GUMPSTERS, LLLP
    Inventor: Kim Harold Herron
  • Patent number: 10228276
    Abstract: The invention discloses a glass body scale, the scale comprising: a glass panel, where a support leg assembly is mounted beneath the glass panel, and a metering display component is mounted at one side of the glass panel; the glass panel is provided with a hole or holes, and a support leg of the support leg assembly is inserted into the hole or one hole, so that the glass panel is sleeved on the support leg by using the hole. The present invention has the advantages of simple structure, which results in convenient assemble, firmer installation, and implementation of an ultrathin appearance with thickness of less than 10 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: GUANGDONG ONE TWO THREE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yang Zhao
  • Patent number: 10171790
    Abstract: An image capture method performed by a depth sensor includes; emitting a first source signal having a first amplitude towards a scene, and thereafter emitting a second source signal having a second amplitude different from the first amplitude towards the scene, capturing a first image in response to the first source signal and capturing a second image in response to the second source signal, and interpolating the first and second images to generate a final image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyung Il Kim, Dong Wook Kwon, Min Ho Kim, Gi Sang Lee, Sang Bo Lee, Jin Kyung Lee, Young Gu Jin, Jin Wuk Choi
  • Patent number: 10145955
    Abstract: Described herein are methods and systems for processing point-cloud data with a line scanner. One embodiment takes the form of a method that includes: receiving a 3D point cloud that is representative of an object; using one or more line scanners to identify one or more respective outer bounds of the object; and dimensioning the object based on points in the point cloud, wherein each of the points in the point cloud that are used for dimensioning the object is at or inside every identified outer bound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Symbol Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Charles B. Swope, Richard Mark Clayton
  • Patent number: 10089614
    Abstract: A checkout system includes a checkout station having a housing, an attendant work station, a customer unloading station and an exceptions processing subsystem. A point-of-sale system has a microprocessor and memory operatively associated with one another to identify products being purchased, payments tendered therefor and to store transaction information locally at the checkout station or remotely from the checkout station. The microprocessor has programming configured to allow an item to be scanned by a product identification scanner and in communication with the exceptions processing subsystem. The attendant work station may include an exceptions handling display: Check out methods and apparatus are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: ECR Software Corporation
    Inventors: Peter Terry Catoe, Mark Noble, John White, Burt Aycock, Claire McRoberts, Joe Jensen
  • Patent number: 9995569
    Abstract: A six-degree-of-freedom displacement measurement method for an exposure region on a wafer stage, the wafer stage comprises a coil array and a movable platform. A planar grating is fixed below a permanent magnet array of the movable platform. A reading head is fixed in a gap of the coil array. A measurement region is formed on the planar grating by an incident measurement light beam of the reading head. The reading head measures the six-degree-of-freedom displacement of the measurement region, so that the six-degree-of-freedom displacement of the exposure region is obtained through calculation. In the method, the six-degree-of-freedom displacement of the exposure region at any time is measured; the measurement complexity is reduced and the measurement precision is improved, and especially, the six-degree-of-freedom displacement of the exposure region can be precisely measured at any time even if the movable platform has high flexibility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignees: TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY, BEIJING U-PRECISION TECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yu Zhu, Ming Zhang, Anlin Chen, Rong Cheng, Kaiming Yang, Feng Liu, Yujing Song, Fan Zhi, Jinchun Hu, Dengfeng Xu, Haihua Mu, Chuxiong Hu
  • Patent number: 9928695
    Abstract: A register system includes an image capturing device set to capture images of a checkout space of a retailer, a first register disposed in the checkout space, and configured to scan product codes of products and generate checkout information based on the scanned product codes, a second register in communication with the first register, disposed in the checkout space separately from the first register, and configured to carry out payment processing, and a server in communication with the first and second registers. The server is configured to process the images captured by the image capturing device to transmit the checkout information collected by the first register to the second register upon detecting movement of a person in the images from the first register to the second register.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Toshiba TEC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kentaro Hamada
  • Patent number: 9834027
    Abstract: A method for the production of a print job by sequential or quasi-sequential digital printing includes forming at least one stack including signatures, print sheets and/or individual sheets produced by the digital printing. Components of the stack are transferred at least to a book-related printed product by means of at least one additional processing. The formation of the stack and the components thereof is carried out by means of production-related data or data sets which, by means of at least one workflow system, firstly select a specific sequence of individual book-related printed products made of the stack, and which secondly control a layout of the individual main printed products having same or different thicknesses and/or formats and/or having same or individual contents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: MUELLER MARTINI HOLDING AG
    Inventors: Markus Bracher, Daniel Lutziger, Markus Schluep, Stefan Bulgheroni, Roland Rotach
  • Patent number: 9808184
    Abstract: To provide a motor function evaluation device and a motor function evaluation method capable of evaluating a motor function of a subject comprehensively and easily. A motor function evaluation device 1 of the present invention includes a measurement base 11, a load measurement unit 14 that measures load change over time of the subject applied to the measurement base 11, and an arithmetic unit 24 that determines a balance ability indicator of the subject determined by the load change over time measured by the load measurement unit 14. The arithmetic unit 24 determines the balance ability indicator from a time interval from when the subject stands up and the load applied to the load measurement unit 14 is maximized until when the load variation is stabilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: TANITA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshio Sakai, Tomoko Takehara, Tomohiro Okura, Taishi Tsuji
  • Patent number: 9804018
    Abstract: A luggage cart weighing apparatus includes a luggage platform, a plurality of wheels for supporting the platform, one or more weight measuring devices, and a user interface. The one or more weight measuring devices are disposed intermediate the second surface of the platform and at least one wheel of the plurality of wheels. The user interface is disposed adjacent the platform. The user interface is in electrical communication with the one or more weight measuring devices for providing information concerning a weight of one or more items loaded onto the platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Inventor: Steven Richard Muccillo
  • Patent number: 9799023
    Abstract: A point-of-sale self-checkout terminal includes a code reader device for automated entry of a product identification code present on items for purchase and a customer input device for receipt of data from a customer. A customer can initiate a purchase of a non-scannable item and, in response, a database is queried to identify items based on a prediction of purchase of the items, and the identified items are displayed for selection by the customer to purchase the item. Image processing and voice processing, can also be implemented to assist customers with the purchase of non-scannable items.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: FUJITSU AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Eric L. L. Jacobs
  • Patent number: 9696944
    Abstract: A storage system includes a plurality of vdisks, with each vdisk containing a plurality of storage segments, and each segment providing a specific class of service (CoS). Each vdisk stores files with data and meta data distributed among its storage segments. A storage system includes a memory having multiple classes of service. The system includes an interface for storing a file as blocks of data associated with a class of service in the memory. The interface chooses the class of service for a block on a block by block basis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Avere Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael L. Kazar
  • Patent number: 9621868
    Abstract: An image capture method performed by a depth sensor includes; emitting a first source signal having a first amplitude towards a scene, and thereafter emitting a second source signal having a second amplitude different from the first amplitude towards the scene, capturing a first image in response to the first source signal and capturing a second image in response to the second source signal, and interpolating the first and second images to generate a final image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyung Il Kim, Dong Wook Kwon, Min-Ho Kim, Gi-Sang Lee, Sang Bo Lee, Jin Kyung Lee, Young Gu Jin, Jin Wuk Choi
  • Patent number: 9582793
    Abstract: A method for conducting a purchase transaction using a wireless communication device, includes: receiving from a mobile application module executing on a wireless communication device instructions to initiate a purchase transaction by a server application; verifying and authorizing the mobile application module by the server application; receiving from the mobile application module identification information about an item to be purchased to the server application; retrieving via the server application at least one of price and product information based on the identification information; and completing the purchase transaction by automatically electronically debiting a user account.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: CERTEFI, INC.
    Inventor: Peter John Bostwick
  • Patent number: 9569765
    Abstract: A plurality of items is positioned in a volume scanned by a three-dimensional non-optical imaging system. The imaging system generates a three-dimensional voxel image of the volume. Voxel regions are identified and surfaces of voxel regions are analyzed to identify a symbol printed thereon. The symbols are resolved into product identifiers, which are then added to a transaction and payment for the transaction is processed. The imaging system may be a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, computed tomography (CT) scanning system, terahertz (T wave) imaging system, or other imaging system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: WAL-MART STORES, INC.
    Inventors: Richard Neil Cancro, Joel Bennett Acker, Jr., Douglas James Pedley
  • Patent number: 9528813
    Abstract: Apparatus, methods and systems for obtaining one or more dimensions of an object employing, at least in part, touch sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Quantronix, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert L. Kennington, Brandon M. Taylor, Eve A. Carlsruh