Device for determining pricing of articles.

The invention relates to a device for determining the selling price of goods, the goods offered in particular in self-service outlets, including the features of the preamble of claim 1.

The known devices of this type have for such goods, their packaging is provided with a map on which the price, for example, in a bar code, is indicated, readers for the price indicated on the map. Such maps have the disadvantage that they must be applied generally because in the cases determined by the seller prices of this and overstickering with a new map is required for a price change. For goods that have to be weighed for pricing, these known devices Scales with a keypad, whose keys each a product associated with this assignment to the user by an appropriate indication, such as a number, letter or combination of letters, is done in many cases by a picture of the goods identified. The user must select and press the appropriate button to set the load plate goods from the keypad. As a result of the software-associated one of the key price per unit weight of the electronics is thereby supplied to the identification signal. The electronics then determines the sales price, which is printed on an adhesive label or the like. A disadvantage of these scales is not only that the function of the keys is subject to wear and therefore with frequent use, recognizing the marking can be difficult if the buttons are not formed by fields of a screen. In the latter case, if the fields in an image of the associated product is imaged, an image memory can be provided, from which the required pictures can be retrieved. This, however, has the disadvantage that the correct figure may only have to be searched, leading to disturbing delays. Regardless of whether keys pressed or image fields must be touched, makes the usually required, relatively large number of keys or fields considerably finding the actuated key or to contact field, especially the allocation of goods to the individual keys are not fixed may be and therefore leads the frequently changing usually product range to that one and the same product at the time sequential different product range combinations of the same key can not always be assigned. Relatively long occupated times the scale for a single weighing process, which can lead to impatience of waiting, and operator errors therefore significantly affect the existing se advantage of self-service scales.

Further, in devices of the type mentioned, for control purposes, namely when the operator at checkout the goods has not in view, provide a video camera which is directed to the goods lying for example on a conveyor belt, and that of the video camera captured image on a monitor to reproduce, which lies at the checkout in the sight of the operator. It is therefore purely a monitoring device, which is not even identified the goods. This has to do an operator, which inevitably leads to errors. In addition, can not occur simultaneously with the identification, the price determination. This is manipulation, not excluded, for example by exchanging price labels.

The invention has for its object to provide a means for determining the selling price of goods, which makes it necessary neither the Pricing containing map on the packaging or goods still to be carried out by the customer selection of buttons or fields to identify the goods required. This object is achieved by a device having the features of claim 1.

Since the identification of each product, the basis of which prices are determined, is carried out by an automatic comparison of the goods image produced by the video camera with the goods images contained by the identifiable goods in the image memory, the activity of the customer limited to put the goods on the display surface, to which the video camera is aimed. If the goods are not even capable of providing the ID picture, you can add an identification sign or so to align the video camera that this can detect it. As such identification mark, for example, come sticker for the goods or their packaging or label, are also placed on the presentation area for goods. This identification mark may be included for example in a reservoir, which is located at the associated goods. Even if such identification characters are required in exceptional cases, is the time during which the presentation area is occupied, minimal. The number of different goods affected most insignificant identification time and affects substantially only the required amount of memory from. The memory size needs therefore to be chosen, which can be significantly greater than in the known self-service scales only according to the required number of different goods. For goods that require a weighing procedure for price determination, the presentation area is advantageously formed by the load plate of a balance with a weight sensor, specify the output signals of the weight goods. The merchandise identification can take place during the weighing process.

In a preferred embodiment, at least everyone is the product of an initial identification receiving presentation area an output device, preferably allocated in the form of a display device, which announces the identified goods figuratively and / or writing and / or acoustically. The customer can then check whether the product in question has been correctly identified. To take account of this review by the customer, preferably, each of these output devices an input device to, for example, in the form of a button or voice input, which operates the customer or responsive, provided that the goods identification was correct. If an incorrect identification of the customer can be asked via the output device to bring the goods to another location. But also an automatic change in position and / or the use of at least two image of the product from different directions detected video cameras come for improving Idenitifkationmöglichkeit in question.

Usually it will be expedient to transfer the output device and means of communication of the sales price of the goods and / or the sales price per unit weight. The output device therefore preferably has a screen on which the customer to be announced information appears. In addition can be provided which provide information in audible form audio output means. Of course, could also be done exclusively acoustically the information output. In question also comes an expression of the information.

Particular advantages are offered to issue a customer identification card to each customer, on every time identification process all the relevant data is stored. Advantageously, therefore each presentation area, a reading and writing device for transmitting at least the sales price assigned to the client's identity card. By means of such customer-identity cards, the identification of the goods and the determination of the total selling price at the checkout will be greatly accelerated, even when stored on the client's identity card data not to determine the total price, but only for comparison with the at the terminal detected are used. This data acquisition at checkout preferably likewise takes place by means of a video camera, an image memory, a comparator and optionally a weight sensor.

Provided that the individual presentation areas assigned read and write devices are connected to the customer identity cards to a central computer, all this data can there be temporarily stored, so that they need to then be accessed only from the central computer when the customer to Checkout comes. Furthermore, readers may be provided with an output device, enabling the customer to any point of interest to him information, in particular the total price of the previously selected goods to query.

an internal or external is disposed reader is provided for charging the image memory or image memory preferably, by means of which, in the memory are the images of disks on which the digitized identification photos of all different goods stored readable. The memory can then be loaded and updated in a particularly simple manner and especially without knowledge. The data carriers can be, for example, be conventional plates with magnetic or optical storage of the digital signals. An external arrangement of the reader has the advantage that it can be used for multiple goods identification devices over an internal arrangement.

But one can be generated by an operator by means of the video camera, the ID photos. To increase the security ID, it is expedient in this case, by one and a single commodity to create multiple ID photos to take into account the variations normally occurring the appearances of goods.

To expedite the identification of goods, can be activated means, such as buttons, for main product groups, eg. As fruit, drinks, canned food, vegetables, non-food, provide. The customer can then the main goods group to which the goods to be identified belongs select. One can in this case provide that the identification does not begin until after the main department assigned key or the like has been operated by the customer.

In the following the invention with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing is explained in detail.

Show it<dl id="dl0001"><dt>Fig. 1</dt><dd>a schematic representation of an embodiment of the device according to the invention,</dd><dt>FIG. 2</dt><dd>a schematically illustrated side view of the instrument,</dd><dt>Fig. 3</dt><dd>a block diagram of this scale with associated equipment and modules,</dd><dt>Fig. 4</dt><dd>a schematically illustrated a modification of the video cameras with block diagram,</dd><dt>Fig. 5</dt><dd>a schematically illustrated modification of the instrument,</dd><dt>Fig. 6</dt><dd>a schematically illustrated embodiment of a presentation area with applied goods,</dd><dt>Fig. 7</dt><dd>a schematically illustrated another embodiment of a presentation area with applied goods,</dd><dt>Fig. 8</dt><dd>an embodiment of a scale or a detection device with a handling device for the correct positioning of the product in the presentation area,</dd><dt>Fig. 9</dt><dd>a schematically illustrated presentation surface with a holding device for the support bag or the like, </dd><dt>Fig. 10</dt><dd>a schematically illustrated with a scale device for generating goods identification images.</dd></dl>

The illustrated in Fig.1 means for determining the selling price of offered in a self-service sales outlet goods has any number of self-service scales 1 that are conveniently placed wherever weight-based goods offered. The one of these self-service scales 1 is also placed at each checkout. 2 Since only one product identification is required in weight independent goods, are wherever such goods are offered, situated acquisition devices. 3 Since the goods identification of weight independent of goods may also take place on the last panel of a self-service scales, the establishment of a detection device 3 to needless usually every checkout 2. The use of a scale at the register for the identification and weight-independent merchandise even the advantage that the weight stands as an additional feature for identifying available, for example, materials with very similar appearance, but different weight, the unique identification easier. Furthermore, include, as indicated schematically in Figure 1, to the device and any number of output devices 4 for customer identity card 5 and read-write device 6 for this customer ID cards 5. The issue of a customer identification card 5 can be made dependent on that the customer has an authorization card, for example a bank card 9, he must enter into the output device 4 first. The one of these read-write device 6 is any self-service scales 1 and each sensing device 3 assigned to register the data obtained there in the customer-identity card 5 can. A reader 7 for reading the information stored on the client's identity card 5 data is provided at each checkout. In the embodiment more readers 7 are distributed in the salesroom erected. In the embodiment, a control processor 8 is also available, to which all read-write devices are connected via a data bus 6 10th Also, each output device 4 and the reading devices 7 are preferably connected via the data bus 10 to this host computer. 8

Each of the electronic self-service scales 1 has a load plate 11, on which the fabric 12, which is, for example, is a banana, is placed on the weighing operation by the customer. The weight determination is made in a known manner by means of a requirement of a load cell weighing electronics. 13

At a distance above the load plate 11, which excludes an obstruction of laying the fabric 12 on the load plate 11 and of taking away a video camera 14 is arranged as shown in FIG. 2, is connected by a tripod 15 rigidly connected to the balance housing 16 , could be connected of course, but also with the scale-bearing footprint 17th The video camera 14 is able to grasp the entire goods support surface of the load plate 11th

As Figure 3 shows, the video camera 14, an amplifier-digitizer 18 is connected downstream, which may also be incorporated in the video camera 14 and the captured image of the fabric 12 digitized. The electronics of the video camera 14, as shown in FIG. 4, be provided with a Vorvergleicher 34, to perform a pre-sorting of the next for the ID in question ID images. The final product identification is thereby substantially accelerated. Instead of the goods but could also be a sign identification, such as a to be attached on the banana or already existing label which enters the goods unmistakably distinctive image or characters are used for product identification. The digital image signals are fed to an image identification serving Comparator 19th This is also connected to a memory 20 in which in digitized form all recognizable identification images, so the images of all identifiable goods or their identification signs are included. As soon as the comparator has detected 19, with which the images contained in the memory 20 supplied by the digitizer 18 picture so far matches that you can take a physical identity, the comparator 19, which belongs to this lot identification signal to the scale electronics 13 contains this signal the information or is supplemented with information on the price per unit weight of the identified goods, which in the known self-service scales associated with the operation of the product key of the balance keyboard generated.

The from the scale electronics 13 calculable, to be paid for lying on the load plate 11 Goods 12 price may be on a disk, preferably in the form of an adhesive label, printed by a printer 21st Subsequently, then this disk, which may carry the name of the goods, their weight and the price per unit weight, output, as is usual in the known self-service scales. If this data is written into the customer Identifitätskarte 5, as is the case in the exemplary embodiment, the output of the disk could also be omitted.

In the embodiment, the scale electronics are 13 the name of the product 12, the price per unit weight, their weight and the amount to be paid in the form of digital signals to an electronic control 22 which is connected downstream of the comparator 19 and a display device 23 drives. This display device 23 includes a monitor on which the stored in the memory 20 image of the product 12, is reproduced for example, as a color image, for control purposes. Also on the monitor appear supplied by the scale electronics 13 information, so the name of the product, the price per unit weight, the weight and the amount to be paid. As Figure 1 shows, the monitor of the display device 23 is held by a planned addition to the load plate 11 stand 23 'at about eye level of the customer, so that the screen in view of the customer is located.

Does the display device 23 instead of the monitor or in addition to a speaker 24, which is preferably located within the scale housing 16, then the name of the product 12, its price per unit weight and / or weight and / or the amount to be paid can acoustically be, namely optionally one or more occasions with an adjustable volume and repetition rate.

Each display device 23 is associated with the embodiment of an input device, for example in the form of a push button or keyboard 30, so that the customer electronics can confirm that the carried goods identification and data transaction is correct. The confirmation could also acoustically. It is then a speech recognition electronics required. Should the goods identification and / or the data transaction is not correct, then the product must be placed 12 to repeat the identification in a different location.

The detection device 3 have a presentation space 25, to which the identifiable, weight independent goods 26, such as a bottle, is placed for the purpose of identification. is on the display surface 25, as in the self-service scales 1 to which the load plate 11, a video camera directed, which is how the video cameras 14 are formed and therefore provided with the same reference number. Of course, as Fig. 5 shows, also at least two video cameras 14 may be arranged spatially offset in order to obtain a better and more rapidly so that goods identifiable image. The signals of the video cameras 14 are expediently of all video cameras supplied 14 common electronics in this case. An unillustrated tripod detection unit 3 keeps any existing video camera 14 in a position in which it 26 does not impede the placing of goods on the presentation area 25th

The presentation surface 25 is designed so that falling out of the product prevents 26 and its correct positioning is facilitated. Fig. Figure 6 shows as an example the form of a trough.

Instead of manually changing the position of the goods 26, an automatic change can be provided. For this purpose, the presentation area 25, for example, as shown in Fig. 7, having a conveyor belt 40 which can form a bearing surface in the form of a trough. Furthermore, this is a handling device or robot 41 in consideration of the 26 brings the goods into the correct position on the display surface 25 (see FIG. FIG. 8).

Furthermore, the presentation area 25 may be provided with tools that facilitate rapid and reliable detection products. This may be a holding device 42 (see FIG. FIG. 9), which holds open a carrying case, so that the video camera 14 can detect the product inside the bag.

Of course, could be associated with the load plate 11 of the scales 1 such means for changing the position of the goods.

The illumination of the load plate 11 and the display surface 25 is produced expediently with at least one of the commodity 12 and 26 directed lamp 31st To speed up the recognition process can be provided this lamp 31 or lamps with color filters. It can then be pre-sorting of the products according to color. The color filtering can of course also be carried out electronically. Especially advantageous is the use of the video camera shown in Fig. 4 14 'with detection electronics. This video camera 14 'includes an electromechanical or electronic color filters 32, which is an image scanner connected upstream with digitizer 33rd A Vorvergleicher 34 compares the digitized image stored in a memory with 44 main comparative characteristics of the goods, for example, the shape (square, round, oblong, amorphous) and the color. On the Vorvergleicher 34 detection electronics follow 35 of the main features and the detection signals of the main features of generating assembly 36, which directs these signals to an interface 37th The interface 37 transmits the vordigitalisierten signals of the entire image and the detection signals for the main features of an input / output interface 38, to which also an interface 39 is connected to receive the control signals for the electronics of the video camera 14 '. 43 is in Fig. 4 the data line designated for the connection of the video camera 14 'to the associated detection electronics and control electronics.

As with the self-service scales 1 the overall picture and features' generated by the video camera 14 or 14 of them are digitized and compared with existing in an image memory 20 in digital form merchandise images and features thereof. Of course, analog signals for this comparison process can be used. The video camera 14 or 14 'of each detecting device 3 is a digitizer 18 whose output is connected to a first input of a comparator 19, to whose second input an image memory 20 is connected (see Fig. Fig. 3). The comparator 19 is a control electronics 22 downstream of which the display device 23 drives having a monitor as in the self-service scales 1, which is held by a stand in the field of view of the customer. the image of the product 26, its name, its price, and optionally other information is reproduced in the embodiment on the monitor. The display means 23 of detecting device 3 in the embodiment is also associated with an input device, for example in the form of a non-illustrated key that operates the customer, if the carried goods identification and data transaction is correct. This key can be omitted if a voice recognition electronics is present, for example, the words "Yes" and "No" recognizes. If the goods identification and / or the data transaction is incorrect, then the customer or the device provided for this change the position of the product 26 on the display surface 25. Of course, the display means of detection equipment 3 (FIG. 1) may be formed for an acoustic information output.

The images of identifiable goods or their identification signs are magnetically or optically stored in digital form on customary data carriers 27 (FIG. 2). By means of a reader 28, which is connected in the embodiment, if required, via a connecting line 29 to the memory 20, data on the disk can be read 27 in the image memory 20, first and preferably all empty memory slots are occupied, before unwanted images are overwritten , A change the range of goods, needs an operator only a library or the like, the disk 27 of the newly added goods refer to and read their images or identification mark and successively by the reading device 28 into the image memory 20th

Creating the goods to be stored ID photos can for example be using one of the scales 1, provided the keyboard 30 allows an input of the data necessary. If this is not the case, as shown in FIG. 10, to the weighing machine 1, a keyboard 30 ', respectively.

From the body responsible for drawing up the merchandise identification images is first person using the keyboard 30 or 30 'of the mode "Creating merchandise identification images" is selected, which can be referred to as a "learning process". The changeover took place in this mode can be displayed on the screen 23, on the further steps in the form of a user guidance can be displayed.

The person then places the goods at the presentation surface, ie the load plate 11, and are then to designate the goods and their price per unit weight a. this information is preferably for control purposes reproduced on the screen 23rd Finally, the captured by the video camera 14 supplies image is stored in digital form under the given name by means of a keyboard on the 30 or 30 'command entered.

Appropriately, images are created and stored to facilitate product identification later of the goods in different layers.

If, as in the embodiment, each buyer will receive a customer ID card 5, which consist for example of plastic or cardboard and are provided with a magnetic stripe to store data, the client's identity card 5 is inserted into the read-write device 6 before the goods are placed on the associated load plate 11 or presentation area 25th The amount to be paid and, where appropriate, additional information on the goods will be transferred to the client's identity card. 5 In the embodiment, also a transfer to the host computer is done 8. After completion of the goods identification and data transaction and, in the case of self-service scales 1, the weighing process the customer removes his client's identity card 5 to the read-write device. 6

Standing Readers 7 available, which is associated with an output device, in particular a monitor, then the customer can be informed about the total amount of the previously selected goods between through.

A provided on access to Checkout 2 reader 7 makes it possible to transfer the data stored in the main memory of the host computer 8, so they can be accessed from this without delay, once the customer reaches the checkout 2 and there his client's identity card 5 in the has introduced corresponding reader 7 to checkout. 2

At checkout the goods 2 are 12 and 26 placed on the load plate 11 of the standing at the cash register 2 self-service scales 1 in any order. Then, a comparison of the determined goods identification with the stored product identification and, if it is weight-based commodity prices, a weight compared to verify the price. For weight-independent commodity prices the weight comparison can be used as a further feature for goods identification. At checkout 2 thus takes place an automatic determination of the selling price using the self-service scales 1 and the video camera 14 and in the case of the issue of customer identity cards 5 full control of all data stored on the client's identity card 5 data. In case of disagreement or doubt, the cashier can decide on the basis of the display on the screen, whether the data are correct or require correction.

All mentioned in the above description as well as the removable only alone from the drawing features as other embodiments components of the invention, even if they are not highlighted and especially not mentioned in the claims.