Checkout system assembly with goods separator detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing checkout systems face reliability issues in identifying goods placed close together on a conveyor belt due to obstructed optical lines of sight and customer placement habits, leading to unreliable product recognition.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a sensor device arranged at a distance from the goods detection device to detect the presence of a goods separator, which controls the conveyor belt's movement based on the separator's position, using RFID tags or barcodes to ensure accurate detection and separation of items.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If goods are placed close together on the conveyor belt to improve customer convenience and throughput, then productivity increases, but measurement precision of goods detection deteriorates due to obstructed optical lines of sight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a goods separator as an intermediary object between adjacent goods on the conveyor belt. This separator includes a machine-readable marking that enables the scanning device to detect and process goods information even when goods are placed close together. The separator acts as a mediator that maintains detection capability while allowing high-density goods placement, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and measurement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies machine-readable markings (such as barcodes or RFID tags) to the goods separators in advance, before the goods are placed on the conveyor belt. This preliminary action ensures that the scanning device has pre-prepared detection targets to identify goods boundaries and retrieve pricing information, enabling reliable detection even when goods are densely packed, thereby maintaining measurement precision while improving productivity
2Measurement precision
If a scanning device is used to detect machine-readable markings on goods, then measurement precision of goods identification improves, but reliability deteriorates when goods obscure the optical line of sight to the marking
Solution Approach 1:
The goods separator serves as a reliable intermediary detection target that is always visible to the scanning device. By placing machine-readable markings on the separator rather than directly on the goods, the system ensures consistent detection reliability. The separator remains stationary and visible even when goods move or obscure the view, thus maintaining both measurement precision and detection reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses machine-readable markings (such as barcodes or RFID tags) on the goods separator as a copy or representation of the goods information. Instead of directly scanning the goods themselves which may be obscured, the system scans the separator's marking which contains or links to the goods pricing information, ensuring reliable detection independent of goods positioning or visibility
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances the reliability and efficiency of goods identification by allowing precise control of conveyor belt speed and movement, ensuring accurate assignment of goods to customers and reducing errors in product recognition.
Implementation Method 1
The sensor device (14) is arranged at a distance from the goods detection device (13) along the goods feed path (P1, P2) and has a sensor (140) and a detection area (141). The sensor device (14) is designed and provided to detect whether or not a goods separator (11A, 11B) is located in the detection area (141)
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 1D~1F
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to a checkout system arrangement with a conveyor belt device (10; 10`; 10") with at least one belt section (100, 101; 100`, 101`; 100", 101 ") which is used to transport goods (W1-W4 ) can be set into a feed movement along a goods feed path (P1-P3), the goods (W1-W4) being separable from one another along the goods feed path (P1-P3) by at least one goods separator (11A-11D), and a goods detection device (13 ) for detecting goods (W1-W4) transported by means of the conveyor belt device (10; 10; 10"). At least one sensor device (14) with a sensor (140) and a detection area (141) is provided along the goods feed path (P1-P3) at a distance from the goods detection device (13), the sensor device (14) being designed by means of the sensor ( 140) to detect whether the goods separator (11A-11D) is in the detection area (141). Furthermore, a control device (15) is provided, which is designed to control the feed movement of the strip section (100, 101; 100, 101 100") depending on the detection of the goods separator (11A-11D) in the detection area (141) of the sensor device (14). , 101 ") of the conveyor belt device (10; 10; 10"). In this way, an improved checkout system arrangement is provided in which the reliability of the product recognition.