POS Terminal Mirrors for Item Recognition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Point-of-sale (POS) terminals with a single camera provide limited item recognition rates due to obscured views, and adding multiple cameras is costly, hindering customer throughput and experience.
Innovation Solution
A POS terminal design incorporating a visual sensor with a predefined field of view and strategically placed mirrors around a scan zone to provide multiple views of items within the scan zone, allowing for enhanced item recognition through image analysis by computer processors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple cameras are added to the POS terminal to improve item recognition rate, then the item recognition rate increases, but the cost increases prohibitively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces mirrors as intermediary elements to redirect light paths from the scan zone to the single camera. The mirrors act as mediators that enable the camera to view areas that would otherwise be obscured, effectively multiplying the viewing capacity without adding more cameras. This resolves the contradiction by achieving multiple views (improving recognition rate) through optical intermediaries rather than expensive hardware multiplication.
Solution Approach 2:
The mirrors create optical copies or reflections of the scan zone from different angles, allowing a single camera to capture multiple perspectives simultaneously. Instead of using multiple physical cameras (expensive), the system uses mirrors to generate virtual copies of the viewing areas, achieving the same functional effect at lower cost.
2Device complexity
If a single camera is used in the POS terminal, then the cost is reduced, but the item recognition rate becomes limited due to obscured views
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds spatial dimensions to the viewing capability by strategically positioning mirrors at different locations and angles around the scan zone. This allows a single camera to capture top views, lateral views, and angled views that would require multiple cameras positioned at different heights and angles. The mirrors extend the effective field of view into additional spatial dimensions without adding hardware complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Mirrors serve as optical intermediaries that bridge the gap between the single camera's limited direct line of sight and the multiple obscured areas in the scan zone. By reflecting light from obscured regions into the camera's field of view, the mirrors enable comprehensive item recognition while maintaining system simplicity and low cost.
3Reliability
If mirrors are added to provide multiple views, then the item recognition rate increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than adding complex multi-camera systems with multiple processors and synchronization mechanisms, the patent uses simple mirror reflections to create multiple views. The optical copying effect of mirrors is inherently simple to implement compared to electronic image duplication from multiple sensors, thereby improving recognition rate while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
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
The solution significantly increases item recognition rates, improving customer throughput and experience by enabling multiple views of items, even when partially obscured, without the need for multiple cameras, thus reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
one or more mirrors disposed near the surface. The one or more mirrors are arranged around the scan zone to provide at least a second view of the scan zone within the first field of view
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments include a method and associated point-of-sale (POS) terminals. The method comprises receiving a receptacle into a stationary position within a scan zone arranged proximately to a surface. The receptacle contains one or more items. The method further comprises acquiring, using a first visual sensor having a predefined disposition relative to the surface, first image information that includes a first view and at least a second view of the scan zone. The second view is provided via a first mirror of one or more mirrors disposed near the surface and arranged around the scan zone. The second view includes a view of the one or more items relative to a surface of the receptacle. The method further comprises identifying, using image analysis of the first image information, the one or more items.