Shop Scale Displaying 2D Codes for Product Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing retail scales struggle to effectively present and archive additional customer-specific information, such as ingredients and nutritional values, which becomes cumbersome on traditional receipts, especially when extensive.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a display on retail scales that shows product-specific information in plain text and 2D code, allowing customers to capture and decode this information using a mobile device, with optional encryption and personal database access for secure storage and retrieval.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If product-specific information is printed on a receipt, then the information can be provided to the customer, but the receipt becomes difficult to handle and the information is not conveniently archived
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the copying principle by transferring product information from the receipt medium to a digital format stored in a database. Instead of printing extensive information on physical receipts, the system creates a compact 2D code representation that customers can capture with their mobile devices. This digital copy enables convenient archiving and repeated access without the limitations of physical receipt space and handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dimensionality change by encoding product information into a 2D code displayed on the receipt. This transforms the information from a two-dimensional text layout (which fills the receipt) into a compact 2D graphical code that contains the same information density in a much smaller space. Customers can then access the full information through their mobile devices, effectively adding a third dimension of information access.
2Loss of information
If extensive product information is displayed on a receipt, then complete information is provided, but the receipt becomes difficult to present clearly
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a compact 2D code representation of extensive product information that fits within the limited receipt display area. This digital code serves as a compressed copy of the full information, which customers can then access in complete form through their mobile devices by scanning and decoding the code.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses 2D code encoding to pack extensive product information into a compact visual format suitable for receipt display. This dimensional transformation allows the receipt to contain a reference to complete information without physically displaying all the text, maintaining clarity while preserving information completeness through the associated digital database.
3Reliability
If product information is stored in a personal database with customer accounts, then secure storage and retrieval is enabled, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a personal database system where customer accounts serve multiple functions: storing product information, maintaining customer profiles, enabling secure access control, and facilitating information retrieval. This multi-functional approach consolidates what could be separate systems into a unified platform, managing complexity through integration rather than multiplication of components.
Data Source
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AI summary
The scale (1) has a control-and display device provided with a display (2) for displaying price and/or weight of a weighing product. A control device (4) comprises a database (41) for storing product-specific information. The control device selects the product-specific information from the database based on a product identification number. The control device displays the information as clear-text and/or image information on the display. The product-specific information is converted into two-dimensional code, which is displayed on the display. An independent claim is also included for a method for operating a retail terminal i.e. shop scale.