School food and beverage recognition and processing system

A self-checkout system for school meals in a reimbursable school meal program, comprising:

• a frame configured to mount to a school meal line, the frame extending a width from a first side of the self-checkout system to a second side of the self-checkout system, the frame extending a frame height from a base surface of the frame to an upper surface of the frame;
• a support arm attached to the upper surface of the frame and extending an arm height from the upper surface of the frame in a direction away from the base surface of the frame;
• a head unit attached to the support arm, the head unit comprising:
• a forward image sensor arranged at least partially inside the head unit;
• and
• a downward image sensor arranged at least partially inside the head unit, wherein the forward image sensor and the downward image sensor are each disposed on a front side of the head unit, wherein the forward image sensor comprises a first field of view comprising a lower height limit and an upper height limit measured from a floor, wherein the downward image sensor comprises a second field of view that encompasses a tray viewing area arranged below the lower height limit, and wherein the tray viewing area is arranged adjacent the base surface of the frame;
• a tray detection sensor comprising a sensing area within the tray viewing area;
• a processor;
• and
• a memory coupled with and readable by the processor and storing therein instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
• detect when a tray enters the sensing area within the tray viewing area;
• in response to detecting when the tray enters the sensing area;
• activate the forward image sensor to capture an image of a user associated with the tray within the first field of view;
• and
• activate the downward image sensor to capture an image of the tray within the tray viewing area;
• identify, based on the image of the user, the user associated with the tray;
• retrieve menu information for items available to the user on the date and time at which the image of the tray was captured;
• identify, based on the image of the tray and the menu information, items present on the tray as among the items available to the user on the date and time at which the image of the tray was captured;
• and
• determine whether the items identified as being present on the tray constitute a school meal eligible for reimbursement according to meal qualification rules of the reimbursable school meal program.