Device, system and method for weighing an article

A method of determining the weight of an article, the method performed in a distributed computing environment including a terminal device, a server and a weighing scale, the method comprising:

• receiving, at a terminal device, a selection of a container from a user for storing an article;
• retrieving a weight of the selected container from a first look-up table, wherein the first look-up table includes a container identifier and an associated container weight for one or more containers;
• prompting, by the terminal device, the user to place the container storing the article onto a weighing scale, the weighing scale being associated with a weighing scale identifier code, wherein the weighing scale sends a weight measurement value, corresponding to a weight present on the weighing scale, to a server, and wherein the weight measurement value is stored, or replaces a previous weight measurement value associated with the weighing scale identifier code, in a second look-up table, the second look-up table including a weighing scale identifier code and an associated weighing scale measurement value for one or more weighing scales;
• receiving the weighing scale identifier code of the weighing scale, inputted or scanned on the terminal device by the user;
• retrieving, at the server, the weight measurement value associated with the weighing scale identifier code from the second look-up table, the weight measurement value corresponding to the combined weight of the container and the article;
• and
• subsequently calculating the weight of the article from the difference between the weight of the container and the combined weight of container and the article.

A method for determining the weight of an article, performed on a terminal device, the method comprising:

• receiving, from a user, a selection of a container for storing an article;
• prompting the user to place the container storing the article onto a weighing scale, the weighing scale being associated with a weighing scale identifier code;
• receiving the weighing scale identifier code of the weighing scale, inputted or scanned by the user;
• and
• either:
• retrieving, from a second look-up table at the server, a weight measurement value associated with the weighing scale identifier code, the weight measurement value corresponding to the combined weight of the container and the article;
• retrieving a weight of the container from a first look-up table, wherein the first look-up table includes a container identifier and an associated container weight and for one or more containers;
• and
• calculating the weight of the article from the difference between the weight of the container and the combined weight of the container and the article;
• or:
• sending the selection of the container for storing the article to a server;
• sending the weighing scale identifier code of the weighing scale to the server;
• and
• receiving the weight of the article from the server, wherein the server calculates the weight of the article, by:
• retrieving, from a second look-up table at the server, a weight measurement value associated with the weighing scale identifier code, the weight measurement value corresponding to the combined weight of the container and the article,
• retrieving a weight of the container from a first look-up table, wherein the first look-up table includes a container identifier and an associated container weight and for one or more containers, and
• calculating the weight of the article from the difference between the weight of the container and the combined weight of the container and the article.

A method for determining the weight of an article, performed on a server, the method comprising:

• receiving, from a weighing scale, a weight measurement value corresponding to a weight present on the weighing scale, the weighing scale being associated with a weighing scale identifier code;
• storing, or replacing a previous weight measurement value associated with the weighing scale identifier code with, the weight measurement value in a second look-up table, the second look-up table including a weighing scale identifier code and an associated weighing scale measurement value for one or more weighing scales;
• and
• either:
• receiving, from a terminal device, a selection of a container from a user;
• retrieving a weight of the container from a first look-up table, the first look-up table including a container identifier and an associated container weight for one or more containers;
• receiving, from the terminal device, the weighing scale identifier code of the weighing scale;
• retrieving the weight measurement value associated with the weighing scale identifier code from the second look-up table, the weight measurement value corresponding to a combined weight of the container and an article;
• and
• subsequently calculating the weight of the article from the difference between the weight of the container and the combined weight of container and the article;
• or:
• receiving, from the terminal device, the weighing scale identifier code of the weighing scale;
• and
• providing, to the terminal device, the weight measurement value associated with the weighing scale identifier code from the second look-up table, the weight measurement value corresponding to a combined weight of the container and the article.

A method for determining the weight of an article, performed on a weighing scale, the method comprising:

• performing a first measurement of a weight present on a weighing area of a weighing scale to acquire a first weight measurement value;
• performing a second measurement of a weight present on the weighing area of the weighing scale to acquire a second weight measurement value;
• determining that a difference exists between the first and the second weight measurement values, corresponding to a change in the weight present on the weighing area of the weighing scale;
• and
• sending, to a server, the second weight measurement value and a weighing scale identifier code;
• wherein the weighing scale identifier code uniquely identifies the weighing scale.