Method for preventing storage of duplicate barcode entries in an item security database

A checkout system comprising:

• a checkout terminal;
• a custom bar code template file in communication with said checkout terminal and containing a custom bar code template;
• and
• an item security database in communication with said checkout terminal and containing (i) a bar code entry for an item that varies with respect to a non-weight characteristic, and (ii) a security characteristic for the item corresponding to the bar code entry for that item;
• the checkout terminal having:
• a processor;
• a scanner in communication with said processor;
• an item security characteristic data acquisition device in communication with said processor;
• and
• memory in communication with said processor and containing processor-executable program instructions which, when executed by said processor, causes said checkout terminal to:
• scan an item to obtain a bar code data associated with the item;
• correlate the obtained bar code data to the custom bar code template in the custom bar code template file;
• alter values of a portion of the obtained bar code data in accordance with the correlated custom bar code template;
• and
• use the value altered bar code data to retrieve security characteristic data for the item from the item security database by correlating the value altered bar code data with the bar code entry in the item security database.

A method of preventing duplicate bar code entries in an item security database, comprising the steps of:

• scanning an item to obtain a bar code data from a bar code associated with the item;
• correlating the obtained bar code data to a custom bar code template stored in a custom bar code template file;
• altering values of a portion of the obtained bar code data in accordance with the correlated custom bar code template to obtain value altered bar code data;
• acquiring security characteristic data of the scanned item;
• and
• creating an altered bar code entry in an item security database correlated to the acquired security characteristic data of the scanned item.