Method and apparatus for separating noise from a weight signal of a self-service checkout terminal
AssigneeNCR Corporation
InventorTom Edwards
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A retail terminal and/or a method of operating a retail terminal having a first weight scale associated therewith includes the step of weighing an item by using the first weight scale. The method also includes the step of producing a first output signal dependent upon the weighing step. The first output signal includes a first weight signal and a first noise signal. Moreover, the method includes the step of estimating the first noise signal to produce an estimated first noise signal. Yet further, the method includes the step of subtracting the estimated first noise signal from the first output signal. A retail checkout terminal is also disclosed.
Claims31
A method of operating a retail terminal having a first weight scale associated therewith, said method comprising the steps of:
- using said first weight scale to produce a first output signal, said first output signal including a first weight signal and a first noise signal;
- creating a second noise signal indicative of said first noise signal;
- and
- removing said first noise signal from said first output signal with dependence upon said second noise signal.
A retail terminal, comprising:
- a first weight scale;
- a vibration-measuring device;
- a processing unit coupled to each of said first weight scale and said vibration-measuring device;
- and
- a memory device coupled to said processing unit for storing a plurality of instructions;
- wherein said processing unit executes the instructions in order to:
- (a) receive a first output signal from said first weight scale;
- (b) receive a noise signal from said vibration-measuring device;
- (c) adjust a gain of said noise signal to produce a normalized noise signal indicative of an amount of noise in said first output signal;
- (d) modify said first output signal dependent upon said noise signal, including subtracting said normalized noise signal from said first output signal.
The retail terminal 12, wherein the noise signal is indicative of the environmental vibrations.
A method of operating a retail terminal having a first weight scale associated therewith, comprising the steps of:
- weighing an item by using the first weight scale;
- wherein said first weight scale is subject to vibrations;
- producing a first output signal dependent upon said weighing step, said first output signal including a first weight signal and a first noise signal caused by the vibrations;
- providing a second weight scale subject to the vibrations;
- weighing a mass having a fixed weight by using the second weight scale;
- producing a second output signal dependent upon said weighing of said mass, said second output signal including a second weight signal and a second noise signal;
- estimating said first noise signal to be equal to the second noise signal to produce an estimated first noise signal;
- and
- subtracting said estimated first noise signal from said first output signal.
A method of operating a retail terminal having a plurality of weight-measuring scales associated therewith, said method comprising the steps of:
- using said weight-measuring scales to produce a plurality of respective first output signals, each said first output signal including a respective first weight signal and a respective first noise signal;
- providing said retail terminal with a reference weight scale;
- using said reference weight scale to produce a second output signal, said second output signal including a second weight signal and a second noise signal;
- and
- removing each said first noise signal from each said first output signal, said removing step being dependent upon said second noise signal.
A method of operating a retail terminal having a first weight scale associated therewith, wherein said retail terminal executes a security software application so as to provide security to said retail terminal during operation thereof, said method comprising the steps of:
- using said first weight scale to produce a first output signal, said first output signal including a first weight signal and a first noise signal;
- removing said first noise signal from said first output signal;
- and
- utilizing said first output signal during execution of said security software application.
A retail terminal, comprising:
- a first weight scale for producing a first output signal;
- a vibration-measuring device including a second weight scale configured for:
- (a) weighing a mass having a fixed weight;
- and
- (b) producing a second output signal dependent upon said weighing step, said second output signal including a weight signal and a noise signal;
- and
- a processing unit coupled to each of said first weight scale and said vibration-measuring device, said processing unit configured to:
- (a) receive the first output signal from said first weight scale;
- (b) receive the noise signal from said vibration-measuring device;
- and
- (c) modify said first output signal dependent upon said noise signal.
The retail terminal 25, wherein the noise signal is indicative of the environmental vibrations.
A retail terminal, comprising:
- a first weight scale;
- a takeaway belt, said first weight scale being associated with said takeaway belt;
- a vibration-measuring device;
- and
- a processing unit coupled to each of said first weight scale and said vibration-measuring device, said processing unit configured to:
- (a) receive a first output signal from said first weight scale;
- (b) receive a noise signal from said vibration-measuring device;
- and
- (c) modify said first output signal dependent upon said noise signal.
A retail terminal, comprising:
- a first weight scale;
- a vibration-measuring device including an accelerometer;
- and
- a processing unit coupled to each of said first weight scale and said vibration-measuring device, said processing unit configured to:
- (a) receive a first output signal from said first weight scale;
- (b) receive a noise signal from said vibration-measuring device;
- and
- (c) modify said first output signal dependent upon said noise signal.
A method of operating a retail terminal having a first weight scale associated therewith, comprising the steps of:
- weighing an item by using the first weight scale which is subject to vibrations resulting in a first noise signal;
- producing a first output signal dependent upon said weighing step, said first output signal including a first weight signal and the first noise signal;
- providing a second weight scale subject to the vibrations resulting in a second noise signal;
- weighing a mass having a fixed weight by using the second weight scale;
- producing a second output signal dependent upon said weighing of said mass, said second output signal including a second weight signal and the second noise signal;
- adjusting a gain of said second noise signal to produce a normalized second noise signal;
- setting said first noise signal equal to said normalized second noise signal to produce an estimated first noise signal;
- and
- subtracting said estimated first noise signal from said first output signal.
A method of operating a retail terminal having a first weight scale subject to vibrations associated therewith, comprising the steps of:
- weighing an item by using the first weight scale;
- producing a first output signal dependent upon said weighing step, said first output signal including a first weight signal and a first noise signal resulting from said vibrations;
- providing a motion sensor subject to the vibrations resulting in said first noise signal;
- producing a second noise signal by using said motion sensor;
- adjusting a gain of said second noise signal to produce a normalized second noise signal;
- setting said first noise signal equal to said normalized second noise signal to produce an estimated first noise signal;
- and
- subtracting said estimated first noise signal from said first output signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.