Apparatus, system, and method for measuring light-weight purchase items

A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

• identify a purchase item conforming to a specified characteristic;
• direct a customer to place the purchase item in an auxiliary receptacle in response to the purchase item conforming to the specified characteristic;
• measure a parameter for the purchase item when placed in the auxiliary receptacle, wherein the parameter of the purchase item is measured using an auxiliary measuring device in response to the purchase item conforming to the specified characteristic and wherein a primary measuring device measures a parameter for the purchase item in response to the purchase item not conforming to the specified characteristic, wherein the auxiliary measuring device measures the parameter for the purchase item with a measurement system that is different than a measurement system used by the primary measuring device;
• and
• verify that the measured parameter for the purchase item, measured by the auxiliary measuring device in response to the purchase item conforming to the specified characteristic and measured by the primary measuring device in response to the purchase item not conforming to the specified characteristic, is substantially equivalent to an expected parameter for the purchase item.

A system to verify purchase items, the system comprising:

• an identification module that identifies a purchase item conforming to a specified characteristic;
• a security platter that cumulatively weighs purchase items;
• an auxiliary receptacle disposed on the security platter;
• a communication module that directs a customer to place the purchase item in the auxiliary receptacle in response to the purchase item conforming to the specified characteristic;
• a measurement module that measures a weight for the purchase item when placed in the auxiliary receptacle, wherein the measurement module measures the weight of the purchase item using an auxiliary measuring device in response to the purchase item conforming to the specified characteristic and wherein the security platter measures a weight for the purchase item in response to the purchase item not conforming to the specified characteristic, wherein the auxiliary measuring device is capable of measuring the weight of the purchase item with a different precision than a precision of the security platter;
• and
• a verification module configured to verify that the measured weight for the purchase item, measured by the auxiliary measuring device in response to the purchase item conforming to the specified characteristic and measured by the security platter in response to the purchase item not conforming to the specified characteristic, is substantially equivalent to an expected weight for the purchase item and to communicate a notification that the purchase item is verified.

A method for deploying computer infrastructure, comprising integrating computer-readable code into a computing system, wherein the code in combination with the computing system is capable of performing the following:

• identifying a purchase item conforming to a specified characteristic;
• directing a customer to place the purchase item in an auxiliary receptacle in response to the purchase item conforming to the specified characteristic;
• measuring a parameter for the purchase item when placed in the auxiliary receptacle, wherein the parameter of the purchase item is measured using an auxiliary measuring device in response to the purchase item conforming to the specified characteristic and wherein a primary measuring device measures a parameter for the purchase item in response to the purchase item not conforming to the specified characteristic, wherein the auxiliary measuring device measures the parameter for the purchase item with a measurement system that is different than a measurement system used by the primary measuring device;
• verifying that the measured parameter for the purchase item, measured by the auxiliary measuring device in response to the purchase item conforming to the specified characteristic and measured by the primary measuring device in response to the purchase item not conforming to the specified characteristic, is substantially equivalent to an expected parameter for the purchase item;
• and
• communicating a security notification in the response to the measured parameter not being substantially equivalent to the expected parameter.