Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Status of Claims
Applicant’s submission filed 8/14/25 has been entered. Claims 1 - 20 are presented for examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 8/14/25 has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 16, 18, 19, 20, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bhatia et al. (US 20210179159 A1), in view of Morgan et al. (US 20230169577 A1), in further view of Masuko et al. (US 20120310773 A1).
Re-claims 1, 2, Bhatia et al. teach -- A point-of-sale (POS) system installed in a store, comprising:
--a camera attachable to a shopping cart; and
(see e.g. [0085] a supermarket trolley according to the invention essentially comprising a base 2 and a basket container 3.
[0096] A handle assembly coupled to the basket and/or the chassis, wherein the handle assembly includes (i) a handle configured to be gripped by a person manually maneuvering the shopping trolley and (ii) one or more optical sensors;
[0098] The invention is to wherein: the one or more optical sensors are cameras;
--a POS terminal attachable to the shopping cart and including:
(see e.g. Claim 6 -and wherein at least a portion of the processing unit is integrated within the handle assembly component.
an interface connectable to the camera,
a storage device that stores dictionary data in which items sold in the store are associated with feature values of images of the items,
(see e.g. [0097] accessing a database of codes corresponding to different item types.)
a display device with a touch panel, and
(see e.g. Claim 5 --the display screen is mounted on the basket's handle which will display all the items finally rested in the basket with their respective price.
[0113] On the trolley screen, customers can search any product, sections, etc, as per their needs via audio voice search or writing on search section.
[0114] Trolley display can popup search results in the form of audio or visuals.)
a processor configured to:
generate transaction data and store the transaction data in the storage device,
(see e.g. [0105] 7. Scan—Scan the item barcode, and simply add it to the shopping cart.
control the camera to capture an image, --execute an image recognition process to determine a feature value of an item appearing in the image and search the dictionary data for one or more candidate items,
(see e.g. [0060] 8. The other objective of the proposed invention idea is to wherein the one or more optical sensors are visual code scanners and cameras, positioned to scan the items as the items enter the basket. The first electronic signals include: signals indicative of reflected light and digital images, respectively. The processing unit is configured to facilitate the classification of the items, processing the signals, accessing a database of codes and processing of digital images using an object recognition technique or machine learning model or machine learning model.
[0097] The invention is to wherein at least one of the one or more optical sensors is positioned to scan the items as the items enter the basket. The invention is to wherein: the one or more optical sensors are visual code scanners; the first electronic signals include signals indicative of reflected light; and the processing unit is configured to facilitate classification of the items at least in part by (i) processing the signals indicative of reflected light to decode visual codes on packaging of the items, and (ii) accessing a database of codes corresponding to different item types.
[0072] hence it easily scanned and automatically enlist and verifying the item type on the basis of information fetched from the data server before generating the bill and execute the swift and secure digital payment procedure.
when one candidate item is recognized through the recognition process, register the candidate item as a transaction item in the transaction data, and
(see e.g.[0115] Further steps, customers will scan the selected item and place it in the basket. With the help of few electronic signals, it is confirmed that a given item is associated with only a single item type.)
Bathia et al. do not explicitly teach the following limitations.
However, Morgan et al. teach --when multiple candidate items are recognized through the recognition process,
upon receipt of an operation via the touch panel, control the display device to display a selection screen through which one of the candidate items is selectable, and
(see e.g. [0030] In a directly connected session, session agent 128 samples features of the item image and sends the features over connection 140 to item recognizer 114. Item recognizer 114 scores the features and matches to candidate items, when a score of a candidate item is above a predefined threshold, item recognizer 114 returns the candidate item's code to transaction manager 113 and transaction manager 113 provides to transaction manager 129. Transaction manager 129 displays the item name and image within the AR lenses/display of glasses 120 to the customer. When none of the candidate items for the features of the item image are above the predefined threshold, a top N number of item identifiers for the candidate items are provided by recognizer 114 to manager 113. Manager 113 provides to manager 129 and the candidate item images and descriptions are rendered within the AR lenses/display for selection by the customer. The customer may select one of the candidate item images through input identified by HID manager 127. For example, a thumbs up placed in front of a displayed candidate item image is interpreted as a user selection for the item code associated with the candidate item image. Each candidate item image may be presented sequentially to the customer within the AR lenses/display and browsed by the customer swiping a hand to the right or left within the field of view of front facing camera 122 to see a previously presented candidate item image (swipe right) or see a next candidate item image (swipe left).
[0031] Some items may not be able to be completely recognized based on the captured item image. For example, different flavors of a brand-name drink, in such cases item recognizer 114 provides the different subcategories (flavors) for manager 113 and the user is presented the choices via the AR lenses/display for selection via HID manager 127.)
(see also [0023] System 100 initially detects a connection request to cloud/server 110 for a transaction session associated with a customer's shopping trip to a store of a given retailer. Detection can occur or can be requested in a variety of manners.
[0029] During the transaction session, when a customer desires to purchase an item, the customer picks the item off a shelf and places it within the field of view of front facing camera 122.)
-register the selected item as the transaction item in the transaction data.
(see e.g. [0032] When an item is recorded for the transaction session through automatic recognition or through user-selection via HID manager 127, the item code for the selected item is stored in a virtual cart being maintained for the shopping trip and the transaction session by transaction manager 113 for the customer. )
2. The POS system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to: store the captured image in the storage device in association with the candidate items, and control the display device to display the stored image in the selection screen.
(see e.g. [0030] -- Item recognizer 114 scores the features and matches to candidate items, when a score of a candidate item is above a predefined threshold, item recognizer 114 returns the candidate item's code to transaction manager 113 and transaction manager 113 provides to transaction manager 129. Transaction manager 129 displays the item name and image within the AR lenses/display of glasses 120 to the customer.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Bhatia et al., and include the steps cited above, as taught by Morgan et al., as a way to improve scans (see e.g. [0006]).
Bathia et al., in view of Morgan et al., do not explicitly teach the following limitation as claimed.
However, Masuko et al. teach --determine the item appearing in the image as a pending item, and associate the candidate items with the pending item, and
(see e.g. [0102] For example, a product corresponding to the product image 41 is registered in the to-purchase list, ---the system control unit 14 of the shopping server 10 registers a product associated with the product image 41 in the to-purchase list such as a shopping cart when the display area of the image object 30 and the display area of the product image 41 which is an example of product related information overlap as illustrated in FIG. 8,
[0115] if the product is registered in a to-purchase list or a procedure proceeds to a product purchase procedure, a user's operation is facilitated and a dramatic expression for the user is increased, so that it is possible to improve user's convenience and promote sales of the product for the user. (see e.g. [0115])
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Bathia et al., in view of Morgan et al., and include the steps cited above, as taught by Masuko et al., in order to visually recognize a product which the user is purchasing. (see e.g. [0133]).
Re-claim 5, Bathi et al. teach --The POS system according to claim 1, wherein the camera is positioned to capture an image of a space on the shopping cart for a shopping basket to be placed, and the processor is configured to determine whether an item is placed in the shopping cart based on the captured image.
(see e.g. claim 5. The smart trolley according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to trigger an audible signal and blow the LED light (red or Green color) when, for a given item being placed in the basket, the processing of the first electronic signals and the second electronic signals indicates that the given item is associated with only a single item type, wherein at least one of the two or more wheel assemblies includes a respective additional optical sensor positioned to scan items within the basket, and when items are successfully classified and included in the items list display at the display screen then green light will be blown otherwise Red LED will be blown).
Re-claim 6, Bathi et al. teach --The POS system according to claim 5, wherein the camera is attachable to a handle of the shopping cart.
(see e.g. [0085] a supermarket trolley according to the invention essentially comprising a base 2 and a basket container 3.
[0096] A handle assembly coupled to the basket and/or the chassis, wherein the handle assembly includes (i) a handle configured to be gripped by a person manually maneuvering the shopping trolley and (ii) one or more optical sensors;
[0098] The invention is to wherein: the one or more optical sensors are cameras).
.Re-claim 8, Bathia et al. teach ---The POS system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to: determine whether a capture timing has arrived, and upon determining that the capture timing has arrived, control the camera to capture an image.
[0060] The other objective of the proposed invention idea is to wherein the one or more optical sensors are visual code scanners and cameras, positioned to scan the items as the items enter the basket.)
Re-claim 9 , Bathia et al., do not explicitly teach the following limitation as claimed.
However, Morgan et al. teach --The POS system according to claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to execute the image recognition process to find one or more items with similarity scores greater than or equal to a threshold value and determine the found one or more items as one or more candidate items.
(see e.g. [0030] In a directly connected session, session agent 128 samples features of the item image and sends the features over connection 140 to item recognizer 114. Item recognizer 114 scores the features and matches to candidate items, when a score of a candidate item is above a predefined threshold, item recognizer 114 returns the candidate item's code to transaction manager 113 and transaction manager 113 provides to transaction manager 129. Transaction manager 129 displays the item name and image within the AR lenses/display of glasses 120 to the customer. )
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Bhatia et al., and include the steps cited above, as taught by Morgan et al., to determine the item identifiers. (see e.g. [0030]).
Claim 11 recites similar limitations as claim 1 and is therefore rejected under the same arts and rationale.
Claim 12 recites similar limitations as claim 2 and is therefore rejected under the same arts and rationale.
Claim 16 recites similar limitations as claim 6 and is therefore rejected under the same arts and rationale.
Claim 18 recites similar limitations as claim 8 and is therefore rejected under the same arts and rationale.
Claim 19 recites similar limitations as claim 9 and is therefore rejected under the same arts and rationale.
Claim 20 recites similar limitations as claim 1 and is therefore rejected under the same arts and rationale.
Claims 3, 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bhatia et al. (US 20210179159 A1), in view of Morgan et al. (US 20230169577 A1), in further view of Masuko et al. (US 20120310773 A1), in further view of Crooks (US 20210097514 A1).
Re-claim 3, Bathia et al., in view of Morgan et al., in view of , Masuko et al., do not explicitly teach the following limitation as claimed.
However, Crooks teaches -----The POS system according to claim 1, further comprising: a payment machine, wherein the processor is configured to: upon receipt of an input of a request for executing a payment process through the touch panel, determine whether any pending item remains, and upon determining that no pending item remains, issue a request to the payment machine to perform the payment process.
(see e.g. 0069] At 440, the self-shopping produce identifier and verifier processes a payment for the shopping cart on or at a payment terminal when 420 and verification was successful for each produce item in a list of produce items or for a single produce item associated with the shopping cart.
Claim 12 --verify each produce item based on the image information, and flag discrepancies for produce item identifiers in the shopping cart; wherein the payment terminal is configured to: process payment for the shopping cart and block any attempted payment for the shopping cart that has been flagged with discrepancies by the weigh terminal for intervention of the transaction;
[0007] The transaction is flagged for intervention during checkout when verification is unsuccessful.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Bathia et al., in view of Morgan et al., in view of Masuko et al., and include the steps cited above, as taught by Crooks, in order to provide more efficient checkout processes (see e.g. [0017]).
Claim 13 recites similar limitations as claim 3 and is therefore rejected under the same arts and rationale.
Claims 4, 14, 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bhatia et al. (US 20210179159 A1), in view of Morgan et al. (US 20230169577 A1), in further view of Masuko et al. (US 20120310773 A1), in further view of MEIDAR et al. (US 20220198550 A1).
Re-claim 4, Bathia et al., in view of Morgan et al., in view of , Masuko et al., do not explicitly teach the following limitation as claimed.
However, MEIDAR et al. teach --The POS system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to, when no candidate item is recognized through the recognition process, control the display device to display a screen including the captured image and requesting to capture another image using the camera.
(see e.g. [0084] If the scanned product doesn't match in weight 305 and/or is not included 316 in the visual candidate list the system may label this insertion as a failed-verification 312. Failed product insertion verifications can be followed by various notifications to the customer and the store operators. Example of such notifications include [0085] request the user to re-scan 314 the newly inserted product by an audio and or video messaging [0086] Presenting instruction to the user on how to use the AIC [0087] Request the user to present the product wrap to one or more of the imaging modules in the AIC [0088] Notify the store operators that the basket may contain items that were not properly verified.)
15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: determining whether an item is placed in the shopping cart based on the captured image, wherein the camera is positioned to face a space on the shopping cart for a shopping basket to be placed.
(see e.g. [0040] Since the products placed in basket/bag 107 remain static, imaging module set 104i can be configured to capture images using a low frame rate (for example, between about 1 frames per second (fps) and about 45 fps, or between about 5 fps and about 33 fps, for example, between about 10 fps and about 22 fps), and still provide high-resolution data that can be used for extracting information of a newly inserted product. As illustrated, imaging module set 104i. in the context of the AIC, are termed and referred to by “Basket Camera” throughout this description.
[0041] Other imaging module sets (e.g., 105j, 106k) are positioned so that their field of view (FOV) can capture the product/item's image in the process of being inserted (removed) to (from) the shopping-basket (bag) (i.e. during its placement/bagging in the basket/bag 107) and also to capture the shopper's actions while scanning the product prior to its placement/bagging in the basket/bag or the shoppers interaction with the operating region. Imaging module set 106k (e.g., RGB cameras), will typically capture top 101 of the cart's (SSCR point of bagging) 100 basket/bag 107 and can also be adapted to provide visual information on a newly inserted (removed) products when the cart/bag is full. Imaging module set 106k is referred to, in the context of the AIC, as “horizontal-cameras” throughout this description. “Horizontal cameras” 106k can therefore be configured to work in higher frame rate. High frame rate (e.g., >30 fps) is needed in an exemplary implementation to capture a clear image of the product while in motion. In an extreme scenario, the product can be thrown into the basket/bag resulting a fast free-fall motion into the shopping basket/bag 107. The frame-rate and exposure time (e.g., less than 33 ms, depending on intrinsic camera parameters and external lighting in the immediate surrounding) of the various cameras, comprising the imaging module sets, are configured to produce high quality images even under such fast product and/or AIC motion dynamics.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Bathia et al., in view of Morgan et al., in view of Masuko et al., and include the steps cited above, as taught by MEIDAR et al., because it is contemplated that to get an accurate billing, or marking/registering of the items/products in the check-out process of the AIC and/or SSCR, certain actions by the user must be ascertained properly. That is, every product inserted to the AIC and/or SSCR is properly recorded (see e.g. [0021]).
Claim 14 recites similar limitations as claim 4 and is therefore rejected under the same arts and rationale.
Claims 7, 10, 15, 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bhatia et al. (US 20210179159 A1), in view of Morgan et al. (US 20230169577 A1), in further view of Masuko et al. (US 20120310773 A1), in further view of Attia (US 20050004844 A1).
Re-claim 7, 10, Bathia et al., in view of Morgan et al., in view of , Masuko et al., do not explicitly teach the following limitation as claimed.
However, Attia teaches ---- 7. The POS system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to: generate pending data in which the pending item is associated with the candidate items, and store the pending data in the storage device, and delete the stored pending data once one of the candidate items is registered as the transaction item.
(see e.g. [0036] The user clicks on Upload and the system starts transferring data from the scanner to the application. The user is then shown the temporary shopping cart with the items that were uploaded from the scanner where the user may review the items for deletion, or modification (of quantities). Finally, the user may add these items to a list (an existing or a new one), or add the items to their dealer's cart (the Pop-Up window will be closed, an XML file with a preformatted schema will be generated and sent to the dealer website platform and the user will be taken to the dealer shopping cart). The user clicks on Clear and the system initiates the clearing of the scanner.)
10. The POS system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to, when any pending item remains, control the display device to display a screen that enables the operator to request to display the selection screen.
(see e.g. [0037] . In order to delete or modify a list, the user must select a list from the drop-down menu and then click on the appropriate button (Modify or Delete). Clicking on the Delete button will delete the list, and clicking on the Modify button will display the list for modification to the user. From here they may select sku's to delete, add skus, or edit quantities (see Manage tab). The system will provide a confirmation message in all these cases in the upper-left corner of the box.)
. Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Bathia et al., in view of Morgan et al., in view of Masuko et al., and include the steps cited above, as taught by Attia, In order to provide the user with an opportunity to review their order before they proceed to execute anything (see e.g. [0027]).
Claim 17 recites similar limitations as claim 7 and is therefore rejected under the same arts and rationale.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. --Chen (US 20210403067 A1)
-KIM et al. (US 20180101875 A1)
-Argue et al. (US 20150112832 A1)
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/LUNA CHAMPAGNE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3627
October 30, 2025