| abstract |
A checkout kiosk employing a transparent touch-screen surface is provided herein. More particularly, the checkout kiosk comprises a transparent, force-sensing layer on top of a bar code reader or imaging camera. The force-sensing layer is used to capture both a weight and a weight distribution of an object placed on its surface. During operation, the touch-screen surface will be used to weigh any item and obtain a “foot print” of the item. A barcode scanner and an optional camera are provided below the touch-screen surface and will image through the touch screen in order to obtain identification information on the product. The weight, barcode scan, footprint, and image of the product may all be used to aide in identifying the product. |