Patent ID: 6434257
Filing Date: 2002-08-13
Classification: G01B,G01G,G06T,G07G

Abstract:
A method for determining price of a commodity, said method comprising the of:scanning at least one target object, said target objects being commodities of a same variety, or type, wherein a visual input device is used for receiving a scanned scene image, the scene image including the image of the at least one target object and a background image; determining size characteristics associated with said at least one target object; calculating, by an automated system, a price for said at least one target object, said calculation using the determined size characteristics and priced data to determine a calculated price; and providing a user with the calculated price, said calculated price is displayed on an interactive output device, wherein said user interacts with the interactive output device to assist in decision making or to train the automated system to recognize new target object characteristics, such as size, or to input price data associated with the target object commodity type, and wherein the step of determining size characteristics associated with said at least one target object further comprises the steps of determining a boundary of an image of a target object, the boundary being a plurality of transition points between the target object image and a background image; determining a plurality of intermediate sizes of the target object, each of said intermediate sizes determined from three of said transition points on the boundary of the target object, and an image point of the target object, and each of said intermediate sizes being along a substantially same direction with respect to a predetermined scan direction, and determining a size of the target object from said plurality of determined intermediate sizes.