Patent ID: 6982388

Claim:
A scale system for use by store customers in weighing food products, comprising: a weighing station for receiving items to be weighed, the weighing station having an associated mechanism for producing weight indicative signals; a controller for receiving weight indicative signals from the mechanism, the controller operable to establish a price for a weighed item based in part upon a weight indicative signal produced for that item; a detection unit for detecting a customer within an area in proximity to the weighing station; a voice module having an associated audio output device for outputting messages in an audible manner; wherein the detection unit operates to detect if the customer is within a first range of the weighing station and to detect if the customer is within a second range of the weighing station, and the voice module stores first and second messages and operates to output the first message if the customer is detected within the first range and to output the second message if the customer is detected within the second range.