Patent ID: 8874472

Claim:
A point of sale transaction processing terminal comprising: a user interface for receiving user inputs relating to items presented for entry into a transaction; a produce analyzer for identifying a produce item presented for entry into a transaction, the produce analyzer being operative to inject pulsed laser light into a produce item presented for identification and detect light emitted from within the produce item in response to the injected pulsed laser light, the produce analyzer being operative to measure the light emitted over time and process the measurement of light emitted over time to generate time resolved reflectance spectroscopy absorption and scattering spectra for the produce item, the produce analyzer being operative to compare the absorption and scattering spectra for the produce item against absorption and scattering spectra of known produce items and identify the produce item if the absorption and scattering spectra match a those of a known produce item within predetermined limits, and using one or more ratios between characteristics of the spectroscopy absorption and scattering spectra for ratios relevant to the characteristics of the produce item presented to account for a presence and a thickness of skin associated with the produce item presented; and a processor for receiving the identification of the produce item from the produce analyzer and updating a transaction record with information relating to the produce item.