Patent ID: 8136727

Claim:
A produce weighing scale in a produce section which is remote from a store exit section of a retail grocery store, the produce weighing scale comprising: a base; a weighing platform disposed on the base; a touchscreen arranged to enable a retail customer in the produce section of the retail grocery store to enter produce data associated with a produce item and to view display screens which contains instructions to operate the produce weighing scale; an actuatable picture camera positioned over the weighing platform and for, when actuated, capturing at least a partial electronic picture of a produce item which has been placed on the weighing platform; and electronic control circuitry including (i) a communications circuit which can electronically communicate over a store communications network with a communications circuit of a self-service checkout pay station in the store exit section of the retail grocery store, and (ii) an electronic processor which is arranged to provide an actuation signal to actuate the picture camera to capture at least a partial electronic picture of a produce item which has been placed by a retail customer on the weighing platform, and display a barcode chit on the touchscreen to allow a retail customer to self-scan the displayed barcode chit without having to print the barcode chit.