Patent ID: 7296737

Claim:
A shopping receptacle, having a shopping receptacle identity, for receiving and retaining a product item having an interface surface associated therewith, the interface surface having disposed thereon or therein first coded data including a plurality of coded data portions, each coded data portion being indicative of an identity of the product item and of a two-dimensional position on the interface surface, wherein the receptacle comprises: (a) a receptacle body adapted to receive and retain the product item and having an opening through which the product item may be placed within the receptacle body; (b) a sensing device having an optical sensor, said sensing device being adapted to: sense, using the optical sensor, second coded data on a user identity card, said second coded data being indicative of a user identity, sense, using the optical sensor, at least some of the first coded data on the interface surface of the product item as the product item is placed within the receptacle body, generate user identity data, and generate indicating data indicative of the identity of the product item and of a two-dimensional position on the interface surface; (c) a weighing device for sensing the weight of the product item, and generating weight data indicative of the sensed weight, the weight data; and (d) means for transferring the user identity data, the indicating data, the weight data and receptacle identity data to a computer system which: (i) determines, using the indicating data, an indicated weight of the product item in accordance with weight indications stored in a data store; (ii) compares the indicated weight to the sensed weight; and, (iii) is responsive to the comparison.