Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q30/00—Commerce
  • G06Q30/04—Billing or invoicing
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q20/00—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols
  • G06Q20/04—Payment circuits
  • G06Q20/042—Payment circuits characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07G—REGISTERING THE RECEIPT OF CASH, VALUABLES, OR TOKENS
  • G07G1/00—Cash registers
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07G—REGISTERING THE RECEIPT OF CASH, VALUABLES, OR TOKENS
  • G07G1/00—Cash registers
  • G07G1/12—Cash registers electronically operated
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07G—REGISTERING THE RECEIPT OF CASH, VALUABLES, OR TOKENS
  • G07G5/00—Receipt-giving machines

Definitions

• MICR Magnetic- Ink Character Recognition
• MICR encoding of ABA bank routing transit codes have been done by check printers at the time checks are produced. MICR encoding of dollar amounts has been done by banks through manual keyput entry immediately prior to the time checks are placed in the check clearing system. The current average cost of this labor intensive MICR encoding procedure is $.04 per check.
• ATM automated teller machines
• an automatic check encoder for use with an electronic calculating cash register terminal comprising a MICR encoding printer for printing in standard MICR code a dollar amount on the face of a check together with means for controlling the MICR encoding printer with electrical signals generated by an electronic cash register and which relate to calculations performed by the cash register to automatically cause the printer to print a preselected dollar amount calculated by the electronic cash register.
• It is also an object to provide a method of automatically preparing a check for collection at a point of sale having an electronic cash register terminal comprising the steps of inserting the check into printing relationship with a MICR encoder and automatically controlling the MICR encoder to encode a dollar amount of a purchase as entered at the terminal.
• an electronic cash register of the type having a receipt printer, a keyboard and a terminal for storing and performing calculations with respect to data entries made at the keyboard together with means for automatically MICR encoding dollar amounts on checks in accordance with information from the terminal, means for storing said information concerning a plurality of checks and means for controlling the receipt printer to print at least some of the stored information.
• Still a further object is to provide a cash register with a check encoder comprising a housing, a regular ink printer within the housing, a MICR encoding printer and means for guiding a check into the housing and into preselected alignment with printing elements of the printer and MICR encoder.
• the automatic check encoder is advantageously designed for retrofitting to existing electronic cash register terminals and advantageously includes means for performing additional operations with respect to the check and the collection process.
• Electrical signals from the cash register are obtained at the junctures between the master circuit of the terminal and the receipt printer, or the output display. Alternately, the signals are obtained at the junctures between the terminal master circuit and one or more of the keyboard, photo, weight scale and other inputs.
• the signals may also be taken from a communication link between the terminal master circuit and a host computer.
• a cash register with automatic check encoder system comprising a host computer and a plurality of remote electronic cash registers with check encoders controlled thereby to automatically encode checks concerning all the checks encoded and to obtain and manipulate information from all the terminals.
• the check encoder is designed for retrofitting it with existing cash register terminals and host computers.
• releasible hand wire connections are made to retrofit existing cash register terminals with the check encoder at the locations indicated above.
• the electrical signals from the cash register terminal are detected by non-invasive means such as an electromagnetic emissions sensor.
• the check encoder is also advantageously designed to calculate the total number and dollar amount of a series of checks encoded thereby.
• the receipt printer of the cash register terminal is controlled by the check encoder to print the results of such calculations.
• check encoder Yet a further advantageous feature of the check encoder is the provision of a regular printer and means to control it to print other information on the check such as the payee, the date, time of day, account number, etc.
• Fig. 1 is a functional block diagram of the preferred embodiment of the electronic cash register with automatic check encoder of the present invention.
• Fig. 2 is a more detailed functional block diagram of the terminal master circuit, the signal coupler and the interface control circuit of Fig. 1;
• Figs. 3A and 3B are plan and side sectional views of a check encoder of the present invention illustrating the combination of a MICR and regular printer within one housing.
• a preferred embodiment of the electronic cash register terminal with automatic check encoder 4 is seen to include an electronic cash register terminal, or cash register, 6 and an automatic check encoder 8.
• the check encoder 8 is seen to comprise an interface control circuit 10 interconnected with the electronic cash register 6 through means of a signal coupler 12. Both the electronic cash register 6 and the signal coupler 12 are shown in greater detail in and will be described in reference to Fig. 2. However, briefly, the interface control circuit 10 contains electronic dynamic and static memory, a central processing unit and interface circuitry for two way communication with the remaining portion of the automatic check encoder 8 and the cash register 6.
• the remaining portion of the automatic check encoder comprises a MICR check printer, or encoder, 14, a regular printer 16, a calculator 18 and input/output, or I/O, ports 20.
• the M.ICR check encoder 14 comprises a special printer which prints with magnetic ink in standard Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) characters as adopted by the American Bankers Association as described above or any other standard machine readable code which may be adopted as a standard for automatic check processing. Examples of what such MICR encoding looks like can be found at the bottom of virtually any check drawn on a United States bank or by reference to various patents such as U.S. patents 4,201,978 of Nally or 4,358,671 of Case, discussed above. Apparatus which print MICR characters from keyboard entries are well known, and one which is controlled automatically from a character recognition computer is shown in Nally 4,201,978. Accordingly, the electronic details of such a MICR encoder form no part of this present invention, and reference should be made to these other reference ' s if further detail is desired.
• MICR Magnetic Ink Character Recognition
• the regular printer 16 is other than a special MICR encoding printer and simply prints in customary alphanumeric characters such as used with cash registers, check verification machines and other business machines.
• the MICR check encoder 14 and regular printer 16 of the present invention advantageously share a common check holder 22 and a common housing 24 which preferably also houses one or more of the other elements of automatic encoder 8.
• the MICR check encoder 14 is contained within a sub-assembly housing 22 of a housing 24 which contains all of the elements of automatic check encoder 8. Also contained within sub-assembly housing 22 is a regular printer 16 together with input printing elements 16a, 16b, 16c and 16d for respectively printing the date, the amount and the payee on the face side 26f of a check 26 and endorsement, verification, customer identifying or other information on a back side 26b of the check 26.
• customer identifying verification and other information includes one or more of the date, time, dollar amount, account number and a form with blanks for indicating the drawer's identifying information, such as credit card, telephone and drivers license numbers, and endorsement information.
• the interface control circuit 10 interfaces through its I/O ports 20 with a check verification computer.
• printer elements 16d of the regular printer 16 are also controlled to print verification information.
• the calculator 18 includes means for storing information concerning the MICR encoded checks and means for manipulating this information. Preferably, it stores the number of checks successively encoded by MICR check encoder 14, the dollar amount of each such check and a running total of the dollar amount of the stored number of checks.
• the calculator 18 performs other functions such as calculating and storing the average dollar amount and storing the totals from previous check series or shifts.
• the input/output, or I/O ports, 20 are advantageously provided for connection with other apparatus, such as a check verification system or master computer for controlling or accumulating encoded check information from a plurality of electronic cash registers with automatic check encoders 4a, 4b and 4n, Fig. 2.
• apparatus such as a check verification system or master computer for controlling or accumulating encoded check information from a plurality of electronic cash registers with automatic check encoders 4a, 4b and 4n, Fig. 2.
• the electronic cash register terminal 6 is seen to include a master terminal circuit 28 interconnected with a keyboard input device 30 and a bar code reader or other photo input device 32 provided for receiving item price information and providing it to the master terminal circuit 28.
• a weight scale input device (not shown) is optionally provided.
• the master terminal circuit 28 includes input/output interface circuitry, memory devices and a CPU (not shown) for performing calculations and storing information concerning the input entries.
• the circuitry of master terminal circuit 28 also comprises means for controlling various read out devices such as a receipt printer 34.
• the receipt printer is a regular ink printer for providing the price of each item and an item code, sub-totals, grand total, sales tax and other information, such as date, cashier's identification or shift code, etc.
• An output display 36 is also provided to give a clear visual indication of all the inputs and outputs of the master terminal circuit as they are each entered.
• the electronic cash register with automatic check encoder 4 may be operated as a self contained unit. ' However, in many applications, it will comprise only one of several terminals, such as an electronic cash register with automatic check encoder terminals 4a, 4b and 4n connected with a common host computer system 38. These cash registers 4a, 4b and 4n are substantially identical to register 4 and operate in the same fashion. In such event, some of the central processing and storage functions of the master terminal circuit 28 and even_the interface control circuit 10 can be performed by the host computer system with the master terminal circuit performing primarily control and interface functions only.
• the interface control circuit 10 includes an I/O interface circuit 10a which interfaces a central processing unit, or CPU, 10b through a signal coupler 12 with the electronic cash register 6.
• the CPU 10b is, of course, also connected with a read only memory, or ROM, 10c and a random access memory, or RAM, lOd.
• the encoder 8 may be hand wired to the cash register 6.
• the signal coupler 12 is preferably provided with means for releasably coupling the encoder 8 to register 6.
• the signal coupler 12 comprises a pair of Y-connectors 12a and 12b.
• the individua] terminals of Y-connectors 12a and 12b are interconnected between the master terminal circuit 28 and one of the input or output devices 30, 32, 34 or 36, or the host computer systems 38 in substitution of the normal interconnection therebetween.
• an electromagnetic emission sensor is simply clamped to one of the interconnections to non-invasively pick-up the desired electrical signals from or to the master terminal circuit.
• the electrical signals are picked up from one of the outputs of master terminal circuit, such as the output to the receipt printer 34, as shown, for then the calculations sub ⁇ totals and totals performed by the master terminal circuit or by the host computer system are available to the automatic check encoder. Other connections to obtain output signals are taken from the outputs to either display 36 or to host computer system 38. Alternately, the electrical signals are taken from one or more of the input devices such as the keyboard input 30 and photo input 32. In such event, the desired calculations are all performed by the calculator 18.
• the electronic cash register terminal with automatic check encoder 4 is used in the following manner. First, the items being purchased are entered into the register via the keyboard input 30, the photo input 32 and any auxiliary inputs such as a weight scale input.
• the blank check 26 is then placed into the check holder 22 and aligned thereby into position for receiving printing from both the regular printer 16 and the MICR check encoder 14. If the output signals from the cash register 6 are employed by the encoder 8, then when a total amount due is calculated by the register 6, the MICR check encoder 14 and printer 16 are controlled to automatically print in the proper location on the face of the check the date, the payee, the amount ih regular print and the amount in MICR encoded print.
• verification information such as the date and time of verification, the store code, and verification number or other indication of approval, forms with blanks for automatic identif cation such as credit card, driver's license and telephone numbers and endorsement information such as account number, store name and restrictive endorsement legends. If the check 26 has already been signed, then it may automatically be moved by the check holder 22 to a secure location in connection with the check holder 22. If not, it is removed from the holder 22, signed and returned to the cashier.
• the interface control circuit 10 is caused to control the receipt printer 34 to print the total number of checks which have been encoded, the dollar amount encoded on each of the checks and the total dollar amount of all the number of checks.
• These calculations are cleared from memory for the next shift or are stored in a separate sub-total memory for further reference and possibly display or printing upon completion of the final shift at the end of the work day.
• this cumulative information is also transmitted to the host computer system 38 via the I/O ports 20 or through a connection with the master terminal circuit 28. This information may also transmit information via the I/O ports 20 to other devices.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Strategic Management (AREA)
• Accounting & Taxation (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Development Economics (AREA)
• Economics (AREA)
• Finance (AREA)
• Marketing (AREA)
• Cash Registers Or Receiving Machines (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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• 1985
  • 1985-06-25 EP EP85903540A patent/EP0189460A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1985-06-25 AU AU44949/85A patent/AU4494985A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1985-06-25 JP JP60502854A patent/JPS61502570A/ja active Pending
  • 1985-06-25 WO PCT/US1985/001196 patent/WO1986000441A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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