EP0817140A2 - Förderartiges Gebührenentrichtungssystem - Google Patents

Förderartiges Gebührenentrichtungssystem Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0817140A2
EP0817140A2 EP97109532A EP97109532A EP0817140A2 EP 0817140 A2 EP0817140 A2 EP 0817140A2 EP 97109532 A EP97109532 A EP 97109532A EP 97109532 A EP97109532 A EP 97109532A EP 0817140 A2 EP0817140 A2 EP 0817140A2
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
products
box
code
reading
price
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Application number
EP97109532A
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP0817140A3 (de
Inventor
Kichinosuke Nagashio
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Individual
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Individual
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Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of EP0817140A2 publication Critical patent/EP0817140A2/de
Publication of EP0817140A3 publication Critical patent/EP0817140A3/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07G—REGISTERING THE RECEIPT OF CASH, VALUABLES, OR TOKENS
    • G07G1/00—Cash registers
    • G07G1/0036—Checkout procedures
    • G07G1/0045—Checkout procedures with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a system by which the sale of merchandise in large-size distribution shops such as supermarkets and convenience stores is carried out and, more particularly, to such a conveyor-type fee payment system as is completely automated in respect of effecting the several requisite activities such as product identification, calculation of product cost and tabulation of total cost of the products being sold as well as receiving payment with receipting thereof and dispensing of the sold products to the customer by automated means.
  • Figure 8 is a sketch of the composition of such a conventional POS system.
  • the checkout clerk recognizes the merchandise by using a handy scanner provided on reading unit 101 to read the bar codes printed on the merchandise, and at register 102, which is a POS terminal unit connected to a computer (store controller) 103, either the price of the merchandise corresponding to the read bar code is looked up by the store controller and the fee is charged, or, if price information is also included in the bar code, the fee is charged according to the price indicated by the bar code.
  • a receipt is issued to the customer, the point-of-sale information of this merchandise is sent to in-store computer 103, processing is carried out by ledger software (Lotus 123, e.g.) that automatically updates the merchandise control file of data on merchandise sales figures and inventory figures, and this information is also conveyed to head-office computer 104 in real time, providing information for the supervisory side such as chain-wide information on price mark-down information on specific products, and information about products that are not selling well.
  • ledger software Litus 123, e.g.
  • Figure 9 is an example of a bar code used in a POS system.
  • the example in Figure 9 is the JIS-enacted code known as the JAN symbol, in which the first and second digits are the country code, which for Japan is 49.
  • the third through seventh digits are the standard manufacturer code giving information about the seller.
  • the eighth through twelfth digits give product information by a product code, and the thirteenth digit is parity for error correction.
  • bar codes consist of white-black-white-black... and black-white-black-white... bars, in which digits or other information are encoded by the bar spacing and thickness, which are read by a hand scanner as an analog signal, which is digitally converted and is decoded by computer processing, yielding information on the seller, the name of the product, etc.
  • the bar code for identifying products is a mechanical code requiring high printing precision to encode information by the spacing and thickness of the bars, there is the further problem of misreading for some Items, such as fresh foods that are marked in the store and whose packaging has few flat surfaces; such misreading can entail the wasteful effort of requiring a clerk to enter the information again.
  • a further object of the invention is to provide during system operation both visual and audible signalling to a customer of the particulars of the sales transaction so that the customer readily can confirm the accuracy of selection and cost of products being purchased.
  • a conveyor-type fee payment system having a conveyor means that conveys the purchase items, a reading means that reads the box code printed on the purchase item as a product code at a reading station, and a recognition means that specifies the name of the product, the quantity, and the price by reference to a merchandise control table according to the box code that is read by said reading means.
  • a computation means totals up the products specified by the recognition means and calculates the total money price to be paid for the products, and a display means displays the amount of money determined by the computation means as well as the names and quantities of the items of merchandise.
  • An exact-calculation means performs settlement of accounts by cash payment or a box-code card in accordance with the displayed amount, confirms completion of the settlement of accounts, and dispenses the merchandise.
  • the reading means optically picks up the purchase products with a CCD camera and does image processing, judging the names of the purchase products from product characteristics such as their size, shape, color, etc.
  • the reading means instead of reading a price tag, attaches a radio or electromagnetic merchandise tag to the purchase items and reads said merchandise tags by a special sensor.
  • the reading means also may use a mesh sensor to judge the name of the purchase items from the shape, etc.
  • the system automatically reads the box codes and verifies the product names, quantities, and prices, calculates the total price, and displays the product names and quantities, and the price to be paid in customer readily visually readable form.
  • the customer if there are any mistakes in the display, replaces the products and once again confirms their names, quantities, and the price to be paid, and settles the account, and the system confirms completion of the settlement of accounts and dispenses the merchandise, thereby automating the work of exact calculation.
  • the conveyor-type fee payment system box-code merchandise control table uses a box code in which four quadrilaterals of different area are overlaid concentrically and taken as one basic code, and bit representation is done according to whether the side straight lines of the rectangles are cut or not, each box corresponding to one quadrilateral being made to correspond with a recognition item such as the name of the product, the seller, and the price, making it possible to recognize the name of the product, the seller, and the price by the one basic code.
  • the merchandise control table is composed using a simple two-dimensions box code, merchandise control is done in which the box code serves as the merchandise code, and a product's name, seller, and price can be expressed directly by one basic code of the box code.
  • a further variant of the system provides a notification means that audibly communicates the amount of the price and product names and quantities determined by said computation means. In this way, the customer can confirm by both eye and ear whether there is any mistake in the purchases selected.
  • reference numeral 1 is a ,e.g., belt type conveyor on which product 8 purchased by a customer is carried toward a register.
  • Reading means 2 optically reads (for example, by TV camera that picks up the image of the product from front and back and left and right, a fixed scanner that can scan it in matrix form, etc.), the shape of the product on the conveyor as well as box code 9 printed on product 8.
  • Recognition means 3 performs image recognition processing of the shape of read product 8 and the image of box code 9 and extracts information on the product name, quantity, seller, price, etc.
  • Merchandise control table 4 is a correspondence table for the product names, sellers, and prices referenced by recognition means 3 and displays them by the box code.
  • Computation means 5 totals up the product names, quantities, and prices specified by recognition means 3, the recognition means 3 and computation means 5 (as well as merchandise control table 4 in the memory) functioning inside a computer (not shown).
  • Exact-calculation means 6 includes both a payment machine from which a customer automatically receives change when the customer judges the displayed amount to be correct and the customer having inserted ordinary paper money or coins to make payment, and an exact-calculation processing unit for use of a prepaid card 10 with box code 9.
  • FIG. 2 shows a specific example of the conveyor-type fee payment system shown in Figure 1.
  • 20 which corresponds to conveyor belt 1, is capable of speed control (including stopping and starting) and product alignment control.
  • 21 is a hood for product inspection.
  • 22 which corresponds to reading means 2
  • 23, which corresponds to display means 7, is a display panel that displays the total price for the merchandise 8 to be bought and gives audible notice from speaker 24.
  • 25, which corresponds to exact-calculation means 6, is a payment machine by which the customer pays the fee by cash or box-code prepaid card 10 if the price displayed on display panel 23 is correct.
  • 26 is packaging material, such as a bag or basket, for receiving the products that are discharged upon settlement of accounts of the fee.
  • Figure 3 shows an example of merchandise control table 4 for identifying products, basic codes of four box figure codes being pictured in the upper part of the showing.
  • the box figure code is a two-dimensional code that consists, as one basic code, of four quadrilaterals (a quadrilateral is called a box) that are overlaid concentrically.
  • the box figure code is of a type as described in commonly owned pending application S.N. 08/734,298 the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference.
  • this box No. 1 has sides a, b, c, d, and the display is distinguished according to the presence or absence of a cut in the side straight lines, the correspondence being "0" if there is a cut part A in the side straight line and "1" when there is no cut part A.
  • box No. 1 has a form in which there is a cut part A in side a and no cut part A in its other sides b, c, d, and by this combination of sides, box No. 1 expresses an item of information.
  • the space for box No. 1 in the table of the box display content shown in the lower part of Figure 3 displays the name of the product.
  • product name information this is a display method whereby, for example, if there is a cut part A in side a of the box but not in its other sides b, c, d, as in the basic code at the far left of the upper part of the diagram, it stands for the snack item "potato chips".
  • box No. 2 in the leftmost basic code at the top of the diagram is made up of sides a1, b1, c1, d1, and this is a combination in which there is a cut part in side a1 and no cut part in the three sides b1, c1, d1.
  • the seller is indicated.
  • box No. 3 consists of sides a2, b2, c2, d2 and expresses the content of the product, expressing for example, according to the location of the cut part, "size of the box, date of manufacture”, “size of the box, date of manufacture”, “for roast meat, time of delivery”, and “southern tuna red meat, time of delivery”.
  • box No. 4 consists of sides a3, b3, c3, d3, and indicates "price”; in this example, it represents "100 yen", “200 yen”, “300 yen”, or "200 yen", according to the location of the cut part.
  • box No. 1 having a cut part in side a, represents the product name "potato chips”
  • box No. 2 having a cut part in side a1
  • box No. 3 having a cut part in side a2
  • box No. 4 having a cut part in side a3
  • the price "100 yen” in identification by the recognition means, this becomes product name: potato chips, price 100 yen, etc.
  • box No. 1 having a cut part in side b, represents the product name "laundry detergent”
  • box No. 2 having a cut part in side b1
  • the seller represents the seller "Kao Ltd.”
  • box No. 3 having a cut part in side b2, represents the content a box of "size 5x15x40 cm, date of manufacture June 5, 1996”
  • box No. 4 having a cut part in side a3, represents the price "300 yen”; in identification, this becomes product name "laundry detergent", price "300 yen", etc.
  • Computation means 5 functions to total up the prices associated with each of the specified product names, calculate the price to be paid, and display the "product names, quantities, prices, and total price to be paid" on display panel 23 (the same notification is also generated and sounded audibly from speaker 24). If there is any error in product name, quantity, or price, the customer can call it to the attention of an exchange clerk, and after the goods are exchanged, the customer confirms again what is displayed on display panel 23, and if there is no error in what is displayed, the customer inserts paper money or coins into payment machine 25 and if so entitled receives change, thereby completing the exact-calculation transaction. Alternatively, the exact-calculation transaction can be done with a card payment box-code prepaid card insertable in a card slot in the payment machine.
  • belt conveyor 20 which had stopped inside inspection hood 21, resumes its travel so as to move the products to a discharge or packing station where the purchased products can be packed in packaging such as a basket or paper or plastic bags.
  • the prepaid card used with the system will be issued as prepaid card 10, on which is printed, with transparent ink, the Figure 3 box codes, the printing being effected with the CPU 55-controlled card writing means as shown in the Figure 4 diagrammatic depiction of the card issuing machine.
  • the box codes are printed by a writing head 51 that moves at a prescribed speed transversely to the direction in which the card moves.
  • Each of the basic codes shown in Figure 3 is associated with a certain amount, such as a 100-yen code, a 300-yen code, a 400-yen code, or a 200-yen code, and according to this convention and the amount put in by the customer (for example, 10,000 yen), the basic code is printed in a transparent ink that cannot be read except by illuminating it with light of a special wavelength, denoting quantities such as 100-yen code x 10 units, 200-yen code x 10 units, 300-yen code x 10 units, or 400-yen code x 10 units. Transparent ink is used to prevent card forgery.
  • the correspondence between box codes and amounts is not limited to associating the above codes with 100-400 yen; one may decide freely how the No. 4 box only shall be used.
  • Figure 5 is a simplified diagrammatic view of the card reader inside automatic payment machine 25.
  • the customer looks at the payment price displayed on display panel 23, inserts prepaid card 10, and inputs a monetary amount (for example, 10,000 yen) through fee input unit 60.
  • a monetary amount for example, 10,000 yen
  • CPU 61 reads the key codes (in case of encoding, the decoded information) through key code reading sensor 50, shines light of a special wavelength on the box code information, and reads the basic code numbers, etc. through optical reading head 63, which detects the current balance on card 10 by reading it while scanning across the box codes as it moves perpendicularly to the direction in which card 10 moves. From among it, a number of box codes corresponding to the price to be paid are overwritten and deleted by writing head 62, completing the payment procedure. For example, if the amount to be paid is 1,000 yen, the 1,000-yen exact-calculation processing is completed by deleting a total of four basic codes, one each of 100, 200, 300, and 400 yen. The overwriting process in this case is effective in preventing forgery.
  • box basic codes unique to the merchandise control device system are themselves printed on prepaid card 10 and are overwritten, and the corresponding card processing is done.
  • digit and character information is encoded by box codes, and general-purpose exact-calculation processing is done using a prepaid card on which general box codes are printed on the card.
  • Figures 6(a) and 6(b) detail corner-cut basic codes of the box code of the second embodiment.
  • outermost box No. 1 consists of sides a, b, c, d
  • box No. 2 consists of sides a1, b1, c1, d1
  • box No. 3 consists of sides a2, b2, c2, d2
  • box No. 4 consists of sides a3, b3, c3, d3. If each side, as a segment, is associated with a bit, then one quadrilateral (box) corresponds to four bits, and one basic code made up of four quadrilaterals together corresponds directly to 16 bits, allowing the expression of 65,536 alternatives.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Control Of Vending Devices And Auxiliary Devices For Vending Devices (AREA)
  • Cash Registers Or Receiving Machines (AREA)
EP97109532A 1996-07-03 1997-06-12 Förderartiges Gebührenentrichtungssystem Withdrawn EP0817140A3 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP191638/96 1996-07-03
JP8191638A JPH1021466A (ja) 1996-07-03 1996-07-03 コンベア式料金支払いシステム

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0817140A2 true EP0817140A2 (de) 1998-01-07
EP0817140A3 EP0817140A3 (de) 1998-08-19

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EP97109532A Withdrawn EP0817140A3 (de) 1996-07-03 1997-06-12 Förderartiges Gebührenentrichtungssystem

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EP (1) EP0817140A3 (de)
JP (1) JPH1021466A (de)

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2000252889A (ja) * 1999-03-02 2000-09-14 Omron Corp データ通信装置
JP6417912B2 (ja) * 2014-12-10 2018-11-07 カシオ計算機株式会社 商品処理システム、商品処理方法及びプログラム
EP3031748A1 (de) * 2014-12-11 2016-06-15 Qbo Coffee GmbH Getränkekapsel, Getränkezubereitungssystem und Verfahren zum Identifizieren einer Getränkekapsel
CN108335437A (zh) * 2018-02-05 2018-07-27 银川网曌科技有限公司 结账装置及结账管理系统

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4792018A (en) * 1984-07-09 1988-12-20 Checkrobot Inc. System for security processing of retailed articles
FR2658059A1 (fr) * 1990-02-15 1991-08-16 Crocy Jean Louis Caisse enregistreuse a lecture automatique et simultanee de prix de produits; et, a facturation automatique.
EP0443419A2 (de) * 1990-02-17 1991-08-28 Bizerba GmbH & Co. KG Einrichtung für die Ermittlung des Verkaufspreises von Waren
EP0663643A2 (de) * 1988-01-22 1995-07-19 Spectra-Physics, Inc. Automatischer Abtaster von Verpackungsetiketten
EP0665510A1 (de) * 1993-12-30 1995-08-02 TOMIOKA, Makoto Blatt mit zweidimensionalem Kode für Datenverarbeitung
EP0769766A2 (de) * 1995-10-20 1997-04-23 Kichinosuke Nagashio Zweidimensionales Codesymbol und dieses Symbol verwendende vorausbezahlte Karte

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4792018A (en) * 1984-07-09 1988-12-20 Checkrobot Inc. System for security processing of retailed articles
EP0663643A2 (de) * 1988-01-22 1995-07-19 Spectra-Physics, Inc. Automatischer Abtaster von Verpackungsetiketten
FR2658059A1 (fr) * 1990-02-15 1991-08-16 Crocy Jean Louis Caisse enregistreuse a lecture automatique et simultanee de prix de produits; et, a facturation automatique.
EP0443419A2 (de) * 1990-02-17 1991-08-28 Bizerba GmbH & Co. KG Einrichtung für die Ermittlung des Verkaufspreises von Waren
EP0665510A1 (de) * 1993-12-30 1995-08-02 TOMIOKA, Makoto Blatt mit zweidimensionalem Kode für Datenverarbeitung
EP0769766A2 (de) * 1995-10-20 1997-04-23 Kichinosuke Nagashio Zweidimensionales Codesymbol und dieses Symbol verwendende vorausbezahlte Karte

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
OKAWA Y: "IDENTIFICATION OF PACKAGED-IN-A-BOX GOODS FOR DESIGNING A PART OF AN INTELLIGENT CASH REGISTER" PROCEEDINGS OF THE INTERNATIONAL JOINT CONFERENCE ON PATTERN RECOGNITION, MIAMI BEACH, DECEMBER 1 - 4 1980, vol. VOL. 1, no. PROC. 5, 1 December 1980, INSTITUTE OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS, pages 150-152, XP002022028 *

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Publication number Publication date
EP0817140A3 (de) 1998-08-19
JPH1021466A (ja) 1998-01-23

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