FR2530844A1 - MODULAR DEVICE FOR PRINTING CINEMA TICKETS, RECORDING AND RETRIEVING INFORMATION RELATING TO THE OPERATION OF CINEMAS - Google Patents

Abstract

A device allows to print cinema tickets showing only required information, record those informations and to restitute them locally in form of statistical reports or towards a computer. It is comprised of a microcomputer (1) to which are connected an alphanumerical keyboard (2), a special keyboard (3), two screens (4), a printing pilot unit (5) which is itself connected to a ticket printer (6), a storage memory (7) and optionally a data concentrator (9). The film titles, fares and characteristical informations concerning viewing rooms are inputted by the keyboard (2), as well as the requests for special works: printing of statistical reports, introduction of secret codes, etc. The printing of tickets is controlled from the keyboard (3), the keyboard (2) being disconnected or locked. The paper supply is carried out continuously as fanfold batches by sticking in between successive batches.

Description

 The present invention relates to a modular recording device self-printing movie tickets.

 Currently, French cinemas are equipped with pre-printed and pre-perforated ticket dispensers. Each distributor is assigned a rate and, in the case of a multi-room complex, a room. It is therefore necessary to have as many distributors as there are rooms multiplied by the number of tariffs applicable for these rooms. The tickets carry the indication of a consecutive number inside the same roll of tickets and permanent indications. They have a detachable heel that essentially bears the same number. It is impossible to pre-sell tickets for another session than the immediate session, the ticket can not include the indication of the session. The ticket machines are cumbersome and prevent the cashiers from delivering the tickets in a comfortable position. it is, in particular, impossible to put the legs under the work plan.

 In addition, the use of such distributors obliges the cinema operators to manually draw up summary slips - requests - by the administrative authorities and does not allow any easy statistical exploitation.

 The self-printing cash registers on the market do not meet the demands of cinema operations: print speeds are too low, monoblock systems are difficult to integrate into a cinema counter, it is difficult to enter the alphabetical references (film title) .

 The modular device according to the invention overcomes all of these disadvantages. The modularity of the system described below allows the development of a rational work plan and a normal position of the cashier.

It facilitates, on the other hand, the maintenance of the system (by standard exchange of the faulty module).

 The device publishes tickets, for any room of the complex and for any tariff, including all the indications necessary for the information of the customers and the control of entry.

 The cashier 2 and client side screens2 show the amounts to be paid.

 The system allows ticket preven- tion, ie ticket sales for a session subsequent to the current session or immediately to come.

 It allows the display at any time of the. number of places remaining for sale for the current session or for any subsequent meeting of the day.

 After each cashier's shift, the system publishes the cash register giving the initial cash, the turnover made during the session and the final cash.

 The system allows the editing of statistical reports analyzing room by room, tariff by tariff, cashier's salary by cashier's vacation, the sales realized as well as the sequences of numbers used.

 The system has a high degree of security where the process of managing the number of tickets as well as that of totaling the receipts are inaccessible to the operator.

 In addition, the information relating to the last issue ticket numbers and the turnover can be the subject of two separate storages in two R1dI memories protected, each by a battery of long life. (RAMs are volatile static memories).

The device to the # to-print movie tickets has eight elements - A microcomputer (I) - An alphanumeric keyboard (2) - - A special keyboard (3) - Two screens-line (4) - A ticket editor and its power supply (6) - A pilot block of the printing (5) - A backup memory (7) A power supply module of the microcomputer, keyboards and
screens (8)
Figure 1 shows the entire device and its component parts. Alternatively, the device may include a data concentrator (9) which allows multiple devices to be connected to each other, or one or more devices to a computer. or one or more devices to a Model, itself connected to the network P to T. Figure 2 shows this variant.

 The microcomputer (1).

The microcomputer is in the form of a box about 30 cm long and 30 cm wide and 10 cm high, with plugs little connecting the other elements of the device. These outlets are "keyed", that is to say that it is impossible to plug incorrectly the connections between the various elements. On the other hand each
connector is customized so as to prohibit any reversal of
connector. This customization is achieved by using connectors of different sizes and whose pins are at varying relative distances from one connector to another.

 These jacks provide the connection of the microcomputer with - the alphanumeric keypad - the special keypad - the two screens-line - the backup memory - the power supply block - the driver block of the ticket editor or even the connection by the socket (10) with a modem (connection to the telephone network), OR another computer, or a second device or a cassette, diskette or other device.

In addition, it includes a plug (11) for plugging an EPRQM supporting complementary programs (An EPROM is a nonvolatile memory, accessible - read only, and reprogrammable). This plug-in allows a particular EPROM to be plugged in, ensuring the control of the program's program consistency with a typical program located on this device.
EPROM.It also allows to insert any EFROM including #programmes different from those necessary for the operation of the device or their control: for example telecommunication control programs or management accounting or stock-keeping, etc ...

 your arrangement of the plugs around the cabinet is arbitrary.

 Inside the box are essentially - the motherboard and memories allowing the operation of the microcomputer and the elements attached to it.

 The card is characterized by - - a microprocessor a ROM memory (non-volatile memory accessible only in reading) for the monitor a memory RAS protected by an accumulator which ensures a conservation of the information stored in this memory, in case of power failure or non-functioning # of the device.

- a RPROM memory for the specific operating program of the dis-positive - a clock-card giving the date, the hour, the minutes and the seconds, itself protected by an accumulator - the input-output modules corresponding to the indicated outlets above.

 The microcomputer (]) allows, on the one hand to control the screens, the keyboards, the printing block, on the other hand to store all the information concerning the transactions and, thus, to obtain the requested restitutions: statistical reports , summary slips, cash slips, display of amounts to be paid, the number of places available and cash, etc.

 alphanumeric keyboard (2).

 The alphanumeric keypad is a type keyboard similar to AZERTY keyboard typewriters. It has keys to enter in a simple way any information with letters, numbers and common punctuation characters.

 It can be disconnected from the microcomputer when the work it allows to manage its finished.

 The special keyboard (3).

 The keypad has programmed keys adapted to the activity of the cashier (issuing tickets, issuing cash notes, posting accumulations, etc ...). Figure 3 shows an example of a keypad with the following characteristics - 10 "room" keys marked If at SO - 10 numeric keys marked from 0 to 9 - 5 "tariff" keys marked TO - # T5 - 2 message validation keys marked "V" - i special cancel key marked "AN" - 1 special key for erasing erroneous messages marked "EFF".

 The numeric keys are used to indicate among other things the number of tickets to be issued and the number of the session concerned in case of presale.

 Line screens (4).

 Each screen-line consists of modules (alphanumeric characters) with light-emitting diodes or liquid crystal or based on any other optical phenomenon. One is intended to be directed to the client2 and the other to the client. The two screens being independent may have non-parallel orientation and adapt to all desktop configurations.

 The height adjustment can be obtained by any device and preferably, by a telescopic tube of cylindrical shape furthermore allowing a rotation of the screen along a vertical axis, the hinge-type support-type connection allowing the rotation along a horizontal axis, or any other device to maintain the horizontality of the screen.

 The screens may have, for example, the following characteristics: 20 alphanumeric characters with light-emitting diodes of approximately 8 mm height for the cashier's screen, approximately 18 mm high for the customer-side screen.

 The print driver block (5).

 This device transforms the orders given by the microcomputer into interpretable commands by the ticket editor (see below). To do this, the print driver block collects the message to be printed - transmits to the pilot microcomputer of the cash register the state of the printer (busy) vacant, lack of paper # ...) - driver the ticket editor : control of the beginning of the printing, the size of the characters, the breaks of lines, the implementation of the paper cutter, etc.

 The microordinator-print driver block connection can be performed, for example at 9600 baud in asynchronous mode.

 The ticket editor (6).

 This device ensures the advance of the paper, the typing of the message to be printed on the ticket all on the different states), possibly the trimming of the paper after striking the ticket or the document.

 The printing system can be fed with roll paper or "folding screen" (accordion folding).

 The paper comes from the back of the publisher, passes under the printing system and pops out through a slot on the front of the editor.

 In the case of a screen feeding, the batches of screens may be joined to each other so that, at the end of a batch, the next batch is driven by the ticket editor (see Figure 4). The junction between two lots is ensured by two self-adhesive strips located one at the beginning, the other at the end of the batch the parallelism of the strips of paper of the two lots being obtained by placing the end of the first batch and the beginning of the next in a U-shaped channel made of any rigid material (tinplate, aluminum, plastic, ...) or any type of connection that can ensure the continuity of the paper web.

 This continuous drive "protects the device against power failure during operation, the junction between several batches can be performed outside periods of intensive operation.

 The actual printing of the characters can be carried out by any printing system ~ "daisy", matrix of needles, hammers, etc ...

 According to a preferred form, the printing can be carried out by striking needles on the paper through an ink ribbon, each needle being controlled independently. This makes it possible, by simple modification of the control software of the ticket editor, to obtain different fonts and, within the same font, characters of different size or special characters Also according to a preferred formula, the massage can be controlled by an optical mark printed on the paper and "read" by a photocell located on the paper path.

 The device "mark + cells" can have two effects 1) positioning of the paper in taste of the ticket - 2) positioning and messaging of the paper.

 This choice is made via the piloteddsimpression block by an order issued by the microcomputer.

 The backup memory (7).

 It consists of RAM memories, located in the same address field as those of the microcomputer, but protected by another accumulator of the same capacity. This backup memory stores the essential information of the first memory. In the event of destruction or erasure of part or all of it, this essential information can be regenerated by reading the backup memory and by writing "on the main memory.

 According to one variant, this memory may be pluggable and its reading may be performed by another device (see FIG. 5).

 The power supply (8).

 This power supply provides the electrical current needed for the operation of the microcomputer, keyboards and screens. According to a preferred form, this power supply is "cutting" to disconnect the peaks of the power grid and minimize power consumption.

 The data concentrator (9).

 The data concentrator is in the form of a box of about 25 cm x 25 cm x 10 cm, having jacks allowing its connection with - one or more devices (12) - a Modem (] 3).

 It basically comprises - a microprocessor - a RAM memory for storing data from devices - a ROM for the monitor - a power supply that can be in the cabinet or plugged in outside.

 It is piloted by an EPROM pluggable into the socket (11) of any of the devices to which it is connected. So just change the EPROM to use the concentrator evening to connect two devices together, either to centralize information on a local computer, or to send information via a modem and the network P & RTI ID = 7.5 HE = 5 WI = 3 LX = 1912 LY = 824 <T, to a distant computer.

 The device according to the invention is particularly intended for the production of movie tickets.

Claims (9)

 1) Device for printing movie tickets, record and return information about these tickets characterized in that it consists of a microcomputer (1), an alphanumeric keyboard (2), a specific keyboard (3). ), two steerable screens (4), a print driver block (5), a ticket editor (6), a backup memory (7) and a power supply unit (4). microcomputer (8).  2) Device according to claim 1) characterized in that each of the elements consists of a detachable module, connected to the others by flexible cords of variable length.  3) Device according to claim 2) characterized in that each connector is customized by a size and relative distances of different pins from one connector to another.  4) Device according to claim 1) characterized in that it comprises a backup memory (7), protected by an accumulator, doubling the internal memory of the microcomputer, the latter itself being protected by another accumulator.  5) Device according to claim 1) characterized by a continuous supply of paper from the back of the ticket editor (6), the continuity being provided by assembling paper screens, this assembly being obtained through a self-adhesive strip located at the top and at the end of the screen and the parallelism of the screens thanks to a channel U width. of the paper tape.  6) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by printing on the same document characters of different sizes or original characters. For this, the printing system uses a matrix of needles that strike the paper through an ink ribbon, each needle being driven individually by the microprocessor.  7) Device according to claims 1) and 2) characterized in that it comprises two independent keypads (2) and (3) having different functions and disconnectable from the computer.  The first keyboard is standard type "QWERTY", suitable for entering the usual information (letters, numbers, punctuation).  The second keyboard is specially adapted to the activity of the cashiers and comprises the following keys - 10 "Rooms" keys marked 51 to SO - 10 numeric keys marked from 0 to 9 - 5 "tariff" keys marked T1 to T5 - 2 keys marked "V" - 2 special keys marked tAN "and" EFF "ç intended for canceling or erasing or in combination of this  8) Device according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that it has a socket for plugging from the outside an EPROM supporting any software.  9) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it may comprise a data concentrator (9) allowing the device to be connected to a local computer, another device or any accessory device such as a distributor. somatic tickets or magnetic card reader.