GB2088610A - Point of sale terminal having prompting display - Google Patents

Abstract

A point of sale terminal has a prompting display 38 which, in response to actuation of keys 40, displays a selected category of items for sale. The code indicia 50 alongside each item 48 on display 38 indicate which of keys 54 the operator should press to enter the sale of an item. As shown, display 38 comprises a strip of printed paper mounted on rollers, the strip being movable to display a desired category. Alternatively the display 38 may be constituted by a cathode ray tube or an illuminated film. The point of sale terminal may include further keys 32 corresponding to the most frequently sold items 36. Actuation of one of these keys directly effects the entry of the sale of the corresponding item. The terminal may also preferably include a cash register and a computer with a memory. The prompting display eliminates the need for the operator to memorise sales information. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Point of sale terminal having prompting display The present invention relates to a point of sale terminal having a prompting device for prompting an essentially untrained operator to correctly use the terminal. The prompting mechanism itself can take inter alia, one of the following forms: it can be a roll of graphics material, an electronically actuated display member, a cathode ray tube or a film display.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a point of sale device having prompting display means and a keyboard, the display means being arranged to selectively display information relating to one of a plurality of categories of items for sale and the keyboard including a group of keys, actuation of each key causing information relating to a corresponding category to be displayed by the display means.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a prompting display device for use in combination with a point of sale device having a keyboard, a computer, a memory, and means for interconnecting the prompting display device with the keyboard, the computer and the memory, wherein the prompting display device comprises a housing means, a display means for showing items for sale arranged by category and a a keyboard connected to said housing means and having a plurality of category indicating indicia thereon.

In one preferred arrangement there is provided a keyboard having item identifying keys, category keys, function keys and a number pad. The prompting display shows categories as keyed by the category keys. Each category has a list of items for sale at the terminal with a display showing the remaining codes which must be used by the operator to effect the sale of the selected item at the terminal. One embodiment of the present invention has one or more categories showing the same items depicted on the item identifying keys. This redundancy feature aids the operator who forgets what items are shown by the item identifying keys.

One example of the prompting display has a window in the keyboard through which the display can be viewed by the operator. The display itself is formed from a strip of graphics material mounted on two rolls. The rolls are suspended in the housing for the terminal and driven by controllable electric motors. Marks are placed on the roll indicating the position of the categories. Sensors disposed in the housing detect the marks and in cooperation with a control device place the correct category before the display window.

In one embodiment of the present invention in which the prompting display is used in combination with a computer the category key and the keys actuated as instructed for a listed items are sufficient input to the computer to enable the terminal to process a sale at the terminal.

One example of a prompting display includes a movable roll having listings of items separated into a number of categories. A selected portion of the roll is moved to a viewing station for viewing a selected category. The roll is wound on a pair of spaced apart rollers on opposite sides of the viewing station. A bi-directional drive servo operates roll drive motors to display the selected category information at the viewing station. Indexing marks on the roll associated with category location information are detected during travel and fed back to a drive servo for controlling it.

The present invention is related to two other applications filed on the same date as the present application. These applications are Point of Sale Terminal Having Prompting Display and Automatic Money Handling invented by Noris S. Azcua, George D. Margolin, Audry Miller and Victor V. Vurpillat (Application No.

Agents Reference G640) and Automatic Money Handling Device invented by George D. Margolin and Victor V. Vurpillat (Application No. Agents Reference G642). These two applications are incorporated by reference into the present application as fully as if they were reproduced herein.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 shows a top perspective view of the housing forming a part of a point of sale device including a prompting display according to the present invention; Figure 2 shows a view of the housing taken along the line 2-2 shown in Fig. 1; Figures 3 and 4 show two views of a part of a prompting display in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 shows a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention as part of a larger point of sale terminal system and including a multiplexers; Figure 6 shows a block diagram of the multiplexer shown in Fig. 5; and Figures 7 and 8 show two additional embodiments of prompting displays according to the present invention.

Referring now to the figures, there is shown in Fig. 1 a point of sale device having a housing 10, with a keyboard 1 4 at its upper portion. The housing also has four money trays 16, four note-viewing windows 20, digi tal displays 22, 24, a coin slot 26 and a coin receptacle 28.

KEYBOARD The keyboard illustrated in Fig. 2 includes a group of individual item-representing keys 32, or Best Seller keys. In the illustrated embodiment there are twelve Best Seller keys 32 in the group. Each Best Seller key preferably has a corresponding pictorial representation, (illustrated in phantom lines at 34 on each key) of the item associated with that particular key, together with a separate label 36 printed on each key describing the item associated with that particular key. The labels 36 relating to the items identified by the twelve Best Seller keys are indicated in the drawings as Item 1 through Item 1 2 for simplicity.

The keyboard 14 also includes a prompting display 38 for displaying product category and corresponding item-listing information for the less frequently sold items and for the Best Seller items the prompting display provides data for prompting the attendant to actuate certain keys on the keyboard to identify to the data processor corresponding less-frequently sold items being sold at the point of sale.

In the illustrated embodiment, a series of eight mutually spaced apart Category keys 40 are positioned alongside a window 42 which covers the prompting display and through which the prompting display can be viewed.

Each category key has a corresponding label 41 for identifying a category of information to which the key corresponds. The prompting display includes a movable roll 44. An electromechanical drive apparatus is provided for moving the roll 44. Each category and its related list of items is printed on the roll. A selected portion of the roll can be moved to the window 42 for display when the attendant actuates a particular Category key 40. For example, in the embodiment shown a category heading 46 entitled "CATEGORY 5" displays a listing of corresponding individual items 48, depicted as "ITEM A" etc; and when the attendant manually actuates the category key 40 labelled "CATEGORY 5" the roll 44 is moved until the listing for CATE GORY 5 is displayed in the window, 42.

The roll shows a separate item-identifying code 50 unique to each item listed in the prompting display. In the illustrated embodiment the prompting indicia for each item is a two-digit number displayed on the roll next to the item.

A group of numeric keys 54, hereafter collectively called a numeric pad, are positioned on the keyboard next to the prompting display 38. The numeric pad preferably comprises ten individual keys labeled 0 through 9, respectively, with an eleventh key 56 labeled "TAX", for identifying taxable items. The numeric pad can be used to identify to the data processor items selected from the prompting display. To identify each item selected from the prompting display, first a category key is actuated and then two of the numeric keys are actuated in an order which supplies to the data processor a three-digit number for identifying the selected item.For example, to indicate ITEM J in CATEGORY 5 first the CATEGORY 5 key is actuated and then the numeric keys are actuated in the sequence 3, 2 for supplying a corresponding three-digit number (5, 3, 2) to the data processor for identifying ITEM J.

The prompting display roll preferably contains a listing of all available items for sale, Owing to this preferred feature, "redundancy" is provided in that items represented on the Best Seller keys 32 are also represented on the roll.

By way of example, in the course of the order-entry phase of a sales transaction involving the sale of one or more best seller items and one or more less frequently sold items, separate item-representing keys 32 are actuated to indicate purchase of each best seller item. The prompting display is actuated to display information relating to each item not represented on the Best Seller keys, and in a sequence prompted by the prompting display the numeric keys 54 are actuated to indicate a separate multi-digit code for each less frequently sold item displayed on the prompting display. Data processor subsystem includes a look-up table for retrieving a pre-loaded price for each item identified in the order-entry phase of the sales transaction. The Tax button 56 is actuated after each taxable item is indicated and the data processing subsystem calculates the tax on each taxable item.

An arithmetic unit in the data processor sums the individual prices of each identified item, as well as the tax on each item, so as to calculate the total price of the sale transaction.

Prompting Display The construction of one embodiment of the prompting display 38 is understood best by referring to Figs. 3 and 4. The prompting display is contained in a housing 570 shaped generally as an elongated rectangular box having a hollow interior. The prompting display housing is mounted inside the point of sale housing 10 below the window 42 in the keyboard 14. The prompting display housing has an open top, and the portion of the roll 44 which is displayed below the window in the keyboard extends from one end of the prompting display housing to the other end across the top of the housing to the other end of the housing.

The prompting display housing contains first and second rollers 572 and 574 mounted near opposite ends of the housing 570 on bearing members. Each roller has a radial slot 576 for releasably securing ends of the roll 44. A roll tensioner 578, located at one end of the housing adjacent the first roller, has roller 580 and 582 and a guide roller 584.

The upper edges of the tensioner upper roller 582 and the guide roller 584 define a generally horizontal plane of travel, or viewing path of the roll across the top of the housing.

Information displayed on the viewing path of the scroll can be viewed through the window 42 in the keyboard. An elongated generally rectangular-shaped plate 585 covers the open top of the prompting display housing below the viewing path of the roll. The plate has opposite ends closely spaced upwardly from the upper roller 582 and the guide roller 584.

The plate 585, closely spaced below the viewing path, holds the roll level and protects the roll from contact with other parts of the prompting display. The tensioner 578 is adjustable.

The first and second rollers 572, 574 are powered by drive motors 586, 588 with gears 590, 592, 594, 596, 588, 600 to drive the roll in either direction.

The length of the entire roll 44 is greater than the length of the viewing portion. As previously described, separate categories of items for sale can be displayed along the length of the roll. For each category a listing of separate items are placed on the roll, and a (numeric) code is associated with each item for use in indentifying that item. Each category of item information can be considered a separate page of information, and the pages of information are displayed at separate areas spaced along the length of the roll as a graphic display. The roll is contained on a magazine which can be loaded into the prompting display housing in a manner similar to a player piano scroll.

Separate longitudinally spaced optically readable indexing marks 602 are placed on the roll between adjacent pages. Preferably each indexing mark is printed on the roll near one edge of the scroll in a space between adjacent pages on the side of the roll having the printed information. The indexing marks are detected by an optical emmitter 604 and 606 located in the housing. The optical detectors are used to control position servo system for positioning the roll so that any selected page of information can be moved to and stopped in the viewing position for display.

Logic and control electronics used in the servo system are physically contained on a printed circuit board 608 contained within the lower interior of the prompting display housing.

The roll is moved to the selected page by actuating a corresponding Category key 40 on the keyboard. This supplies data to a servo control within the prompter which provides for issuing a command to either the forward drive motor 586 or to the reverse drive motor 588 to move the scroll in the proper direction for dislaying the desired page. The optical sensor 606 supplies data to a counter in the prompting display each time a separate page passes the sensor. The counter counts the required number of pages until the selected page reaches the viewing position, at which times a command is issued for stopping the drive motor. The computer memory can store data relating to the page present in the viewing position to issue the next command to the drive motor for driving the roll in the proper direction through the prompter servo.

Once the selected page has been reached, sale of the selected item or items on the page can be entered by the numeric keys 54 using the two-digit number associated with the selected items as shown in the graphic display.

The combination of page number and item number (three digits) is sufficient data to record and process sale information. Actual prices are determined by means of look-up tables used by the computer. In the embodiment shown, the page number is one digit and the item number is two digits.

Organization of Electronic Hardware With reference to Fig. 5, there will now be generally described the overall organization of the electronic hardware contained in housing 10.

The Computer comprises a data processor 350 and a memory, preferably including a RAM 352 and ROM 354. It is preferable to split the memory into a random access portion and a read-only portion so that software and system constants can be stored in the readonly memory portion and thereby prevent temporary loss thereof in the event of a power failure or the like. Suitable capacity for RAM 352 is 1 6 bytes (each byte being 8 bits)..

Suitable capacity for ROM 354 is 24K bytes.

The illustrated embodiment of the present invention comprises data processor 350, RAM 352, and ROM 354 and a battery backed RAM. These products are commercially maunfactured by Motorola and others under the designations MC6800 Microprocessing Unit, MCM 4027 Random Access Memory, and Intel Read-Only Memory, (2708 EPROM) respectively. Motorola has published a series of manuals describing the construction and operation of, and various uses for, the MC6800 Microprocessing Unit and various companion products including the MCM 4027 Random Access Memory, an MC 6820 Peripheral Interface Adapter (P IA), the MCM6830 Read Only Memory, and an MC6850 Asynchronous communication Interface Adapter (ACIA).These manuals include an M6800 EXORciser User's Guide, an M6800 Microprocessor Programming Manual, an M6800 Microprocessor Application Manual, and various M6800 Microprocessor Family of Parts date sheets. These materials are incorporated by reference into this specification as fully as if they were reproduced here.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the above-described specific products are exemplary of various commercially available products suitable for use in the point of sale system. The MC6800 microprocessor incorporate particular structure for performing certain functions such as input/output functions that are performed by different structure in other commerjcially available systems which are suitable for use with arrangements according to the present invention.

A unibus is depicted in Fig. 5 as bus 356 coupling data processor 350 to RAM 352, ROM 354, a PIA 358, a PIA 360, an ACIA 362, a controller 364, a controller 366, and a multiplexer and control electronics 368. Each PIA is fully described in the above identified Motorola manuals. Similarly, the ACIA is fully described therein. PIA 358 provides an interface between data processor 350 and a controller 370 for the keyboard and the displays, and PIA 360 provides an interface for the printer 372 and a modem 374. Modem 374 is coupled to DAA 377 so that data stored in RAM 352 can be transmitted via a telephone line to a central data processing system. Multiplexer 368 is a specially designed interfacing device.

Multiplexer With reference to Fig. 6, multiplexer 368 is connected to bus 356 to receive addresses and commands from data processor 350 and to feed status data back to data processor 350. The address bus portion of bus 356 comprises 1 6 wires (not individually shown).

More than 64K separate addresses can be instantaneously defined by the parallel-by-bit signals carried by the address bus, each address is symbolized by a four place hexidecimal number. For example, in the specifically described embodiment, the address of multiplexer 368 has been arbitarily chosen as the four place hexidecimal number 80E1. Numbers expressed in hexidecimal form are indicated by the letter H or "5" preceding the number.

The addresses applied to bus 356 by data processor 350 are in accordance with a positive logic format subject to three-state control (TSC). That is, each of the 1 6 address bus wires is connected to the output of one of 1 6 three-state buffer circuits within data processor 350.

Whenever data processor 350 applies an address to the address bus, it simultaneously controls the value of an R/W signal to designate whether a read or write operation is involved.

Mutiplexer 368 has circuitry for strobing data transfers, herein referred to as strobing circuitry 380 with positive logic format.

Fig. 7 shows another example of a prompting display which may be used. In this example a cathode ray tube is used as the prompting display 1038. The parts illustrated in Fig.

7 are indicated by adding 1000 to the numerals of the corresponding parts of the prompting display described with reference to Fig. 2.

In the prompting display of Fig. 8, 2000 has been added to the numerals of the corresponding parts. The items for display are stored on film, e.g. microfilm.

Claims (32)

1. A point of sale device having prompting display means and a keyboard, the display means being arranged to selectively display information relating to one of a plurality of categories of items for sale and the keyboard including a group of keys, actuation of each key causing information relating to a corresponding category to be displayed by the display means.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the keyboard further includes a second group of keys, actuation of which effects the entry of the sale of an item, the information displayed by the display means indicating which keys of the second group are to be actuated in respect of the sale of each item within the selected category.

3. A device according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the keyboard further includes a group of item keys, each item key corresponding to one of a group of the most frequently sold items, actuation of each item key directly effecting the entry of the sale of the corresponding item.

4. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the information displayed by the display means is coding information to instruct the operator how to effect a sale of each item.

5. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the display means comprises: a graphic display member having an outer and inner surface; a suspension means, a display window means; a controllable moving means; and a housing means; the suspension means being contained in the housing means for holding said graphic display member opposite said window means; and said controllable moving means being arranged to change the position of the graphic display member opposite the window means responsive to the actuation of the first mentioned group of keys.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the graphic display member is divided into a plurality of separate segments for postioning opposite the window means.

7. A device as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the graphic display means comprises a roll of printed material divided into separate categories with each category having one or more items listed thereon; each category item showing the necessary key coding to enable the operator to effect a sale of an item.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7 wherein the roll of printed material has a plurality of indicia thereon for dividing it into a plurality of separate categories; and a sensing means is disposed in the housing means for detecting the plurality of indicia; the sending means being operatively connected to the controlla ble moving means for controlling the position of the roll by the sensed indicia.

9. A device as claimed in claim 8 and further including an automatic positioning means operatively connected to the controllable moving means for returning said roll to a predetermined position after the actuation of a key.

1 0. A device as claimed in any of claims 3 to 9 wherein the item keys have a pictorial representation of the represented item.

11. A device as claimed in any of claims 7 to 10 wherein the roll includes a display of all items represented by the item keys.

1 2. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the device further comprises a computer having a memory which contains all of the information necessary to effect a sale of any item when the corresponding keys are actuated.

1 3. A device as claimed in claim 12 wherein the actuation of one of the first mentioned group of keys and one of the second group of keys, as prompted by the prompting display, recalls from the memory the correct information to effect the entry of a sale of an item.

14. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the display means comprises an electronically actuated display member.

1 5. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the display means comprises a cathode ray tube member.

1 6. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 1 3 wherein the display means comprises an optical display member having the items for display stored on film.

1 7. A device as claimed in claim 15 or claim 1 6 wherein the display means has a first mode and a selected mode and the display means displays the first mode after the actuation of the keys of the second group.

1 8. A device as claimed in any preceding claim and further including a cash register.

1 9. A prompting display device for use in combination with a point of sale device having a keyboard, a computer, a memory, and means for interconnecting the prompting display device with the keyboard, the computer and the memory, wherein the prompting display device comprises a housing means, a display means for showing items for sale arranged by category and a keyboard connected to said housing means and having a plurality of category indicating indicia thereon.

20. A device as claimed in claim 1 9 comprising a controllable moving means for actuating the display means in response to the actuation of the keyboard.

21. A device as claimed in claim 19 wherein the display means comprises a cathode ray tube member whose output is activated in response to the actuation of the keyboard.

22. A device as claimed in claim 19 wherein the display means comprises an illuminating means and a film having portions divided into categories which are illuminated by said illuminating means in response to the actuation of the keyboard.

23. A device as claimed in claim 20 wherein the display means comprises a roll of graphic material supported on bearing members such that the graphic material is movable relative to the bearing members and a viewing frame member; said graphic matrial being movable by the controllable moving means to show individual categories through the viewing frame member.

24. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 9 to 23 wherein the point of sale device keyboard has a plurality of item identifying keys for indicating the sale of a group of most frequently ordered items and the categories shown by the display means include the group of most frequently ordered items.

25. A device as claimed in ay of claims 1 9 to 24 wherein the display means displays the items for sale together with the necessary prompting codes to instruct an operator of the point of sale device how to complete the sale of an item.

26. A device as claimed in any of claims 19, 20, 23, 24 or 25 wherein the housing means has a viewing window formed therein; and a strip of printed material is provided having a plurality of segments of physical size mated to the physical size of said viewing window; the strip being mounted on a rotary propelling means for imparting relative motion to the strip past the viewing window in response to the actuation of the keyboard.

27. A device as claimed in claim 26 wherein the total number of items shown on the strip is larger than the number of items in the group of most frequently ordered items.

28. A device as claimed in claim 26 or 27 wherein the strip has a plurality of position indicating marks thereon; and a sensing means is disposed within the housing means for detecting the position indicating marks on the strip and for generating a signal for enabling the rotary propelling means to control the position of the strip relative to the viewing window.

29. A device as claimed in claim 25 wherein the keyboard of the point of sale device includes keys with indicia corresponding to the prompting codes.

30. A device as claimed in claim 25 including further keys mounted on said prompting display device housing means and having indicia corresponding to the prompting codes.

31. A prompting display device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

32. A point of sale device having prompting display means substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.