GB2123702A

GB2123702A - Cash register with chance win means

Info

Publication number: GB2123702A
Application number: GB08216342A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stuart Gavin Adrian Cole
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-06-04
Filing date: 1982-06-04
Publication date: 1984-02-08
Also published as: GB2123702B

Abstract

The cash register apparatus includes a random-win-indicator actuated by the operation of a totalling button of the cash register apparatus. The indicator includes a clock pulse generator 10, a divider circuit 12, an AND-gate 13, to determine and signal when the divider circuit is in a predetermined one of its states, drivers 16 and means to actuate a "win" display 17 upon such determination. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Cash register apparatus The invention relates to cash register apparatus.

According to the broadest aspect of the invention, cash register apparatus includes random-win-indicating means actuated by the operation of a totalling button of the cash register apparatus.

The random-win-indicating means preferably comprises a clock pulse generator, a divide-by-n circuit, means for determining whether said circuit is in a predetermined one of its n states, and means for actuating an indicator upon such determination.

The indicator may be a visual-type indicator, e.g. in the form of a lamp and/or an audiosignaller. In the case where the cash register apparatus includes a sheet printout, the indicator conveniently will comprise an appropriate symbol, printed onto the sheet.

The random-win-indicating means may be located wholly within the housing of the cash register apparatus when the apparatus and winindicating means are designed together.

Alternatively the random-win-indicating means can be adapted for connection to an existing and otherwise conventional cash register to receive an actuation signal from the totalling button of the register.

The random-win-indicating means may be encased for example in an initially fluid but hardenable medium to protect it. It may be encased in a medium which, when set, prevents the components within from being seen. If the medium sets to a hard but brittle state, any attempt to discern the nature of the components within the encasing medium will cause them to be damaged, probably irreparably.

A synthetic resin "potting agent" could for example be used to encase the components, and could be tinted black to prevent subsequent identification of the components within.

One apparatus embodying the invention will now be described, by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Although this is only one embodiment of the invention, it is currently the best way known to the applicant of putting the invention into practice.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a block diagram of the apparatus; Figure 2 is a circuit diagram of part of the apparatus shown in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the integrated circuit decade counter shown in Figure 2.

In the drawings, a cash register 9 is coupled to a "win"-indicating visual display 1 7 by a 1 kHz clock pulse generator 10 driving a divide-by-ten circuit 12 through a switch 1 An AND gate 13 monitors the A and D divider outputs to determine whether the count is "9" and passes its output via a filter 14 to a timer 15 and thence via 16-1, 1 6-2 drivers to the visual display indicator 1 7 and to a solenoid 20 controlling the operation of a printing calculator 1 9.

A customer's purchases are recorded on the cash register in the usual way. Each individual purchase is keyed into the register, and each batch of purchases is totalled; and (in the particular register illustrated) the total is automatically printed onto a till roll. Pressing the totalling button of the cash register 9 also automatically actuates a solenoid 1 8 to cause the same total to be printed onto the roll of the printing calculator 19; and operates switch 11 to disconnect generator 10 from the divider 12, thus "freezing" its state. In a normal, "no-win" logic state, display 1 7 and solenoid 20 remain unactivated.However, if the count is "9", a steady-state signal passes via filter 14 and timer 1 5 to cause drivers 16-1 and 1 6-2 respectively to energise display 1 7 and to activate solenoid 20.

Solenoid 20 causes the printing calculator 1 9 to print a "win"-identifying symbol (in this case, a simple sub-total indication) on its sheet roll. When this roll is compared with the till roll from register 9 at the end of any one trading period, the two rolls should tally and the roll from printing calculator 19 will enable each "win" entry to be identified. In the case under discussion, the winning entries will be the entries immediately above the sub-totals on the roll from calculator 19.

Every time a customer "wins", he can be given a prize or bonus, the nature of which will be determined by the proprietors of the shop. This should encourage him to purchase more items in an attempt to increase his chances of winning a prize or bonus.

Referring in more detail now to the drawings, the generator 10 feeds a signal via switch 11 to the decade counter 1 2 (i.e. the divide-by-ten circuit). The counter 1 2 is in the form of a single integrated circuit as shown in Figure 3, comprising four flip-flops A, B, C and D whose outputs can be taken to represent the decimal numbers 1, 2, 4 and 8, respectively. The outputs of flip-flops A and D appear on adjacent pins 11 and 12 and are fed to the AND gate 1 3 which when both outputs are present provides an output signal via the RC filter 14 to timer 15.

Signals from timer 1 5 energise two output drivers 16. The first of these (16-1) is coupled to the win-indicating display 1 7. The second driver (16-2) is coupled to solenoid 20 which is energised approximately 100 m.sec. after energisation of the first driver 1 6-1.

The switch 11, which may be a microswitch or a photoelectric switch depending on the design of the register, acts to disconnect the clock pulses from the input to the decade counter and so "freeze" the instantaneous states of the four flipflops A, B, C and D.

The time constant of the filter 14 is chosen such that when switch 11 is closed, the 100 Hz pulses from gate 13 are prevented from energising the timer 1 5. However, in the event of a "win condition", the output of gate 1 3 is a steady high signal which is passed by the filter 14 onto the timer 1 5.

A reset button 23 is provided for resetting the timer 1 5 and de-energising the win-indicating display 1 7 in preparation for the next entry on the cash register.

In Figure 2 the clock pulse generator 10 is shown in the form of a free-running multivibrator of conventional design, with the output taken from the collector of one of the transistors to the input pin 14 of the integrated circuit package. The integrated circuit is commercially available under the type No. 7490, and is designed such that flipflop A can be used independently of the other flipflops as a binary divider. So, to use the 7490 as a decade counter, the output of flip-flop A which appears on pin 12 of the package is connected to the clock input of flip-flop B via pin 1 of the package.

Also in Figure 2, the filter 14 is shown as comprising a capacitor 21 and a resistor 22 connected in parallel from the output of the AND gate 13 to the Ov line of the circuitry. This AND gate output is also connected to an input pin 2 of a small 8-pin package commercially known as a 555 and constituting the timer 1 5. The output of the timer is taken from pin 3 of the package to the output drivers which are of any convenient type, for example SCR, TRIAC or relay, depending on the characteristics of the solenoid 20 and the display 17.

The display 17 and calculator 19 may be separate from the cash register or may be built-in, and the circuitry may be installed within the cash register since there are relatively few components and they could be mounted on a small printedcircuit board.

Instead of the switch 11 acting to disconnect the clock pulse generator from the divider, it may be arranged to inhibit the clock pulse generator which would remain connected to the divider.

The term "cash register apparatus" is intended to be given a broad interpretation. For example, the drawer of a cigarette-vending machine could actuate the random-win-indicating means.

In the embodiment illustrated, solenoid 1 8 when activated causes the total to print onto the roll of the printing calculator; but the operator must of course key that total into the adding machine 1 9. In practice, the operator will enter a customer's purchases on the main cash register 9; sub-total those purchases on the main register; key that sub-total into the calculator 1 9 and check that the illuminated electronic display on the calculator shows a figure agreeing with the similarly-displayed figure on the main register; and then press the totalling button of the main register to cause that figure to be printed on to both rolls.

In effect, solenoid 1 8 activates the "add" function in calculator 19.

Claims

1. A cash register apparatus comprising random-win-indicating means actuated by the operation of a totalling button of the cash register apparatus.

2. A cash register apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the random-win-indicating means comprises a clock pulse generator, a divide-by-n circuit, means for determining whether said circuit is in a predetermined one of its n states, and means for actuating an indicator upon such determination.

3. A cash register apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the indicator is a visual-type indicator.

4. A cash register apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the indicator is in the form of a lamp.

5. A cash register apparatus as claimed in either claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the indicator is an audio-signaller.

6. A cash register apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein, in the case where the cash register apparatus also includes a sheet print-out, the indicator comprises an appropriate symbol printed on to the sheet.

7. A cash register apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the randomwin-indicating means is located wholly within the housing of the cash register apparatus.

8. A cash register apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the random-winindicating means is adapted for connection to an existing and otherwise conventional cash register to receive an actuation signal from the totalling button of the register.

9. A cash register apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the randomwin-indicating means is encased in an initially fluid but hardenable medium, whereby it is protected.

10. A cash register apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the encasing medium, when set, prevents the components within from being seen.

11. A cash register apparatus as claimed in either claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the casing medium is a synthetic resin "potting agent".

12. A cash register apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.