GB2140650A

GB2140650A - Cash register surveillance system

Info

Publication number: GB2140650A
Application number: GB08410582A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Leigh Clulee
Original assignee: VIDEOSCAN Ltd
Current assignee: VIDEOSCAN Ltd
Priority date: 1983-04-30
Filing date: 1984-04-25
Publication date: 1984-11-28
Also published as: GB8410582D0; GB2140650B

Abstract

A surveillance system for an electronic cash register (11) comprises a television camera (12) adapted to monitor the area surrounding the cash register, and connected to a monitor screen (13), and repeater means at the said monitor screen for the transactions entered into the cash register. The repeater means can comprise a separate cash register display at the screen (Figure 1 not shown) or the information may be displayed on the screen itself superimposed over the scene produced by the camera. The position on the screen of the superimposed information may be controlled by an operator. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Surveillance System This invention relates to surveillance systems.

An important source of lost revenue in stores and supermarkets takes place at the till where a cashier can operate a variety of schemes, for example, the practice of so-called "under-ringing" at the cash register, the check-out clerk operating collusively with the customer, who may be a friend or relative. It is known to monitor the area around the cash register by a television camera connected to a remote monitor screen, but this is not effective to enable the price information input to the cash register to be monitored at the same time as the general scene that would tell what goods were being dealt with. Accordingly it has been proposed that a second camera be used separately to monitor the cash register readings simultaneously.

Quite apart from the question of cost, this twocamera arrangement has several disadvantages. It is, of course, more difficult to site two cameras to monitor the same check-out point. And it is difficuit to site the cash register monitoring camera so that it gives a continuous unobstructed view of the cash register display, which still leaves open the possibility that under-ringing will go unnoticed.

The present invention provides a less expensive, more effective and flexible, and more secure arrangement.

The invention comprises a surveillance system for an electronic cash register comprising a television camera adapted to monitor the area surrounding the cash register, and connected to a monitor screen, and repeater means at the said monitor screen for the transactions entered into the cash register to be displayed.

Said repeater means may comprise a separate cash register display arrangement located adjacent the said monitor screen.

Otherwise, said repeater means may comprise a signal generator receiving information from the cash register and inputting the same synchronously into the monitor screen to superimpose the transactions on the scene produced by the said television camera. The system may comprise horizontal and/or vertical displacement means for the transaction information on the monitor screen, so that security personnel can adjust the information positionally so as not to interfere with a part of the scene they particularly want to see.

The system may comprise switch means by which the monitor screen together with its associated cash register display arrangement, if this is separate, can be connected to one or more of a plurality of cash registers and associated television cameras.

Embodiments of surveillance systems according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a first embodiment and Figure 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of a second embodiment.

Figure 1 and 2 illustrate surveillance systems for an electronic cash register 11 comprising a television camera 12 adapted to monitor the area surrounding the cash register 11-and including particularly the counter or conveyor on which the goods are placed by the customer. The camera 12 is connected-in the usual way-to a remote monitor screen 13, attended by security personnel.

Electronic cash registers are nowadays microprocessor based and operate using electronic signals input from the keyboard. The invention uses these signals to operate a repeater located at the monitor screen 1 3.

In Figure 1 the repeater 14 is a replica of the cash register display arrangement 11 a.

In Figure 2, the repeater 14 comprises a signal generator 1 5 receiving information from the cash register and inputting the same synchronously into the monitor screen 1 3 to superimpose the transactions on the scene produced by the camera 11. It is unnecessary to describe the electronic apparatus necessary to do this, as the same will be well understood by those familiar with electronics and video technology.

Horizontal and/or vertical displacement means are provided-using horizontal and/or vertical shift controls such as rotary switches 1 6 or even a joystick arrangement-enabling the security personnel to move the image of the transaction information around the monitor screen 13 to avoid obscuring some part of the scene they may particularly wish to see. The camera 12 can also, of course, be remotely controlled in the usual way to look at different parts of the area or to use different magnifications-possibly a zoom arrangement can be employed.

Switch means 1 7 are provided enabling the monitor screen 1 3 to be connected to one or more of a plurality of cash registers and associated cameras and if desired, to display on said monitor screen simultaneously a plurality of readings from a plurality of repeaters. Means can also be provided to record said monitor screen and readings from said repeater to be recorded on videotape for later review.

The system is of general application wherever electronic cash registers are used-they are, of course, being used more and more nowadays. The system can be used with any device which generates electronic or digital signals which can be transmitted or converted into video information. The need for such a surveillance system is not diminished by bar-code reading arrangements which automatically ring up the price of (and other information about) a purchased item-it is ali too easy to appear to pass the item across the bar code reader while avoiding actually ringing up the price.

Where cash registers are connected to a central computer for stock control purposes, for example, arrangements may be made also to access the computer from the monitor screen to throw up on the screen (or an adjacent display) details of the price of goods being transacted at the cash register being monitored.

Claims

1. A surveillance system for an electronic cash register comprising a television camera adapted to monitor the area surrounding the cash register, and connected to a monitor screen, and repeater means at the said monitor screen for the transactions entered into the cash register.

2. A system according to claim 1, said repeater means comprising a separate cash register display arrangement located adjacent the said monitor screen.

3. A system according to claim 1, said repeater means comprising a signal generator receiving information from the cash register and inputting the same synchronously into the monitor screen to superimpose the transactions on the scene produced by the said television camera.

4. A system according to claim 3, comprising horizontal and/or vertical displacement means for the transaction information on the monitor screen.

5. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising switch means by which the monitor screen can be connected to one or more of a plurality of cash registers and associated television cameras.

6. A surveillance system for an electronic cash register substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.