JP2001101529A - Merchandise processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a merchandise processor that the displayed contents of preset keys can be changed easily and no periodical maintenance is required for the preset keys. SOLUTION: The image data about the commodities displayed in the preset key column 14a of a touch panel 14 constituting a commodity processor are used as preset keys.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a product processing apparatus, and more particularly to a product processing apparatus capable of easily specifying a product to be processed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Supermarkets and the like employ a so-called weigh-in-the-sale method of selling goods based on the weight of the goods and the price (unit price) per 100 g. (2) There is an increasing number of stores adopting a so-called self-selling system, in which customers take out a required amount of products displayed at a sales floor and purchase the products at a price corresponding to the weight of the products. This self-sales method has the advantage that customers can purchase only the necessary amount of products compared to packed products, and the store does not need to pack products. Therefore, there is an advantage in that labor costs can be reduced.

[0003] In such a self-selling system, a so-called electronic balance with printer (a kind of product processing apparatus) is generally used. In this method, when a product is placed on a weighing pan, the price of the product is calculated based on the weight of the product and a unit price registered in advance, and the price is printed and issued on a label. The issued label is attached to a product (a plastic bag or a container containing the product) by a customer, and can be settled at a cash register together with other purchased products.

[0004] As shown in FIG. 8, the electronic balance with printer 2 is provided with preset keys 21 in which product data such as the unit price of each product is registered, and a key top of each preset key 21. Is attached with a key sheet on which characters, pictures, etc. relating to the product are printed, so that the operator can easily grasp the registered contents of the preset keys 21.

When the customer presses a preset key corresponding to a product while the customer places the product on the weighing pan, the data (product name, unit price, etc.) of the product is called, and the unit price and the product price are read. The price of the product is calculated based on the weight. The product price, the product data, and the like are displayed on the display unit, and are printed and issued on a label.

[0006]

However, such an electronic balance with a printer (product processing apparatus) has the following problems.

That is, in supermarkets and the like, products displayed on the sales floor are frequently replaced according to seasons, special sales, and the like. Accordingly, the registration data of the preset keys and the print contents of the key sheet are also changed correspondingly. However, the conventional key sheet has a problem that it takes a long time to create or modify the key sheet because the sheet is attached to the key top of the preset key, and the key sheet cannot be easily changed. was there.

[0008] The sheet attached to the key top includes
Wear and damage are likely to occur as the device is used, and if left untouched, not only the pattern of the key cannot be determined, but also the cleanliness may be impaired. There was also a problem that it was necessary to re-paste.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a product processing apparatus which can easily change the display contents of preset keys and does not require regular maintenance of the preset keys.

[0010]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention employs the following configuration.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a product processing apparatus comprising: a display unit; a product information storage unit for storing product information on a product; and an image data storage unit for storing image data for each product in association with each product. Image data display means for reading out each stored image data and displaying the read image data on the display unit; designation means for designating the displayed image data; and commodity information of a commodity corresponding to the designated image data. Merchandise information display means for reading from the storage unit and displaying the information on the display unit.

According to this product processing apparatus, it is possible to store the image data relating to each product in association with each product, read out the stored image data, and display it on the display unit. Therefore, even when products need to be replaced frequently in each season, there is no need to modify or create and attach a key sheet each time as in the conventional case. Can greatly reduce the labor required, and the preset keys are more resistant to wear and breakage than when a sheet is pasted on a keytop, so that it is not necessary to periodically replace the sheet.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the product processing apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the image data storage unit is a storage unit separate from the product information storage unit. I do.

According to this product processing apparatus, the image data storage unit and the product information storage unit are separate storage units, and both are linked (linked) to each other. Therefore, when a plurality of products use the same image data, the amount of memory used can be reduced.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a merchandise processing apparatus according to the first or second aspect, wherein the display unit is a touch panel displaying a list of image data.

According to this product processing device, the product can be designated by touching the image data displayed on the touch panel with a finger, so that the product processing device and its installation space can be made compact.

Further, by using a touch panel, the degree of freedom of the layout of the preset keys is increased. For example, the store side can freely set the preset keys based on the sales results, the sales plan, and the like, for example, by expanding the key size of hot selling products. Can be laid out.

[0018]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a view showing the appearance of an electronic balance with a printer, which is an example of a product processing apparatus. As shown in this figure, the electronic balance with a printer 1 comprises a measuring section 11 and a printer 1.
2, a key input unit 13, and a touch panel 14.

The weighing section 11 includes a weighing dish 11a provided on the upper surface of the electronic weigher 1 with a printer, and a weight detector (load cell) provided below the weighing dish 11a inside the electronic weigher 1 with the printer. Thus, the weight of the product placed on the weighing dish 11a can be measured.

The printer 12 is disposed on the front right side of the electronic balance 1 with a printer, and prints information on commodities by a thermal head (not shown) to issue a label. Further, the printer 12 has a cassette type label accommodating portion (not shown), and the label accommodating portion is configured to be easily detached from the front side of the electronic balance 1. Therefore, when the label is completed, the label storage portion can be pulled out from the front side and the label can be easily replaced.

The key input unit 13 has a tare key, a numeric keypad, and the like, and these keys can be used to perform various setting operations such as setting of a tare and various numerical values such as inputting a unit price of a product.

The touch panel 14 displays merchandise information including the weight and unit price of the merchandise, and image data assigned to each merchandise and functioning as a preset key.
When the operator's finger touches the image data, various operations such as designation of a product (call of product information) and mode switching can be easily performed.

The touch panel 14 displays various menu screens such as a setting menu screen for performing various settings and a normal menu screen for measuring a product weight and issuing a label. Is performed.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a setting menu screen. As shown in FIG. 3, a preset key column 14a, a mode switching key column 14
b, registration key 14c, etc. are displayed.

Each key in the preset key field 14a is a key on this screen in which information on each product displayed in the counter is registered.

Various mode switching keys such as preset, coloring, layout and the like are arranged in the mode switching key column 14b. The preset mode key is a key for switching to a preset mode in which the registered contents of each preset key arranged in the preset key column 14 are set. The coloring mode key is a key for switching to a mode for setting and changing the display color of each preset key. The layout mode key is a key for switching to a mode for setting and changing the size of each key in the preset key column 14a. Therefore, by performing a predetermined operation in the coloring mode and the layout mode, it is possible to change to a key arrangement and a key color that are easy to operate or that can be visually recognized. In each mode, the registration key 14c
Only after pressing the key can the registered content, size, and color of each key be set.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a normal menu screen. As shown in FIG. 4, the touch panel 14 has a preset key column 14a, a product name column 14d, and a data display column 1
4e and the like are displayed.

Each key in the preset key field 14a is a key on this screen, by touching any one of the keys, the information of a product registered in the key can be called. Note that keys for which no product information is registered are blank.

The item name column 14d is a column for displaying a product name of a product corresponding to a preset key when the key is touched. The data display column 14e is a column for displaying a product weight, a unit price, a price, and the like.

The size of each preset key is
It is automatically adjusted according to the number of displayed preset keys.

As shown in FIG. 2, which is a block diagram showing the configuration of the electronic balance 1 with a printer, in addition to the weighing unit 11 and the like, various controls such as calculation of product prices and execution of printing are performed. And a control unit 15 for performing the control. Then, the control unit 15, the weighing unit 11, the printer 12, the key input unit 13
And the touch panel 14 are connected by various interfaces (not shown). Further, the control unit 15
A CPU (not shown) and a memory (not shown) composed of a ROM and a RAM are provided, as shown in FIG. 2, which are a product information storage unit T1, an image data storage unit T2, and an image data storage unit T2. Display means P1, designation means P2,
It constitutes various storage units and means such as the product information display means P3.

The merchandise storage unit T1 stores merchandise information on merchandise, for example, a call number. , Product name, unit price, etc. are stored for each product, and have a table structure as shown in FIG.

The image data storage unit T2 stores image data relating to each product in association with each product. Here, the image data relating to the product includes not only the appearance of the design of the product, the photograph, etc., but also the abstract design of the name, the appearance, the concept, etc. of the product. In the present embodiment, the image data storage unit T2
Are included in the product information storage unit T1 (see FIG. 5). That is, for example, the call No. In the column of 000000, product information such as a product name “banana”, a unit price “48 yen”, and image data (banana picture) are registered. The image data is, for example, processed by a digital camera or a scanner into an image captured by a personal computer or the like, and registered in the image data storage unit T2 via an appropriate interface or information storage medium.

The image data display means P1 reads out each image data stored in the image data storage section T1 and displays it on the touch panel 14.

The designating means P2 senses which of the images displayed on the touch panel the operator's finger touched, and notifies the information displaying means P3.

The product information display means P3 reads the product information of the product corresponding to the image data notified by the designating means P2 from the product information storage unit T1, and displays it on the touch panel 14.

The control unit 15 includes, in addition to the above-mentioned storage units and means, calculation means for calculating the product price from the measured product weight and the product unit price stored in the product information storage unit T1. Although various types of means provided in a conventional electronic balance with a printer are also provided, descriptions of these are omitted.

The operation of registering a preset key in the electronic balance with printer 1 having the above-described configuration and performing self-selling of merchandise will be described with reference to FIG. In addition,
Changes in the display of the touch panel 14 due to the operation will be described with reference to FIGS.

First, an operation for registering product information (including image data) in a preset key will be described.

First, the menu is switched from the normal menu screen (step S0) to the setting menu screen (step S1).

Next, in the setting menu screen, the mode is switched to the preset mode by touching the preset mode key in the mode switching key field 14b (step S2), and the registration key 14c is touched (step S3).
As shown in the figure, both are highlighted and it is clearly indicated that the preset key can be registered.

Next, a call number of a product newly registered in the preset key is set. For example, call No. “00030” is input using the numeric keypad of the key input unit 13 (step S
4). Then, in this state, when the user touches a preset key at the upper right end of the preset key column 14a (step S5), the call number is assigned to the preset key. "0003
The product information of the product "cherry" corresponding to "0" is registered in the preset key, and the image data display means P1 displays image data (a picture of the cherry) of the product at the position of the key on the touch panel 14. (See FIG. 3B).

By repeating steps S4 and S5, the product information of each product is registered in the preset keys, and the image data of each product is displayed in a list at the position of each preset key on the touch panel 14 (FIG. 3 (c)).

When the image data is not registered, the product name of the product is displayed at the position of the preset key. However, an arbitrary character string or the like is used instead of the product name. The display may be performed, or the operator may select which of the image data and the product name or the like is to be displayed.

Following the reset key setting operation, the operation of the electronic balance with printer 1 when purchasing a product will be described below.

First, when the operator switches the balance 1 with printer to the normal menu screen (step S6), each key in the preset key column 14a includes image data of a product such as "cherry", "grape", "banana", and the like. Is displayed (see FIG. 4A).

Next, the customer (operator) places the merchandise displayed at the counter, for example, "cherry" in a tare such as a plastic bag and places it on the weighing plate 11a of the scale with printer (step S7). Then, the weight of the product "Cherry" is measured (step S8), and the data display column 14e is obtained.
Displays the weight “1056 g” (step S
9). In this state, when the user touches the "picture of cherry" in the preset key column 14a (step S10), the product information of the product "cherry" associated with the image data is displayed by the product information display means P3. It is called from the storage unit T1.

When the product information is called, the product name "cherry" is displayed in the product name field 14d and the unit price is displayed in the data display field 14e (step S12), and the price of the product is calculated (step S13). The price "612 yen" is displayed in the data display column 14e (step S14). FIG. 4 shows a state in which commodity prices and the like are displayed.
(B).

Finally, the printer 12 issues a label (FIG. 7) on which the product information and the like are printed (step S15). Note that the label may not be automatically issued, but may be issued by pressing a key or the like separately.

The label issued in this way is affixed to a tare containing goods by a customer (operator), and the price is settled together with other goods at a cash register.

In the electronic balance with printer 1 of this embodiment,
Since the image data relating to each product is stored in association with each product, and the stored image data is read out and displayed on the display unit, the display contents of the preset keys, that is, the pattern of the preset keys, etc. can be easily changed. I was able to. Therefore, even if products must be replaced frequently every season,
Since there is no need to modify or create and attach the key sheet each time, the work of changing the picture of the preset key can be greatly reduced.

Further, since the image data is displayed on the preset key itself, it is more resistant to abrasion and breakage than the case where the sheet is attached to the key top, and the work of periodically replacing the sheet is unnecessary.

Furthermore, since the display unit and the designating means are integrated to form a touch panel, the apparatus can be made more compact than when the display unit and the designating means are separately provided. In addition, the degree of freedom in the layout of the preset keys is increased, and for example, the store can freely lay out the preset keys based on the sales results, the sales plan, and the like, for example, by expanding the key size of the hot selling product.

In addition to the above-described embodiments, the present invention can be variously modified within the technical scope described in the claims.

First, in the above-described embodiment, an electronic balance with a printer used in self-selling has been described as an example of a product processing apparatus. However, the present invention relates to a product processing apparatus that handles various types of products, a product type, and the like. The present invention can also be applied to other product processing devices such as a product processing device in which parts (units) and the like of the device are exchanged and used according to the conditions. In the case of such an apparatus, when an image on the touch panel is touched, a set value of the product processing apparatus when processing the product, for example, a set temperature or a set pressure is displayed and automatically set, or a unit of the product processing apparatus is displayed. You.

For example, in a so-called bag making and packaging machine for packaging products such as potato chips, it is necessary to process a wide variety of products, so that the types of bags (wrapping film) for packaging each product are also various. In some cases, the product may be packed in an incorrect bag due to an operator error or the like. Therefore, if a touch panel is provided on the packaging machine, the image of the product to be packaged is displayed on the touch panel, and when the operator touches the image of the product to be packaged, the image of the film packaging the product is displayed on the touch panel. The operator can easily change the film without mistake.

Apart from this, in the bag packaging machine, a so-called former unit (bag forming unit) must be replaced according to the size of each product bag. When the operator touches the image of the product, the image data of the former unit used for packaging the product is displayed on the touch panel, so that the operator can easily select the former unit without mistake.

Further, unlike the above-described embodiment, image data relating to a product or the like may not be included in the product information storage unit. That is, the product information storage unit and the image data storage unit may be configured as separate tables, and both may be linked to each other. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of memory used when a plurality of products use the same image data.

Further, the image data may be stored in a host computer or the like connected to the product processing device via a network. In this case, there is no need for the product processing device to store image data with a large amount of information,
The memory capacity of the product processing device can be reduced.

[0061]

Since the commodity processing apparatus according to the present invention displays image data relating to the commodity on the display unit as the preset key, even if the commodity needs to be frequently replaced every season, the pattern of the preset key is not changed. The labor for the change operation can be greatly reduced, and the preset keys are more resistant to wear and breakage than when a sheet is pasted on the keytop, so that the work of regularly re-placing the sheet is no longer necessary.

Further, the memory capacity used can be reduced by using the product information and the image data of the product as separate storage units, and the whole apparatus can be made compact by using a touch panel.

Further, by applying the present invention to a product processing apparatus that handles various types of products, it is possible to select products or parts while checking the appearance and the like based on the image data displayed on the display unit. It was possible to reduce the burden on the operator and prevent selection errors.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of an electronic balance with a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an electronic balance with a printer.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a setting menu screen.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a normal menu screen.

FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically illustrating the structures of a product information storage unit and an image information storage unit.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of registering image data and the like in an electronic balance with a printer and issuing a label.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing issued labels.

FIG. 8 is an external perspective view showing the external appearance of a conventional electronic balance with a printer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Measurement device 11 Measurement part 12 Printer 13 Input key part 14 Touch panel

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A display unit, a product information storage unit for storing product information on a product, an image data storage unit for storing image data for each product in association with each product, and reading out each stored image data Means for displaying image data to be displayed on the display unit, specifying means for specifying the displayed image data, and reading out the product information of the product corresponding to the specified image data from the product information storage unit, A product processing apparatus comprising: product information display means for displaying. 2. The product processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image data storage is a storage separate from the product information storage. 3. The merchandise processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display unit is a touch panel displaying a list of image data.