JP2005165484A - Receipt printing device and method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a receipt printing device which can change the contents of an additional message to be printed on a receipt in consideration of the rhythm of a customer's life, and also provide a receipt printing method thereof. <P>SOLUTION: An appearance message file 31, which comprises a plurality of types of appearance message information correlated to a plurality of time zones, is preliminarily stored in a storage part 13. A search part 23 searches the storage part 31 by using a present time which a control part reports after accounting processing as a search key, and reads appearance message information correlated to a time zone in which the present time is included. The contents of the appearance message information thus read are printed on the receipt. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a receipt printing apparatus and method, and more particularly to a receipt printing apparatus and method capable of printing different contents depending on a time zone.

  A POS terminal and an electronic cash register (ECR) are provided with a receipt printing device for printing (printing) a result of processing input information (money registration information) on a receipt.

The conventional receipt printing apparatus is configured so that, when the cash registration information is printed, a different additional message (for example, a sales promotion message or an image (image)) can be printed together. Also, the conventional receipt printing apparatus prepares a plurality of additional message information corresponding to customer attributes in advance, and based on the customer attributes input at the time of money registration, the plurality of additional message information prepared The additional message information suitable for the customer is selected, and the additional message is printed on the receipt based on the selected additional message information (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP-A-6-96367 (summary)

  In the conventional receipt printing apparatus, additional message information to be printed is selected from a plurality of additional message information prepared in advance based only on the customer's attribute, so the attributes are common (for example, gender and age group are The same additional information is printed on a receipt issued to the same customer. Therefore, the conventional receipt printing apparatus has a problem that only the same additional message can be provided to customers having the same attribute even if their life rhythms are completely different. .

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a receipt printing apparatus and method that can change the content of an additional message printed on a receipt in consideration of a customer's life rhythm.

  Specifically, an object of the present invention is to provide a receipt printing apparatus and method that can change the contents of an additional message printed on a receipt for each time period.

  According to the present invention, in a receipt printing apparatus capable of printing an additional message on a receipt, the storage unit stores a plurality of additional message information associated with a plurality of time zones, and the storage unit uses the current time as a search key. Search means for reading additional message information associated with a time zone including the current time among the plurality of time zones, and the content represented by the additional message information read by the search means is A receipt printing apparatus is obtained in which printing is performed on the receipt as an additional message.

  According to the present invention, in the receipt printing method for printing an additional message on a receipt, after a plurality of additional message information associated with a plurality of time zones is stored in advance in a storage unit and a predetermined process is performed Acquires the current time, searches the storage unit using the acquired current time as a search key, reads additional message information associated with a time zone including the current time among the plurality of time zones, and reads the added The receipt printing method is characterized in that the content represented by the message information is printed on the receipt as the additional message.

  According to the present invention, a plurality of additional message information associated with a plurality of time zones is prepared in advance, and depending on the time (current time) at the time of receipt printing, the addition associated with the time zone including that time is added. By selecting the message information and printing the contents on the receipt, it is possible to print the additional message that differs for each time period on the receipt. That is, it is possible to print additional messages on receipts taking into account the customer's life rhythm.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a receipt printing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This receipt printing apparatus is incorporated in an electronic cash register, and most of it is shared with the electronic cash register. In other words, this receipt printing apparatus is realized as a part of the function of the electronic cash register.

  The receipt printing apparatus 10 of FIG. 1 includes an input unit 11 including a keyboard, a data processing unit 12 that operates by program control, a storage unit 13 that stores various information such as programs and data, and an output unit 14 that includes a printer.

  The memory | storage part 13 memorize | stores the data which generate | occur | produce with the program required for a money registration process, and the process. Further, the storage unit 13 stores a posting message file 31. The posted message file 31 stores a plurality of posted message information (additional message information) in association with a plurality of time zones. The posted message information includes not only character information such as part-time job recruitment advertisements (including treatment, working hours, contact information, etc.) and sales promotion messages, but also images (images) such as illustrations and photographs.

  A configuration example of the posting message file 31 is shown in FIG. The posted message file 31 in FIG. 2 is an example in which 24 hours a day is divided into 6 time zones every 4 hours.

  The data processing unit 12 includes a control unit 21 that controls the entire apparatus, a clock unit 22, and a search unit 23.

  The search unit 23 searches the posted message file 31 in the storage unit 13 according to an input operation to the input unit 11 under the control of the control unit 21, and outputs the search result to the output unit 14. The search unit 23 uses the current time obtained from the clock unit 22 as a search key when searching the posted message file 31.

  Next, the operation of the receipt printing apparatus of FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, information such as a product purchased by a customer and an amount of money is input (money registration) from the input unit 11 to the apparatus 10 (step A1).

  The control unit 21 processes the registered information (accounting process) based on the input from the input unit 11 (step A2), and outputs the processing result to the output unit 14. The control unit 21 reads the current time from the clock unit 22 at the end of the accounting process (step A3), and notifies the search unit 23 of the read current time.

  The search unit 23 searches the posted message file 31 in the storage unit 13 using the current time notified from the control unit 21 as a search key, and reads the posted message information associated with the time zone including the current time (step A4). ). For example, if the current time indicates PM 8:00 and the posted message file 31 is configured as shown in FIG. The posted message information corresponding to 5 is read. The search unit 23 outputs the read posting message information to the output unit 14.

  The output unit 14 prints the processing result sent from the control unit 21 (step A5), and then prints or prints the content of the posted message information sent from the search unit 23 (step A6). Finally, the output unit 14 issues a receipt (step A7).

  As described above, the receipt printing apparatus according to the present embodiment can print a different message for each time period on the receipt, and can provide information in consideration of the customer's life rhythm. For example, for a customer who visits a convenience store or the like, there is a high possibility that the visit time is free time. Therefore, if the part-time job recruitment advertisement is printed on the receipt as the posted message in the same time period as the part-time job, a high advertising effect can be expected. In addition, when recruiting part-time jobs over multiple time zones, where the treatment is different for each time zone, information such as treatment according to each time zone can also be printed, and more detailed and accurate Information can be provided accurately.

  Next, a receipt printing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The configuration of the apparatus according to the present embodiment is basically the same as that of the receipt printing apparatus according to the first embodiment, but the configuration of the posted message file 31 and the operation of the search unit 23 that searches for it are different. .

  FIG. 4 shows a configuration example of the posting message file 31. The posting message file 31 in FIG. 4 stores a plurality of posting messages associated with not only the time zone but also gender and age group. In FIG. 4, the numbers described in the gender column and the age group column are defined as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, for example.

  Next, the operation of the receipt printing apparatus according to this embodiment will be described.

  First, prior to money registration, the customer's age group and gender are input to the input unit 11 (steps B1 and B2). This input may be performed from the keyboard of the input unit 11, or may be performed from a card reader that reads information from an information recording medium such as a magnetic card issued to a customer. In order to facilitate input from the keyboard, a dedicated input key (for example, age and gender can be input collectively) may be provided on the keyboard. The age group and sex of the customer input to the input unit 11 are given to the search unit 23 via the control unit 21.

  Subsequently, information such as a product purchased by the customer and an amount of money is input (money registration) from the input unit 11 to the apparatus 10 (step B3), and the control unit 21 performs processing (accounting processing) of the registered information ( Step B4). Then, the control unit 21 outputs the processing result to the output unit 14.

  When the accounting process is completed, the control unit 21 reads the current time from the clock unit 22 (step B5), and notifies the search unit 23 of the read current time.

  The search unit 23 searches the posted message file 31 in the storage unit 13 using the current time notified from the control unit 21 and the age group and sex of the customer previously given as search keys, and the time including the current time The posted message information associated with the band and the sex and age group of the customer is read (step B6) and output to the output unit 14.

  The output unit 14 prints the processing result sent from the control unit 21 (step B7), prints the posting message sent from the search unit 23 (step B8), and issues a receipt (step B9). .

  Also in the receipt printing apparatus according to the present embodiment, it is possible to print the posted message on the receipt in consideration of the life rhythm of the customer as in the first embodiment. Moreover, in the present embodiment, it is possible to print a posted message on the receipt in consideration of the sex and age group of the customer, and a higher advertising effect can be expected.

  As mentioned above, although the receipt printing apparatus of this invention was demonstrated according to embodiment, this invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. For example, the posted message file 31 may be configured by associating posted message information with a larger or smaller number of time zones. Further, the posted message file 31 may be configured so that printed posted messages are different between weekdays and holidays even in the same time zone, or different for each day of the week.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the receipt printing apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the posting message file memorize | stored in the memory | storage part contained in the receipt printing apparatus of FIG. It is a flowchart for demonstrating operation | movement of the receipt printing apparatus of FIG. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the posting message file stored in the memory | storage part of the receipt printing apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the number used for the sex column contained in the posting message file of FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the number used for the age group column contained in the posting message file of FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the receipt printing apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Receipt printing device 11 Input part 12 Data processing part 13 Storage part 14 Output part 21 Control part 22 Clock part 23 Search part 31 Posting message file

Claims (6)

In a receipt printing apparatus capable of printing an additional message on a receipt,
A storage unit for storing a plurality of additional message information associated with a plurality of time zones;
Search means for searching the storage unit using a current time as a search key, and reading additional message information associated with a time zone including the current time among the plurality of time zones,
The receipt printing apparatus characterized in that the content represented by the additional message information read by the search means is printed on the receipt as the additional message. The plurality of additional message information is further associated with a customer attribute and stored in the storage unit;
The receipt printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the search unit searches the storage unit using the current time and the customer attribute as a search key.   A POS terminal comprising the receipt printing apparatus according to claim 1.   An electronic money registering machine comprising the receipt printing apparatus according to claim 1. In a receipt printing method for printing an additional message on a receipt,
A plurality of additional message information associated with a plurality of time zones in advance is stored in the storage unit,
Obtain the current time after performing the specified process,
Search the storage unit using the acquired current time as a search key, and read additional message information associated with a time zone including the current time among the plurality of time zones,
A receipt printing method characterized in that the content represented by the read additional message information is printed on the receipt as the additional message. The additional message information is further associated with customer attributes and stored in the storage unit,
6. The receipt printing method according to claim 5, wherein the storage unit is searched by using the customer attribute inputted from outside and the current time as a search key.

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