JP2008269345A - Commodity information processor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a commodity information processor capable of preventing deterioration of operability even in the event of a failure of a touch panel. <P>SOLUTION: In the POS system having an operator display 4 including the touch panel 10, a switching key 25 provided on a keyboard 2 is operated in the event of a failure of the touch panel 10, whereby an alternate key 26 of the keyboard 2 executes the same processing as processing which is performed by the touch panel 10 by operating a display button 28 displayed on the operator display 4. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a merchandise information processing apparatus having a keyboard and a touch panel, and more particularly to an apparatus capable of performing a touch panel replacement process using a keyboard.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, a POS terminal is known as a merchandise information processing apparatus that performs merchandise sales registration processing using a touch panel. Such a POS terminal is provided with a touch panel on the screen of an operator display, and further displays an image of a selection unit group to which each product is assigned in the area of the touch panel. When the operator selects one of the images of the selection unit group by a touch operation with a finger along with the sales, the touch panel detects the selected position, and the product assigned to the area corresponding to the position is displayed. Perform sales registration processing.

  In such a POS terminal, when the touch panel stops functioning due to a failure or the like, naturally, the sales registration process using the touch panel becomes impossible. In particular, each product assigned to the area of the touch panel is often a special sale product on the business day, a product without a barcode, and the like, and there is a possibility that the sales registration cannot be performed. When a product code is input using a keyboard instead of a touch panel, the burden on the operator increases, and there are problems such as erroneous input and an increase in processing time.

In order to deal with such problems, there is known a POS terminal that allows product information to be input by a substitute operation such as an arrow key provided on another keyboard when a touch panel breaks down ( For example, see Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-53646

  In the case of a touch panel failure, the POS terminal (product information processing apparatus) as described above, which uses an arrow key or the like as a substitute, is an operation that is different from the normal operation, so that it is difficult for the operator to understand the operation. This increases the processing time. A decrease in operability and an increase in processing time directly increase the waiting time of the customer, causing trouble for the customer and a heavy burden on the operator.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a product information processing apparatus excellent in operability capable of easily and reliably inputting product information even when the touch panel does not function. is there.

  The product information processing apparatus of the present invention controls a display having a keyboard having a plurality of keys, a display unit having a touch panel on a display screen, and a plurality of display buttons to which product information is assigned in a predetermined arrangement on the display unit. Detecting means for detecting a touch operation on the touch panel as an input of product information assigned to the display button corresponding to the position of the touch operation when each display button is displayed; and An operation means for switching between ON and OFF, and when OFF is set by the operation means, among the plurality of keys in a predetermined area of the keyboard, some of the display buttons corresponding to the arrangement positions of the display buttons Control means for causing the key to function as an alternative input for the product information assigned to each of the display buttons is provided.

  According to the product information processing apparatus of the present invention, product information can be input easily and reliably even when the touch panel does not function. As a result, an increase in customer waiting time can be avoided and the burden on the operator can be greatly reduced.

Hereinafter, a product information registration processing apparatus (hereinafter referred to as “POS terminal”) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, a push button type keyboard 2, a card reader 3 that reads card data such as a credit card, an operator display 4 that displays merchandise sales data, accounting data, and the like to the operator. A customer display 5 for displaying merchandise sales data and accounting data for a shopper, a printer 6 for issuing a receipt, a drawer 7, and a scanner 8 for reading a bar code of the merchandise are provided. On the display screen of the operator display 4, a touch panel 10 that can be touched with fingers is provided.

  The control circuit of this POS terminal is shown in FIG. That is, a control unit 11 serving as the center of control is provided with a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12 in which a control program and the like are stored in advance, and a storage area for data necessary for processing merchandise sales data, accounting data, and the like. A RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a clock unit 14 for measuring date and time, a communication controller 15 for controlling data communication with a store computer connected via a communication line such as a LAN (Local Area Network), a keyboard Interface (hereinafter “keyboard I / F”) 16, card reader interface (hereinafter “card reader I / F”) 17, first display controller 18, second display controller 19, printer controller 20, I / O (Input / Output) ) Port 21, scanner interface (hereinafter "scanner I / F") 22, touch panel in Over face (hereinafter "touch panel I / F") 23, etc. are connected.

  The keyboard 2 is connected to the keyboard I / F 16. The card reader 3 is connected to the card reader I / F 17. The operator display 4 is connected to the first display controller 18. The customer display 5 is connected to the second display controller 19.

  The printer 6 is connected to the printer controller 20. The drawer 7 is connected to the I / O port 21. The scanner 8 is connected to the scanner I / F 22. The touch panel 10 is connected to the touch panel I / F 23.

  A specific example of the keyboard 2 is shown in FIG. First, the keyboard 2 is formed by arranging a large number of push button keys 24. These keys 24 include one switching key 25 as an operation means for switching the touch panel 10 between on and off (operation and stop). Also, a plurality of substitute keys 26 for substituting the function of the touch panel 10 when the touch panel 10 is switched off are included.

  These alternative keys 26 are arranged together in a predetermined area of the keyboard 2, for example, the upper right area, and are surrounded by alternative key lines 26a of conspicuous colors, for example, to make the operator's visual recognition easy. Each substitute key 26 exhibits a substitute function only when the touch panel 10 is turned off by the operation of the switching key 25, and has other functions when the touch panel 10 is turned on.

  In addition, for each key 24, a product display key for displaying a plurality of display buttons 28 each having a product name on a display unit 27 provided on the operator display 4, and a closing instruction for processing work are given. A tightening key or the like is provided.

  The control unit 11 includes the following means (1) to (5) as main functions.

  (1) Control means for displaying a plurality of display buttons 28 assigned product information on the operator display 4 in a predetermined arrangement. A plurality of types of image patterns having different product information are prepared as image patterns of the plurality of display buttons 28 to which product information is assigned, and are stored in advance in the ROM 12 serving as storage means.

  (2) Control means for selectively displaying one of the image patterns in the ROM 12 on the operator display 4 in accordance with, for example, a predetermined operation of the switching key 25.

  (3) When each display button 28 is displayed on the operator display 4, a touch operation on the touch panel 10 on the operator display 4 is assigned to the display button 28 corresponding to the position of the touch operation. Detection means for detecting as input of information.

  (4) When the switch key 25 is set to OFF, as shown in FIG. 4, a division line 29 for separating the alternative keys 26 from other keys is displayed on the operator display 4. Control means for displaying on the operator display 4 in a form fitted to the arrangement of the display buttons 28.

  (5) When OFF is set by the switching key 25, among the plurality of alternative keys 26 in the upper right area of the keyboard 2, the number corresponding to the arrangement position of each display button 28 displayed on the operator display 4 Control means for causing the substitute key 26 to function as a substitute input for the product information assigned to each display button 28.

Next, the operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
First, as an accounting process for merchandise brought in by the customer, the operator reads the bar code attached to the merchandise using the scanner 8 (YES in step ST11), thereby inputting merchandise information (step ST12). The input product information is stored in the RAM 13. At the same time, the product price corresponding to the input product information is read from the RAM 13, and the read product price and the total price are displayed on the operator display 4.

  In this input process, the operator determines whether or not a barcode is attached to the product, that is, whether or not the touch panel 10 is used (step ST11 and step ST13). When the barcode is not given (NO in step ST11) and the touch panel 10 is used (YES in step ST12), the operator operates, for example, a product name display button provided on the keyboard 2 or the like. Thus, the plurality of display buttons 28 to which the product information is assigned are displayed on the operator display 4 (step ST14). Then, among the displayed display buttons 28, the display button 28 having the product name of the brought-in product is touch-operated with a finger (YES in step ST15), so that the display button 28 corresponding to the position of the touch operation is displayed. The product information assigned to is detected and input (NO in step ST16, step ST17). At this time, the product price corresponding to the input product information is displayed on the operator display 4. In addition, when the display button 28 having the product name of the brought-in product is not displayed, by touching the next page button displayed on the same operator display 4, it has been displayed until then. The image patterns of different display buttons 28 are displayed. Thus, the image pattern can be switched until the display button 28 having the product name of the brought-in product is displayed.

  In the input processing using the touch panel 10, when the touch panel 10 is out of order (such as no response when touching the touch panel 10) (YES in step ST16), the switch key 25 on the keyboard 2 is pressed by the operator. It is operated (YES in step ST18).

  As a result of this operation, the function of the touch panel 10 is turned off, and as shown in FIG. 4, each of the display buttons displayed on the operator display 4 is a division line 29 for dividing each substitute key 26 from other keys. It is displayed on the operator display 4 in a form fitted to the arrangement 28 (step ST19). Along with this, some of the alternative keys 26 function for inputting product information (step ST20). When any one of the substitute keys 26 is pressed, the product information assigned to the pressed substitute key 26 is input (step ST21).

  The ROM 12 stores the image pattern table shown in FIG. When the switch key 25 is operated once, an image pattern display button 28 representing the product name in the column of n = 1 is displayed on the operator display 4. Further, when the switch key 25 is operated, an image pattern display button 28 representing the product name in the column of n = 2 is displayed on the operator display 4. When the number of operations of the switch key 25 exceeds the number of stored image patterns, the display on the operator display 4 returns to the normal screen.

The display of the division line 29 allows the operator to easily recognize the correspondence between each display button 28 and each alternative key 26 at a glance.
Thus, after the product information about all the products brought in by the customer is input, the operator operates the tightening key provided on the keyboard 2. By operating the tightening key, the total price of the products that the customer plans to purchase is calculated and displayed on the operator display 4 and the customer display 5. The customer pays the price according to this display.

  As described above, when the touch panel 10 is out of order, the product information can be input easily and reliably by operating the switch key 25 and operating any one of the alternative keys 26. Accordingly, it is possible to perform processing operations without delay, avoiding an increase in customer waiting time, improving customer satisfaction, and improving the reliability of the POS terminal.

  Further, among the alternative keys 26, some alternative keys 26 having the same arrangement pattern as the display buttons 28 are selectively functioned, and the division lines 29 corresponding to the keyboard layout are displayed on the display screens of the display buttons 28. Since the display is configured, it is easy to visually recognize the substitute key 26 corresponding to each display button 28, and the operability for the operator is greatly improved. It also prevents mistakes such as operator mistakes and input errors.

  For this reason, even when the touch panel 10 is out of order, it is only necessary to simply operate the substitute key 26 corresponding to each display button 28, and it is possible to perform quick processing without deteriorating operability. Increase in customer waiting time due to delay can be avoided, and customer satisfaction is improved.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as it is, and can be embodied by modifying the constituent elements without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the product name display button or the switch key 25 is operated to display the display button 28 on which the product name is described on the operator display 4. The product information and the product price may always be displayed on the upper half of 4, and the display button 28 may be always displayed on the lower half.

  Furthermore, in the said embodiment, although the switch key 25 was operated at the time of failure of the touch panel 10, and the substitute key 26 was made to substitute for the touch panel 10, this is not limited to the time of failure of the touch panel 10. . Even when the touch panel 10 is not out of order, the substitute key 26 may be replaced with the touch panel 10 by operating the switching key 25. Further, in order to prevent erroneous operation, the switching key 25 may be enabled only at the time of failure.

  When any one of the substitute keys 26 is pressed, the display button 28 corresponding to the pressed substitute key 26 is notified on the screen of the operator display 4 by blinking display or color change display. May be. By this notification, the operator can easily visually recognize which substitute key has been pressed.

  In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the embodiment. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, the constituent elements over different embodiments may be combined.

The perspective view which shows the structure of the POS terminal which concerns on this Embodiment. The block diagram which shows the principal part structure of the POS terminal. Explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the keyboard used for the POS terminal. Explanatory drawing which shows the display for operators used for the POS terminal. Explanatory drawing which shows an example of the processing operation of the POS terminal. Explanatory drawing which shows an example of a display table when the switching key of the same POS terminal is used.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Main body, 2 ... Keyboard, 3 ... Card reader, 4 ... Display for operator, 5 ... Customer display, 6 ... Printer, 7 ... Drawer, 8 ... Scanner, 10 ... Touch panel, 11 ... Control part, 12 ... ROM, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 13 ... RAM, 14 ... Clock part, 15 ... Communication controller, 24 ... Key, 25 ... Switch key, 26 ... Substitute key, 28 ... Display button, 29 ... Division line.

Claims (5)

A keyboard having a plurality of keys;
A display unit having a touch panel on the display screen;
Control means for displaying a plurality of display buttons assigned product information on the display unit in a predetermined arrangement;
Detecting means for detecting, when each display button is displayed, a touch operation on the touch panel as an input of product information assigned to the display button corresponding to the position of the touch operation;
Operation means for switching on and off the touch panel;
When off is set by the operation means, among the plurality of keys in the predetermined area of the keyboard, some keys corresponding to the arrangement positions of the display buttons are assigned to the display buttons. Control means to function as an alternative input of information;
A product information processing apparatus comprising:   When off is set by the operation means, a shape in which a division line for dividing a plurality of keys in the predetermined area from other keys is applied to the arrangement of each display button displayed on the display unit The product information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising control means for displaying on the display unit.   The product information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation unit is one of keys on the keyboard. Storage means storing a plurality of types of image patterns having different product information as image patterns of a plurality of display buttons to which product information is assigned;
Control means for selectively displaying any one of the image patterns in the storage means on the display unit;
The product information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:   The control unit according to claim 1, further comprising: a control unit that notifies a display button corresponding to the operated key on the screen of the display unit when a key that functions as the substitute input is operated. Product information processing equipment.

Images