JPH05258181A - Pos terminal equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To surely give a user of information by transmitting plural pieces of latest information at the same time, whose needed time is close, to the user of a POS terminal equipment which is used for ordering, etc., and successively executing change-over to most effective time so as to automatically display it. CONSTITUTION:When initialization is executed and a test key is being depressed, a test mode is operated. In the test mode, the function of respective parts are recognized, an operation mode is set, etc. Unless the test key is being depressed, the mode is proceeded to a stand-by mode and time and a calendar are displayed while monitoring the ringer signal of an automatic reception period which is previously decided with a center host computer 2 and the key-operation of the user so as to ' stand by. When signal-distributing information within the term of validity, which is transmitted from a center 1, exists at this time, a guide key is displayed. When there is information which the user does not recognize, the guide key is turned on/off so as to be displayed so that the user is informed of it. When the ringer signal exists within the automatic reception period, signal-distributing information from the center 1 is received so as to be recorded and preserbed in a memory 4-3.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a POS terminal used by connecting to a host computer using a public telephone line, and in particular, the terminal side receives information sent from the host computer and adds it to the information. The present invention relates to a POS terminal which is capable of automatically displaying / erasing information on a display unit according to the contents, and efficiently providing various latest information to a user.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Terminals that perform data communication with a host computer using a telephone line are multifunction telephones, home trading terminals that use Nintendo, home banking terminals, or small and medium-sized retail stores. There are terminals, POS terminals, etc., both of which are used to make a call from the terminal side when the telephone or the user operates according to the operation procedure, connect to the host computer to perform data communication, perform information retrieval, order processing, etc. is there. For these terminals, the user operates the terminal, inputs the user identification code into the terminal by operating the keys or reading a magnetic card, and then performs data communication with the host computer using an NCU / modem etc. to place an order or retrieve data. And so on.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned terminal, the received information is automatically displayed, but is displayed until the user confirms it, so that it cannot receive other plural information whose display start times are close. .. Therefore, we will sell limited products to customers selected on the basis of personal information or member data that cannot be posted in the product catalogs or member magazines that are regularly mailed, and will also provide information on events that have been decided urgently. When there is a lot of information, it was not possible to inform the user of these efficiently.

[0004]

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is displayed in the information sent from the host computer of the center in addition to the expiration date and the display start time of the information. Time information is added, and an item indicating whether or not the user confirms the information while the information is displayed on the POS terminal side that has received the information, for example, whether or not the information confirmation key is pressed is added. Further, in order to easily reconfirm information within the expiration date, an information list screen is displayed, and at that time, an item indicating unconfirmed information is added by referring to the item of whether or not the user confirms. Further, a display is provided on the standby screen to indicate that there is information within the expiration date referring to the items such as the information expiration date and the confirmation of the user, or that there is unconfirmed information of the user.

[0005]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, the display time item added to the information is used to display the information from the display start time to the display time, and after the display time has elapsed, the display is automatically switched to the standby screen display. .. If another piece of information is being displayed at the display start time of a certain piece of information, the display is switched to display new information when the information is confirmed by the user. Or if the user didn't confirm while displaying other information,
The display is switched after the display time of the information being displayed has elapsed, and new information is displayed. In this way, the latest important information can always be displayed. In addition, when the user confirms while displaying certain information, the item with the user's confirmation is added to the information. Therefore, when the information list screen within the valid period is displayed, the item is referred to and the unconfirmed information of the user is referred to. Can be added, and the presence or absence of unconfirmed information can be easily confirmed. Of course, if it is within the expiration date, the confirmed information can be reconfirmed. In addition, the expiration date can be utilized to promptly delete the expired information from the memory of the terminal so that the memory can be effectively utilized.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an example of an ordering system configuration diagram relating to the present invention. The user's POS terminal (4) uses the public line (3) and the telephone exchange (6) whenever necessary to the center (1).
It is connected to the host computer (2) to order products and receive delivery information. When ordering a product using the POS terminal (4) of the embodiment, the user looks up the product catalog already obtained by mail or the like to check the code number of the product, and presses the order key to press the POS terminal ( By inputting the product code, quantity, etc. from the operation section (4-2) according to the operation guide displayed on the display section (4-1) of 4), reading the magnetic card according to the operation guide and inputting the identification code. After automatically calling the host computer (2) of the center (1), the center (1)
You can place an order for the product simply by checking the detailed data of the product returned. The order details are recorded in the data memory (7) of the center (1) and the POS
It is recorded and stored in the memory (4-3) of the terminal (4). The delivery information is received by the POS terminal (4) which automatically receives the information sent from the host computer (2) of the center (1) by automatic delivery during a predetermined night time, and the memory (4
-3) is recorded and saved, and is automatically displayed on the display section (4-1) for a designated time.

Next, the PO of the present invention will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG.
The configuration and function of the S terminal (4) will be described. The main control unit (8) is composed of a microprocessor, a program memory, a serial controller, a timer, etc., and controls the entire POS terminal (4). The telephone control unit (9) controls the telephone line, and the telephone line is connected to the external telephone (5) except when making a call and at the time of automatic reception at night. When the POS terminal (4) makes a call, after dialing the telephone number stored in the telephone number memory (10) to call the center (1), the telephone line is connected to the modem (1).
Connect to 1). During the time of automatic reception, both the external telephone (5) and the modem (11) are disconnected from the telephone line by the control of the main control unit (8) and the ringer signal of the telephone line is monitored. When a ringer signal arrives, an incoming call is received and the telephone line is connected to the modem (11). At that time, if the incoming call is not from the center (1), the external telephone (5) is controlled by the main control unit (8).
After sending a ringer signal to, the telephone line is connected to the external telephone (5), the on-hook of the external telephone (5) is monitored.
Return to the initial standby state on-hook and monitor the ringer signal. The modem (11) converts the digital signal of the main control section (8) into an analog signal for sending through the telephone line, and converts the analog signal into a digital signal. The operation unit (12) is composed of numeric keys, function keys, and touch keys integrated with the display unit (13) to input a code number and the like. The display unit (13) uses an LCD and is integrated with touch keys, and displays operation guides, product data, distribution information, function keys, and the like. The data memory (14) records and stores order records of products, distribution information, etc., and is backed up by power supply. Clock part (1
5) is a real-time clock with a calendar. The card reader (16) is connected to the main controller (8) through the external I / F (17) and is used for reading the user identification code of the magnetic card.

FIG. 3 shows a form of information distributed from the center (1), which is composed of header information (18) such as display start time and display time and display data (19), and the header information (18). And the display data (19) are stored in the data memory (14). At this time, the data memory (14) is provided with an area for storing data indicating whether or not the display data is confirmed.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be described. Figure 4
7 to 7 are flowcharts showing the operation of the POS terminal according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 shows the entire operation.
When the power of the POS terminal is turned on, initialization is performed in step S401, and it is confirmed in step S402 whether the test key is pressed. If the test key is pressed, the test mode operation of step S403 is performed. In the test mode, the function of each part is confirmed and the operation mode is set, but the detailed description is omitted. If the test key has not been pressed, the process proceeds to the standby mode of step S404, and the ringer signal of the automatic reception time zone that is predetermined with the host computer is monitored in steps S405 to S406, and the user's key operation is monitored in step S408. Steps S404 to S408 are repeated to display a calendar and stand by. At this time, if there is delivery information sent from the center (1) within the expiration date, the guide key is displayed, and if there is unconfirmed information of the user, the guide key is displayed in blinking to notify the user. If there is a ringer signal in the automatic reception time, the flow advances to step S407 to receive the distribution information from the center and record and store it in the memory. If there is a key operation, the process proceeds to steps S409 to S412 corresponding to each key to perform the processing of each mode and return to the standby mode, but the detailed description of each mode will be omitted.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation in the standby mode. In step S501, it is checked whether information is being displayed. If it is being displayed, the end of the display time is confirmed in step S506. If it is completed, the display is switched to the standby screen in step S507 and the process proceeds to step S508. If information is not being displayed in step S501, step S5
At 02, the display request of new information is checked. If there is a display request, the process proceeds to step S503, the corresponding information is displayed, the display time is set, and the process proceeds to step S506. If there is no information display request, the process advances to step S504 to check whether there is information within the expiration date. If there is information within the expiration date, a guidance key is displayed in the standby screen in step S505. Further, in step S511, it is checked whether or not the user has unconfirmed information, and if there is unconfirmed information, the guidance key display is set to blink and set in step S511.
Proceed to 508. If there is no information within the expiration date in step S504, the flow advances to step S508 to check whether there is information with expiration date. If there is expiration information, step S
The processing proceeds from step 509 to step S510, and the relevant information is deleted from the memory. If there is no information indicating that the expiration date has expired, the processing in the standby mode ends and the process proceeds to step S405 for checking the automatic reception time.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation in the information display mode. When the guide key is pressed, the process proceeds to the information display mode, and in step S601, the information within the expiration date is used as a menu to display the information display number and the first line of each information. Subsequently, in step S602, an item that records whether or not the user of each information is unconfirmed is checked, and if there is unconfirmed information in the user, in step S603, a display for identifying the unconfirmed user is added to the information. If the user has no unconfirmed information, the process proceeds to step S604 and waits until the valid key is pressed. A number key, a stop key and an end key are effective keys. If the valid key is pressed, it is determined in step S605. If it is not a numeric key, the information display mode is ended and the process returns to the standby mode in step S404. If the numeric key is pressed, the corresponding information and confirmation key are displayed in step S606, and the process waits until the confirmation key is pressed in step S607. When the confirmation key is pressed, the user confirmation is set in the relevant information in step S608, and the process returns to the standby mode in step S404.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of timer interrupt processing which operates in parallel with the above program. The interrupt timing is set to one minute intervals by hardware, and the processing advances to step S701 to update the clock display every minute. Succeedingly, in a step S702, it is checked whether or not the date on the calendar is changed. If the date has been changed, the process proceeds to steps S703 and S704, and the expiration date of each information in the memory is confirmed. If there is expiration date information, the expiration date is set to the corresponding information. If the date has not been changed, the flow advances to step S705 to check the information. Then, in step S706, it is checked whether or not there is information to be displayed, and if there is information, a display request flag is set in step S707, and if there is no information, the process proceeds to step S708 to check if there is information currently being displayed. .. If the information is being displayed, the display time is subtracted in step S709, and if there is no information, the normal processing is returned to. The processing for changing the automatic reception time zone set in the POS terminal from the center is performed in the information distribution mode (step S407) for receiving information and recording and storing it in the memory, but the detailed description is omitted.

[0013]

As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of pieces of the latest information, which are close to the required time, are sent to the user of the POS terminal used for ordering at the same time, and the automatic switching is performed at the most effective time. It is possible to display and inform the user efficiently. Also, for the user to reconfirm later, it was found that the information was retained during the expiration date and there was information on the normal clock / calendar display screen, and if the user was absent, the display ended before the information was seen. When there is something, it is possible to inform the user that there is unconfirmed information and to inform the user of the information without fail.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a POS terminal system related to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a POS terminal according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing information transmitted from a center.

4 is a flowchart showing the overall operation of the POS terminal of FIG.

5 is an operation flowchart of a standby mode of the POS terminal of FIG.

6 is an operation flowchart of an information display mode of the POS terminal of FIG.

7 is an operation flowchart of a timer interrupt process of the POS terminal of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 center 2 center host computer 3 public line 4 POS terminal 5 telephone 8 main controller 9 telephone controller 14 data memory

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A telephone line is used to connect to a host computer, and data communication with the host computer is used to place an order for merchandise and to automatically receive and record various information sent from the host computer. In the POS terminal for storing and displaying, the information has items indicating the expiration date, the display start time and the display time of each information, and the control means automatically displays the information at the display start time instructed. Display on the display screen, control to automatically return to the standby screen display at the end of the display time, add item data indicating whether the user confirmed while displaying the information, and end the display time of the information After that, the PO is configured such that the user can determine the presence or absence of unconfirmed information and the presence or absence of information within the expiration date on the standby screen.
S terminal. 2. When there is information within the expiration date sent from the host computer, the control means displays a key for displaying a list screen of information within the expiration date or a key operation request thereof on the standby screen. If there is information that has not been confirmed by the user, the control means blinks the display to indicate to the user that there is information within the expiration date or information that the user has not confirmed in the POS terminal. The P according to claim 1, characterized in that
OS terminal. 3. A structure in which a display showing unconfirmed information by the user is added to a list screen of various information sent from the host computer so that the user can distinguish the confirmed information from the unconfirmed information. The POS terminal according to claim 1, wherein: