WO1990001199A1 - Appareil d'enregistrement de transactions - Google Patents

Appareil d'enregistrement de transactions Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1990001199A1
WO1990001199A1 PCT/GB1989/000863 GB8900863W WO9001199A1 WO 1990001199 A1 WO1990001199 A1 WO 1990001199A1 GB 8900863 W GB8900863 W GB 8900863W WO 9001199 A1 WO9001199 A1 WO 9001199A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
memory
power
recording apparatus
data
transaction recording
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB1989/000863
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Dereck Buckle
Gordon Wheatman
Philip Avon
Brian Shier-Jones
Angela Shier-Jones
Sandra Thomas
Michael Olley
Gary Ross
Mike Morrell
Peter Macdougall
John Jopling
Gerald Paul Tuffs
Original Assignee
British Airways Plc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from GB888817981A external-priority patent/GB8817981D0/en
Priority claimed from GB888821657A external-priority patent/GB8821657D0/en
Priority claimed from GB8822750A external-priority patent/GB2223116B/en
Application filed by British Airways Plc filed Critical British Airways Plc
Publication of WO1990001199A1 publication Critical patent/WO1990001199A1/fr

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
    • G06Q10/08—Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
    • G06Q10/087—Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q20/00—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols
    • G06Q20/30—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols characterised by the use of specific devices or networks
    • G06Q20/34—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols characterised by the use of specific devices or networks using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
    • G06Q20/343—Cards including a counter
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • G07F7/00—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
    • G07F7/02—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus by keys or other credit registering devices
    • G07F7/025—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus by keys or other credit registering devices by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • G07F9/00—Details other than those peculiar to special kinds or types of apparatus
    • G07F9/02—Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07G—REGISTERING THE RECEIPT OF CASH, VALUABLES, OR TOKENS
    • G07G1/00—Cash registers

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a transaction recording apparatus and particularly, though not exclusively, to such an apparatus adapted for use in, for example, in- flight duty free sales and other transactions effected on an aircraft.
  • Customs regulations relating to the sale of duty free goods on board an aircraft are strict in that full and detailed records are required to be maintained which reveal the stock of goods held on the aircraft, the number and types of any goods being added to the existing stock, the number and nature of sales made during a flight, and so on. This is fu t er complicated by the expectancy of passengers to be able to use any of a wide range of currencies and to be able to pay by cash or by credit card when purchasing goods and, especially where long haul flights are involved, by the aircraft calling at several different airports and undergoing several changes of cabin crew before returning to its home i base. Moreover, sales incentive schemes with a commission basis are popular with crews and further increase the requirement for accurate transaction
  • the present invention aims to solve the abovementioned and associated problems by providing an apparatus which inter-alia records the stock and sales of goods on board an aircraft.
  • a transaction recording computer apparatus comprising a display, a keyboard, a printer and a main computing means all provided in a housing, and wherein a computer memory means and a power supply means . are provided in a module which is removably insertable into said housing to provide memory space and power to the apparatus.
  • a transaction recording apparatus for use in recording transactions made in flight on board an aircraft for example, the transaction recording apparatus comprising means for inputting transaction data relating to sales made, data analysing means for analysing the inputted data and memory means for storing the analysed data, the memory means being arranged to be removable from the recording apparatus ' so that stored data can be extracted at a remote site for further analysis if required.
  • a removable memory module for use in a transportable computer, the removable memory module comprising memory means for storing data from the computer and power means for providing power at least to the memory means to maintain the integrity of data in the memory means when it is removed from the computer.
  • the invention also provides an in-flight transaction recording apparatus comprising means for storing stock information relating to a stock of goods held on an aircraft; means for storing sales information relating to goods sold on a flight; means for calculating a bill in any of a plurality of different currencies; means for printing receipts for goods sold; means for recording monies received in the plurality of different currencies; means for ordering replacement stock to replace the goods sold; and means for providing a summary of the goods sold for further analysis.
  • the recorder is intended to be used in conjunction with bar trolleys on board an aircraft.
  • a recorder, minus the battery/memory module, will normally be stored on a substantially permanent basis on board the aircraft and the battery/memory module will remain with the bar trolley to which it has been assigned until such time as the contents of the memory need to be examined or the battery requires recharging.
  • a battery/memory module will be provided with each trolley and, advantageously, a corresponding number of recorders will remain on board the aircraft.
  • the battery/memory module When the trolley is being loaded with duty free goods from a bonded customs warehouse, the battery/memory module will be loaded with corresponding data from a land based computer and will then be sealed in the trolley along with the duty free goods.
  • the data in the memory module might include for example item codes, the numbers of each item on the trolley, the cost of the goods in for example sterling, exchange rates, etc.
  • the recorder is made to be portable in order to make it more easy to use during the flight; the recorder can accompany the trolley as it is wheeled around the aircraft and sales can be entered. as they are being made. Furthermore, by arranging the recorder to be internally powered, there is no drain on the resources of the aircraft. Indeed, the recorder electrics are totally isolated from the aircraft electrics.
  • cabin crew will enter item codes and quantities corresponding to goods selected by the customer and the recorder will log the items sold, unless there are insufficient goods in stock when an appropriate warning will be given to the crew member.
  • the total owing is displayed on the recorder's display and the customer can choose how he wishes to pay.
  • the customer can pay by cash or credit/charge card and in any one of the numerous currencies acceptable to the airline.
  • a receipt will be - printed by the recorder. If the customer has paid in cash the recorder will calculate how much change, if any, is due to him. If the customer pays by charge/credit card, the recorder will print an authorisation slip as part of the receipt to be signed by the customer.
  • the recorder can be interrogated by the user to determine what stock is remaining and what quantities of goods need to be re ⁇ ordered to uplift the stock to the required levels.
  • a printout of goods required will be provided by the recorder and this can be passed on as appropriate to order the goods.
  • a summary of the sales can also be printed out for inspection by Customs Officials once the aircraft arrives at its destination or returns to its home base.
  • the battery/memory module can be removed from the recorder and locked in the bar trolley to be returned to the customs bonded warehouse.
  • the recorder minus battery/memory module is returned to its storage place on the aircraft.
  • the journey can be divided into sales sectors for the purpose of using the recorder.
  • the recorder can be interrogated by the cabin crew to confirm that the contents of the bar trolley are in accordance with the information held in the recorder. Adjustments can be made to the information to take account of for example changes in the cabin crew at the start of a new sales sector in much the same way as when the bar trolley is first opened at the start of the journey.
  • Cards or the like can be issued individually to the cabin crew containing information such as the holder's name and staff number and these cards can be used in a card reader provided on the recorder to input identifying information instead of having to key in the information through the keyboard.
  • the battery/memory module is connected to the rest of the recorder upon insertion in the recorder.
  • a pair of connectors one on the module and the other inside the recorder, provide lines along which power can be transmitted from the battery and data can be transferred between the memory and the recorder. Transfer of data is supervised by a supervising processor within the battery/memory module which supervising processor converts the data into a suitable format for transmission to the processor within the recorder and converts data received into the appropriate format for storage. Data is transmitted along a serial link in order to cu down - on the amount of connections between the memory module and recorder.
  • a controlling and monitoring circuit is . also provided within the battery/memory module to supervise the output of power from the battery.
  • the controlling and monitoring circuit will isolate the battery from all but a trickle current to retain the data in the memory in the event of a short circuit to protect both the battery from overheating and the recorder from damage from the short circuit.
  • the controlling and monitoring circuit is also arranged to supply power to only the memory, in order to retain the data in the memory, if the power output from the battery falls below a predetermined level.
  • Figure 1 is a perspective view of the recording apparatus
  • Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the recording apparatus with the upper member of the case in an open position
  • Figure 3 is a schematic view showing the connection between various parts of the recording apparatus
  • Figure 4 is a schematic view of the parts of a battery/memory module
  • Figure 5 shows part of a battery controlling circuit
  • Figure 6 shows the battery/memory module connected to a charging circuit.
  • Figure 7 is a flow diagram illustrating various facilities provided by the recording apparatus.
  • the transaction recorder generally indicated at 1 comprises an upper housing 2 and a base housing 3.
  • the housings 2,3 should be of rugged construction and may be made from injection moulded plastics or die- cast aluminium for example, in order to withstand the rough handling that is likely during normal use on board an aircraft. It should be noted that the recorder 1 will normally remain on the aircraft at all times and the housing is designed to be stored safely on board the aircraft when the apparatus is not in use.
  • the showing of the transaction recorder in Figure 1 is obviously only schematic and a fuller appreciation of the form of the apparatus may be obtained from consideration of our British Registered Design No. 1053553 for "Transaction Recording Apparatus" filed 15 September 1988.
  • a keyboard 4 and display 5 are provided on the upper housing 2.
  • the keyboard 4 is advantageously a waterproof membrane type keyboard capable of preventing the ingress of spilled fluids into the workings of the recorder, thereby helping to prevent damage from spilled drinks and the like.
  • the keys of the keyboard are laid out in a QWERTY format and additionally include special function keys such as currency and alternative currency keys as will be explained in greater detail hereinafter.
  • the display 5 should be similarly waterproof and in this embodiment is a supertwist backlit liquid crystal display, displaying up to 8 lines by forty characters atla time.
  • the card reader is controlled by the main processor to read tracks one and/or two of any credit card being wiped through the reader from right to left or from left to right.
  • the upper and lower housing are hinged together at the front end 7 of the recorder 1, and a clip arrangement (not shown) to the rear of the recorder 1 holds the two housings together and enables quick access to the interior of the housing when required.
  • a microswitch (not shown) is actuated causing the recorder to switch on and a buzzer to sound thus indicating that the housing has been opened.
  • the users's attention is drawn to the fact that the housing has been opened and remedial action can be taken if so required.
  • Switching the device on when the housing is opened also facilitates changing the paper roll in the printer since power will be supplied to the printer and the autofeed feature of the printer can be used to load +:he paper.
  • a printer 8 and a battery/memory module 9 are provided within the lower housing 3 of the recorder.
  • the printer 8 is a 26 column thermal printer and is driven directly by the main processing unit 10 located in the upper housing 2 of the recorder 1 as will be explained hereinafter.
  • data to be printed is loaded into the printer and under the supervision of a dedicated microprocessor within the printer the desired characters are printed onto thermally sensitive paper 10.
  • the battery/memory module 9 contains the batteries which power the recorder, and further contains memory which is used to store the controlling code program code for controlling operation of the recorder and to store data relating to goods stocked in the aircraft and sales made to passengers.
  • the battery/memory module 9 is removably installable within the base housing 3 and memory and power connections therebetween are made upon insertion of the module 9 via complementary connectors in the base housing 3 and the module 9. Communication between the main processing unit and the memory is preferably via an RS232 serial interface.
  • the main processor 10 can be reconfigured to behave as an interface between the battery/memory module 9 and a standard personal computer (PC) or any other suitable central processing system. * By ' reconfiguring the main processor as an interface, information relating to sales and remaining stock can be quickly uploaded to the PC from the memory module 9 via a serial port connected to a jack socket 12a at the rear of the upper housing. In addition, new stock information can be downloaded into the memory if the module is to be used next on a different aircraft holding a different stock of goods.
  • PC personal computer
  • the batteries in the battery/memory module are rechargeable and the charging circuit (to be described hereinbelow) and the abovementioned PC can be arranged such that information can be uploaded and downloaded to and from the PC whilst the batteries are being recharged.
  • the main processor 10 comprises a main logic board 11, a serial port 12, a display 5, a keyboard 4 and a magnetic card reader 6.
  • the removable battery/memory module 9 and the printer 8 are connected via respective serial links 14,15 to the main logic board 11.
  • the main logic board 11 is the heart of the recorder and is based upon a Hitachi HD 64180 processor chip 13 which is derived from the Z80 processor with additional built-in memory management and direct memory access facilities 16 and 17. It will of course be appreciated that the invention can be realised equally well using any one of the many readily available microprocessor devices, the Hitachi device being cited only by way of example.
  • the operating system such as CP/M, requires an area of memory in which to create its own working environment and accordingly a RAM memory 18 is included on the board 11 to provide environmental space for the operating system.
  • a plug-in EPROM 19 is also included on the board 11 for optionally storing high level language programs, diagnostic programs and the like. Alternatively such programs may be stored in the battery/memory module 9.
  • keyboard When the apparatus is in use, data is transferred between the various components of the system shown in Figure 3.
  • the keyboard is scanned using known methods and data retrieved therefrom is analysed by the processor 13 on the main logic board 11 and appropriate action is taken.
  • Some of the keys on the keyboard are special function keys which when pressed will result in the processor performing predetermined tasks such as for example providing data for a printout of the stock currently held on the plane; preparing for printing of a receipt for goods sold; compiling data for printing an order sheet of more goods to be delivered; preparing for printing of customs documents; displaying menus of user selectable tasks; and so on.
  • the printer 8 When data is to be printed out the printer 8 is switched on under the control of the main logic board 11.
  • the printer may be any one of a wide range of proprietary models of thermal printers which are currently available.
  • the preferred printer is an
  • 0 Enertec Alphagraph 2600 interfaced to the processor 13 by way of an 8038 microcontroller device and hybrid devices provided by the printer's manufacturer.
  • the printer allows for either single or double ply paper to be used as the receiving medium for the printed information and it is envisaged that either type of paper may be adopted by the airline when using the device depending on the airlines internal operations procedures.
  • Provision of a microcontroller device allows for greater flexibility in controlling the printer since the microcontroller is able to select preferred features of the printer as and when the features are required under the control of the main processor 13.
  • the ability to turn the printer off when not required is another advantage because the printer will not draw power from the batteries when information is not being printed.
  • the microcontroller and hybrid devices also deal with conversion of the data from the format in which it is stored in memory and used by the main processor 13 into a format suitable for driving the printheads.
  • data may be stored in ASCII format and this will have to be converted into the pixel format used by the printer to create the printed characters.
  • the serial yort 12 can be used to connect the main logic board 11 to, for example, another computer via the jack socket 12a at the rear of the upper housing.
  • the serial port provides a link between the various components and another computer and is used to download data into the memory when a module is being prepared prior to a flight and to upload data from the memory to the computer for further analysis at the end of a journey.
  • the battery/memory module 9 can be regarded as being divided into two discrete areas, namely the power supply area 20 and the memory area 21.
  • the memory area 21 is provided with a supervising processor 22 which is used to oversee the transfer of data from the memory to the main logic board 11.
  • the supervising processor 22 is advantageously the same type as processor 13, namely a Hitachi HD 64180 processor chip.
  • the supervising processor 22 provides a degree of intelligence in the memory area 22 and reduces the likelihood of failure in the transfer of data between the memory and the main logic board 11 via the serial communication link 14.
  • the memory mapping is arranged in an elementary fashion using the full address space of the processor 22.
  • the processor is arranged to address four fields or blocks of memory.
  • One address block is reserved for ROM 23 and RAM 24 which are used to store the supervising routines performed by the processor 22.
  • the three remaining address blocks of the processor 22 are used for storing stock and sale data. The first two of these blocks are used to address static RAM (SRAM) devices 25 and 26.
  • SRAM static RAM
  • the final address block is normally left unassigned but may be used to address a further SRAM or EPROM device 27 if necessary.
  • the SRAM or EPROM 27 may be used for example to replace the EPROM 19 on the main logic board 11 ' .
  • the supervising processor 22 communicates with the main processor 13 via the serial communication link 14, the processors preferably being configured to provide asynchronous serial data to be transmitted via an RS 232 link running at 19.2Kbaud.
  • - Inverters are preferably provided on the serial link to protect the processors from damage by excessive voltages in the event of a fault developing.
  • the power supply area 20 of the battery/memory module 9 includes a 24 volt rechargeable source 28 and controlling and monitoring circuitry 29 which controls and monitors the supply of power to the other parts of the recorder via power lines 30,31.
  • the power lines 30,31 and the serial communication lines 14 connect to the other parts of the recorder via a five-way connector when the battery/memory module is inserted into the base housing 3.
  • the source 28 consists of two 12v, 0.8Ah sealed lead acid batteries in series, feeding the controlling and monitoring circuity 29 which provides short circuit protection and a shut down function in the event that the voltage " output falls below a predetermined level.
  • the preferred thermal printer 8 requires the positive rail of the 24 volt battery to be able to deliver high current pulses of the order of 5 to 7 amps for about 5mseconds when printing a solid black line.
  • This is the maximum demand likely to be placed on the battery during normal operation and providing a power source with an impedance low enough for this demand without some form of protection could present a serious hazard in terms of damage to components of the recorder in the event of an accidental short circuit.
  • the controlling circuit 29 is therefore made to be capable of distinguishing between a legitimate short 7 amp pulse drawn by the printer 9 and a 30 to 40 amp demand of significantly larger duration drawn under short circuit conditions.
  • Figure 5 shows the controlling and monitoring circuit 29 in greater detail. Increasing current is drawn from the batteries until a predetermined maximum is reached.
  • the maximum current is determined by the voltage drop across the parallel resistors 32-35 which is seen at the base of transistor 36. These resistors are typically less than one ohm and the resistance of the boards copper track interconnecting these resistors may also contribute to the actual voltage drop which is seen at transistor 36.
  • MOSFET transistor 39 and resistor 40 are provided in parallel with resistors 32-35 and transistor 37. Resistor 40 is typically around 500 ohms and this limits the current that can pass through transistor 39, typically to less that 50 A. When the cause of the short circuit is removed, current can again flow through transistor 37 thus allowing the recorder to operate normally.
  • Power is delivered from the batteries directly to the main logic board 11 as a 24 volt supply and a 5 volt supply is derived from the 24 volt supply by way of a voltage converter circuit on the main logic board.
  • the 5 volt supply is used to power part of the logic circuity on the main logic board 11 the display 5 and printer 8. It is also routed back into the battery/memory module 9 via line 40 in Figure 4 where it is used to power the low voltage logic of the controlling and monitoring circuitry 29.
  • the voltage converter circuit could not be included within the battery/memory module its exact location being determined as a matter of convenience when designing the layout of the circuit boards.
  • the control and monitor circuit 29 is also arranged to protect the integrity of data held in the memory by making it virtually impossible to completely discharge the batteries 28.
  • transistor 41 will remain switched on by the voltage between resistors 42 and 43 and transistors 37 and 39 will also remain on. However, if the battery voltage falls below about 16 or 17 volts, the voltage between resistors 42 and 43 will fall to a level insufficient to maintain channel conduction in transistor 41 and said transistor will turn off. As a result of transistor 41 turning off transistors 37 and 39 will also turn off and this prevents further discharge of the batteries.
  • the remaining power stored in the batteries 28 is sufficient to maintain the integrity of the data stored in the memory until such time as the batteries are recharged or an alternative power source is provided to facilitate extraction of the data.
  • a flying lead is provided within the housing to enable the batteries from another battery/memory module to be used to power the recorder in the event that the batteries in the original module become exhausted of power in the above described manner.
  • the flying lead includes at one end a male connector which plugs into a female connector provided on the body of the battery/memory module. The other end of the flying lead is connected to the main logic board so that 24 volts is supplied to the voltage converter circuit for conversion thereby to 5 volts as described hereinabove.
  • the batteries are charged in a charging rack arranged to receive the battery/memory module.
  • the charging circuit in the charging rack comprises a charger regulator circuit 46 and a charger power supply 45 as shown in Figure 6.
  • the battery connector 47 couples with a complementary connector 48 to complete the circuit between the regulator 46 and battery 9.
  • the charger power supply comprises a mains- transformer with a nominal voltage of 27 volts RMS.
  • a bridge rectifier rectifies the output of the transformer and a reservoir capacitor smooths the rectified output.
  • the regulator circuit provides an indication of the state of charge of the battery/memory modules by way of for example light emitting diodes which light to show that the modules are discharged or fully charged.
  • connector 47 in the charger is the same type of connector as that provided in the base housing 3 in order to ensure that the battery/memory module can be easily transferred between the charger and the base housing.
  • charging current will normally pass through MOSFET transistor 37 in the reverse direction to that in which current is delivered from the batteries unless the battery is particularly flat, in which case transistor 37 will be switched off. If transistor 37 is off, current will initially bypass it via diode 50 until such time as sufficient voltage appears between resistors 42,43 to switch transistor 37 on.
  • Power to back up the memory is supplied to the SRAM devices from the batteries via a supervisor chip 51 such as a MAX 691 for example.
  • the 24 volt output from the batteries is supplied " via resistor 52 and diode 53 arranged to provide a current drain of around 70 A to the supervisor 51.
  • the 5 volt supply VCC from the main logic board 11 is also supplied to the supervisor 51 which identifies which input is greater and switches the greater output through to the VCC lines of the memory chips 25,26,27.
  • the supervisor 51 constantly monitors VCC. If VCC falls below about 4.7 volts the supervisor 51 sends a RESET signal to the supervising processor 22.
  • the chip enable output of the supervising processor 22 is simultaneously inhibited to prevent any further selection of RAM addresses. When VCC rises above about 4.7 volts the RESET signal is removed so that normal operation can recommence.
  • the supervisor 51 also constantly monitors operation of the supervising processor 22 by way of line WDI to ensure that the processor is operating correctly.
  • the processor 22 is programmed to output a signal to line WDI at least every 1.6 seconds. If a signal does not appear on WDI within 1.6 seconds the supervisor 51 will send a RESET signal to the processor 22 causing it to be reset.
  • the printer 8 in the base housing 3 is an off- the-shelf thermal printer capable of printing 7.5 lines of 26 columns per second.
  • Print data is output from the main processor 13 under the supervision of the main processors BIOS (Basic Input Output System) which converts the print data from character form to pixel form.
  • BIOS Basic Input Output System
  • the printer control circuitry is again microprocessor based and is arranged to switch on only when data is to be printed in order to conserve power in the- batteries.
  • part 15 In order to reduce electromagnetic interference from the recorder and to meet FCC regulations part 15 much of the circuitry is shielded by electrical ground planes in the form of grounded metal plates and the like, and ferrite beads are inserted on lines at strategic locations within the various circuits.
  • the recorder as above described is intended to be used in conjunction with bar trolleys on board an aircraft.
  • a recorder, minus the battery/memory module, will normally be stored on a substantially permanent basis on board the aircraft and the battery/memory module will remain with the bar trolley to which it has been assigned until such time as the contents of the memory need to be examined or the battery requires recharging.
  • a battery/memory module will be provided with each trolley and, advantageously, a corresponding number of recorders will remain on board the aircraft.
  • the memory module When the trolley is being loaded with duty free goods from a bonded customs warehouse, the memory module will be loaded with corresponding data from a land based computer and will then be sealed in the trolley along with the duty free goods.
  • the data in the memory module might include for example ' item codes, the numbers of each item on the trolley, the cost of the goods in for example sterling, exchange rates, etc.
  • a first stage in which a record is made in a separated battery/memory module of the contents of a bar trolley whilst the trolley is being loaded in the customs bonded store; a second stage in which the battery/memory module is incorporated in the recorder to enable transactions and movement of goods on board an aircraft to be recorded; and a third stage in which the battery/memory module is removed from the recorder and is returned with the bar trolley to the bonded store for analysis of the recorded transactions and for replacement stock to be ordered.
  • the battery/memory module when the battery/memory module is separated from the recorder on the aircraft, the battery/memory module can be accessed by any suitable computer system (possibly even including another recorder) ano no further description will be given of this. Whilst the battery/memory module is on the aircraft and in use in the recorder, the recorder operates in a manner which will now be described in detail with reference to Figure 7.
  • the battery/memory module will have been previously recharged and sales information etc. relating to the previous flight removed from the memory.
  • the recorder resident on the aircraft is loaded with the battery/memory module and when the recorder is switched on the display will show an initial menu through which the operating cabin crew members can sign on by swiping an identity card through the card reader or keying in their staff number and name.
  • the serial number of the bar trolley is also inserted at this stage as is information relating to alternative currencies which will be accepted as payment for goods during the flight.
  • stock, currency and/or price information is first loaded into the battery/memory module by a responsible member of the cabin crew such as the Purser.
  • the Purser must first sign-in to the memory by entering his staff number and his name as shown in box 60. This can be achieved by running a magnetic credit type card through the card reader 7 or by inputting • the information through the keyboard 4 in response to questions displayed on the display screen 5.
  • flight information i.e. the date, flight number, flight route and also the types of currency which passengers are likely to want to use
  • flight information is input via the keyboard as shown in box 61.
  • Bar trolleys normally contain a standard range and quantity of goods and the opening stock list i.e. the stock of goods initially on the bar trolley is checked at 62 to see that it accords with the goods actually on the trolley and the stock is uplifted so that the trolley contains the standard range and quantity of goods. If the stock does not accord with the standard range, adjustments to the data stored can be made at 63 and 64 so that the recorded data reflects the actual stock held. Similarly if the goods delivered to uplift the bar is lacking in certain lines this can be entered at 65,66 accordingly.
  • the contents of the bar trolley are again checked against the information stored in the memory to ensure that they tally. If there is a discrepancy a responsible member of staff can amend the stored stock information accordingly.
  • the full journey of the aircraft may be. divided into a number of sectors on a long haul flight with changes of cabin crew and restocking of the bar trolleys between each sector of the journey.
  • the recorder is programmed to enable a record to be made of charges of cabin crew and additions to the bar trolley stock between sectors.
  • sales are actioned by keying in an item code, which results in the recorder displaying the price and value in say sterling and an alternative currency.
  • the total sale value can be displayed and paid in a mixture of currencies with the system responding with the remaining balance in sterling and the nominated currency.
  • a receipt can be obtained from the printer.
  • the balance can be paid by Credit/Charge card.
  • the card is inserted into the card reader and two copies of the receipt are automatically printed. One copy the customer signs and is retained by the cabin crew and the other copy is retained by the customer.
  • the recorder can carry out checks on the Card Number and the Start/End Dates as required by the individual companies and display appropriate error messages. If the card reader fails to read the card correctly a special Function key can be used and the relevant information keyed in.
  • discount cards or coupons are sometimes presented to customers for use in buying goods at a discounted price.
  • Discount Coupon is presented by a customer as partial payment for goods a preprogrammed Function key is pressed and the discount value is entered together with the identity of the coupon.
  • the recorder will deduct the coupon value from the total sales value and display the balance to be paid.
  • the recorder is arranged to account for complementary issues of goods to customers and breakages so that all goods originally stocked in the bar trolley can be accounted for at the end of a journey.
  • the bar trolley is closed 76 and a summary of sales transactions can be both for use by the cabin crew 78 and 79 in a form acceptable to customs authorities 80.
  • a sales account showing the total monies received in each currency is also produced for use by the cabin crew 81-83.
  • a function on the menu enables the cabin crew to key in the amount of each currency held in the cash box and obtain a conversion to sterling. This function assists with the cashing up and the sterling total obtained should be the same as the combined cash totals of the retained Sales Accounts.
  • a further function available from the initial menu permits the Cabin Services Director or other supervisor to collate the Sale Totals from each of the bars and, after swiping each cabin crew members Identification Card through the card reader, the function provides a printout detailing the amount of commission payable to each cabin crew member on that aircraft for that sales sector. This information is stored for subsequent analysis.
  • the recorder is switched off and the battery/module is removed.
  • the module is replaced- in the bar trolley together with a final Contents List and the bar trolley is locked and sealed with Customs Seals.
  • the memory module is removed from the trolley and the stored information is uploaded into a PC or other central processing system.
  • the Final Count of the inventory in the bar trolley is keyed into a separate device on arrive in the Bonded Store and is also uploaded for analysis.
  • the final contents of the bar are compared with the standard stock level for that Bar Type and a Bar Top Up List produced for the next journey.

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  • Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Economics (AREA)
  • Accounting & Taxation (AREA)
  • Strategic Management (AREA)
  • General Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
  • Finance (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Development Economics (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Entrepreneurship & Innovation (AREA)
  • Human Resources & Organizations (AREA)
  • Marketing (AREA)
  • Operations Research (AREA)
  • Quality & Reliability (AREA)
  • Tourism & Hospitality (AREA)
  • Credit Cards Or The Like (AREA)
  • Time Recorders, Dirve Recorders, Access Control (AREA)

Abstract

L'appareil d'enregistrement de transactions décrit est destiné à être utilisé par exemple pour des opérations de vente en 'duty free' en vol et pour d'autres transactions à bord d'un avion. Ledit appareil comprend un clavier et un lecteur de cartes du type cartes de crédit, servant à introduire les informations relatives aux ventes, ainsi qu'un processeur central servant à analyser les informations introduites. Une imprimante est prévue pour l'impression notamment des quittances, des relevés des ventes et des listes de commandes de stock. Un module de mémoire amovible est également prévu et comprend une mémoire, dans laquelle sont stockées les informations, et une batterie rechargeable qui alimente la mémoire et l'enregistreur après mise en place. Le module comporte également un circuit de supervision et de contrôle, qui sert à superviser le transfert de données entre la mémoire et le processeur central et à contrôler le niveau de puissance de sortie de la batterie.
PCT/GB1989/000863 1988-07-28 1989-07-28 Appareil d'enregistrement de transactions WO1990001199A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (6)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB888817981A GB8817981D0 (en) 1988-07-28 1988-07-28 On-board computer for duty-free sales
GB8817981.7 1988-07-28
GB8821657.7 1988-09-15
GB888821657A GB8821657D0 (en) 1988-09-15 1988-09-15 Transaction recording apparatus
GB8822750A GB2223116B (en) 1988-07-28 1988-09-28 Transaction recording apparatus
GB8822750.9 1988-09-28

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1990001199A1 true WO1990001199A1 (fr) 1990-02-08

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ID=27264007

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/GB1989/000863 WO1990001199A1 (fr) 1988-07-28 1989-07-28 Appareil d'enregistrement de transactions

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0426733A1 (fr)
JP (1) JPH04501028A (fr)
WO (1) WO1990001199A1 (fr)

Cited By (18)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1995023390A1 (fr) * 1994-02-23 1995-08-31 Dataflight Europe A/S Systeme de vente
EP0731949A1 (fr) * 1993-09-07 1996-09-18 Witold A. Ziarno Plateau a offrandes acceptant les cartes de credit, les cartes de debit les dons en especes et sous enveloppe
WO1998011515A1 (fr) * 1996-09-16 1998-03-19 Inflight Ati, Inc. Echangeur de devises et de cartes de valeur embarque
US5887273A (en) * 1993-09-07 1999-03-23 Ziarno; Witold A. Method and system for interactive contributions solicitation and donation
FR2772497A1 (fr) * 1997-12-16 1999-06-18 Schlumberger Ind Sa Distributeur de liquide a affichage multimonnaie
EP0947337A2 (fr) * 1998-03-31 1999-10-06 Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Dispositif d'impression
US6003008A (en) * 1998-03-20 1999-12-14 Skyteller L.L.C. Point of sale device
EP0996103A1 (fr) * 1998-04-30 2000-04-26 Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. Distributeur automatique
US6317650B1 (en) * 1999-04-29 2001-11-13 Softcard Systems, Inc. System and method employing portable cards to monitor a commercial system
EP0945808A3 (fr) * 1998-03-27 2002-02-06 Esselte N.V. Imprimante de rubans
WO2004081704A2 (fr) * 2003-03-12 2004-09-23 Telecom Italia S.P.A. Terminal electronique a couvercle equipe d'un ecran d'affichage
EP1606753A4 (fr) * 2003-03-17 2006-03-29 Abanco Internat Llc Systeme et procede destines au rapprochement entre les ventes et l'inventaire
US7742967B1 (en) * 1999-10-01 2010-06-22 Cardinalcommerce Corporation Secure and efficient payment processing system
US8364547B2 (en) 2003-03-17 2013-01-29 Gate Gourmet Switzerland, Gmbh System for real-time sales and inventory reconciliation
US9150311B2 (en) 2012-01-04 2015-10-06 Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. Systems and methods for air vehicles
US9430769B2 (en) 1999-10-01 2016-08-30 Cardinalcommerce Corporation Secure and efficient payment processing system
US11465768B2 (en) 2017-07-10 2022-10-11 Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. Refueling device
US11919655B2 (en) 2017-06-18 2024-03-05 Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. System and method for refueling air vehicles

Families Citing this family (1)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP6237089B2 (ja) * 2013-10-08 2017-11-29 株式会社寺岡精工 チェックアウト端末装置

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EP0265894A2 (fr) * 1986-10-30 1988-05-04 Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Terminal pour la gestion de marchandises utilisant une carte munie d'une mémoire à accès aléatoire
GB2205428A (en) * 1988-08-03 1988-12-07 Anthony David Bobowicz Stock and cash control systems

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US4115870A (en) * 1976-11-18 1978-09-19 Wordsmith, Inc. Hand-held data processing terminal
US4220991A (en) * 1977-10-08 1980-09-02 Tokyo Electric Co., Ltd. Electronic cash register with removable memory packs for cashier identification
US4328544A (en) * 1980-01-04 1982-05-04 International Business Machines Corporation Electronic point-of-sale system using direct-access storage
US4396985A (en) * 1980-01-16 1983-08-02 Omron Tateisi Electronics Co. Electronic cash register system for food dispensing business
WO1987006377A1 (fr) * 1986-04-14 1987-10-22 Avicom International, Inc. Systeme de securite et de controle de transactions
EP0265894A2 (fr) * 1986-10-30 1988-05-04 Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Terminal pour la gestion de marchandises utilisant une carte munie d'une mémoire à accès aléatoire
GB2205428A (en) * 1988-08-03 1988-12-07 Anthony David Bobowicz Stock and cash control systems

Cited By (36)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0731949A1 (fr) * 1993-09-07 1996-09-18 Witold A. Ziarno Plateau a offrandes acceptant les cartes de credit, les cartes de debit les dons en especes et sous enveloppe
EP0731949A4 (fr) * 1993-09-07 1998-05-27 Witold A Ziarno Plateau a offrandes acceptant les cartes de credit, les cartes de debit les dons en especes et sous enveloppe
US5887273A (en) * 1993-09-07 1999-03-23 Ziarno; Witold A. Method and system for interactive contributions solicitation and donation
WO1995023390A1 (fr) * 1994-02-23 1995-08-31 Dataflight Europe A/S Systeme de vente
US6095410A (en) * 1994-02-23 2000-08-01 Dataflight Europe A/S Vending system
WO1998011515A1 (fr) * 1996-09-16 1998-03-19 Inflight Ati, Inc. Echangeur de devises et de cartes de valeur embarque
EP0926640A1 (fr) * 1997-12-16 1999-06-30 SCHLUMBERGER Systèmes Module de paiement de produits ou de services multimonnaie
FR2772497A1 (fr) * 1997-12-16 1999-06-18 Schlumberger Ind Sa Distributeur de liquide a affichage multimonnaie
US6003008A (en) * 1998-03-20 1999-12-14 Skyteller L.L.C. Point of sale device
EP0945808A3 (fr) * 1998-03-27 2002-02-06 Esselte N.V. Imprimante de rubans
EP0947337A2 (fr) * 1998-03-31 1999-10-06 Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Dispositif d'impression
EP0947337A3 (fr) * 1998-03-31 2000-04-26 Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha Dispositif d'impression
EP0996103A1 (fr) * 1998-04-30 2000-04-26 Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. Distributeur automatique
EP0996103A4 (fr) * 1998-04-30 2001-12-05 Sanyo Electric Co Distributeur automatique
US6317650B1 (en) * 1999-04-29 2001-11-13 Softcard Systems, Inc. System and method employing portable cards to monitor a commercial system
US7742967B1 (en) * 1999-10-01 2010-06-22 Cardinalcommerce Corporation Secure and efficient payment processing system
US8170954B2 (en) 1999-10-01 2012-05-01 Cardinalcommerce Corporation Secure and efficient payment processing system with account holder defined transaction limitations
US10872343B2 (en) 1999-10-01 2020-12-22 Cardinalcommerce Corporation Secure and efficient payment processing system
US9430769B2 (en) 1999-10-01 2016-08-30 Cardinalcommerce Corporation Secure and efficient payment processing system
WO2004081704A3 (fr) * 2003-03-12 2005-09-01 Telecom Italia Spa Terminal electronique a couvercle equipe d'un ecran d'affichage
WO2004081704A2 (fr) * 2003-03-12 2004-09-23 Telecom Italia S.P.A. Terminal electronique a couvercle equipe d'un ecran d'affichage
US8550923B2 (en) 2003-03-12 2013-10-08 Telecom Italia S.P.A. Electronic terminal having an upper cover with a display screen
EP1606753A4 (fr) * 2003-03-17 2006-03-29 Abanco Internat Llc Systeme et procede destines au rapprochement entre les ventes et l'inventaire
US8364547B2 (en) 2003-03-17 2013-01-29 Gate Gourmet Switzerland, Gmbh System for real-time sales and inventory reconciliation
US10421556B2 (en) 2012-01-04 2019-09-24 Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. Devices, systems and methods for refueling air vehicles
US9573696B2 (en) 2012-01-04 2017-02-21 Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. Systems and methods for air vehicles
US9457912B2 (en) 2012-01-04 2016-10-04 Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. Systems and methods for air vehicles
US10427801B2 (en) 2012-01-04 2019-10-01 Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. Devices, systems and methods for refueling air vehicles
US10479523B2 (en) 2012-01-04 2019-11-19 Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. Systems and methods for air vehicles
US10543929B2 (en) 2012-01-04 2020-01-28 Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. Systems and method for air vehicles
US9150311B2 (en) 2012-01-04 2015-10-06 Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. Systems and methods for air vehicles
US11167860B2 (en) 2012-01-04 2021-11-09 Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. Devices, systems and methods for refueling air vehicles
US11180262B2 (en) 2012-01-04 2021-11-23 Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. Devices, systems and methods for refueling air vehicles
US11834192B2 (en) 2012-01-04 2023-12-05 Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. Devices, systems and methods for refueling air vehicles
US11919655B2 (en) 2017-06-18 2024-03-05 Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. System and method for refueling air vehicles
US11465768B2 (en) 2017-07-10 2022-10-11 Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. Refueling device

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPH04501028A (ja) 1992-02-20
EP0426733A1 (fr) 1991-05-15

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