Registration area, loading area, and packing area of a checkout counter, a checkout counter and a method for operation of a roundtable packing area of a checkout counter
10420428 ยท 2019-09-24
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
A47F2009/041
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A47F9/046
HUMAN NECESSITIES
International classification
Abstract
The present invention discloses a checkout counter which includes loading areas, registration area and packing comprising; a loading area, a registration area comprising means for parallel checkout and registration of purchased goods where the means at least comprises; a first registration zone, a second registration zone, and at least one registration means adapted to register goods from the first and the second registration zone, and a packing area configured to receive goods from two registration zones in parallel. It is also disclosed a method for operation of a checkout counter according to one embodiment of the invention.
Claims
1. A checkout counter comprising: a registration area; a control system; a single loading area in direct communication with two registration zones at the registration area, the single loading area being configured to forward goods downstream to the two registration zones at the registration area, wherein the registration area is adapted for independent simultaneous registration of goods at both a customer position and an operator position onto a single checkout of purchased goods, which have been registered simultaneously at both the customer position and the operator position, wherein an operator at the operator position operates the checkout counter and is responsible for a cashier terminal during the simultaneous registration of the goods by the control system at both the customer position and the operator position, wherein the registration area includes a first registration zone associated with the customer position, and a second registration zone associated with the operator position, the second registration zone being separate from the first registration zone, and the second registration zone being adjacent and parallel with the first registration zone, wherein the registration area is adapted to simultaneously register, using the control system, the goods at both the first registration zone and the second registration zone, wherein the registration area includes a packing area configured to simultaneously receive the purchased goods from both of the first registration zone and the second registration zone, and wherein either the single loading area or the packing area includes a rotatable roundtable disc with at least one barrier arranged radially from a center of the roundtable disc.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
(1) Following is a brief description of the drawings in order to make the invention more readily understandable, the discussion that follows will refer to the accompanying drawings, in which
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MODE(S) FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
(14) In the following it is firstly disclosed general embodiments in accordance to the present invention, thereafter particular exemplary embodiments will be described. Where possible reference will be made to the accompanying drawings and where possible using reference numerals in the drawings. It shall be noted however that the drawings are exemplary embodiments only and other features and embodiments may well be within the scope of the invention as described.
(15) In the following description it will be adhered to the definitions below: Cashier, by a cashier it is meant any person that operates the checkout counter and is responsible for the cashier terminal during expedition of customer goods. Customer, the customer shall be interpreted as any person which have the intention of purchasing goods and which brings the goods to a checkout counter according to the present invention. Checkout counter, and counter is used interchangeably throughout the description. The terms shall be understood as the complete check area for checking out goods that is the loading area, the registration area including any cash register and the packing area. Scale, by scale it shall be understood any scale being a part of a checkout counter which is configured for weighing goods that shall be checked out by the checkout counter. Any input from these are read into a computer system and registered into the applicable zone according to the computer system state and logic. Registration means, by registration means it shall be understood any means adapted to register goods. Typical examples include bar code scanners, RFID-readers or optical/visual recognition devices. The registration means may be configured to scan/register goods in a plurality of direction; this can be facilitated by using a rotating scanning head, RFID-reader and/or optical registration unit(s). Any input from these are read into a computer system and registered into the applicable zone according to the computer system state and logic. Loading area, the loading area is defined as the area in which customers place goods to be purchased. Cashier screen, this is the primary information source for the cashier, where the cashier may see the registration status, barrier sensor status, the sales line per sale/registration, the payment status and any counter system information needed to control and operate the counter. The screen may be a touch screen, allowing combined visual screen output and touch input against the screen. The touch input may be used instead of, or in addition to the cashier keyboard/input device(s). The screen should be directed towards the cashier in such a way that it is easy visible and also reachable in the case of a touch screen. Other output information may be given using light signals, audible output and other known means of human interaction. Cashier keyboard/input devices: The functions supported by the cashier keyboard and input device(s) will be the same as for any typical point of sale/counter computer system keyboard/input. In addition the keyboard and/or cashier input device(s) will support features for controlling the registration in the applicable zones, open and close sales, control the barrier(s), perform customer zone assistance, perform customer zone registrations on demand and allow the cashier to control the system as required. Customer screen: This is the primary information source for the customer, where the customer may see the registration status for the ongoing sale, the sales lines, the payment status and other information required by the customer to perform registrations according to the state of the system in the customer zone. Typically the screen may inform the customer that registrations may be performed, a registration has been accepted, a registration needs to be done by the cashier, a registration is paused/denied due to regulatory conditions or that the zone used is closed. The screen may be a touch screen, allowing combined visual screen output and touch input against the screen. The touch input may be used instead of, or in addition to the cashier keyboard/input device(s). The screen should be directed towards the customer in such a way that it is easy visible and also reachable in the case of a touch screen. Other output information may be given using light signals, audible output and other known means of human interaction. Customer keyboard/input devices: The keyboard and/or customer input device(s) will support features for supporting the customer registration process in the customer zone, like to confirm or select options needed to be input to the computer system. Packing zone barrier sensors/activators: The computer system may execute operational control from knowing the position of the barriers at any time of the processing. The sensors may through the means of known technology like magnetic switches, micro switches, optical sensors or other means detect if a barrier is present in a sensor position, what barrier is present or if it has been moved passed the sensor position and then in what direction. Banking terminal: One or more banking terminals may be attached to the computer system to facilitate integrated payment operations. These may be customer self-service operated and/or cashier operated according to the implementation desired.
(16) According to embodiments of the present invention it comprises three areas as is common in checkout counters today, but differs in the way the centre area 202 is designed and according to embodiments in how the packing area 203 and loading area 201 is designed. The centre area is the registration area which in addition to the typical cashier's registration means is provided with a second parallel registration zone 207 that can be used by the customer in such a way that they can independently register their own goods against their own purchases.
(17) The registration area can be built up with one or two roller paths or conveyor belts. These may be operating freely or synchronously between the customer and cashier. Any feed mechanism may be controlled manually or via a computer system, typically referred to as the Point Of Sale (POS) system.
(18) The registration area is designed to transmit item registrations from each of two fields into each of their ongoing purchase registrations, or to combine the registrations into a single purchase, into a POS system or in such a way that one or more zones can be in a payment queue after they are completely registered. This enables the registration process to continue with one or more outstanding payments related to purchases in the packing area.
(19) The checkout counter can be fitted with a turntable packing area 203, which allows for multiple purchases to accumulate in zones 208 according to the output from the registration area 202. The turntable packing area 203 may have zones 208 of varying/flexible size in order to be adaptable to varying package volumes per purchase. Also, the position of these zones can be read into the POS system so that the registration/scanning process is stopped or only allowed into the correctly set zone, based on zones positioned against the registration area and the respective detection zones.
(20) The payments may be self-serviced or performed as any common payment performed by the cashier. For example, a customer could pay his buy/zone with their payment cards on their own, while another customer pays for his purchases/zone to the cashier.
(21) According to one embodiment of the invention it is provided a POS system that can simultaneously manage sales for at least the number of concurrent checkout zones that the counter is physically built to handle. The cashier will through the POS system have full overview of all the zones, any ongoing registrations per zone and any ongoing or closed sales and payments. The cashier may also according to desired security settings verify, change or delete registrations made per zone.
(22) The POS system may have logic for random control of customer registrations per an arbitrary number of registrations to reduce the risk of fraud and erroneous registrations, in the same way as common in so-called self-scanning checkout solutions. Also regulatory controls can be made, like verifying the customer's age when needed and for limiting sales outside an allowable time period.
(23) The first area, called the loading area 201 may according to one embodiment be designed as a rotatable unit or roundtable disc which physically resembles a rotatable disc in the packing area 203 or be single rollers based or use conveyor belt. The loading area 201 is directly in communication with the registration area 202 registration zones 206, 207.
First Embodiment of the Registration Area
(24) The first embodiment (
Second Embodiment of the Registration Area
(25) According to a second embodiment (
Third Embodiment of the Registration Area
(26) The third embodiment (
Fourth Embodiment of the Registration Area
(27) According to a fourth embodiment (
First Embodiment of the Packing Area
(28) The first embodiment (
Second Embodiment of the Packing Area
(29) The second embodiment (
Third Embodiment of the Packing Area
(30) The third embodiment (
Fourth Embodiment of the Packing Area
(31) The fourth embodiment (
(32) The person skilled in the art will realise that the number of barriers may exceed four.
Fifth Embodiment of the Packing Area
(33) The fifth embodiment (
(34) According to the invention each single embodiment of the registration area may be combined with any embodiment of the packing area.
A First Embodiment of the Loading Area
(35) According to a first embodiment (
(36) The loading area may be provided with rollers or one or two conveyor belts.
A Second Embodiment of the Loading Area
(37) According to a second embodiment (
(38) According to one aspect of the second embodiment of the loading area the barriers are pivotably movable around its axis of rotation independent of the disc. Moreover, as further discussed elsewhere the barriers may be provided with sensors and the turntable with activators which are configured to interact with the barriers so as to facilitate or prevent movement of the barriers 613 and/or the roundtable disc.
(39) The person skilled in the art will realise that configurations with a number of barriers as described with respect to the packing area may also be utilised for the loading area.
(40) The person skilled in the art will realise that all embodiments of the loading, registration and packing areas may be combined into one checkout counter according to the present invention. It shall be noted that the loading area is configured to forward goods downstream to two registration zones (306, 406, 307, 407) in a registration area in parallel.
(41) Operation of a Checkout Counter System According to the Present Invention
(42) Above the mechanical bodies that provides a checkout counter with parallel or semi parallel processing of goods carried out by a customer and a cashier has been described. Below follows a brief explanation of the operation of the packing area both in a roundtable version (
(43) Initial Procedure of Operation of a Checkout Counter System with a Turntable Packing Area
(44) On Counter system start-up, a computer system 919 will first determine from its configuration settings if there are movable barrier(s) 709 in the packing area 703 that is to be controlled. If so, the computer system 919 will check if the position(s) of the barrier(s) 709 are possible to read from the sensor(s) 760, 761, 762. If not it will ask the cashier 704 to move the barrier(s) 709 into readable positions in order for the computer system 919 to read the state of the barrier(s) 709.
(45) When the reading utilized by the use of micro switches, magnetic switches or similar technology is properly confirmed the computer system 919 will according to one embodiment send signals to the activation units 760, 761, 762 to prevent the barriers from being physically moved, by having a magnetic solenoid lever/pin or other activation mechanism ensuring that the barrier(s) cannot be moved in a direction that may change the registration zone 706, 707 to packing zone 708 relationships.
(46) For a turntable packing area this means that a barrier 709 with one end adjacent to the customer sensor position 762 only should be possible to move counter-clockwise to increase the size of the packing zone, a barrier 709 in contact with or adjacent to the cashier sensor position 760 should only be possible to move in a clockwise direction to increase the size of the packing zone. There should be no barrier(s) 709 in between the two barriers which are close to the customer sensor position 762 and the cashier sensor position 760 to complete the Counter start-up sequence.
(47) Initial Procedure of Operation of a Checkout Counter System with a Standard Packing Area
(48) For a standard packing area embodiment (
(49) Running Operation of a Checkout Counter System with a Turntable Packing Area
(50) When the computer system 919 has completed the startup sequence the counter is ready for registering sales. From startup a simultaneous registering operation where both the cashier 704 and the customer 705 are registering into the same zone 708 is assumed to allow for a predictable operation after each startup.
(51) The counter system is ready for combined registering zones 706, 707 scanning sequence after startup. As shown in figure
(52) At any time the cashier 704 may decide to close the ongoing combined sale in both registering zones 706, 707 or to close only the ongoing part of the sale in the customer registering zone 707.
(53) If the cashier 704 closes the combined sale the computer system 919 will stop accepting any registrations and release the customer side barrier 709 lock 762 allowing the barrier 709 to be moved clockwise until its position is at the cashier side barrier 709 lock 760, thereby effectively changing to a new packing area zone 708 allowing a new combined sale to be started from both registering zones 706, 707 and then items registered will be placed into this new packing area as indicated by the three dash-dotted lines 791 in
(54) Alternatively the cashier 704 may decide to close the ongoing sale only in the customer zone 707. The computer system 919 will then stop accepting registrations in the customer registering zone 707 and release the customer side barrier 709 lock 762 allowing the barrier 709 to be moved clockwise until its position is at the centre barrier 709 lock position 761, where the barrier 709 is locked in a fixed position thereafter allowing a new customer to start registering items in the customer zone 707 and place registered items in the next packing area zone 708 as indicated by the two dash-dotted lines 791 in
(55) After the cashier 704 has completed a split sale in the cashier registering zone 706 as indicated in
(56) The barrier may in an embodiment of the present innovation not be locked physically by the computer system, and may be operated freely. The computer system should then by reading barrier position sensors either pause/stop sales as required when an illegal position or move is detected, or at least give the cashier 704 and/or the customer 705 a visible and/or audible warning message indicating the illegal state of the barrier.
(57) The running operation of the checkout counter with a roundtable disc shown step by step is disclosed in
Running Operation of a Checkout Counter System with a Standard Packing Area
(58) The counter system is ready for combined registering zones 806, 807 scanning sequence after startup. As shown in
(59) At any time the cashier 804 may decide to close the ongoing combined sale in both registering zones 806, 807.
(60) If the cashier 804 closes the combined sale the computer system 919 will stop accepting any registrations and the barrier may be moved to the centre position 861 for a split sale operation or to the opposite outer position 860, 862 for combined sales operation.
(61) While registering two different sales in a split registration operation mode, the cashier 804 may close any of the sales and then choose to continue with doing split registrations or change to a combined registration mode, by moving the barrier 809 from the centre position to an outer position 860, 862 whereby joining the other registration in the active zone or allow a new combined registration operation to be started.
(62) The barrier 809 may in an embodiment of the present innovation be physically locked by the computer system, by for example an electrically controlled magnet, latch or pin to optionally ensure that the barrier 809 is moved only after sales has been completed and the barrier 809 move will allow further registrations to take place into an appropriate zones 806 vs. 808 and 807 vs. 808.
(63) The running operation of the checkout counter with a roundtable disc shown step by step is disclosed in
(64) Note that barrier 809 release and locking is optional.
(65) Common features for running operation of the checkout counter with turntable packing area and standard packing area
(66) Optionally the cashier 704, 804 may manually perform registering operations on behalf of the customer 705, 805, by instructing the computer system 919 to temporarily accept registrations in the cashier zone 706, 806 to be added to the customer zone sales 707, 807 instead. This may for example allow the counter to have only a single scale 741, 841 where the cashier 704, 804 performs all scale operations.
(67) TABLE-US-00001 101, 201, 601: Loading area 102, 202, 302, 602, 702, 802: Registering/scanning area 103, 203, 403, 503, 703, 803: Packing area 104, 304, 704, 804: Cashier 105, 305, 705, 805: Customer performing registering/scanning 206, 306, 406, 506, 606, 706, Cashier registering/scanning zone 207, 307, 407, 507, 607, 707, Customer registering/scanning zone 807: 208, 408, 508, 708, 808: Packing zone(s) 109, 209, 409, 509, 709, 809: Packing zone barriers 310, 410, 510, 710, 810, 910: Payment station 211, 311, 611,: Barrier between registering zones 613: Loading zone barriers 919: Computer/processing unit 140, 240, 340, 640, 740, 840, Cashier operated barcode scanner 940: 241, 341, 641, 741, 841, 941: Cashier operated scale 245, 345, 645, 745, 845, 945: Customer operated barcode scanner 246, 346, 646, 746, 846, 946: Customer operated scale 260, 460, 560, 760, 860, 960: Cashier side packing zone barrier sensor + activator 261, 461, 561, 761, 861, 961: Center barrier packing zone barrier sensor + activator 262, 362, 462, 562, 762, 862, Customer side packing zone barrier 962: sensor + activator 970 Cashier screen/touch screen 971 Cashier keyboard/IO panel 972 Customer screen/touch screen 973 Customer keyboard/IO panel 790, 890: Sales sequence/Blue zone 791, 891: Sales sequence/Yellow zone 792: Sales sequence/Green zone 793: Sales sequence/Red zone