Registers – Coded record sensors – Particular sensor structure
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-04
2001-12-04
Frech, Karl D. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Coded record sensors
Particular sensor structure
C235S383000, C235S385000, C235S462450, C235S462140, C186S059000, C186S061000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325290
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a retail checkout terminal, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for checking out large items with a self-service checkout terminal.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the retail industry, the largest expenditures are typically the cost of the goods sold followed closely by the cost of labor expended. With particular regard to the retail grocery or supermarket industry, the impetus to reduce labor costs has focused on reducing or eliminating the amount of time required to handle and/or process the items or goods to be purchased by a customer. To this end, there have been a number of self-service checkout terminal concepts developed which attempt to substantially eliminate the need for a checkout clerk.
A self-service checkout terminal is a system which is operated by a customer without the aid of a checkout clerk. In such a system, the customer scans individual items for purchase across a scanner and then places the scanned items into a grocery bag, if desired. The customer then pays for his or her purchases either at the self-service checkout terminal if so equipped, or at a central payment area which is staffed by a store employee. Thus, a self-service checkout terminal permits a customer to select, itemize, and in some cases pay for his or her purchases without the assistance of the retailer's personnel.
However, during operation of the self-service checkout terminal, the customer may desire to purchase an item which is difficult to scan with the stationary scanner typically included in the self-service checkout terminal. In particular, the customer's items for purchase may include items, such as a bag of dog food, which are relatively large, bulky, or otherwise have a size, weight, and/or shape which renders the item difficult to lift and thereafter scan over a stationary scanner. In such a situation, the customer is undesirably forced to either strain himself or herself in order to lift and scan the item, or request assistance by store personnel thereby reducing efficiency associated with the customer's operation of the self-service checkout terminal. Alternatively, the customer may be required to manually input a product code associated with the large, bulky item via a keypad or the like. However, the customer may be inexperienced in such manual entry of the product code thereby causing the customer to make mistakes in entering the item or completely preventing the customer from entering the item without the assistance of store personnel.
Moreover, the self-service checkout terminal may be equipped with a security device, such as a video system or a number of scales, which provide security during operation of the terminal by monitoring movement or placement of items subsequent to entry into the terminal. For example, the self-service checkout terminal may include a bag scale which detects placement of an item into a grocery bag once the item has been scanned into the terminal. However, use of such a bag scale is not effective in the case of large, bulky items since such large, bulky items will likely not be placed in a grocery bag.
What is needed therefore is a self-service checkout terminal which overcomes one or more of the above-mentioned drawbacks. What is particularly needed is a self-service checkout terminal which facilitates a customer's entry of large, bulky items. What is also needed is a self-service checkout terminal which provides a level of security for monitoring entry of such large, bulky items.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of operating a self-service checkout terminal. The self-service checkout terminal has a housing, a stationary scanner secured to the housing, and a hand-held scanner having a holder associated therewith. The hand-held scanner is movable relative to the housing. The method includes the step of detecting when the hand-held scanner is removed from the holder and generating a removed-from-holder control signal in response thereto. The method also includes the step of disabling the stationary scanner in response to generation of the removed-from-holder control signal. The method further includes the step of generating a first item-entered control signal when a first product code associated with a first item for purchase is read by the hand-held scanner.
In accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of operating a self-service checkout terminal. The self-service checkout terminal has a housing, a stationary scanner secured to the housing, and a hand-held scanner having a holder associated therewith. The hand-held scanner is movable relative to the housing. The method includes the step of detecting when the hand-held scanner is removed from the holder and generating a removed-from-holder control signal in response thereto. The method also includes the step of disabling the stationary scanner in response to generation of the removed-from-holder control signal. The method further includes the step of generating a first item-entered control signal when a first product code associated with a first item for purchase is read by the hand-held scanner. Moreover, the method includes the step of marking the first product code so as to indicate that the first product code was read by the hand-held scanner.
In accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a self-service checkout terminal. The self-service checkout terminal includes a housing, a stationary scanner secured to the housing, and a hand-held scanner which is movable relative to the housing. The self-service checkout terminal also includes a processing unit electrically coupled to both the stationary scanner and the hand-held scanner. The self-service checkout terminal further includes a memory device electrically coupled to the processing unit. The memory device has stored therein a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to disable the stationary scanner during use of the hand-held scanner and generate a first item-entered control signal when a first product code associated with a first item for purchase is read by the hand-held scanner.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and useful method of operating a self-service checkout terminal.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of operating a self-service checkout terminal.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and useful self-service checkout terminal.
It is moreover an object of the present invention to provide an improved self-service checkout terminal.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a self-service checkout terminal which allows a customer to quickly and efficiently checkout items of varying shapes and sizes including relatively large items thereby facilitating use of the terminal by a customer.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a self-service checkout terminal which provides a level of security against improprieties during the checking out of relatively large items which cannot be entered into the terminal via a stationary scanner.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the attached drawings.
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patent: 5142161
Forsythe Donald L.
Lin Horng-Jaan
Walter Joanne S.
Franklin Jamara A.
Frech Karl D.
Maginot Addison & Moore
NCR Corporation
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