Cash drawer having a network interface
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A point-of-sale system comprising:
- a wireless network;
a point-of-sale terminal comprising a point-of-sale identifier configured to identify the point-of-sale terminal to the wireless network; and
a cash drawer comprising;
a wireless network interface that directly connects the cash drawer to the wireless network;
a processing unit configured to detect a cash drawer event and transmit an indication of the detected cash drawer event directly to the wireless network;
an addressing component configured to provide a cash drawer identifier, wherein the cash drawer identifier is configured to identify the cash drawer to the wireless network such that the cash drawer is interchangeably coupleable to the point-of-sale terminal and a second point-of-sale terminal;
a non-transitory event storage component that stores the indication of the cash drawer event, wherein the indication is stored such that it is accessible for later retrieval; and
wherein the cash drawer identifier is different from the point-of-sale identifier such that the cash drawer and the point-of-sale terminal are separately and uniquely identified, and communicably coupled to, the wireless network.
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Abstract
Cash drawers having a network interface and a processing unit are disclosed. The network interface connects to a network. The processing unit detects cash drawer events and transmits an indication of the cash drawer events across the network interface. The cash drawer optionally includes a storage component that stores the indication of the cash drawer events. The network interface may be a wired or a wireless interface. The cash drawer may receive electrical power from an external supply or from the network connection.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A point-of-sale system comprising:
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a wireless network; a point-of-sale terminal comprising a point-of-sale identifier configured to identify the point-of-sale terminal to the wireless network; and a cash drawer comprising; a wireless network interface that directly connects the cash drawer to the wireless network; a processing unit configured to detect a cash drawer event and transmit an indication of the detected cash drawer event directly to the wireless network; an addressing component configured to provide a cash drawer identifier, wherein the cash drawer identifier is configured to identify the cash drawer to the wireless network such that the cash drawer is interchangeably coupleable to the point-of-sale terminal and a second point-of-sale terminal; a non-transitory event storage component that stores the indication of the cash drawer event, wherein the indication is stored such that it is accessible for later retrieval; and wherein the cash drawer identifier is different from the point-of-sale identifier such that the cash drawer and the point-of-sale terminal are separately and uniquely identified, and communicably coupled to, the wireless network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A cash drawer comprising:
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a cash drawer housing; a moveable drawer that fits within the housing; a processor specific to, and associated with, the cash drawer; a transceiver configured to, when directed by the processor; send information to a network, wherein sending information to a network comprises sending an indication of a cash drawer event detected by the processor; and receive information from the network, wherein information from the network at least comprises a command; an addressing component configured to identify the cash drawer to the wireless network, wherein the addressing component includes a unique identifier specific to the cash drawer, such that the unique identifier is distinct from a point-of-sale identifier, and wherein the cash drawer is configured to directly communicate with a first point of sale system and, interchangeably, directly communicate with another device over the network using the unique identifier; and wherein each indication of cash drawer event comprises at least; a time stamp indicating a time when the event occurred; a date stamp; the unique identifier for the cash drawer on which the event occurred; and an open/closed status of the cash drawer. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of generating an event log for a cash drawer, utilizing a processing component of a cash drawer, the method comprising:
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detecting with the processing component, a cash drawer event; storing the detected cash drawer event to an event log, wherein the cash drawer event is stored in a non-transitory file generated, by the processing component, in a computer memory component of the cash drawer such that event log is accessible for later retrieval and review; assigning the cash drawer a unique network address, wherein the unique network address is specific to the cash drawer and distinct from an address associated with a peripherally connected terminal device such that the cash drawer and the peripherally connected terminal device are uniquely and distinctly identified on a network; transmitting, using a network interface of the cash drawer, the stored event log from the cash drawer to a device across a network connection, wherein transmitting comprises a cash drawer communication component, communicably coupled to the device, directly communicating with the device across the network connection using the unique network address of the cash drawer; and wherein the cash drawer is part of a point-of-sale system including the peripherally connected terminal device, and wherein the terminal device has a point-of-sale network address unique and distinct from the unique address of the cash drawer such that the cash drawer can interchangeably connect to the terminal device and a second device on the network. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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Specification