POS system, method of billing for advertisements printed on receipts, and computer-readable medium storing the method

• US 20050096988A1
• Filed: 11/04/2004
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Asahiro Oguchi, Masahiro Minowa, Noboru Yanagisawa, Teruaki Oguchi
• Original Assignee: Asahiro Oguchi, Masahiro Minowa, Noboru Yanagisawa, Teruaki Oguchi
• Inventors: Yanagisawa, Noboru, Oguchi, Teruaki, Oguchi, Asahiro, Minowa, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,424,443 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/12 electronically operated digital data processing aspects G06Q20/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00

Abstract

Advertising information input control module of a POS system receives advertising information, and a billing amount calculating module calculates a billing amount based on advertising information received by input control module. A payment confirming module confirms payment of the billing amount calculated by the billing amount calculating module, and an advertising information storing control module stores the advertising information in a storing device. A check-out information input control module receives input of customer check-out information, and an advertising information retrieving module retrieves the advertising information stored in the storing device. A printing data generating module synthesizes or combines check-out information with the advertising information so as to generate printing data, which is output at a printing device, and printed as a receipt with an ad.

Claims

1. A POS system comprising:

advertising information input control means for receiving advertising information;

billing amount calculating means for calculating a billing amount based on the advertising information received by said advertising information input control means;

payment confirming means for detecting if payment of said billing amount has been completed;

advertising information storing control means for storing said advertising information; and

advertising information sending means for sending said advertising information to a printing device.

2. A POS system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an image input means for reading an image;

and said advertising information input control means receiving an image read by said image input means, as at least part of the advertising information.

3. A POS system according to claim 1, further comprising:

size input control means for specifying a size of an advertisement containing said advertising information;

and the billing amount calculating means being responsive to the size input control means for calculating the billing amount based on the specified size.

4. A POS system according to claim 1, comprising a disk drive that stores image files and the advertising information input control means receiving the image files as advertising information from the disk drive.

5. A POS system according to claim 4, wherein said disk drive comprises a floppy disk drive.

6. A POS system according to claim 1, comprising a multi-color printer that receives the advertising information from the advertising information sending means and prints the advertising information in at least two colors.

7. A POS system according to claim 1, further comprising:

check-out information input control means for receiving check-out information;

storing means for storing the advertising information;

advertising information retrieving means for retrieving advertising information stored in the storing means;

printing data generating means for synthesizing the check-out information received by the check-out information input control means with the advertising information retrieved by the advertising information retrieving means, and for generating printing data to be printed as a receipt; and

printing control means for printing the generated printing data according to a predetermined format.

8. A POS system according to claim 7, comprising size input control means for specifying a size of an advertisement containing said advertising information and wherein the printing data generating means generates said printing data based on said specified size.

9. A POS system according to claim 7, wherein said check-out information input control means receives customer information;

and wherein said advertising information retrieving means includes selecting means for retrieving one advertising information item from a plurality of advertising information items stored in the storing device, based on the customer information received by the check-out information input control means.

10. A POS system according to claim 9, including means for inputting to the check-out information input control means at least one of a customer'"'"'s age group and gender as the customer information.

11. A POS system according to claim 1, wherein said advertising information includes a period for running an advertisement.

12. A POS system according to claim 1, wherein said advertising information includes characteristics of an advertisement recipient, said characteristics including at least one of gender, age, and occupation.

13. A POS system according to claim 1, wherein said advertising information includes a printing size of an advertisement.

14. A POS system according to claim 1, wherein said billing amount calculating means calculates a billing amount based on advertising information including at least one of a period for running an advertisement, a printing size of an advertisement, and one of an advertisement recipient'"'"'s gender, age, and occupation.

15. A POS system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an input device;

a display device; and

a storage device; and

wherein said display device displays an advertisement in a size that is the same as a printing size of said advertisement.

16. A POS system comprising:

an advertising information input controller that receives advertising information;

a billing amount calculator that calculates a billing amount based on the advertising information received by said advertising information input controller;

a payment confirming unit that detects if payment of said billing amount has been completed;

an advertising information storing controller that stores said advertising information; and

an advertising information sending unit that sends said advertising information to a printing device.

17. A POS system according to claim 16, further comprising:

an image input device that reads an image;

and said advertising information input controller receiving an image read by said image input device, as at least part of the advertising information.

18. A POS system according to claim 16, further comprising:

a size input controller that specifies a size of an advertisement containing said advertising information;

and the billing amount calculator being responsive to the size input controller to calculate the billing amount based on the specified size.

19. A POS system according to claim 16, comprising a disk drive that stores image files and the advertising information input controller receiving the image files as advertising information from the disk drive.

20. A POS system according to claim 19, wherein said disk drive comprises a floppy disk drive.

21. A POS system according to claim 16, comprising a multi-color printer that receives the advertising information from the advertising information sending unit and prints the advertising information in at least two colors.

22. A POS system according to claim 16, further comprising:

a check-out information input controller that receives check-out information;

a storing device for storing the advertising information;

an advertising information retrieving unit that retrieves advertising information stored in the storing device;

a printing data generator that synthesizes the check-out information received by the check-out information input controller with the advertising information retrieved by the advertising information retrieving unit, and that generates printing data to be printed as a receipt; and

a printing controller that prints the generated printing data according to a predetermined format.

23. A POS system according to claim 22, comprising a size input controller that specifies a size of an advertisement containing said advertising information and wherein the printing data generator generates said printing data based on said specified size.

24. A POS system according to claim 22, wherein said check-out information input controller receives customer information;

and wherein said advertising information retrieving unit selects one advertising information item from a plurality of advertising information items stored in the storing device, based on the customer information received by the check-out information input controller.

25. A POS system according to claim 24, including a customer information input unit that inputs to the check-out information input controller at least one of a customer'"'"'s age group and gender as the customer information.

26. A POS system comprising:

an information input terminal;

a server;

and a cash register;

wherein said information input terminal includes;

a display that displays an input menu and a confirmation menu;

an input device that receives advertising information and a confirmation input;

a terminal CPU that transmits said advertising information to said server;

wherein said server includes;

an input terminal side interface that receives said advertising information from said information input terminal, and that transmits an ID to said information input terminal;

a non-volatile storing device that stores said advertising information;

wherein said information input terminal further includes;

a printer that prints said advertising information and a barcode that represents said ID;

wherein said cash register includes;

a barcode reader that reads said barcode that is printed by said printer;

a register CPU that transmits said ID to said server,

wherein said server further includes;

a calculating module that calculates a billing amount;

a server CPU that transmits said billing amount to said cash register;

wherein said cash register further includes;

a display that displays said billing amount;

a billing amount payment confirming module that confirms a payment;

said register CPU being responsive to said billing amount payment confirming module confirming a payment for transmitting to said server that said advertising information is to be registered.

27. An advertising method comprising the steps of:

receiving customer data;

transmitting said customer data to a server;

finding customer target group data in said server corresponding to said customer data;

receiving advertising information from said server; and

printing a receipt containing said advertising information data.