Self-service checkout system utilizing portable communications terminal
First Claim
1. A system for transferring information from a centrally located site to a portable communications terminal via a telephone network, said site comprised of a look up table containing plurality of data records correlating to items disposed at a retail establishment, wherein each of said items has associated with it a bar code encoded with the indicia unique to said item, with each said bar coded indicia corresponding to a particular record in said table, said information containing at least a portion of said record, the system comprising:
- a) a portable communications terminal comprising;
i) bar code reading means for optically reading a bar code located on an item and for generating a bar code data signal indicative of the identity of said item;
ii) audible transducer means for allowing a user to provide audio input and to receive audio output from said terminal;
iii) switching means for selecting a bar code reading mode, wherein said generated bar code data signal is transmitted to said central site, or a communications mode, wherein said audible transducer means is enabled to communicate with a selected destination;
iv) transceiver means for enabling cellular communications with said central site or said selected destination via a telephone network.
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Abstract
A system for transferring data between a centrally located site and a portable communications terminal via a telephone network, the site having associated therewith a look up table containing plurality of data records correlating to items disposed at a retail establishment, wherein each of the items has associated therewith a bar code encoded with the indicia unique to each item, with each of the bar coded indicia corresponding to a particular record in the table, the data containing at least a portion of said record.
41 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A system for transferring information from a centrally located site to a portable communications terminal via a telephone network, said site comprised of a look up table containing plurality of data records correlating to items disposed at a retail establishment, wherein each of said items has associated with it a bar code encoded with the indicia unique to said item, with each said bar coded indicia corresponding to a particular record in said table, said information containing at least a portion of said record, the system comprising:
a) a portable communications terminal comprising;
i) bar code reading means for optically reading a bar code located on an item and for generating a bar code data signal indicative of the identity of said item;
ii) audible transducer means for allowing a user to provide audio input and to receive audio output from said terminal;
iii) switching means for selecting a bar code reading mode, wherein said generated bar code data signal is transmitted to said central site, or a communications mode, wherein said audible transducer means is enabled to communicate with a selected destination;
iv) transceiver means for enabling cellular communications with said central site or said selected destination via a telephone network. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28)
- 2. The system of claim I further comprising a first memory for storing a current transaction file, said current transaction file containing a list of said information retrieved from plurality of records, from said look up table.
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12. The system of claim I wherein said information, transmitted from said central site to said portable communication terminal, is outputted to said user via said audible transceiver means.
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20. The system of claim I wherein said bar code reading means is comprised of a bar code laser scanning module.
Specification