AUTOMATIC CHECKOUT AND INVENTORY CONTROL

• US 3,737,631 A
• Filed: 07/12/1971
• Issued: 06/05/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joseph I. Harris
• Original Assignee: Joseph I. Harris
• Inventors: Harris, Joseph I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilbur, Maynard R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sloyan, Thomas J.
• Application Number:
  US05/161,899
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 235/61.6,61.12,61.9,91.13,61.11,61M,61PS,91L 271/26 250/223 186/1 40/2R,2A,2G,27.5 214/310
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06 characterised by the kind of the digital marking, e.g. shape, nature, code
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/10 mechanically operated

Abstract

Individual tags attached to shelf merchandise in a self-service supermarket have a detachable portion whose weight represents the price of the merchandise to which the tag is attached. The detachable tag portion also contains an inventory control number. At a checkout station, the detachable tag portions are removed from all merchandise selected by a customer and the detached tag portions are counted and weighed. The collective weight of the tags is used to give a real time indication of the total price of the customer'"'"''"'"'s purchases. Subsequent to checkout, the detached tag portions are scanned individually to identify merchandise sold through the checkout station. This information is thereafter processed and used for inventory control.

Claims

1. In the method of merchandising articles wherein a plurality of articles are selected from stock and transferred to a checkout station for totaling the total price of said selected articles by use of gravitational weighing means, the steps of forming a group of individual pricing media having incremental gravitational weight variations therebetween corresponding to respective price variations over a price range of said stock articles, associating with each stock article prior to article selection an individual pricing media having a predetermined gravitational weight representing a price of the corresponding article associated therewith and distinguishing that price from all other prices, disassociating said pricing media from articles after selection, and then simultaneously weighing with said weighing means said disassociated pricing media to obtain a collective gravitational weight thereof whereby said total price can be determined from said collective gravitational weight without identifying either the individual price of a selected article or the gravitational weight of an individual pricing media.

2. The combination of a first article of merchandise having a first predetermined price, first pricing means attached to said article, said first priciNg means being separable from said first article itself and having a first gravitational weight that represents said first predetermined price and distinguishes said first predetermined price from all other prices, a second article of merchandise having a second predetermined price different from said first predetermined price and second pricing means attached to said second article, said second pricing means being separable from said second article itself and having a second gravitational weight that is different from said first gravitational weight and represents said second predetermined price and distinguishes said second predetermined price from all other prices whereby said first and second pricing means can be separated from said first and second articles and gravitationally weighed to indicate said prices.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein each pricing means comprises a tag of sheet material having a first portion attached to its respective article and a second portion detachable from said first portion, and wherein said second portion has a gravitational weight representing price.

4. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein each pricing means comprises a length of filamentary material detachably fastened to its respective article.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4 wherein said filamentary material has a predetermined weight-per-unit length and the length of said filamentary material in each pricing means is such that its gravitational weight represents its respective price.

6. The combination set forth in claim 4 wherein said filamentary material is semi-rigid wire.

7. The combination set forth in claim 6 wherein each wire has a predetermined configuration identifying its respective article.

8. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein each pricing means comprises a tag of sheet material and a piece of wire attached thereto.

9. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein said first price is greater than said second price and said first gravitational weight is greater than said second gravitational weight.

10. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein said first price is greater than said second price and wherein said first gravitational weight is less than said second gravitational weight.

11. In the method of merchandising articles wherein a plurality of articles are selected from stock and transferred to a checkout station for totaling the total price of said selected plurality of articles by using gravitational weighing means, the steps of providing a group of individual pricing media exclusive of the article itself, attachable thereto and separable therefrom, each of said pricing media having at least a portion thereof having a predetermined gravitational weight representing an individual article price, said group containing incremental individual pricing media portions having incremental gravitational weight variations therebetween over a price range corresponding to a price range of said stock articles, associating with each stock article prior to article selection an individual pricing media selected from said group and representing the price of the corresponding article associated therewith, disassociating from articles after selection at least said pricing portions of said pricing media, collecting said disassociated pricing media portions at said checkout station into an accumulation having a corresponding total gravitational weight representing the sum of the individual gravitational weights of said pricing portions associated with said selected articles, and then measuring said total weight of accumulated pricing media portions with said gravitational weighing means and without separately identifying either the individual price of a selected article or the individual gravitational weight of corresponding selected pricing media portions whereby said total price can be determined from said total weight.

12. The method set forth in claim 11 wherein said pricing media is provided by providing indivIdual tags of sheet material and wherein the weight of said material in respective tags is varied incrementally according to corresponding incremental price variations.

13. The method set forth in claim 11 wherein said pricing media are provided by providing individual lengths of filamentary material.

14. The method set forth in claim 11 wherein said pricing media is provided by providing individual lengths of wire.

15. The method set forth in claim 14 implemented by automatic apparatus including scanning means and further comprising imparting to individual lengths of said wire respective different configurations identifying respective articles with which said lengths are to be associated, separating individual lengths of wire from said accumulation and scanning each wire to determine its configuration and thereby obtain an identification of the articles selected from stock.

16. The method set forth in claim 11 wherein said pricing media are provided by providing individual tags of sheet material reinforced with rigid filamentary material.

17. The method set forth in claim 11 wherein said pricing media are provided from material having a predetermined uniform weight-per-unit length and wherein said incremental weight variations are provided by incrementally varying the length of individual pricing media within said group according to corresponding incremental price variations.

18. The method set forth in claim 11 implemented by automatic apparatus including scanning means and wherein said method further comprises providing each pricing media portion with indicia identifying a respective article to which said pricing media portion is to be attached, separating individual pricing media portions from said accumulation, and scanning each individual pricing media portion with said scanning means to identify the indicia on each pricing media portion and thereby obtain an indication of the articles that have been selected from stock.

19. The method of merchandising articles selected from a stock of articles by using gravitational weighing means to obtain a total price of said selected articles comprising the steps of providing respective pricing means on individual associated stock articles with each pricing means being attached to its associated article and having at least a portion thereof removable from its associated article and whose gravitational weight represents a predetermined price of its associated article, selecting articles from said stock articles, removing individual pricing means portions from said selected articles and then with said gravitational weighing means collectively weighing the removed pricing means portions to determine a total gravitational weight of said removed pricing means portions to thereby obtain an indication of said total price.

20. The method set forth in claim 19 further comprising the step of imparting on each pricing means an inventory control number identifying that particular stock article to which said pricing means is attached.

21. The method set forth in claim 19 wherein each of said pricing means portions is referenced to a substantially identical predetermined gravitational base weight and incremental deviations in actual gravitational weight of said pricing means from said base weight are correlated to different prices, and wherein said indication of total price is obtained by determining a collective total of said incremental weight deviations.

22. The method set forth in claim 19 wherein said weighing means provides a first signal representing said total weight and said method is further implemented by automatic apparatus including counting means and computing means, and wherein said method further comprises counting with said counting means the total number of removed pricing means portions and generating a second signal representing said total number and then processing said first and said second signals with said computing means to obtain said total price indication.

23. The method set foRth in claim 19 wherein merchandising is implemented by automatic apparatus including counting means and automatic visual indicating means, and wherein said method further comprises counting with said counting means the total number of pricing means portions removed from said selected articles and then providing with said visual indicating means a visual indication of said total number to thereby verify that the number of pricing means portions being weighed equals the number of said selected articles.

24. The method set forth in claim 19 wherein merchandising is implemented by automatic apparatus including counting means and computing means, and wherein said method further comprises counting with said counting means the total number of pricing means portions removed from said selected articles and then obtaining said indication of said total price by said computing means as a function of said total number and said total weight.

25. The method set forth in claim 19 implemented by automatic apparatus including scanning means and further comprising providing indicia on each individual pricing means portion identifying the article to which each pricing means portion is attached and scanning with said scanning means each pricing means portion removed from said selected article to identify the indicia thereon and thereby obtain an identification of each article which has been selected from stock.

26. The method set forth in claim 19 wherein said pricing means are formed from material having a predetermined uniform weight-per-unit length and wherein pricing variations are obtained by varying the length of material attached to corresponding stock articles.

27. The method set forth in claim 26 implemented by automatic apparatus including scanning means and by pricing means comprising lengths of semi-rigid wire, and wherein said method further comprises imparting to each length of wire a predetermined configuration identifying that article to which that length of material is attached and scanning with said scanning means each length of wire after removal from said selected articles to identify the configuration of each individual length of wire and thereby identify that article which has been selected from stock.

28. The method set forth in claim 19 wherein said pricing means are provided on said stock articles by means of individual tags of material having at least a portion thereof whose gravitational weight represents the price of that article to which that tag is attached and pricing variations for stock articles having different prices are provided by incrementally varying the gravitational weight of said tag portions.

29. The method set forth in claim 19 wherein said pricing means are provided on articles having different prices by forming individual lengths of semi-rigid wire with incremental gravitational weight variations therebetween corresponding to incremental price variations.

30. The method set forth in claim 19 wherein said pricing means are provided on articles having different prices by forming individual tags of sheet material with incremental gravitational weight variations therebetween corresponding to incremental price variations.

31. The method set forth in claim 19 wherein said pricing means are provided on articles having different prices by forming individual lengths of filamentary material with incremental gravitational weight variations therebetween corresponding to incremental price variations.

32. The method set forth in claim 24 wherein said pricing means are provided on articles having different prices by forming pricing means portions that have equal predetermined base gravitational weights and respective incremental gravitational weight increases over said base weight corresponding to increases in price of corresponding articles to which pricing means portions are attached, and said method further comprises determining said total price with said computing means by multiplying said base weight times said total number And then subtracting the resulting multiplication product from said total weight of said removed pricing means portions.

33. The method set forth in claim 24 wherein said pricing means are provided on articles having different prices by forming pricing means portions that have equal predetermined base gravitational weights with respective decreases in actual gravitational weight of pricing means portions from said base weight corresponding to increases in price of corresponding articles to which the pricing means portions are attached, and wherein said method further comprises determining with said computing means said total price by multiplying said base weight times said total number and then subtracting said total weight of said removed pricing means portions from the resulting multiplication product.

34. The method set forth in claim 29 wherein said incremental weight variations are provided by forming said lengths of wire with length variations therebetween.

35. The method set forth in claim 30 wherein said incremental weight variations are provided by forming said tags with incremental length variations therebetween.

36. In the method of merchandising articles that are to be selected for purchase wherein a total price of selected articles is to be determined by measuring the gravitational weight of pricing means after separation from the articles themselves and wherein a first article has a first predetermined price and a second article has a second predetermined price, the steps of providing on said first article a first pricing means that is attached to and separable from said first article itself and has a first predetermined gravitational weight that represents said first predetermined price and distinguishes said first predetermined price from said second predetermined price and from all other prices, and providing on said second article a second pricing means that is attached to and separable from said second article itself and has a second predetermined gravitational weight that represents said second predetermined price and distinguishes said second predetermined price from said first predetermined price and from all other prices.

37. The method set forth in claim 36 wherein said first and said second pricing means are provided on said first and second articles by first forming said first and second pricing means and then attaching said first pricing means to said first article and said second pricing means to said second article.

38. The method set forth in claim 36 further comprising separating said first pricing means from said first article after said first article has been selected for purchase, separating said second pricing means from said second article after said second article has been selected for purchase, and then determining the sum of said first and second predetermined prices using gravitational weighing means by simultaneously weighing said first pricing means and said second pricing means with said gravitational weighing means.

39. In the method of merchandising articles wherein a plurality of articles are selected from stock and transferred to a checkout station for totaling the total price of said selected articles by use of gravitational weighing means and wherein each stock article has a respective pricing means associated therewith, attached thereto and separable from each article itself, and each pricing means has a predetermined gravitational weight representing a predetermined price of its associated article and distinguishing that predetermined price of its associated article from other prices, the steps of detaching said pricing means from each of said plurality of articles after selection thereof and then simultaneously weighing said detached pricing means with said gravitational weighing means to determine the total gravitational weight of said detached pricing means whereby said total price can be obtained from said total gravitational weight of said detached pricing means.

40. In the method of merchAndising articles wherein a first article has a first predetermined price and a second article has a second predetermined price, the steps of providing on said first article a first pricing means that is attached to and separable from said first article itself and has a first predetermined gravitational weight that represents said first predetermined price and distinguishes said first price from other prices, providing on said second article a second pricing means that is attached to and separable from said second article itself and has a second predetermined gravitational weight that represents said second predetermined price and distinguishes said second price from other prices, separating said first pricing means from said first article after said article has been selected and then measuring said first predetermined gravitational weight of said first pricing means after separation from said first article to determine said first predetermined price.

41. Price totaling apparatus for use in selling articles wherein each article has a pricing tag attached thereto and separable from each said article itself and with each tag having a respective gravitational weight representing the selling price of the article to which the tag is attached and distinguishing that price from all other prices comprising a checkout station for processing said articles after selection by a customer, first transfer means at said station for receiving said tags after separation from said selected articles, gravitational weighing scale means at said station for providing a first signal representing a collective gravitational weight of a number of said separated tags greater than one, said gravitational weighing scale means having a tag inlet communicating with said first transfer means to receive said separated tags therefrom, second transfer means at said checkout station for transferring said tags away from said gravitational weighing scale means after said separated tags have been weighed, and first automatic means operatively coupled to said gravitational weighing scale means and responsive to said first signal to provide an indication of a total selling price represented by said collective gravitational weight.

42. The apparatus set forth in claim 41 further comprising automatic counting means operatively associated with one of said transfer means to count said separated tags and provide a second signal representing said number, and wherein said first automatic means is responsive to both said first and said second signals to provide said indication of total price.

43. The apparatus set forth in claim 41 further comprising automatic scanning means operatively associated with one of said transfer means to identify indicia on each of said pricing means, said indicia identifying the article to which each pricing means was attached so that an identification of each article which has been selected is obtained from said scanning means.

44. The apparatus set forth in claim 41 wherein said first signal provided by said gravitational weighing scale means is a first electrical signal and said first automatic means comprises register means coupled to said gravitational weighing scale means and responsive to said first electrical signal to compute said total selling price.

45. The apparatus set forth in claim 44 wherein said first automatic means further comprises manual entry pricing means operatively coupled to said register means for modifying said total price in response to an instruction entered manually by an operator of said price totaling apparatus.

46. The apparatus set forth in claim 44 further comprising automatic counting means operatively associated with one of said transfer means to count said separated tags and provide a second electrical signal representing said number and wherein said first automatic means is responsive to both said first and second electrical signals to provide said indication of total price.

47. The apparatus set forth in claim 44 wherein said gravitational wEighing scale means includes a scale pan enclosed in a housing, said first transfer means has an outlet communicating with the interior of said housing to deliver said separated tags to said pan, said housing having a portion thereof forming a collection chamber, means forming a tag outlet in said housing communicating with said collection chamber, said second transfer means communicating with said tag outlet, means for transferring tags from said pan to said chamber and means for creating a current of air moving through said chamber and exhausting therefrom through said outlet to thereby transfer tags away from said gravitational weighing scale means.

48. The apparatus set forth in claim 47 wherein said collection chamber is located in said housing below said pan, said pan is made of resiliently flexible material and has a normally concave transverse cross section so that said pan opens in an upward direction to receive tags from said first transfer means and wherein said means for transferring tags from said pan to said chamber comprises means for flexing said pan to cause said pan to assume a convex transverse cross section to thereby dump said tags into said collection chamber.