Data processing system

• US 4,365,148 A
• Filed: 06/04/1981
• Issued: 12/21/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1979
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Franklin Electric Company Incorporated (EBW, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Franklin Electric Company Incorporated (EBW, Inc.)
• Inventors: Whitney, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitts, Harold I.
• Application Number:
  US06/270,239
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 235/378, 235/383, 235/385, 177/4, 364/466
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/4144 for controlling weight of goods in commercial establishments, e.g. supermarket, P.O.S. systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/121 by printing code marks applying code marks to labels B65C9/46; marking or coding completed packages B65B61/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a system for processing a plurality of random weight commodity packages in a supermarket utilizing a series of labels having nonrepretitive machine readable symbols thereon. The system includes a computer-scale having a data entry unit, a central computer including a memory bank, and a symbol scanner at a checkout station. Commodity-related data including the commodity identification and the price per unit weight are entered into the entry unit, most or all of the data usually being entered manually. The computer-scale includes means for serially weighing the packages, a price computer for computing the total package cost, and a printer for printing human readable data on a label. The system further includes means for applying a machine readable code symbol to each package, the symbol being located either on the above-mentioned label or on a separate label that is also attached to the package. The commodity related data, the weight, the total cost and the code symbol form a group of package-related data, and the data groups for the plurality of packages are transmitted to and stored in the central computer. The code symbols on the packages are scanned as the packages pass the checkout station in order to retrieve the commodity identification and the total cost of each package from the stored data groups. The groups of data may also be withdrawn from the central computer for data analysis purposes.

Claims

1. The method of processing a series of packages utilizing a plurality of labels having nonrepetitive machine readable symbols thereon, a computer-scale, a central computer, and a symbol scanner, comprising the steps of entering a plurality of package-related data, including the price, in the computer-scale, consecutively weighing said packages and for each package computing the total cost and printing at least the package cost and weight on a label associated with the package, responding to the package associated label and generating a signal identifying said symbol on said label, said plurality of data, said weight, said total cost and said identifying signal forming a group of package-related data, transmitting said group of package-related data to the central computer and storing said data in said central computer, and scanning said symbol and retrieving said total cost from said group of package-related data.

2. The method of claim 1, and further including the step of retrieving all of said groups of package-related data and analyzing groups of said data for said series of packages.

3. The method of claim 1, and further including the step of printing said plurality of labels with nonrepetitive machine readable and human readable symbols.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the symbol scanner is at a checkout station, and further including the step of printing a receipt utilizing said retrieved total cost.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying signal is generated by reading said symbol on said label.

6. The method of processing a package utilizing a label having a machine readable symbol thereon, a computer scale, a central computer, and a symbol scanner, comprising the steps of entering a plurality of package-related data including the price in the computer scale, weighing said package and computing the total cost and printing at least the package cost and weight on said label, reading the symbol on said label, said plurality of data, said weight, said total cost and said reading forming a group of package-associated data, transmitting said group of package-associated data to the central computer and storing said data in said central computer, and scanning said symbol and retrieving said total cost from said group of package-associated data.

7. The method of claim 6, and further including the step of retrieving said group of package-associated data for analysis.

8. The method of processing a plurality of random weight packages in a supermarket utilizing a series of labels having nonrepetitive machine readable symbols thereon, a computer-scale having a data entry unit, a central computer, and a symbol scanner at a checkout station, comprising the steps of entering package-related data into said entry unit including the price per unit weight, serially weighing said packages and for each package computing the total cost and printing said cost on an associated label, reading said symbol on said associated label, said entered package-related data, said weight, said total cost and said symbol reading forming a group of package-associated data, transmitting said groups for said plurality of packages to said central computer, and scanning said symbol on at least some of said labels as said packages pass said checkout station.

9. Apparatus for processing a series of packages utilizing a plurality of labels having nonrepetitive machine readable symbols thereon, comprising a computer scale, a central computer, and a symbol scanner, means for entering a plurality of package-related data including the price in said computer scale, said computer scale including means for consecutively weighing said packages and for each package computing the total cost and printing at least the package cost and weight on a label associated with the package, means generating a signal identifying said symbol on said label, said plurality of data, said weight, said total cost and said identifying symbol forming a group of package-related data, means transmitting said group to the central computer and storing said data in said central computer, and said symbol scanner scanning said symbol and retrieving said total cost from said group of package-related data.

10. Apparatus as in claim 9, and further including means for retrieving all of said groups of package-related data and analyzing said groups of said data for said series of packages.

11. Apparatus as in claim 9, and further including means for printing said plurality of labels with nonrepetitive machine readable and human readable symbols.

12. Apparatus as in claim 9, wherein the symbol scanner is at a checkout station, and further including means for printing a receipt utilizing said retrieved total cost.

13. Apparatus as in claim 9, wherein said means generating a signal comprises a scanner for reading said symbol.

14. Apparatus for use in processing a series of packages and label means adapted to have human readable data printed thereon and having nonrepetitive machine readable symbols preprinted thereon, comprising a computer scale, a central computer, and a symbol scanner, means for entering a plurality of package-related data including the price in said computer scale, said computer scale including means for consecutively weighing said packages and for each package computing the total cost and printing at least the package cost and weight on a label means associated with the package, means for generating a signal identifying said symbol on said label means associated with said package, said plurality of data, said weight, said total cost and said identifying symbol forming a group of package-related data, means transmitting said group to the central computer and storing said data in said central computer, and said symbol scanner scanning said symbol and retrieving said total cost from said group of package-related data.

15. Apparatus as in claim 14, wherein said label means for each package includes a label having said symbol thereon, and said printing means of said computer scale printing on said label containing said symbol.

16. Apparatus for processing a plurality of random weight packages in a supermarket utilizing a series of labels having nonrepetitive machine readable symbols thereon, comprising a computer scale having a data entry unit, a central computer, and a symbol scanner at a checkout station, means for entering package-related data into said entry unit including the price per unit weight, said computer scale including means for serially weighing said packages and for each package computing the total cost and printing said cost on an associated label, means adjacent said printer for reading said symbol on said associated label, said entered package-related data, said weight, said total cost and said symbol reading forming a group of package associated data, means for transmitting said groups for said plurality of packages to said central computer, and said scanner scanning said symbol on at least some of said labels as said packages pass said checkout station.

17. The method of processing a series of packages utilizing label means adapted to have human readable data printed thereon and having nonrepetitive machine readable symbols thereon, a computer-scale, a central computer, and a symbol scanner, comprising the steps of entering a plurality of package-related data, including the price, in the computer-scale, consecutively weighing said packages and for each package computing the total cost and printing at least the package cost and weight on label means associated with the package, generating a signal identifying said symbol on said label means associated with said package, said plurality of data, said weight, said total cost and said identifying signal forming a group of package-related data, transmitting said group of package-related data to the central computer and storing said data in said central computer, and scanning said symbol and retrieving said total cost from said group of package-related data.

18. The method of processing one or more packages utilizing a computer scale and memory means, comprising the steps of:

(a) entering package-related data including the price in said computer scale,

(b) weighing said package and computing the total cost of the package,

(c) printing a first label with package-related data including said total cost,

(d) applying said first label to said package,

(e) applying a second label to said package, said second label including a machine-readable symbol thereon,

(f) and transmitting said symbol and said package-related data to said memory means for storage.

19. The method according to claim 18, and further including the step of machine reading said symbol on said second label and utilizing said reading to retrieve at least part of said package-related data.

20. Apparatus for processing one or more packages comprising a computer scale, memory means, means for entering package-related data including the price in said computer scale, said scale including means for weighing said package and computing the total cost of the package, means for printing a first label with package-related data including said total cost, means for applying said first label to said package, means for applying a second label to said package, said second label including a machine-readable symbol thereon, and means for transmitting said symbol and said package-related data to said memory means for storage.