Electronic cash register

• US 4,562,341 A
• Filed: 02/15/1984
• Issued: 12/31/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Tateisi Electronics Co. (Omron Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohmae, Kenichi, Shinohara, Yoshitsugu, Tateisi, Kazuma, Ichihashi, Masazumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitts, Harold I.
• Application Number:
  US06/580,448
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/379, 364/405
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/14 Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit data transmission in general H04L; telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station H04Q9/00

Abstract

An electronic cash register comprising a keyboard having keys for cash registration, a card reader for reading the data recorded in a card, a communication control unit for communicating with a center provided with a customer file having stored therein information as to customers, a device for converting data relating to the credit standing of the customer and forwarded from the center to visible information, a memory for storing data as to cash registration and data as to credit inquiries, and a control unit for processing cash registration, controlling transmission of the data read from the card to the center to be made in response to a communicaiton starting instruction and controlling conversion of the data received from the center to visible information.

Claims

1. An electronic cash register comprising:

a keyboard having keys for cash registration and for initiating customer credit inquiries,

means for performing cash registration processing,

a card reader for reading data recorded in a customer card,

a communication control unit for communicating with a center provided with a customer file having stored therein at least data relating to the credit standing of a plurality of customers,

a device for converting data relating to the credit standing of a selected customer sent from the center to visible information,

a memory for storing data as to cash registration and data as to credit inquiries, and

a control unit responsive to keyboard entries for processing cash registration, controlling transmission of the data read from the card to the center in a credit inquiry message for a selected customer in response to a communication start instruction, and controlling conversion of credit standing data for a selected customer received from the center to visible information.

2. An electronic cash register as defined in claim 1 wherein the keyboard has a key for giving the communication start instruction.

3. An electronic cash register as defined in claim 1 wherein the keyboard has a key for specifying the center with which the register communicates.

4. An electronic cash register as defined in claim 1 wherein the card is a credit card, and the center is a credit company center.

5. An electronic cash register as defined in claim 1 wherein the card is a bank card, and the center is a bank center.

6. An electronic cash register as defined in claim 1 wherein the data relating the credit standing of the customer includes data as to whether the card is an invalid card, data as to a credit limit and personal data as to the customer.

7. An electronic cash register as defined in claim 1 wherein the keyboard has a key for making inquiries as to whether the card is an invalid card.

8. An electronic cash register as defined in claim 1 wherein the keyboard has a key for making inquiries as to data relating to credit limits.

9. An electronic cash register as defined in claim 1 wherein the keyboard has a key for making inquiries as to personal data of the customer.

10. An electronic cash register as defined in claim 1 which is installed in an accommodation facility.

11. A system for performing credit transactions comprising an electronic cash register and a center, the electronic cash register comprising

a keyboard having keys for cash registration,

means for performing cash registration processing,

a card reader for reading data recorded in a card,

a communication control unit for communicating with the center,

a device for converting data relating to the credit standing of a selected customer sent from the center to visible information, and

a unit for controlling transmission of the data read from the card to the center in response to a communication start instruction and controlling conversion of the data from the center to visible information, the center comprising

a communication control unit for communicating with the electronic cash register,

a customer file having stored therein customer information and including data as to the credit standing of a plurality of customers, and

a unit for searching the customer file in accordance with the data received from the electronic cash register, including data relating to a selected customer, and for controlling transmission to the register of the data relating to the credit standing of a selected customer.

12. A system as defined in claim 11 wherein the electronic cash register is provided with a keyboard including a key for entering the communication start instruction.

13. A system as defined in claim 11 wherein the customer file includes a trouble file storing data as to invalidated cards.