Article price indicator

• US 4,959,530 A
• Filed: 03/07/1989
• Issued: 09/25/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: CheckRobot, Inc. (Uniquest, Inc.)
• Inventors: O'Connor, David F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitts, Harold I.
• Application Number:
  US07/320,236
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 235/383, 235/388, 177/1, 364/466
• US Class Current: 235/383
• 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 1/145 PLU-management

Abstract

Apparatus for providing price indication of articles selected for purchase prior to actual purchase embodies a system having a reader for reading article UPC indication and generating output signals indicative thereof, a comparator for receipt of the reader output signals and for providing at least first and second output signals upon respective determinations that such received signals are indicative of an article retailed by bulk weight pricing or an article retailed per piece pricing, a scale accessible to a customer for weighing the articles and generating output signals indicative of the weight thereof, a numeric entry unit accessible to a customer for entering the numbers of pieces of the selected articles and generating output signals indicative of such entered numbers, and a display accessible to the customer and responsive to the first and second comparator output signals respectively to provide indication to the customer for usage of the scale or the numeric entry unit. The system further includes units for article price computation and display thereof.

Claims

1. In combination, in a system for providing output indication prior to actual purchase of the price of articles bearing universal product code (UPC) indication and selected for purchase:

(a) reader means for reading article UPC indication and generating output signals indicative thereof;

(b) comparator means for receipt of the reader means output signals and for providing at least first and second output signals upon respective determinations that such received signals are indicative of an article retailed by bulk weight pricing or an article retailed per piece pricing;

(c) scale means accessible to a customer for weighing said articles and generating output signals indicative of the weight thereof;

(d) numeric entry means accessible to a customer for entering the numbers of pieces of said selected articles and generating output signals indicative of such entered numbers; and

(e) display means accessible to the customer and responsive to said first and second comparator means output signals respectively to provide indication to the customer for usage of said scale means or said numeric entry means.

2. The invention claimed in claim 1 further including storage means operatively responsive to said comparator means first and second output signals for respective issuance of first or second stored signals, said first stored signals being indicative of the price per unit weight of said selected articles and said second stored signals being indicative of the price per piece of said selected articles.

3. The invention claimed in claim 2 further including first computation means responsive to the receipt of said scale means output signal and said first stored signals for providing output signals indicative of the cost of said selected articles.

4. The invention claimed in claim 3 further including second computation means responsive to the receipt of said numeric entry means output signal and said second stored signals for providing output signals indicative of the cost of said selected articles.

5. The invention claimed in claim 4 further including display means responsive to said first computation means output signals and said second computation means output signals for displaying the cost of said selected articles to a customer.

6. The invention claimed in claim 5 wherein said display means comprises a unit providing visual display of the cost of said selected articles to a customer.

7. The invention claimed in claim 5 wherein said display means comprises a unit providing audible display of the cost of said selected articles to a customer.

8. The invention claimed in claim 5 wherein said display means comprises a unit providing both visual and audible display of the cost of said selected articles to a customer.

9. A system for providing output indication prior to actual purchase of the price of articles bearing universal product code (UPC) indication and selected for purchase, said system comprising:

(a) reader means for reading article UPC indication and generating output signals indicative thereof;

(b) comparator means for receipt of the reader output signals and for providing at least first and second output signals upon respective determinations that such received signals are indicative of an article retailed by bulk weight pricing or an article retailed per piece pricing;

(c) scale means accessible to a customer for weighing said articles and generating output signals indicative of the weight thereof;

(d) numeric entry means accessible to a customer for entering the numbers of pieces of said selected articles and generating output signals indicative of such entered numbers;

(e) storage means operatively responsive to said comparator means first and second output signals for respective issuance of first or second stored signals, said first stored signals being indicative of the price per unit weight of said selected articles and said second stored signals being indicative of the price per piece of said selected articles;

(f) first computation means responsive to the receipt of said scale means output signal and said first stored signals for providing output signals indicative of the cost of said selected articles;

(g) second computation means responsive to the receipt of said numeric entry means output signal and said second stored signals for providing output signals indicative of the cost of said selected articles; and

(h) display means responsive to said first computation means output signals and said second computation means output signals for displaying the cost of said selected articles to a customer.

10. The invention claimed in claim 9 wherein said display means comprises a unit providing visual display of the cost of said selected articles to a customer.

11. The invention claimed in claim 9 wherein said display means comprises a unit providing audible display of the cost of said selected articles to a customer.

12. The invention claimed in claim 9 wherein said display means comprises a unit providing both visual and audible display of the cost of said selected articles to a customer.

16. The invention claimed in claim 9 wherein said display means comprises a unit providing both visual and audible display of the cost of said selected articles to a customer.

13. A system for providing output indication prior to actual purchase of the price of articles bearing universal product code (UPC) indication and selected for purchase, said system comprising:

(a) reader means for reading article UPC indication and generating output signals indicative thereof;

(b) comparator means for receipt of the reader output signals and for providing at least first and second output signals upon respective determinations that such received signals are indicative of an article retailed by bulk weight pricing or an article retailed per piece pricing;

(c) scale means accessible to a customer for weighing said articles and generating output signals indicative of the weight thereof;

(d) numeric entry means accessible to a customer for entering the numbers of pieces of said selected articles and generating output signals indicative of such entered numbers;

(e) storage means operatively responsive to said comparator means first and second output signals for respective issuance of first or second stored signals, said first stored signals being indicative of the price per unit weight of said selected articles and said second stored signals being indicative of the price per piece of said selected articles;

(f) first computation means responsive to the receipt of said scale means output signal and said first stored signals for providing output signals indicative of the cost of said selected articles;

(g) second computation means responsive to the receipt of said numeric entry means output signal and said second stored signals for providing output signals indicative of the cost of said selected articles; and

(h) display means accessible to the customer and responsive to said first and second comparator means output signals respectively to provide indication to the customer for usage of said scale means or said numeric entry means, said display means being further responsive to said first computation means output signals and said second computation means output signals for displaying the cost of said selected articles to a customer.

14. The invention claimed in claim 13 wherein said display means comprises a unit providing visual display of the cost of said selected articles to a customer.

15. The invention claimed in claim 13 wherein said display means comprises a unit providing audible display of the cost of said selected articles to a customer.