Service desk for the registration, booking and/or payment of goods, vouchers and the like

• US 5,412,191 A
• Filed: 03/18/1993
• Issued: 05/02/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme AG (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Sporleder, Dirk, Mertz, Stefan, Gray, Rory, Baitz, Gunter, Burchart, Joachim
• Primary Examiner(s): Hajec, Donald
• Assistant Examiner(s): FILIPEK, JEFFER
• Application Number:
  US08/030,366
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 235/383, 235/384, 186/59, 186/61, 186/67, 361/680, 361/681, 361/682, 361/683, 361/684, 361/685, 361/686, 312/223.3, 364/467, 364/405
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 9/02 Paying counters change plates, coin dispensers with rotatable change dishes G07D
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/00 Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures

Abstract

In the case of a service desk for the registration, booking and/or payment of goods, vouchers and the like, having a service section (38) including at least a data display device (28), a data input device (26) and an output device (22, 24) for coupons, receipts and the like, this service section comprises at least two parts (14; 20, 28), of which a first part (14) is always on the customer'"'"'s side of the service desk and a second part (20, 28) can be moved between the customer'"'"'s side and the operator'"'"'s side of the service desk.

Claims

1. A service desk for registration, booking and/or payment of goods and vouchers, said service desk having a customer'"'"'s side and an operator'"'"'s side opposite said customer'"'"'s side, comprising:

a service section including first and second parts,

said first part always being on said customer'"'"'s side of said service desk and including at least one reader for machine-readable data accessible from said customer'"'"'s side, as well as an input keyboard for manual input of data from said customer'"'"'s side, and

said second part including means for movement of said second part between a first position at the customer'"'"'s side for a self-service mode operation and a second position at said operator'"'"'s side of said service desk for a served mode operation and including at least a visual display unit, a data input device for manual input of data from said customer'"'"'s side or from said operator'"'"'s side depending on whether said second part is in said first position or in said second position and at least one output opening.

2. A service desk as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a printer mounted at said at least one of the output opening for printing documents to be emitted from said at least one output opening.

3. A service desk as claimed in claim 1, wherein said visual display unit comprises a screen and said data input device comprises a touch-sensitive area of said display screen.

4. A service desk as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second part includes a reader for machine-readable data.

5. A service desk as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an upright column on which said second part is arranged.

6. A service desk as claimed in claim 5, wherein said upright column includes at least one section rotatable about a vertical axis.

7. A service desk as claimed in claim 5, wherein said second part includes an inclined sheet-like panel having an upper edge beveled toward said vertical axis.

8. A service desk as claimed in claim 7, wherein said first part includes a sheet-like inclined panel having an angle of inclination substantially similar to an angle of inclination of said inclined sheet-like panel of said second part.

9. A service desk as claimed in claim 8, wherein said first and second parts include panels that form an obtuse angle with each other when said second part is facing a customer.

10. A service desk as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first part is fixed.

11. A service desk as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a goods registration device in said first part in a range of access of a customer at the customer'"'"'s side and an operator at the operator'"'"'s side and a third part of said service section which is exclusively accessible to the operator side.

12. A service desk as claimed in claim 11, wherein said third part includes a receptacle for a cash drawer.

13. A service desk as claimed in claim 11, wherein said goods registration device includes a code scanner.

14. A service desk as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second part includes there is arranged a customer display which is movable in its position separately from said second part.

15. A service desk as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at lest one reader includes a card reader.

16. A service desk as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one output opening includes means for outputting coupons or receipts.

17. A service desk for registration, booking and/or payment of goods and vouchers, comprising:

a service section including first and second parts,

said first part always being on a customer'"'"'s side of said service desk and including at least one reader for machine-readable data, as well as an input keyboard for manual input of data,

said second part being movable between the customer'"'"'s side and an operator'"'"'s side of said service desk and including at least a visual display unit, a data input device for manual input of data and at least one output opening, and

means for locking said second part in a position facing an operator and for alternately locking said second part in a position facing a customer.

18. A service desk for registration, booking and/or payment of goods and vouchers, comprising:

a service section including first and second parts,

said first part always being on a customer'"'"'s side of said service desk and including at least one reader for machine-readable data, as well as an input keyboard for manual input of data,

said second part being movable between the customer'"'"'s side and an operator'"'"'s side of said service desk and including at least a visual display unit, a data input device for manual input of data and at least one output opening,

a goods registration device in said first part in the range of access of a customer and an operator,

a third part of said service section which is exclusively accessible to the operator, wherein said third part includes a receptacle for a cash drawer, and

wherein said second part covers over said receptacle for the cash drawer when in a position facing a customer.