Self check-out system and POS system

• US 5,543,607 A
• Filed: 11/14/1994
• Issued: 08/06/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Computer Engineering Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Computer Engineering Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Watanabe, Kiyoshi, Saitou, Takeshi, Kato, Masao, Abe, Yasuhiro, Ishii, Takayoshi, Sakamoto, Masaho, Kashiki, Hironori, Akimoto, Yukio
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheppard, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, MICHAEL GUNYOUNG
• Application Number:
  US08/340,380
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 235/383, 235/462, 235/454, 235/494, 186/61
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 9/048 automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10871 randomly oriented data-fields, code-marks therefore, e.g. concentric circles-code
• 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

In a check-out system, in which a purchaser himself who intends to purchase commercial products performs a check-out processing, having a commercial product casted portion, a stocker for stocking the commercial products, a transport unit for transporting the commercial product from the commercial product casted portion to the stocker, and a commercial product identifying unit located between the commercial product casted portion and the stocker for identifying the commercial product transported from the commercial product casted portion, the commercial product casted portion is provided with a commercial product code inputting unit for inputting a commercial product code, and a commercial product detecting unit for detecting that the commercial product is put on the transport path, and the commercial product identifying unit is provided with a commercial product code reading unit for reading the commercial product code of the commercial product being transported; and a first mode in which when the commercial product detecting unit detects that the commercial product is put on the transport path, the commercial product of interest is started to be transported, and in accordance with the identification result provided by the commercial product identifying unit, the commercial product is selectively transported to either the stocker or the commercial product casted portion, and a second mode in which after the commercial product code has been input by the commercial product code inputting unit, the commercial product of interest is started to be transported, and also in accordance with the identification result provided by the commercial product identifying unit, the commercial product is selectively transported to either the stocker or the commercial product casted portion are provided.

Claims

1. A check-out system comprising:

a portion into which a commercial product is casted;

a stocker for stocking the commercial products;

a transport path for transporting the commercial product from said commercial product casted portion to said stocker;

a commercial product identifying unit located between said commercial product casted portion and said stocker for providing an identification result identifying whether or not the commercial product transported from said commercial product casted portion is to be transported up to said stocker;

a commercial product code inputting unit for inputting a commercial product code of the commercial product in said commercial product casted portion;

a commercial product code reading unit for reading out the commercial product code of the commercial product code of the commercial product in said commercial product identifying unit; and

a transport controlling unit for sensing whether a commercial product is put on said transport path before inputting said commercial product code into said commercial product code inputting unit and for starting to move the operation of said transport path,

said transport controlling unit having means for selecting a first mode where the commercial product is sensed to be put on said transport path in said commercial product casted portion before inputting a commercial product code in said commercial product code inputting unit to move said transport path and in accordance with the identification result provided by said commercial product identifying unit, the commercial product is selectively transported to either said stocker or said commercial product casted portion, and selecting a second mode where the commercial product code has been first sensed to be input by a user through said commercial product code inputting unit before sensing said commercial product being put on said transport path by said transport controlling unit, and in accordance with a comparison between said commercial product code and the identification result provided by said commercial product identifying unit, the commercial product is selectively transported to either said stocker or said commercial product casted portion.

2. A check-out system according to claim 1, wherein said commercial product identifying unit operates to utilize whether or not in the first mode, the commercial product code is read out by said commercial product code reading unit, as the identification of the commercial product, for performing the transport control.

3. A check-out system according to claim 2, wherein said commercial product identifying unit operates to identify, in the case where in the first mode, the commercial product code can not be read out by said commercial product code reading unit, the commercial product of interest as the commercial product to be returned back to said commercial product casted portion.

4. A check-out system according to claim 1, wherein said commercial product identifying unit operates to utilize, in the second mode, the result of comparing the commercial product code input by said commercial product code inputting unit and the commercial product code read out by said commercial product code reading unit with each other for identifying the commercial products.

5. A check-out system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a commercial product number checking unit for checking the number of commercial products put on said transport path,

wherein said commercial product identifying unit operates to utilize the check result provided by said commercial product number checking unit for identifying the commercial products.

6. A check-out system according to claim 5, wherein said commercial product number checking unit is composed of a plurality of sensors which are installed along said transport path.

7. A check-out system according to claim 5, wherein said commercial product identifying unit operates to identify, in the case where the plurality of commercial products are detected by said commercial product number checking unit, the commercial products of interest as the commercial products to be returned back to said commercial product casted portion.

8. A check-out system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a commercial product number checking unit for checking the number of commercial products put on said transport path,

wherein said commercial product identifying unit operates to utilize the check result provided by said commercial product number checking unit for identifying the commercial products.

9. A check-out system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storage unit for holding a correspondence table for storing the data relating to the correspondence relationship between the commercial product codes, and characteristic data of the commercial products and an allowable error range of the characteristic data;

a measurement unit for measuring the characteristic data of the commercial product in said commercial product identifying unit;

an operation unit for inputting an operation mode of said check-out system; and

a unit for checking the coincidence with respect to the commercial product,

wherein said commercial product coincidence checking unit operates to compare, when the operation mode of interset is the first mode, the measured values provided by said measurement unit and the characteristic data in said table with each other to calculate an error and store the calculated values as the allowable error range in said table, and to compare, when the operation mode of interest is the second operation mode, the measured values provided by said measurement unit and the characteristic data in said table with each other to calculate an error and check whether or not the calculated value is within the allowable error range in said table to utilize the checked result for identifying the commercial products.

10. A check-out system according to claim 9, wherein said commercial product coincidence checking unit operates to check, when the operation of interest is the first operation mode, whether or not the commercial product characteristic data corresponding to the commercial product code input to said table is registrated, and store, in the case where the commercial product characteristic data is not registrated, the calculated error as the allowable error range.

11. A check-out system according to claim 9, wherein said commercial product coincidence checking unit operates to check, when the operation of interest is the first operation mode, whether or not the commercial product characteristic data corresponding to the commercial product code input to said table is registrated, and compare, in the case where the commercial product characteristic data is registrated, the value of the calculated error and the allowable error range stored with each other, and store, in the case where the value of the calculated error is beyond the allowable error range, the calculated error as the allowable error range.

12. A check-out system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a photographing unit for monitoring the operation of an operator;

a projection unit for projecting the photographing contents provided by said photographing unit;

an abnormality or injustice detecting unit for detecting abnormality or injustice of the operation; and

means for outputting, when the abnormality or injustice of the operation is detected, an alarm signal to said projection unit.

13. A check-out system comprising:

a portion into which a commercial product is casted;

a stocker for stocking the commercial products;

a transport path for transporting the commercial product from said commercial product casted portion to said stocker;

a commercial product identifying unit located between said commercial product casted portion and said stocker for providing an identification result identifying whether or not the commercial product transported from said commercial product casted portion is to be transported up to said stocker;

a commercial product code inputting unit for inputted a commercial product code of the commercial product in said commercial product casted portion;

a commercial product code reading unit for reading out the commercial product code of the commercial product code of the commercial product in said commercial product identifying unit; and

a transport controlling unit for controlling the operation of said transport path,

said transport controlling unit having a first mode in which the commercial product put on said transport path in said commercial product casted portion is transported and in accordance with the identification result provided by said commercial product identifying unit, the commercial product is selectively transported to either said stocker or said commercial product casted portion, and a second mode in which after the commercial product code has been input by a user through said commercial product code inputting unit, and commercial product put on said transport path is transported, and in accordance with the identification result provided by said commercial product identifying unit, the commercial product is selectively transported to either said stocker or said commercial product casted portion, wherein either one of said first and second modes is selected based on a condition whether the commercial product code is inputted by the user when the commercial product is put on said casted portion;

wherein said check-out system further comprises;

a manual mode switching unit for selectively switching between the first and second modes prior to operation,

wherein said transport controlling unit operates to perform the transport control with the mode specified by said manual mode switching unit.

14. A check-out system according to claim 13, wherein said commercial product identifying unit operates to utilize whether or not in the first mode, the commercial product code is read out by said commercial product code reading unit, as the identification of the commercial product, for performing the transport control.

15. A check-out system according to claim 14, wherein said commercial product identifying unit operates to identify, in the case where in the first mode, the commercial product code cannot be read out by said commercial product code reading unit, the commercial product of interest as the commercial product to be returned back to said commercial product casted portion.

16. A check-out system according to claim 13, wherein said commercial product identifying unit operates to utilize, in the second mode, the result of comparing the commercial product code input by said commercial product code inputting unit and the commercial product code read out by said commercial product code reading unit with each other for identifying the commercial products.

17. A check-out system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a commercial product number checking unit for checking he number of commercial products put on said transport path,

wherein said commercial product identifying unit operates to utilize the check result provided by said commercial product number checking unit for identifying the commercial products.

18. A check-out system according to claim 17, wherein said commercial product number checking unit is composed of a plurality of sensors which are installed along said transport path.

19. A check-out system according to claim 17, wherein said commercial product identifying unit operates to identify, in the case where the plurality of commercial products are detected by said commercial product number checking unit, the commercial products of interest as the commercial products to be returned back to said commercial product casted portion.

20. A check-out system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a commercial product number checking unit for checking the number of commercial products put on said transport path,

wherein said commercial product identifying unit operates to utilize the check result provided by said commercial product number checking unit for identifying the commercial products.

21. A check-out system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a storage unit for holding a correspondence table for storing the data relating to the correspondence relationship between the commercial product codes, and characteristic data of the commercial products and an allowable error range of the characteristic data;

a measurement unit for measuring the characteristic data of the commercial product in said commercial product identifying unit;

an operation unit for inputting an operation mode of said check-out system; and

a unit for checking the coincidence with respect to the commercial product,

wherein said commercial product coincidence checking unit operates to compare, when the operation mode of interest is the first mode, the measured values provided by said measurement unit and the characteristic data in said table with each other to calculate an error and store the calculated values as the allowable error range in said table, and to compare, when the operation mode of interest is the second operation mode, the measured values provided by said measurement unit and the characteristic data in said table with each other to calculate an error and check whether or not the calculated value is within the allowable error range in said table to utilize the checked result for identifying the commercial products.

22. A check-out system according to claim 21, wherein said commercial product coincidence checking unit operates to check, when the operation of interest is the first operation mode, whether or not the commercial product characteristic data corresponding to the commercial product code input to said table is registrated, and store, in the case where the commercial product characteristic data is not registrated, the calculated error as the allowable error range.

23. A check-out system according to claim 21, wherein said commercial product coincidence checking unit operates to check, when the operation of interest is the first operation mode, whether or not the commercial product characteristic data corresponding to the commercial product code input to said table is registrated, and compare, in the case where the commercial product characteristic data is registrated, the value of the calculated error and the allowable error range stored with each other, and store, in the case where the value of the calculated error is beyond the allowable error range, the calculated error as the allowable error range.

24. A check-out system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a photographing unit for monitoring the operation of an operator;

a projection unit for projecting the photographing contents provided by said photographing unit;

an abnormality or injustice detecting unit for detecting abnormality or injustice of the operation; and

means for outputting, when the abnormality or injustice of the operation is detected, an alarm signal to said projection unit.