Point of sales system

• US 5,889,676 A
• Filed: 06/03/1996
• Issued: 03/30/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Sang, Kubo, Jiro, Shuttleworth, Mark, Tokumura, Naotugu
• Primary Examiner(s): Terrell, William E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARK, WONKI K
• Application Number:
  US08/657,124
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 364/479.01, 364/479.02, 364/479.04, 364/479.06, 364/479.07, 364/479.1, 364/479.11, 364/479.14, 705/21, 222/63
• US Class Current: 700/231
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/04 for transferring fuels, lubricants or mixed fuels and lubricants
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/18 specially adapted for controlling several coin-freed apparatus from one place
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• 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

This invention is related to a point of sales system that integrates a fuel dispensing controller with POS terminals. The primary purpose of this invention is to provide a POS system which can continue to operate despite a malfunction in the hardware or software associated with the in-store controller. The POS system of the present invention comprises an in-store controller, at least one POS terminal connected to said in-store controller, a fuel dispenser controller connected to at least one fuel dispenser, a switching device connecting said fuel dispenser controller to either said in-store controller or said POS terminal, and control programs for controlling said fuel dispenser controller, and the in-store controller and the POS terminal have the control program respectively.

Claims

1. A POS system comprising:

an in-store controller;

at least one POS terminal connected to said in-store controller;

a fuel dispenser controller connected to at least one fuel dispenser;

a switching device connecting said fuel dispenser controller to either said in-store controller or said POS terminal;

control programs for controlling said fuel dispenser controller, said in-store controller and said POS terminal having said control program;

a back-up program;

said back-up program including;

a detect module for detecting a problem in said in-store controller;

a cut-off module for cutting off said control program of said in-store controller when a problem is detected by said detect module; and

a start-up module for starting said control program of said POS terminal after said problem is detected by said detect module.

2. A POS system according to claim 1, said POS terminal having a display device, said display device displaying a problem indication after a problem is detected by said detect module.

3. A POS system according to claim 1, said POS terminal having a display device, and a switching indication which is indicating to turn said switching device so as to connect said fuel dispenser controller and said POS terminal to a user is displayed on said display device after a problem is detected by said detect module.

4. A POS system according to claim 1, said switching device is moved automatically when or after a problem is detected by said detect module.

5. A POS system comprising:

an in-store controller;

at least one POS terminal connected to said in-store controller;

a fuel dispenser controller connected to at least one fuel dispenser;

a switching device connecting said fuel dispenser controller to either said in-store controller or said POS terminal;

control programs for controlling said fuel dispenser controller, said in-store controller and said POS terminal having said control program;

said POS terminal furhter comprising;

a back-up program including a detect module for detecting a problem in a communication linkage between said in-store controller and said fuel dispenser controller;

a file-writing module for writing a specific file to said in-store controller when a problem is detected by said detect module; and

a start-up module for starting said control program of said POS terminal after said problem is detected, and said in-store controller further comprising;

a cut-off program having a sensing module for sensing an existence of said specific file in said in-store controller; and

a cut-off module for cutting off said control program of said in-store controller when said sensing module sensor said specific file.

6. A POS system according to claim 5, said POS terminal having a display device, said display device displaying a problem indication after a problem is detected by said detect module.

7. A POS system according to claim 5, said POS terminal having a display device, and a switching indication which is indicating to turn said switching device so as to connect said fuel dispenser controller and said POS terminal to a user is displayed on said display device after a problem is detected by said detect module.

8. A POS system according to claim 5, said switching device is moved automatically when or after a problem is detected by said detect module.

9. A POS system having at least two POS terminals comprising:

a first POS terminal;

a second POS terminal connected to said first POS terminal;

a fuel dispenser controller connected to at least one fuel dispenser;

a switching device for connecting said fuel dispenser controller to either said first POS terminal or said second POS terminal;

control programs for controlling said fuel dispenser controller, said first POS terminal and said second POS terminal having said control program;

a back-up program;

said back-up program having a detect module for detecting a problem in said first POS terminal;

a cut-off module for cutting off said control program of said first POS terminal when a problem is detected by said detect module; and

a start-up module for starting said control program of said second POS terminal after said problem is detected by said detect module.

10. A POS system according to claim 9, said second POS terminal having a display device, and a problem indication is displayed on said display device after a problem is detected by said detect module.

11. A POS system according to claim 9, said second POS terminal having a display device, and a switching indication which is indicating to turn said switching device so as to connect said fuel dispenser controller to said second POS terminal to a user is displayed on said display device after a problem is detected by said detect module.

12. A POS system according to claim 9, said switching device is moved automatically when or after a problem is detected by said detect module.

13. A POS system having at least two POS terminals comprising:

a first POS terminal;

a second POS terminal connected to said first POS terminal;

a fuel dispenser controller connected to at least one fuel dispenser;

a switching device for connecting said fuel dispenser controller to either said first POS terminal or said second POS terminal;

control programs for controlling said fuel dispenser controller, said first POS terminal and said second POS terminal having said control program;

said second POS terminal further comprising;

a back-up program which is having a detect module for finding a problem in a communication between said first POS terminal said fuel dispenser controller;

a file-writing module for writing a specific file to said first POS terminal when a problem is detected by said detect module;

a start-up module for starting said control program of said second POS terminal after said problem is detected, and said first POS terminal further comprising;

a cut-off program which is having;

a sensing module for regularly sensing a existence of said specific file in said first POS terminal;

a cut-off module for cutting off said control program of said first POS terminal when said sensing module find said specific file.

14. A POS system according to claim 13, said second POS terminal having a display device, and a problem indication is displayed on said display device after a problem is detected by said detect module.

15. A POS system according to claim 13, said second POS terminal having a display device, and a switching indication which is indicating to turn said switching device so as to connect said fuel dispenser controller to said second POS terminal to a user is displayed on said display device after a problem is detected by said detect module.

16. A POS system according to claim 13, said switching device is moved automatically when or after a problem is detected by said detect module.