Automatic terminal distributor for reading and memorizing production data in sales outlets in general

• US 6,386,449 B1
• Filed: 08/09/1999
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Datalogic S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Datalogic S.p.A.
• Inventors: Signoretto, Roberto
• Primary Examiner(s): TREMBLAY, MARK STEPHEN
• Application Number:
  US09/369,930
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 235/383, 235/385, 235/375
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/54 about vertical axes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0042 for hiring of objects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/00 Cash registers alarm indicators G07G3/00

Abstract

An automatic terminal distributor for reading and memorizing product data in sales outlets in general, characterized by comprising: a container (2) provided internally with a plurality of compartments (8) for a corresponding plurality of terminals (38) for reading the bar code printed on product packages, the terminals being provided with units for memorizing the data; moving means (12) for the compartments (8) within the container (2); means (24) for identifying the users of the sales outlets; a control unit (20) which controls the compartment moving means (12) in such a manner as to cause a selected one of the compartments (8) to face at least one door (18) provided on the container, the control unit causing the door to open when the significant user data have been recognized.

Claims

1. An automatic distributor of terminals, said terminals for reading product data in sales outlets, comprising:

a container (2),

a plurality of movable compartments (8) in the container for storing a corresponding plurality of said terminals (36), each compartment (8) being provided with a terminal support element (30) comprising connectors cooperating with connectors provided on the terminals (36),

means (24) for identifying the users of the sales outlets,

a control unit (20);

a plurality of releasable doors (18) providing access to at least one of said plurality of compartments;

means for moving the compartments (8) so that a selected one of the compartments (8) can be brought in correspondence with a selected one of said doors (18) to be released;

means for indicating the released door (18) to the customer; and

a service door for reinserting the terminals into the compartments.

2. An automatic distributor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the container is of substantially parallelepiped form and houses a plurality of superposed discs (4), each comprising radial baffles (6) which define the compartments (8) on the discs (4).

3. An automatic distributor as claimed in claim 1, wherein each disc (4) is associated with a respective one of the doors (18).

4. An automatic distributor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for indicating the released door (18) to the customer comprise an LED (22).

5. An automatic distributor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the container includes an alphanumeric keypad (26) and a display unit (28).

7. An automatic distributor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit is connected to a host computer which memorizes the names of the customers of the sales outlet.

8. An automatic distributor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the terminals are provided with internal batteries rechargeable via the connectors (32).

6. An automatic distributor of terminals, said terminals for reading product data in sales outlets, comprising:

a container (2),

a plurality of movable compartments (8) in the container for storing a corresponding plurality of said terminals (36), each compartment (8) being provided with a terminal support element (30) comprising connectors cooperating with connectors provided on the terminals (36),

means (24) for identifying the users of the sales outlets,

a control unit (20);

a plurality of releasable doors (18) providing access to at least one of said plurality of compartments;

means for moving the compartments (8) so that a selected one of the compartments (8) can be brought in correspondence with a selected one of said doors (18) to be released;

means for indicating the released door (18) to the customer; and

a rear door (40) for reinserting the terminals into the compartments.

9. A method for storage of terminals in a sales outlet and automatic distribution of said terminals to customers, said terminals for enabling the customers to read product data printed on products they are purchasing, comprising the steps of:

storing the terminals in a terminal distributor comprising a container (2) provided internally with a first plurality of movable compartments (8), each compartment housing a corresponding terminal (36), and access to said terminals being provided by a plurality of releasable doors,

locating the terminals (36) in the compartments (8) connected to a control unit (20) of the container (2) to exchange data therebetween,

identifying the customer by verifying customer'"'"'s data,

assigning a stored terminal (36) to an identified customer,

having the compartment (8) with the assigned terminal (36) in correspondence with a selected one of said doors (18);

releasing the selected door (18);

indicating the released door (18) to the customer; and

repositioning the terminals into the container after use through a service door of the container without interrupting delivery of terminals through said selected door.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the step of indicating the released door (18) comprises activating an LED (22).

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein the compartments (8) are provided on a plurality of overlying rotating discs (4), the plurality of discs (4) being correspondent to the plurality of doors (18) so that a door (18) is provided at each disc (4), the movement of the compartments comprising the step of rotating the discs (4).

12. A method according to claim 9, wherein the step of identifying the customer comprises the step of having the customer insert a recognition card into a card reader (24) of the container (2) and/or input data to the control unit (20) by means of a keypad (26) on the container (2).

14. A method according to claim 9, comprising the step of recharging internal batteries of the terminals (36) when the terminals (36) are in the compartments (8).

15. A method according to claim 9, wherein the step of having the compartment (8) with the assigned terminal (36) in correspondence with a selected one of said doors (18) comprises the step of moving the compartments (8).

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the step of moving the compartments (8) is performed after the step of assigning a stored terminal (36) to an identified customer.

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein the step of moving the compartments (8) is performed before the step of assigning a stored terminal (36) to an identified customer.

13. A method for storage of terminals in a sales outlet and automatic distribution of said terminals to customers, said terminals for enabling the customers to read product data printed on products they are purchasing, comprising the steps of:

storing the terminals in a terminal distributor comprising a container (2) provided internally with a first plurality of movable compartments (8), each compartment housing a corresponding terminal (36), and access to said terminals being provided by a plurality of releasable doors,

locating the terminals (36) in the compartments (8) connected to a control unit (20) of the container (2) to exchange data therebetween,

identifying the customer by verifying customer'"'"'s data,

assigning a stored terminal (36) to an identified customer,

having the compartment (8) with the assigned terminal (36) in correspondence with a selected one of said doors (18);

releasing the selected door (18);

indicating the released door (18) to the customer; and

repositioning the terminals (36) into the container (2) after use through a rear door (40) of the container (2), without interrupting the possibility of delivering terminals (36) through the releasable doors (18).

18. An automatic distributor of terminals, said terminals for reading product data in sales outlets, comprising:

a container (2),

a plurality of movable compartments (8) in the container for storing a corresponding plurality of said terminals (36), each compartment (8) being provided with a terminal support element (30) comprising connectors cooperating with connectors provided on the terminals (36),

a card reader (24) for identifying the users of the sales outlets,

a control unit (20);

a plurality of releasable doors (18) providing access to at least one of said plurality of compartments;

a motor (12) for moving the compartments (8) so that a selected one of the compartments (8) can be brought in correspondence with a selected one of said doors (18) to be released;

a display for indicating the released door (18) to the customer; and

a service door for reinserting the terminals into the compartment.

19. An automatic distributor of terminals, said terminals for reading product data in sales outlets, said distributor comprising:

a container (2) of substantially parallelepiped form, said container including and housing a plurality of superposed discs (4), each disk including radial baffles (6) which define a plurality of movable compartments (8) on the discs (4), said container including an alphanumeric keypad (26) and a display unit (28), said container including a rear door (40) for reinserting said terminals into the compartments;

said movable compartments (8) in the container for storing a corresponding plurality of said terminals (36), each compartment (8) being provided with a terminal support element (30) comprising connectors cooperating with connectors (32) provided on the terminals (36) wherein the terminals are provided with internal batteries rechargeable via the connectors (32);

a card reader (24) for identifying the users of the sales outlets;

a control unit (20) connected to a host computer which memorizes the names of said users of the sales outlet;

a plurality of releasable doors (18) providing access to at least one of said plurality of compartments, each disc (4) is associated with a respective one of the doors (18);

a motor (12) for moving the compartments (8) so that a selected one of the compartments (8) can be brought in correspondence with a selected one of said doors (18) to be released;

an LED indicator (22) is provided for indicating the released door (18) to the customer; and

a service door for reinserting the terminals into the compartment.

20. A method for storage of terminals in a sales outlet and automatic distribution of them to customers, for enabling the customers to read data of products they are purchasing, said method comprising the steps of:

storing the terminals in a terminal distributor comprising a container (2) provided internally with a plurality of movable compartments (8), each compartment housing a corresponding terminal (36), and access to said terminals being provided by a plurality of releasable doors, wherein the compartments (8) are provided on a plurality of overlying rotating discs (4), the plurality of discs (4) being correspondent to a plurality of doors (18) so that a door (18) is provided at each disc (4) and movement of the compartments comprising the step of rotating the discs (4);

locating the terminals (36) in the compartments (8) connected to a control unit (20) of the container (2) to exchange data therebetween;

recharging internal batteries of the terminals (36) when the terminals (36) are in the compartments (8);

identifying the customer by verifying customer'"'"'s data by having the customer insert a recognition card into a card reader (24) of the container (2) and/or input data to the control unit (20) by means of a keypad (26) on the container (2);

assigning a stored terminal (36) to an identified customer;

moving the compartment (8) with the assigned terminal (36) in correspondence with a selected one of said doors (18);

releasing the selected door (18);

indicating the released door (18) to the identified customer by activating an LED (22); and

repositioning the terminals (36) into the container (2) after use through a rear door (40) of the container (2), without interrupting the possibility of delivering terminals (36) through the releasable doors (18).

21. A method for storage of terminals in a sales outlet and automatic distribution of them to customers, for enabling the customers to read data of products they are purchasing, said method comprising the steps of:

storing the terminals in a terminal distributor comprising a container (2) provided internally with a plurality of movable compartments (8), each compartment housing a corresponding terminal (36), and access to said terminals being provided by a plurality of releasable doors, wherein the compartments (8) are provided on a plurality of overlying rotating discs (4), the plurality of discs (4) being correspondent to a plurality of doors (18) so that a door (18) is provided at each disc (4) and movement of the compartments comprising the step of rotating the discs (4);

locating the terminals (36) in the compartments (8) connected to a control unit (20) of the container (2) to exchange data therebetween;

recharging internal batteries of the terminals (36) when the terminals (36) are in the compartments (8)

identifying the customer by verifying customer'"'"'s data by having the customer insert a recognition card into a card reader (24) of the container (2) and/or input data to the control unit (20) by means of a keypad (26) on the container (2);

moving a compartment (8) with a terminal (36) into correspondence with a selected one of said doors (18);

assigning said terminal (36) in correspondence with said selected door to an identified customer;

releasing the selected door (18);

indicating the released door (18) to the identified customer by activating an LED (22); and

repositioning the terminals (36) into the container (2) after use through a rear door (40) of the container (2), without interrupting the possibility of delivering terminals (36) through the releasable doors (18).