Customer workstation intelligently connectable to a legacy retail system and providing supplemental functionality thereto

• US 6,644,547 B1
• Filed: 03/28/2000
• Issued: 11/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Inventors: White, Daniel F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Diane I.
• Application Number:
  US09/537,080
• Time in Patent Office: 1,323 Days
• Field of Search: 235/381, 235/379, 235/380, 235/382, 902/6, 902/22, 705/16, 705/17, 705/20, 705/21, 709/200, 709/203, 709/204, 709/223, 710/62, 710/305
• US Class Current: 235/381
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0018 Constructional details, e.g. of drawer, printing means, input means
• 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

A retail terminal/customer service workstation integrates various retail devices and consolidates all of the associated functions of the retail devices and non-associated functions into a single, easy to use workstation. In accordance with one embodiment, the customer service workstation includes a large, touch-screen display, various customer payment devices, and other peripherals in electronic communication with and under the control of a microprocessing unit. A plurality of windows or areas is shown on the display according to the mode of the customer service workstation and/or transaction currently being processed by the customer service workstation. The customer service workstation is intelligently couplable with existing retail systems in order to supplement the existing retail system and obtain and use information/data therefrom, as well as provide various payment options.

Claims

1. A retail terminal comprising:

a microprocessing unit;

a plurality of ports, each port in electronic communication with said microprocessing unit;

a display in electronic communication with said microprocessing unit;

a touch-screen in electronic communication with said microprocessing unit and overlaying said display;

an interface in electronic communication with one of said ports and adapted to be in electronic communication with a legacy retail system wherein said microprocessing unit is able to utilize retail data from the existing retail system;

a card reader electronically coupled to one of said ports;

a camera electronically coupled to one of said ports;

a scale electronically coupled to one of said ports;

a server electronically coupled to one of said ports and adapted to be connectable to the internet to obtain internet data; and

memory in electronic communication with said microprocessing unit and having a plurality of instructions stored therein, which when executed by said microprocessing unit, causes said display to be divided into a plurality of retail function windows including a PIN entry area, an internet area, a weight area, a scrolling receipt area, and a video-conferencing area, wherein said PIN entry area in conjunction with said touch-screen allows a consumer to securely enter a PIN to access customer retail account information, said internet area utilizes a web browser to display the internet data from said server, said weight area utilizes information from said scale to display weight of an object on said scale and in conjunction with said touch-screen allows entry of object type and calculation of object price data, said scrolling receipt area depicting a scrolling receipt of transactions based on all retail and price data, and said video-conferencing area utilizes said camera.

2. A retail terminal of claim 1, further comprising an interface electronically coupled between said first port and the second port of the existing retail system, said interface having a third port of a configuration the same as a configuration of the second port of the existing retail system and a fourth port having a configuration the same as a configuration of the first port.

3. A method of operating a retail terminal having a microprocessing unit, a display in electronic communication with the microprocessing unit, a first port in electronic communication with the microprocessing unit and adapted to be in electronic communication with an existing retail system, a plurality of peripheral devices all of which are in electronic communication with the microprocessing unit and generating peripheral retail data, and memory in electronic communication with the microprocessing unit, the memory having a plurality of instructions stored therein, the method comprising the steps of:

executing the plurality of instructions stored in memory by the microprocessing unit;

causing the display to be divided into a plurality of retail function areas; and

utilizing retail data from the existing retail system via the first port and peripheral retail data;

wherein the retail terminal further includes a camera as one of the peripheral devices, a card reader as one of the peripheral devices, and a scale as one of the peripheral devices, the memory having further instructions stored therein, the method comprising the steps of

(i) executing the further instructions in memory by the microprocessing unit; and

(ii) causing the display to a weight area, a video-conferencing area, and a scrolling receipt area, wherein the weight area utilizes information from the scale to display weight of an object on the scale and in conjunction with the touch-screen allows entry of object type and calculation of object price data, the scrolling receipt area depicting a scrolling receipt of transactions

based an all retail and price data, and the video-conferencing area utilizing the camera.

4. A retail apparatus comprising:

a retail system; and

a retail terminal including;

a microprocessing unit;

a plurality of parts, each port in electronic communication with said microprocessing unit;

a display in electronic communication with said microprocessing unit;

an interface in electronic communication with one of said parts and adapted to be in electronic communication with the retail system wherein said microprocessing unit receives retail data from the retail system; and

memory in electronic communication with said microprocessing unit and having a plurality of instructions stored therein, which when executed by said microprocessing unit, causes said display to be divided into a plurality of retail function windows including a scrolling receipt area, said scrolling receipt area depicting a scrolling receipt of transactions based an the retail data.

5. The retail terminal of claim 4, further comprising a touch-screen in electronic communication with said microprocessing unit and overlaying said display.

6. The retail terminal of claim 5, wherein the retail function windows include a PIN entry area, said PIN entry area in conjunction with said touch-screen allowing a consumer to enter a PIN to access customer retail account information.

7. The retail terminal of claim 6, further comprising a scale electronically coupled to one of said parts, said retail function windows including a weight area, said weight area utilizing information from said scale to display weight of an object an said scale and in conjunction with said touch-screen allowing entry of object types and calculation of object price data, said scrolling receipt of transactions being based an the price data.

8. The retail terminal of claim 4, further comprising a card reader and a camera, each electronically coupled to a respective one of said parts.

9. The retail terminal of claim 4, wherein said retail system includes a legacy retail system.

10. A customer service workstation comprising:

a microprocessing unit;

a display in electronic communication with said microprocessing unit;

a touch-screen in electronic communication with said microprocessing unit and overlaying said display;

a port in electronic communication with said microprocessing unit and adapted to be coupled to and in electronic communication with an existing retail system wherein said microprocessing unit is able to utilize retail data from the existing retail system;

a server in electronic communication with said microprocessing unit and adapted to be connectable to the internet to retrieve internet data;

memory in electronic communication with said microprocessing unit and having a plurality of instructions stored therein, which when executed, causes said display to be divided into a plurality of retail function windows including a PIN entry area and an internet area, wherein said PIN entry area in conjunction with said touch-screen allows a consumer to securely enter a PIN to access retail account information for the consumer, and said internet area utilizes a web browser to display the internet data from said server; and

a plurality of peripheral devices each of which is in electronic communication with said microprocessing unit, said plurality of peripheral devices including a camera and a scale, and a card reader;

wherein said plurality of windows further includes a video-conference area that utilizes said camera, and a weight area that utilizes said scale;

wherein said memory includes further instructions stored therein which, when executed by said microprocessing unit causes said microprocessing unit to automatically create a customer receipt based on transaction data from said card reader, said scale, and the retail data from the existing retail system; and

wherein said plurality of windows further includes a receipt area and said memory includes further instructions stored therein that, when executed by said microprocessing unit, causes said microprocessing unit to create a scrolling receipt within said receipt area based on said transaction data.