POS system for advertisements printed on receipts

• US 7,424,443 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2004
• Issued: 09/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Minowa, Masahiro, Yanagisawa, Noboru, Oguchi, Teruaki, Oguchi, Asahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart; Matthew S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): THEIN, MARIA TERESA T
• Application Number:
  US10/981,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20050096988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/15, 705/16, 705/17, 705/18, 705/21, 705/24, 705/26, 705/27, 705/28, 705/29
• US Class Current: 705/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/12 electronically operated digital data processing aspects G06Q20/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00

Abstract

Advertising information input control module of a POS system receives advertising information, and a billing amount calculating module calculates a billing amount based on advertising information received by input control module. A payment confirming module confirms payment of the billing amount calculated by the billing amount calculating module, and an advertising information storing control module stores the advertising information in a storing device. A check-out information input control module receives input of customer check-out information, and an advertising information retrieving module retrieves the advertising information stored in the storing device. A printing data generating module synthesizes or combines check-out information with the advertising information so as to generate printing data, which is output at a printing device, and printed as a receipt with an ad.

Claims

1. A POS system comprising:

a scanner that reads an image;

an advertising information input controller that receives advertising information, the advertising information including the image read by the scanner;

a customer information input unit that inputs characteristics of an advertising recipient, the characteristics including at least one of gender, age, and occupation;

a billing amount calculator that calculates a billing amount based on the advertising information received by the advertising information input controller;

a payment confirming unit that detects if payment of the billing amount has been completed;

a storing device;

an advertising information storing controller that stores the advertising information in the storing device in response to the payment confirming unit detecting that payment of the billing amount has been completed;

an advertising information sending unit that sends the advertising information to a printing device;

a check-out information input controller that receives check-out information;

an advertising information retrieving unit that retrieves advertising information stored in the storing device;

a printing data generator that synthesizes the check-out information received by the check-out information input controller with the advertising information retrieved by the advertising information retrieving unit, and that generates printing data to be printed as a receipt with the advertising information, wherein generating the printing data to be printed as a receipt with the advertising information is in response to the payment confirming unit detecting that payment of the billing amount has been completed; and

a printing controller that prints the generated printing data according to a predetermined format.

2. A POS system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a size input controller that specifies a size of an advertisement containing the advertising information;

and the billing amount calculator being responsive to the size input controller to calculate the billing amount based on the specified size.

3. A POS system according to claim 1, comprising a disk drive that stores image files and the advertising information input controller receiving the image files as advertising information from the disk drive.

4. A POS system according to claim 3, wherein the disk drive comprises a floppy disk drive.

5. A POS system according to claim 1, comprising a multi-color printer that receives the advertising information from the advertising information sending unit and prints the advertising information in at least two colors.

6. A POS system according to claim 1, comprising a size input controller that specifies a size of an advertisement containing the advertising information and wherein the printing data generator generates the printing data based on the specified size.

7. A POS system according to claim 1, wherein the check-out information input controller receives the characteristics of the advertising recipient from the customer information input unit;

and wherein the advertising information retrieving unit selects one advertising information item from a plurality of advertising information items stored in the storing device, based on characteristics of the advertising recipient received by the check-out information input controller.

8. A POS system comprising:

an information input terminal;

a server;

and a cash register;

wherein the information input terminal includes;

a scanner that reads an image;

a display that displays an input menu and a confirmation menu;

an input device that receives advertising information and a confirmation input, the advertising information including the image read by the scanner;

a terminal CPU that transmits the advertising information to the server;

wherein the server includes;

an input terminal side interface that receives the advertising information from the information input terminal, and that transmits an ID to the information input terminal;

a non-volatile storing device that stores the advertising information;

wherein the information input terminal further includes;

a printer that prints the advertising information and a barcode that represents the ID;

wherein the cash register includes;

a customer information input unit that inputs characteristics of an advertising recipient, the characteristics including at least one of gender, age, and occupation;

a barcode reader that reads the barcode that is printed by the printer;

a register CPU that transmits the ID to the server,

wherein the server further includes;

a calculating module that calculates a billing amount;

a server CPU that transmits the billing amount to the cash register;

wherein the cash register further includes;

a display that displays the billing amount;

a billing amount payment confirming module that confirms a payment;

the register CPU being responsive to the billing amount payment confirming module confirming a payment for transmitting to the server that the advertising information is to be registered.