Combination printer and its paper

• US 7,708,360 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2006
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Inventors: Mount, Jeffrey, Byerly, Baxter
• Primary Examiner(s): Meier; Stephen D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liang; Leonard S
• Application Number:
  US11/488,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20070125843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,386 Days
• Field of Search: 347/2, 347/101, 347/5, 347/9, 347/105, 347/14, 347/102, 428/32.1
• US Class Current: 347/2
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0015 for treating before, during or after printing or for uniform coating or laminating the copy material before or after printing selective coating B41J2/2114
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/01 Ink jet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04536 using history data
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04541 Specific driving circuit
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04573 Timing; Delays
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0458 controlling heads based on heating elements forming bubbles
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2114 Ejecting transparent or white coloured liquids, e.g. processing liquids B41J2/211 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/407 for marking on special material
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/445 Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/546 Combination of different types, e.g. using a thermal transfer head and an inkjet print head
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/60 for printing on both faces of the printing material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1206 resulting in increased flexibility in input data format or job format or job type
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1242 Image or content composition onto a page
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0009 Details of the software in the checkout register, electronic cash register [ECR] or point of sale terminal [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00

Abstract

A computer network system and method for printing purchase transaction receipts includes a novel printer physical structure, data structure, and control logic for printing on both sides of a register receipt, business rules designed to facilitate the two sided printing, and print paper designed to facilitate two sided printing.

Claims

1. A computer network system comprising;

a POS printer, said POS printer comprising a paper tape roller, a first print head, a second print head;

said paper tape roller for advancing or retracting a paper tape roll, said paper tape roll having a first side and a second side;

said first print head designed to face a first side of said paper tape roll;

said second print head designed to face a second side of said paper tape roll;

a controller for controlling signals to said first print head and said second print head and said roller to print on said paper tape both a register receipt on a first side of said paper tape and advertising content on a second side of said paper tape; and

a POS terminal and a marketing computer, and wherein said POS printer comprises logic for controlling said printer to hold printing of a register receipt for a purchase transaction at a POS based upon data transmitted to said printer from either said POS terminal or a POS computer until expiration of a specified time after receipt by said POS printer of an EOT signal for said purchase transaction.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said POS printer includes logic for not printing purchase transaction data for said purchase transaction at said POS transmitted to said POS printer from either said POS terminal or said POS computer if said printer receives from said marketing computer print instructions for said purchase transaction prior to said specified time after receipt by said POS printer of said EOT signal.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said POS printer includes logic for printing said print instructions for said purchase transaction received from said marketing computer if said POS printer receives said print instructions prior to said specified time after receipt by said POS printer of said EOT signal.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said POS printer includes logic for controlling two sided printing.

5. A computer network system comprising;

a POS printer, said POS printer comprising a paper tape roller, a first print head, a second print head;

said paper tape roller for advancing or retracting a paper tape roll, said paper tape roll having a first side and a second side;

said first print head designed to face a first side of said paper tape roll;

said second print head designed to face a second side of said paper tape roll;

a controller for controlling signals to said first print head and said second print head and said roller to print on said paper tape both a register receipt on a first side of said paper tape and advertising content on a second side of said paper tape; and

wherein said system comprises logic for determining remnant space for a register receipt for a purchase transaction.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said system comprises logic for determining marketing content to fill said remnant space on said register receipt.

7. A computer network system comprising;

a POS printer, said POS printer comprising a paper tape roller, a first print head, a second print head;

said paper tape roller for advancing or retracting a paper tape roll, said paper tape roll having a first side and a second side;

said first print head designed to face a first side of said paper tape roll;

said second print head designed to face a second side of said paper tape roll;

a controller for controlling signals to said first print head and said second print head and said roller to print on said paper tape both a register receipt on a first side of said paper tape and advertising content on a second side of said paper tape; and

logic for determining whether said POS printer should print, transaction information for a transaction, based upon instructions received at said POS printer and sent from a POS terminal or based upon instructions received at said POS printer and sent from a marketing computer.

8. A method for making a computer network system comprising:

providing a POS printer, said POS printer comprising a paper tape roller, a first print head, a second print head;

providing said paper tape roller for advancing or retracting a paper tape roll, said paper tape roll having a first side and a second side;

providing said first print head designed to face a first side of said paper tape roll;

providing said second print head designed to face a second side of said paper tape roll; and

providing a controller for controlling signals to said first print head and said second print head and said roller to print on said paper tape both a register receipt on a first side of said paper tape and advertising content on a second side of said paper tape

logic for determining whether said POS printer should print, transaction information for a transaction, based upon instructions received at said POS printer and sent from a POS terminal or based upon instructions received at said POS printer and sent from a marketing computer.

9. A method of using a computer network system, said system comprising;

a POS printer, said POS printer comprising a paper tape roller, a first print head, a second print head;

said paper tape roller for advancing or retracting a paper tape roll, said paper tape roll having a first side and a second side;

said first print head designed to face a first side of said paper tape roll;

said second print head designed to face a second side of said paper tape roll;

a controller for controlling signals to said first print head and said second print head and said roller to print on said paper tape both a register receipt on a first side of said paper tape and advertising content on a second side of said paper tape;

logic for determining whether said POS printer should print, transaction information for a transaction, based upon instructions received at said POS printer and sent from a POS terminal or based upon instructions received at said POS printer and sent from a marketing computer;

said method comprising printing from said POS printer; and

determining whether said POS printer should print transaction information for a transaction based upon instructions received from either said POS terminal or a marketing computer.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said printing comprises printing of purchase transaction data for a purchase transaction at a POS.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said printing also comprises printing of marketing information.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said printing said purchase transaction data comprises printing on a first side of a paper tape said purchase transaction data and printing at least part of said marketing information on a second side of said paper tape.

13. A method of using a computer network system, said system comprising;

a POS printer, said POS printer comprising a paper tape roller, a first print head, a second print head;

said paper tape roller for advancing or retracting a paper tape roll, said paper tape roll having a first side and a second side;

said first print head designed to face a first side of said paper tape roll;

said second print head designed to face a second side of said paper tape roll;

a controller for controlling signals to said first print head and said second print head and said roller to print on said paper tape both a register receipt on a first side of said paper tape and advertising content on a second side of said paper tape;

said method comprising printing from said POS printer; and

determining remnant space.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising printing marketing information on said remnant space.

15. A method of using a computer network system, said system comprising;

a POS printer, said POS printer comprising a paper tape roller, a first print head, a second print head;

said paper tape roller for advancing or retracting a paper tape roll, said paper tape roll having a first side and a second side;

said first print head designed to face a first side of said paper tape roll;

said second print head designed to face a second side of said paper tape roll;

a controller for controlling signals to said first print head and said second print head and said roller to print on said paper tape both a register receipt on a first side of said paper tape and advertising content on a second side of said paper tape;

said method comprising printing from said POS printer; and

delaying printing a register receipt for a purchase transaction until either a time out period expires or receipt by said printer of print instructions from a marketing computer.