Integrated point of sale terminal

• US 8,386,322 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2010
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Inventors: Williams, Rodger K., Ringeman, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): ALMATRAHI, FARIS S
• Application Number:
  US12/751,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20100325003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• 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: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery

Abstract

An integrated point-of-sale terminal for use with a fuel dispenser has a site controller, at least one dispenser having a user interface, at least one processor at the site controller, memory coupled to the processor, and a plurality of point-of-sale applications associated with the site controller. The processor is configured to dynamically regulate which of the plurality of point-of-sale applications has control of the dispenser user interface based on a set of business rules.

Claims

1. A retail sales system comprising:

a site controller;

a retail terminal comprising a user interface, said retail terminal being in operative communication with said site controller;

a plurality of point-of-sale applications in communication with said retail terminal via said site controller, said plurality of point-of-sale applications comprising a first point-of-sale application and a second point-of-sale application; and

at least one site controller processor configured to dynamically regulate which of the plurality of point-of-sale applications has control of said user interface based on a predetermined set of business rules such that said at least one site controller processor is configured to;

receive a request from said second point-of-sale application for the first point-of-sale application to relinquish control of said user interface to said second point-of-sale application while a user interacts with said first point-of-sale application; and

determine whether to terminate the control of said user interface of said first point-of-sale application and give control of said user interface to said second point-of-sale application based on said predetermined set of business rules.

2. The retail sales system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of retail terminals each having a respective user interface, wherein said at least one site controller is configured to regulate which of said plurality of point-of-sale applications has control of each of said respective plurality of retail terminals user interfaces based on said set of business rules.

3. The retail sales system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of point-of-sale (POS) applications comprises at least two of a welcome application, a payment application, a point-of-sale selection application, POS selling applications, a pre-fueling carwash merchandising application, a fueling application, an internet application, an advertising application, a post-fueling carwash merchandising application and a transaction finalization application.

4. The retail sales system of claim 1, further comprising a director application that is configured to dynamically control the flow of said plurality of POS applications.

5. The retail sales system of claim 1, further comprising at least one operator console operatively coupled to said site controller.

6. The retail sales system of claim 1, further comprising a third party content provider operatively coupled to said site controller.

7. The retail sales system of claim 4, wherein said director application is configured to dynamically control the flow of said plurality of POS applications so that when one of said plurality of POS applications willingly relinquishes control of said at least one retail terminal user interface, said director application uses a predetermined set of business rules to determine which POS application should receive control of said at least one retail terminal user interface.

8. The retail sales system of claim 4, wherein said director application is configured to dynamically control the flow of said plurality of POS applications so that when one of said plurality of POS applications requests control of said at least one retail terminal user interface, said director application asks a controlling application of said plurality of POS applications to relinquish control, and said controlling POS application relinquishes control to said one of said plurality of POS applications that requests control.

9. The retail sales system of claim 4, wherein said director application is configured to terminate a controlling application of said plurality of POS applications if one of said plurality of POS applications requests control of said user interface and said controlling POS application refuses to relinquish control within a given period of time.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one site controller processor is further configured to terminate said second point-of-sale application and give control of said user interface to said first point-of-sale application in response to determining to relinquish control of said user interface from said second point-of-sale application to said first point-of-sale application.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one site controller processor is further configured to deny said request from said second point-of-sale application in response to determining that said second point-of-sale application should not gain control of said user interface.

10. A method of allocating control of a user interface, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a processor and memory, said processor being configured to operate based on a predefined set of business rules stored in said memory;

providing a device operatively coupled to said processor and said memory, said device having a user interface for interaction with a user;

determining, based on said predetermined set of business rules, which one of a plurality of point-of-sale applications, including a first point-of-sale application or a second point-of-sale application, should have control of said user interface;

receiving a request, from said second point-of-sale application, to take control of said user interface while said user interacts with said first point-of-sale application via said user interface;

determining, based on said predefined set of business rules, when said second point-of-sale application can take control of said user interface;

terminating said first point-of-sale application'"'"'s control of said user interface in response to determining that the second point-of-sale application should have control of the user interface; and

transferring control of said user interface to said second point-of-sale application.

11. The method of allocating control of a user interface of claim 10, wherein said plurality of point-of-sale applications comprises at least two of a welcome application, a payment application, a point-of-sale selection application, POS selling applications, a pre-fueling carwash merchandising application, a fueling application, an internet application, an advertising application, a post-fueling carwash merchandising application and a transaction finalization application.

12. The method of allocating control of a user interface of claim 10, wherein the step of determining further comprises terminating control after a predetermined period of time.

13. The method of allocating control of a user interface of claim 10, wherein said predetermined set of business rules are dynamically changed based on an identity of the user.

14. The method of allocating control of a user interface of claim 10, wherein said predetermined set of business rules are dynamically changed based on the user'"'"'s input to said user interface.

15. A method of allocating control of a user interface, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a processor and memory, said processor being configured to operate based on a predefined set of business rules stored in said memory;

providing a retail terminal operatively coupled to said processor and said memory, said retail terminal having a user interface for interaction with a user;

determining, based on said predetermined set of business rules and the user input at said user interface, which one of a plurality of point-of-sale applications, including a first point-of-sale application or a second point-of-sale application, should have control of said user interface;

receiving a request, from said second point-of-sale application, to take control of said user interface while said user interacts with said first point-of-sale application via said user interface;

determining, based on said predefined set of business rules, when said second point-of-sale application can take control of said user interface; and

denying the request from said second point-of-sale application to take control of said user interface in response to determining that the first point-of-sale application should maintain control of the user interface.

16. The method of allocating control of a user interface of claim 15, wherein said plurality of point-of-sale applications comprises a plurality of a welcome application, a payment application, a point-of-sale selection application, POS selling applications, a pre-fueling carwash merchandising application, a fueling application, an internet application, an advertising application, a post-fueling carwash merchandising application and a transaction finalization application.

17. The method of allocating control of a user interface of claim 15, wherein said predetermined set of business rules are dynamically changed based on identity of the user.

18. The method of allocating control of a user interface of claim 15, wherein said predetermined set of business rules are dynamically changed based on preferences preset for the user.