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Information gathering and decoding apparatus and method of use

  • US 9,569,763 B2
  • Filed: 06/19/2009
  • Issued: 02/14/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2008
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A data reading system to obtain, from multiple data readers at a retail establishment having checkout and pre-checkout locations, transaction data identifying items of merchandise associated with transactions of multiple customers, the data reading system comprising:

  • a point of sale system of the retail establishment, the point of sale system having an interface dedicated for use with a single data reader coupled to the interface at the checkout location, the point of sale system configured to receive the transaction data through the interface and ascertain from which of the multiple data readers the transaction data originated;

    a first data reader of the multiple data readers, the first data reader acting as the single data reader configured to use the interface of the point of sale system, the first data reader including;

    a first data capture device configured to capture first data of the transaction data, the first data representing items of a first transaction of a first customer completing the first transaction at the checkout location,a first controller including a memory, the first controller and memory operatively connected to the first data capture device, anda first communication device, the first communication device operatively connected to the first controller; and

    a second data reader of the multiple data readers, the second data reader comprising a hand-held device configured to communicate, while the first and second data readers are communicatively coupled directly to each other at the retail establishment, only with the first data reader, the second data reader including;

    a second data capture device configured to capture identifying information and second data of the transaction data, the second data representing items of a second transaction of a second customer undertaking the second transaction at the pre-checkout location,a second controller operatively connected to the second data capture device and configured to associate the identifying information with the second data, anda second communication device operatively connected to both the second controller and the first communication device and configured to transmit the second data and associated identifying information only to the first communication device;

    wherein the first controller is configured to;

    receive the first data originating from the first data reader,receive the second data and associated identifying information originating from the second data reader,store in the memory, based on the associated identifying information, the second data and associated identifying information, andtransmit to the point of sale system the transaction data so that, from the viewpoint of the point of sale system, the transaction data, representing the first and second transactions, appears as originating from the first data reader and the point of sale system associates the identifying information with the second transaction to ascertain from which of the multiple data readers the second data originated.

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