POS system, an optical reader, and an information processing system

• US 20020056752A1
• Filed: 01/11/2002
• Published: 05/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Watanabe, Mitsuo, Kawai, Hiroaki, Iwaguchi, Isao
• Granted Patent: US 6,520,413 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/462.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events

Abstract

A POS system comprises a host computer providing a centralized control over a plurality of scanners, and a printer for printing a batch setting bar code or the like. A CPU of the scanner reads the changes in the setting from its own memory when it receives a first transmission request command and then transmits the data to the host computer as a first batch setting data. From this first batch setting data, a first batch setting bar code is generated. When this first batch setting bar code is read using the reader of the scanner whose setting has not been changed, the setting in the memory of this scanner is changed to the setting represented by the first batch setting data. Thus, setting in a plurality of scanners can speedily and accurately be changed.

Claims

1. A POS system comprising:

a plurality of scanners each having a reader for optically reading a bar code, a memory for storing therein data for setting required for operations, and a control unit for controlling the operation of writing data in or reading data from said memory;

a discrete setting changing unit for changing the data for setting in said memory in one of the plurality of scanners; and

a bar code generating unit for generating a batch setting bar code according to the data for setting after changes in said memory in the scanner whose data for setting has been changed;

wherein said control unit in each of the scanners other than the scanner whose data for setting has been changed, changes the data for setting in its said memory according to the data for setting after changes obtained from the batch setting bar code read by the reader of the respective scanners.

2. A POS system according to claim 1;

wherein the bar code generating unit comprises;

a read control unit for issuing an instruction to read the data for setting after changes from said memory with respect to said control unit of the scanner whose data for setting has been changed; and

a bar code generator for generating the batch setting bar code according to the data for setting after changes read by said control unit of the scanner whose data for setting has been changed.

3. A POS system according to claim 1;

wherein the control unit of said scanner whose data for setting has been changed reads the data for setting after changes from said memory according to a result of reading a specified bar code with said reader; and

said bar code generating unit generates the batch setting bar code according to the data for setting after changes.

4. A POS system comprising:

a plurality of scanners each having a reader for optically reading a bar code, a memory for storing therein data for setting required for operations, and a control unit for controlling the operation of writing data in or reading data from said memory;

a discrete setting changing unit for changing the data for setting in said memory in one of the plurality of scanners; and

a bar code generating unit for comparing the data for setting before changes in said memory of said scanner whose data for setting has been changed to the data for setting after changes and generating a batch setting bar code according to only the changed portions of the data;

wherein said control unit in each of said scanners other than the scanner whose data for setting has been changed, changes only the changed portions of the data for setting stored therein according to data for the changed portions obtained from the batch setting bar code read by the reader of the respective scanners.

5. A POS system comprising:

a plurality of scanners each having a reader for optically reading a bar code, a memory for storing therein data for setting required for operations, and a control unit for controlling the operation of writing data in or reading data from said memory;

a discrete setting changing unit for changing the data for setting in said memory in one of the plurality of scanners; and

a bar code generating unit for generating a batch setting bar code according to the data for setting after changes in said memory in said scanner whose data for setting has been changed;

wherein said control unit in each of the scanners other than the scanner whose data for setting has been changed, changes the data for setting stored in said memory according to the data for setting after changes obtained from the batch setting bar code read by the reader of the respective scanners.

6. A POS system comprising:

a plurality of scanners each having a reader for optically reading bar code, a memory for storing therein data for setting required for operations, and a control unit for controlling the operation of writing data in or reading data from said memory;

a discrete setting changing unit for changing the data for setting in said memory in one of the plurality of scanners;

a bar code generating unit for generating a batch setting bar code according to the data for setting after changes in said memory in the scanner whose data for setting has been changed; and

a switch for shifting the operating mode of the scanners other than the scanner whose data for setting has been changed to a batch setting mode;

wherein said control unit in each of the scanners other than the scanner whose data for setting has been changed, shifts the mode to the batch setting mode under control by said switch and changes the data for setting in said memory according to the data for setting after changes obtained from the batch setting bar code read by the reader of the respective scanners.

7. An optical reader comprising:

a reader for optically reading a bar code;

a memory for storing therein data for setting required for operations;

a control unit for controlling the operations of writing data in or reading data from said memory; and

an interface for communications with an external device;

wherein said control unit writes the data for setting inputted from the outside in said memory and also sends out the data for setting set in said memory via said interface to said external device.

8. An optical reader according to claim 7;

wherein said control unit sends out only the data for setting set anew via said interface to said external device.

9. An information processing system comprising:

a plurality of scanners each having a reader for optically reading a bar code, a memory for storing therein data for setting required for operations, and a control unit for controlling the operation of writing data for setting in or reading the data for setting from said memory; and

an upper device connected to said plurality of scanners;

wherein said upper device has,

a receiving unit for receiving the data for setting set in one of the plurality of scanners; and

a bar code generating unit for generating a batch setting bar code for updating the data for setting for the other scanners in batch according to the received data for setting, and can update data for setting of said scanner in batch by having the batch setting bar code read with said scanner.