Point of sale systems and methods

• US 20050261981A1
• Filed: 05/24/2004
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digipos Store Solutions Group Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Digipos Store Solutions Group Ltd.
• Inventors: Worsfold, Graham, Halyk, David, Sullivan, Arthur, Girdler, Geoffrey
• Granted Patent: US 7,827,063 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/18 specially adapted for controlling several coin-freed apparatus from one place
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/105 Heating or cooling means, for temperature and humidity control, for the conditioning of articles and their storage dispensers for food articles requiring a processing by temperature treatment or conditioning before they are ready for dispensing G07F17/0064

Abstract

A point of sale device includes a point of sale functional component, such as, for example, a display, an input device, a printer, scales, a card reader, or other. An interface is connected to the component, through a standard port of the component. The interface includes a radio frequency communications function. The interface communicates information regarding the component over a wireless communication network. The wireless communication network connects to a maintenance gateway for the device, either via the network, other networks, or by other communicative connection. The device can be monitored and maintained by the maintenance gateway, and the maintenance gateway can be located at a remote location from the device. The interface can also include cooling elements and controls for the device and/or the interface.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a communications network;

a communicative device; and

an interface communicatively connected to the communicative device and the communications network.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a functional device communicatively connected to the interface;

wherein the interface enables communications of information regarding the functional device over the communications network.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a processor incorporated in the interface, for detecting activities of the functional device and causing communication of information of those activities over the communications network.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the functional device performs a point of sale action.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface further comprises:

a wireless communications unit communicatively connected to the network; and

the wireless communications unit communicates over the network.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

a maintenance gateway communicatively connected to the network.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the maintenance gateway transmits and receives information relative to the functional device, to and from the interface via the wireless communications unit over the network.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a cooling module electrically connected to the interface.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the cooling module comprises:

a circuit;

a heat sink connected to the circuit;

a first fan connected to the circuit for directing air flow towards the heat sink; and

a second fan connected to the circuit for directing air flow from the heat sink.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a controller connected to the circuit, for controlling the first fan and the second fan.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the interface comprises a microprocessor and the controller is the microprocessor.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a power source connected to the first fan, the second fan and the controller;

wherein the controller selectively controls the first fan and the second fan by varying a power to the first fan and a power to the second fan in five stages comprising;

a first stage of an ambient temperature of the device;

a second stage of an excess temperature exceeding the ambient temperature of the device and not exceeding an overheat temperature of the device;

a third stage of in excess of the overheat temperature and not exceeding a damage temperature of the device;

a fourth stage of in excess of the damage temperature and less than a back-up temperature of the device; and

a fifth stage of at least the back-up temperature of the device.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a Peltier device connected to the functional device;

wherein the Peltier device operates in the fifth stage.

18. The device of claim 7, wherein the interface comprises a connection for a standard port of the component.

19. The device of claim 7, wherein the interface comprises a radio frequency communicator for wireless communications over the network.

20. The device of claim 19, further comprising:

a processor connected to the interface;

wherein the processor detects a state of the component and controls wireless communications over the network in relation to the state.

14. A method of selling, comprising the steps of:

locating a functional device at a point of sale;

connecting the functional device at the point of sale to an interface; and

connecting the interface to a wireless communications network.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

monitoring a state of the functional device via communications over the wireless communications network.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

selectively cooling the interface via dual fans and a heat sink.

17. A point of sale device, comprises:

a point of sale functional component;

an interface connected to the component; and

a wireless communication network connected to the interface, for wireless communications to and from the interface.

21. A method of selling, comprising the steps of:

locating a sale function component at a point of sale; and

wirelessly monitoring a state of the component.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

connecting the component to an interface;

connecting the interface to a wireless communications path; and

communicating information regarding a state of the component over the wireless communications path.

23. A cooler, comprising:

a circuit;

a power source connected to the circuit;

a heat sink connected to the circuit;

a first fan connected to the circuit, to direct airflow to towards the heat sink;

a second fan connected to the circuit, to direct airflow away from the heat sink.

24. The cooler of claim 23, further comprising:

a controller connected to the circuit;

wherein the controller controls power to the first fan and the second fan, respectively.

25. The cooler of claim 24, wherein the heat sink is glycol filled.

26. The cooler of claim 23, wherein the controller receives an indicator of temperature and controls power according to the indicator.

27. The cooler of claim 26, wherein the controller controls power in accordance with the indicator in five stages, comprising:

a first stage of the indicator as ambient temperature of the device;

a second stage of the indicator as an excess temperature exceeding the ambient temperature of the device and not exceeding an overheat temperature of the device;

a third stage of the indicator as in excess of the overheat temperature and not exceeding a damage temperature of the device;

a fourth stage of the indicator as in excess of the damage temperature and less than a back-up temperature of the device; and

a fifth stage of the indicator as at least the back-up temperature of the device.

28. A method of cooling, comprising the steps of:

first staging in response to an indicator of an ambient temperature of the device;

second staging in response to an indicator of an excess temperature exceeding the ambient temperature of the device and not exceeding an overheat temperature of the device;

third staging in response to an indicator of in excess of the overheat temperature and not exceeding a damage temperature of the device;

fourth staging in response to an indicator of in excess of the damage temperature and less than a back-up temperature of the device; and

fifth staging in response to an indicator of at least the back-up temperature of the device.