Electronic point-of-sale system using direct-access storage

• US 4,328,544 A
• Filed: 01/04/1980
• Issued: 05/04/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Miller, Irving L., Piller, Don W., Chamoff, Martin E., Thorson, Donald L., Baldwin, Harry L., Robinett, Max J., Bergschneider, Beryl D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Malzahn, David H.
• Application Number:
  US06/109,738
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 364/405, 364/404, 364/900
• US Class Current: 705/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/12 electronically operated digital data processing aspects G06Q20/00

Abstract

A standalone point-of-sale terminal in a unitary physical package has input/output devices for communicating transaction data between the terminal and an operator, and also has a cash drawer. These devices and a direct-access storage are controlled by a programmable processor which executes low-level routines from read-only addressable memory and serially replaceable high-level applications programs from read/write addressable memory. Both applications programs and transaction data are stored on a single non-volatile, removable storage medium.

Claims

1. A point-of-sale terminal for recording transaction data, said terminal comprising:

programmable processing means including read/write addressable memory for holding both applications programs and data, and further including read-only memory holding routines for loading different ones of said applications programs into said read/write memory;

direct-access storage means coupled to said processing means and adapted to read and write a single removable, non-volatile storage medium holding both said applications programs and said transaction data;

input means coupled to said processing means for receiving said transaction data from an operator;

output means coupled to said processing means for displaying said transaction data;

cash-handling means controlled by said processing means in response to said applications programs; and

enclosure means for housing all the above means in a single physical package, said enclosure means further including means for inserting and removing said removable storage medium in said direct-access storage means.

2. The point-of-sale terminal of claim 1, wherein said input means includes a keyboard.

3. The point-of-sale terminal of claim 1, wherein said output means includes both visible display means and printing means.

4. The point-of-sale terminal of claim 1, further comprising prompt means responsive to said processing means for displaying messages to said operator.

5. A point-of-sale terminal for recording transaction data, said terminal comprising:

keyboard means for receiving transaction data from an operator;

display means for outputting said transaction data to said operator;

direct-access storage means for writing said transaction data onto a removable, non-volatile storage medium, and for reading a plurality of applications programs from the same storage medium;

addressable memory means having a read/write part and having a read-only part, said read-only part including microcoded routines;

programmable processing means coupled to said keyboard means, said display means, said direct-access storage means and said addressable memory means for executing said microcoded routines so as to load different ones of said applications programs from said direct-access storage means to said read/write part and for executing said applications programs directly from said read/write part; and

enclosure means for holding the above means in a unified physical package adapted to rest on a counter top.

6. The point-of-sale terminal of claim 5, wherein said storage medium is a magnetic medium and wherein said direct-access storage means comprises a drive adapted to hold said magnetic medium.

7. The point-of-sale terminal of claim 6, wherein said magnetic medium comprises a flexible magnetic disk.

8. The point-of-sale terminal of claim 5, wherein said read-only part of said addressable memory means further includes microcoded routines for controlling said keyboard means and said display means.

9. The point-of-sale terminal of claim 5, wherein said keyboard means, said display means and said direct-access storage means are coupled to said processing means via a common bus.