Method for producing a bill, apparatus for collecting items, and a self-service shop

• US 4,373,133 A
• Filed: 12/30/1980
• Issued: 02/08/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/1980
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wright Clyne Sturgeon Associates Limited
• Original Assignee: Wright Clyne Sturgeon Associates Limited
• Inventors: Sturgeon, Philip L., Wright, Lawrence H., Clyne, Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitts, Harold I.
• Application Number:
  US06/221,309
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 235/383, 235/385, 177/1
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/4144 for controlling weight of goods in commercial establishments, e.g. supermarket, P.O.S. systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/343 Cards including a counter
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0054 with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0072 with means for detecting the weight of the article of which the code is read, for the verification of the registration weighing combined with recording means, e.g. in weighing scale, G01G19/415

Abstract

To reduce time spent at the check-out of a self-service shop, each customer is provided with an electronic recording unit mounted on the receptacle used to collect items for purchase. The unit has a memory store for data identifying the items collected. The prices and gross weights of the items are summed, e.g. by extraction of data from a data store in the unit or from data input from a bar code on the items themselves. The collection of items is weighed as a whole at the checkout for comparison of the measured weight with the computed sum of the gross weight of the individual items.

Claims

1. A self-service shop comprising

(a) a plurality of storage locations for items to be bought by customers,

(b) a plurality of movable receptacles for use by customers to form a collection of items to be bought by selection from said storage locations,

(c) a plurality of movable electronic recording units associated with said movable receptables, each said unit comprising (i) a memory store programmed, arranged and adapted to record at least data identifying the items selected by a customer for inclusion in said collection (ii) means for inputting to said recording unit information identifying the selected items, (iii) price summing means for summing, on the basis of the said information input into said electronic recording unit, the price of each selected item so as to provide an aggregate price indication for the collection and (iv) means for visually displaying said aggregate price indication to the customer while the collection is being formed,

(d) weight summing means for summing the gross weight of each selected item recorded in a said memory store to provide an aggregate gross weight indication for the collection, and

(e) at least one check-out station including means for weighing the collection of items made by a customer to provide a measured gross wieght indication for the collection, which can then be compared with the summed aggregate gross weight.

3. A self-service shop according to claim 1 wherein each said movable receptacle has a said movable electronic recording unit mounted thereon.

4. A self-service shop according to claim 1 wherein each said electronic recording unit includes a said weight summing means and further comprises a data store for data of price and gross weight of items stocked by the shop and said price and weight summing means are programmed, adapted and arranged to compute said aggregate price and aggregate gross weight from (i) the said information input to electronic recording unit identifying the selected item and (ii) the data corresponding to that item stored in the said data store.

5. A self-service shop according to claim 1 wherein said electronic recording unit includes display means for the price of the last item for which data was entered in said memory store.

2. A container apparatus for use by a customer in a self-service shop comprising

(a) a container for receiving a collection of items selected for purchase by the customer,

(b) an electronic recording unit mounted on said container and having a memory store for recording data identifying each item included in the collection and (ii) data relating to the aggregate weight and price of the items of the collection, and

(c) means for inputting said data identifying said item into said memory store at the time of inclusion of the item in the collection,

said electronic recording unit further including

(i) programmed data storage means for storing data relating to weight and price of items available for inclusion in the collection,

(ii) programmed calculation means for receiving from said inputting means data identifying each item selected for inclusion in the collection, for extracting the corresponding data of weight and price for each item from said data storage means, for calculating, on the basis of this corresponding data, the aggregate weight and price to the said memory store, and

(iii) display means for displaying the aggregate price of the collection stored in the memory store during formation of the collection.