Store complex checkout apparatus, transaction processing method and program

• US 7,159,769 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2004
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Sato, Miyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Michael G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mai; Thien T.
• Application Number:
  US10/873,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20050194440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/375, 235/383, 235/378, 235/385, 235/462.01, 235/379, 705/26, 705/14, 705/20, 705/21, 705/23, 705/22
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/14 Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit data transmission in general H04L; telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/145 PLU-management

Abstract

A POS device functioning as a store complex checkout apparatus reads an information storage medium storing at least a product provision store code and a product code attached to products of the and other stores using a medium reading unit, refers to the product master file information and performs checkout when a product checkout processing unit identifies the code as the store code from information read from the information storage medium, and refers to corresponding master file information of other store and performs checkout if the product checkout processing unit identifies the code as the code of other store, causing a transaction management unit to generate and store transaction information including a store code and the product provision store code. Further, a store-to-store information send/receive processing unit performs checkout processing for transaction amount with a store checkout apparatus of other store based on the transaction information.

Claims

1. A store complex checkout apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of store servers connected in a network, each store server corresponding to one of a plurality covered stores and including a product master file for performing checking of products by reading out information, via a POS system, from an information storage medium storing at least product codes and product provision store codes assigned to the products;

a medium reading unit that reads out the product provision store code and the product code assigned to a product from said information storage medium via the POS system;

a product checkout processing unit that performs checkout processing of the product based on information obtained by referring to the product master file of the store when the product provision store code included in information read out by the POS system is a product provision store code of a store where the POS system is located, and performs checkout processing of the product based on information obtained by referring to the corresponding product master file of another store via the network when the product provision store code included in information read out by the POS system is a product provision store code of the other store;

a transaction management unit that generates end stores transaction information including a product provision store code for each products product; and

a store-to-store information send/receive processing unit that exchanges the transaction information with the POS system of the other store based on the transaction information when the transaction information includes the product provision store code of the other store.

2. The store complex checkout apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transaction management unit stores as the transaction information a checkout store code, a product provision store code, a transaction category and transaction detail information, wherein the transaction category is classified into sold, canceled or returned, and wherein the transaction detail information includes a product code, a price and a quantity.

3. The store complex checkout apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the store-to-store information send/receive processing unit generates store-to-store information send/receive information for transaction information in which the checkout store code and the product provision store code are different from each other, the store-to-store information send/receive processing unit performing money delivery processing accompanying checkout between a checkout store and a product provision store based on the store-to-store information send/receive information.

4. The store complex checkout apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the store-to-store information send/receive information includes a commission paid to the checkout store by the product provision store.

5. The store complex checkout apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the commission is a sum that is determined depending on a degree of contribution of the checkout store.

6. The store complex checkout apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information storage medium is a wireless tag or a barcode label.

7. The store complex checkout apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an inquiry processing unit that, based on the product code read from the information storage medium, acquires sales information including prices, store names and bonuses of a same product from product master information of a plurality of store checkout apparatuses, for display in a comparative manner.

8. A store complex checkout apparatus, comprising:

a medium reading unit that reads an information storage medium attached to a product offered by a plurality of stores, the information storage medium storing at least a product provision store code and a product code; and

an inquiry processing unit that acquires sales information including prices, store names and bonuses of a same product from product master information of a plurality of store checkout apparatuses for display in a comparative manner, based on the product provision store code read from the information storage medium.

9. A transaction processing method for a store complex checkout apparatus including a plurality of store servers connected in a network, each store server corresponding to one of a plurality covered stores and including a product master file for performing checking of products by reading out information, via a POS system, from an information storage medium storing at least product codes and product provision store codes assigned to the products, the method comprising:

reading out the product provision store code and the product code assigned to a product from said information storage medium attached to the product, via the POS system;

performing checkout processing of the product based on information obtained by referring to the product master file incorporated in the store server of the store when the product provision store code included in the information read out by the POS system is a product provision store code of the store where the POS system is located, and performing product checkout processing based on information obtained by referring to the corresponding product master file of another store via the network when the product provision store code included in information read out by the POS system a product provision store code of the other store;

generating and storing transaction information including a product provision store code for each product; and

exchanging the transaction information with the POS system of the other store based on the transaction information when the transaction information includes the product provision store code of the other store.

10. The transaction processing method for a store complex checkout apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a checkout store code, a product provision store code, a transaction category and transaction detail information are stored as the transaction information, wherein the transaction category is classified into sold, canceled or returned, and wherein the transaction detail information includes a product code, a puce and a quantity.

11. The transaction processing method for a store complex checkout apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the store-to-store information send/receive processing step includes generating store-to-store information send/receive information for transaction information in which the checkout store code and the product provision store code are different from each other, and performing money delivery processing accompanying checkout between a checkout store and a product provision store based on the store-to-store information send/receive information.

12. The transaction processing method for a store complex checkout apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the store-to-store information send/receive information includes a commission paid to the checkout store by the product provision store.

13. The transaction processing method for a store complex checkout apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the commission is a sum that is determined depending on a degree of contribution of the checkout store.

14. The transaction processing method for a store complex checkout apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the information storage medium is a wireless tag or a barcode label.

15. The transaction processing method for a store complex checkout apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising an inquiry step which includes, based on the product code read from the information storage medium, acquiring sales information including prices, store names and bonuses of a same product from product master information of a plurality of store checkout apparatuses, for display in a comparative manner.

16. A computer readable storage medium storing program code for causing a processor to execute a method for processing transactions using a store complex checkout apparatus having a plurality of store servers connected in a network, each store server corresponding to one of a plurality covered stores and including a product master file for performing checking of products by reading out information, via a POS system, from an information storage medium storing at least product codes and product provision store codes assigned to the products, the method

reading out the product provision store code and the product code assigned to a product from said information storage medium attached to the product, via the POS system;

performing checkout processing of the product based on information obtained by referring to the product master file incorporated in the store server of the store when the product provision store code included in the information read out by the POS system is a product provision store code of the store where the POS system is located, and performing product checkout processing based on information obtained by referring to the corresponding product master file of another store via the network when the product provision store code included in information read out by the POS system is a product provision store code of the other store;

generating and storing transaction information including a product provision store code for each product; and

exchanging the transaction information with the POS system of the other store based on the transaction information when the transaction information includes the product provision store code of the other store.

17. The program according to claim 16, wherein a checkout store code, a product provision store code, a transaction category and transaction detail information are stored as the transaction information, wherein the transaction category is classified into sold, canceled or returned, and wherein the transaction detail information includes at least a product code and a price.

18. The program according to claim 17, wherein the store-to-store information send/receive processing step includes generating store-to-store information send/receive information for transaction information in which the checkout store code and the product provision store code are different from each other, and performing money delivery processing accompanying checkout between a checkout store and a product provision store based on the store-to-store information send/receive information.

19. The program according to claim 18, wherein the store-to-store information send/receive information includes a commission paid to the checkout store by the product provision store.

20. A POS system in which a server is connected via a network to a plurality of store checkout apparatuses, each of the store checkout apparatuses comprising:

a medium reading unit that reads information from an information storage medium, the information storage medium being attached to a product and storing at least a product provision store code and a product code;

a product checkout processing unit that performs checkout processing of the product based on information obtained by referring to the product master file incorporated in the store server of the store when the product provision store code included in information read from the information storage medium is a code of the store, and performs checkout processing based on information obtained by referring to the corresponding product master file of another store via the network when the product provision store code included in information read out from the information storage medium is a product provision store code of the other store;

a transaction management unit that generates and stores transaction information including a product provision store code for each product; and

a store-to-store information send/receive processing unit that exchanges the transaction information with the POS system of the other store based on the transaction information when the transaction information includes the product provision store code of the other store,

wherein the store server stores the product master files and all transaction information used in the store checkout apparatuses of the stores, and said transaction information is exchanged between store checkout apparatuses of the stores.