Scale with kiosk ordering interface system and method

• US 8,304,668 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2010
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Premark FEG LLC (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Premark FEG LLC (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Inventors: Collins, Harry W., Dyer, Debra L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gibson, Randy W
• Application Number:
  US12/690,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20100185483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 177 2511- 2519, 702173-175, 705414-416, 235/383
• US Class Current: 177/25.13
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/4144 for controlling weight of goods in commercial establishments, e.g. supermarket, P.O.S. systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/36 Indicating the weight by electrical means, e.g. using photoelectric cells
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3728 with wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/40 for devices for accepting orders, advertisements, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/00 Cash registers alarm indicators G07G3/00
• 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

Abstract

A food product scale is adapted to interface with an electronic product ordering system, such as a kiosk ordering system, enabling store personnel to more readily identify, process and complete such orders.

Claims

1. A scale for use in weighing food products, comprising:

a weighing station for receiving food products to be weighed, the weighing station having an associated mechanism for producing weight indicative signals;

a controller for receiving weight indicative signals from the mechanism, the controller operable to establish a price for a weighed food product based in part upon a weight indicative signal produced for that food product;

a communications interface for receiving electronic product orders;

an operator interface including an operator display, the controller connected with the operator display for control thereof;

wherein the controller is configured to receive electronic product orders and provide an operator with interface display information enabling the operator to select, view and process electronic product orders;

wherein the controller is configured to enable operator selection of an electronic order function and, upon operator selection of the electronic order function, the controller effects display of a list of electronic orders and is configured to enable operator selection of an electronic order for processing;

wherein, upon operator selection of the electronic order for processing, the scale controller associates the electronic order with identification data of the operator that is logged onto the scale.

2. The scale of claim 1 wherein, the controller is configured to effect display of in-process electronic orders that have been associated with identification data for an operator that is different than the operator that is logged into the scale but prevents selection of such in-process electronic orders by the operator that is logged into the scale.

8. A food item order and fulfillment system in a store, the system including:

the scale of claim 1 located in a perishables food department of the store;

an electronic ordering kiosk located in the store, the kiosk configured to enable customers to identify multiple food items and related quantities as a single electronic product order, the electronic ordering kiosk operatively connected to communicate electronic product orders to the scale.

3. A scale for use in weighing food products, comprising:

a weighing station for receiving food products to be weighed, the weighing station having an associated mechanism for producing weight indicative signals;

a controller for receiving weight indicative signals from the mechanism, the controller operable to establish a price for a weighed food product based in part upon a weight indicative signal produced for that food product;

a communications interface for receiving electronic product orders;

an operator interface including an operator display, the controller connected with the operator display for control thereof;

wherein the controller is configured to receive electronic product orders and provide an operator with interface display information enabling the operator to select, view and process electronic product orders;

wherein the controller is configured to enable operator selection of an electronic order function and, upon operator selection of the electronic order function, the controller effects display of a list of electronic orders and is configured to enable operator selection of an electronic order for processing;

wherein the controller is configured such that, upon operator selection of the electronic order for processing, the scale presents a display of items contained in the selected electronic order and is configured to enable operator selection of each item for processing.

4. The scale of claim 3 wherein the controller is configured such that, upon operator selection of the item for processing, the scale presents a display of an item weigh interface that includes item name, order amount, cut thickness, item number and item price.

5. The scale of claim 4 wherein the controller is configured such that, during display of the presented item weigh interface if a label print operation is triggered, the scale again presents a display of items contained in the electronic order with the item that was previously selected for processing disabled from further operator selection.

6. The scale of claim 3 wherein the controller is configured (i) to enable operator exit of the selected electronic order prior to completion of processing of the selected electronic order and (v) upon subsequent operator selection of the electronic order function, to effect display of unfilled items from the selected electronic order.

7. The scale system of claim 3 wherein the controller is configured such that upon operator processing of all items in the selected electronic order, the controller automatically effects printing of an order summary label for placement on a package containing the items in the selected order.

9. A method for filling food item orders in a store, the method comprising the steps of utilizing a scale including a weighing station, a controller pricing food items based upon weight, a communications interface for receiving electronic product orders, and an operator interface including an operator display;

receiving electronic product orders at the scale via the communications interface;

enabling operator selection of an electronic order function of the scale;

upon operator selection of the electronic order function, displaying a list of electronic orders;

enabling operator selection of an electronic order for processing; and

upon operator selection of an electronic order for processing, the operator display displaying multiple items contained within the selected electronic order.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein, upon operator selection of the electronic order for processing, the scale controller associates the selected electronic order with identification data of the operator that is logged onto the scale.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein, during display of the list of electronic orders, the scale displays in-process electronic orders that have been associated with identification data for an operator that is different than the operator that is logged into the scale but prevents selection of such in-process electronic orders by the operator that is logged into the scale.

12. The method of claim 9, including:

enabling operator selection of an item from the selected order for processing; and

upon operator selection of the item for processing, the scale presents a display of an item weigh interface that includes item name, order amount, cut thickness, item number and item price.

13. The method of claim 12, including:

during display of the presented item weigh interface if a label print operation is triggered, the scale again presents a display of items contained in the selected electronic order with the item that was previously selected for processing disabled from further operator selection.

14. The method of claim 9, including:

enabling operator exit of the selected order prior to completion of processing of the selected order;

upon subsequent operator selection of the electronic order function, the operator display displays unfilled items from the selected order that was not completed.

15. The method of claim 9, including:

upon operator processing of all items in the selected order, the scale automatically prints an order summary label for placement on a package containing the items in the selected order.