JP7540045B2 - Product data processing device - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a product data processing device equipped with a printer that issues receipts, for example.

Conventionally, there is known a POS (point of sales) terminal that is equipped with an integrated scanner that reads product code information and a printer that issues receipts. Since the product code information is held up to the scanner, a relatively large working space is required in front of the scanner to handle the product. Therefore, in this POS terminal, the scanner is placed above the printer, and the space in front of the printer is used as the working space.

On the other hand, if the printer runs out of receipt rolls or if a jam occurs in the printer, the printer can be pulled out from the POS terminal housing to the front work space to replace the receipt roll or clear the jam.

JP 2014-38649 A

Receipt roll replacement and jam removal are often performed while customers are waiting to purchase products, so it is desirable to complete the work as quickly as possible and provide receipts to customers promptly.

However, when working with a printer pulled out into the work space as with the conventional POS terminals described above, the printer must be returned to its original position inside the housing after work is completed before a receipt can be printed, which increases the time it takes to print a receipt. Also, if the jam has not been cleared by the time the printer is returned to its original position, the printer must be pulled out again to clear the jam, which is cumbersome and time-consuming.

Therefore, there is a need for a product data processing device that can quickly issue receipts after replacing the receipt roll or clearing a jam.

A product data processing device according to an embodiment has a printer unit, a housing that houses the printer unit so that it can be pulled out, an open/close sensor that detects whether the cover of the printer unit is open or closed, a display unit that displays an error message, and a control unit. The control unit detects via the open/close sensor that the cover has been closed while the printer unit is pulled out of the housing, and if receipts can be issued by the printer unit, sends a signal to end the error message being displayed on the display unit. The control unit detects via the open/close sensor that the cover has been closed while the printer unit is pulled out of the housing, and if receipts can be issued by the printer unit, allows receipts to be issued by the printer unit while the printer unit is pulled out of the housing.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a product data processing device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the product data processing device of FIG. 1 with the printer unit pulled out from the housing. FIG. 3 is a side view showing the printer unit of FIG. 2 with the cover open. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a control system of the printer unit of the product data processing device of FIG. FIG. 5 is a flow chart for explaining a first operation example of the printer unit of the product data processing device of FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the first operation example together with FIG. FIG. 7 is a flow chart for explaining a second operation example of the printer unit of the product data processing device of FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the second operation example together with FIG.

Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
As shown in Fig. 1, a product data processing device 100 (hereinafter simply referred to as device 100) according to an embodiment has a housing 10 having a front surface 11 that faces a store clerk who sells products. A rear cover 20 is detachably attached to the rear side of the housing 10. The rear cover 20 has an inclined rear surface 21 that faces an aisle through which customers who purchase products pass. The rear surface 21 functions as a display surface that displays various information to customers.

A relatively large working space S must be provided on the front surface 11 of the housing 10 for the store clerk to handle the products to be read. The front surface 11 of the housing 10 is formed as a flat surface (without protrusions) along the vertical direction to make the working space S as large as possible. Making the front surface 11 of the housing 10 a flat vertical surface prevents the product from hitting any protrusions when the product's barcode is held over the reading window 32 of the scanner unit 30, improving workability.

A protective guide 110 is attached between the work space S and the housing 10 to prevent a basket containing products from colliding with the housing 10 of the device 100. The protective guide 110 is provided to protrude upward from the upper surface 121 of the stand 120 on which the basket is placed. The shape of the protective guide 110 is not limited to that shown in the figure, and may be any shape. Furthermore, the protective guide 110 is not a required component.

The scanner unit 30 and printer unit 40 are arranged vertically inside the housing 10. In this embodiment, the printer unit 40 is arranged below the scanner unit 30 and housed inside the housing 10. Therefore, the housing 10 of the device 100 has a relatively vertically long structure.

The scanner unit 30 has a front surface 31 that can be arranged flush with the front surface 11 of the housing 10. The front surface 31 of the scanner unit 30 is provided with a reading window 32 for reading the barcode of a product. The scanner unit 30 can be arranged so that the reading window 32 is approximately parallel to the front surface 11 of the housing 10, and can also be arranged so that the reading window 32 is tilted downward relative to the front surface 11 of the housing 10. In other words, the scanner unit 30 has a tilt mechanism (not shown) that can tilt the reading window 32 to any angle.

The printer unit 40 is removably inserted into the storage section 12 provided below the housing 10. In other words, a rectangular box-shaped storage section 12 for removably storing the printer unit 40 is provided below the scanner unit 30. The front side of the storage section 12 is open to the front surface 11 of the housing 10. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the bottom of the storage section 12 is provided with two rails 43, 43 (only one of which is shown) that support the bottom surface of the printer unit 40.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the two rails 43, 43 are provided so that they can be pulled out from the storage section 12 toward the work space S in front of the housing 10. When pulled out from the housing 10 as shown in the figure, the two rails support the printer unit 40 in a position pulled out forward (towards the work space S) from the front surface 11 of the housing 10. When the printer unit 40 is pushed into the storage section 12, the two rails 43, 43 contract while supporting the bottom surface of the printer unit 40, and are stored in the storage section 12 together with the printer unit 40.

A receipt roll (not shown) is housed within the printer unit 40. The receipt roll is, for example, a long, thin piece of receipt paper wound into a roll, with a width of several tens of millimeters and a length of several tens of meters. An outlet 42 is provided on the front surface 41 of the printer unit 40 for discharging receipts cut off from the receipt roll.

The top of the printer unit 40 is provided with an opening 44 for accessing the inside of the printer unit 40 to replace the receipt roll and clear jams. The opening 44 is provided with a cover 46 for opening and closing the opening 44. Figure 3 shows the printer unit 40 pulled out of the storage section 12 of the housing 10 with the cover 46 open.

The storage section 12 that houses the printer unit 40 is located at a position spaced above the bottom end of the housing 10. This allows the printer unit 40 to be pulled out far forward from the storage section 12 when feeding a receipt roll to the printer unit 40. In other words, because the above-mentioned protective guide 110 is provided on the front surface 11 side of the housing 10, the storage section 12 is provided at a position higher than the height at which the protective guide 110 protrudes upward from the top surface of the base 120, so that the printer unit 40 pulled out from the storage section 12 does not interfere with the protective guide 110.

A receipt roll with a relatively large diameter is used to reduce the number of times it needs to be replaced. For this reason, the printer unit 40, which has a receipt outlet 42 on the front surface 41, has a predetermined size in the radial direction of the receipt roll, i.e., in the vertical and front-to-rear directions of the printer unit 40. For this reason, in this embodiment, the printer unit 40 is placed below the housing 10, and the rear side of the printer unit 40 protrudes toward the inner surface of the rear cover 20.

In other words, in this embodiment, the printer unit 40, which has a larger dimension in the front-to-rear direction than the scanner unit 30, is placed below the housing 10. The scanner unit 30 is then placed above the printer unit 40. Furthermore, the front surface 31 of the scanner unit 30 and the front surface 41 of the printer unit 40 are placed approximately flush with the front surface 11 of the housing 10. For this reason, the rear cover 20 that covers the rear side of the housing 10 is wedge-shaped, inclined downward toward the rear side as shown in the figure.

In this way, by placing the relatively large printer unit 40 at the bottom and the relatively small scanner unit 30 at the top, the housing 10 can be installed stably.

As shown in FIG. 1, the device 100 has an operation panel 50 that incorporates a control board (not shown) that is equipped with a processor. The control board of the operation panel 50 functions as a control unit that controls the device 100. In addition, the device 100 is optionally equipped with a keyboard 60 attached to the side of the operation panel 50, and a sub-panel 70.

The operation panel 50 has an operation screen 51 (display unit) on the front side (clerk side) and is rotatably attached to the upper end of the housing 10. In other words, the operation panel 50 is attached to the upper end of the housing 10 in a state in which the orientation of the operation screen 51 can be changed. The operation panel 50 is disposed further above the scanner unit 30. The operation panel 50 has a touch sensor on the operation screen 51 that can display images, and various input operations can be performed by the clerk touching various buttons displayed on the operation screen 51 with his/her finger.

The keyboard 60 is equipped with a card reader 61. The keyboard 60 has a multiplication key, a subtotal key, etc. The card reader 61 reads data recorded on a credit card or a point card. Although FIG. 1 shows a card reader capable of reading a magnetic card, it may also be capable of reading a contact IC card or a contactless IC card.

The sub-panel 70 is attached to the side of the housing 10 via an arm 72. The arm 72 rotatably supports the sub-panel 70 in a position in which the operation surface 71 of the sub-panel 70 faces the customer as shown, or in a position in which the operation surface 71 faces the store clerk. The sub-panel 70 can be used as a terminal operated by a customer, and can also be used as an auxiliary terminal operated by a store clerk.

Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the main circuit configuration of the printer unit 40 described above. The printer unit 40 is connected to the operation panel 50, and issues receipts in response to print requests from the operation panel 50.

The printer unit 40 includes a processor 81, a main memory 82, a print head 83, an LED lamp 84, a receipt roll sensor 85, a jam sensor 86, a storage sensor 87, an open/close sensor 88, an interface unit 89, and a transmission path 90. The processor 81, the main memory 82, the print head 83, the LED lamp 84, the receipt roll sensor 85, a jam sensor 86, a storage sensor 87, an open/close sensor 88, and an interface unit 89 are connected via the transmission path 90.

In the printer unit 40, the processor 81 and the main memory 82 are connected via a transmission line 90 to form a computer that performs information processing for controlling the printer unit 40. The printer unit 40 may further include an auxiliary storage unit connected to the transmission line 90, and the above computer may be configured to include this auxiliary storage unit as an auxiliary storage portion. For example, an EEPROM (registered trademark) (electric erasable programmable read-only memory) is used as the auxiliary storage unit. A hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD) may also be used as the auxiliary storage unit.

The processor 81 corresponds to the central part of the computer. The processor 81 controls each part to realize various functions of the printer unit 40 according to the operating system, firmware, and application programs.

The main memory 82 corresponds to the main storage portion of the computer. The main memory 82 includes a non-volatile memory area and a volatile memory area. The main memory 82 stores the operating system, firmware, and application programs in the non-volatile memory area. The main memory 82 may also store data required for the processor 81 to execute processes for controlling each part in the non-volatile or volatile memory area. The main memory 82 uses the volatile memory area as a work area where data is appropriately rewritten by the processor 81.

The print head 83 prints any image or text on the receipt roll under the direction of the processor 81. The print head 83 is, for example, a well-known thermal head. The print head 83 is attached to the inside of the cover 46 provided on the top of the printer unit 40. In other words, the print head 83 can be pulled out of the storage section 12 together with the printer unit 40. Therefore, even if the printer unit 40 is pulled out of the storage section 12, printing on receipt paper is possible as long as the cover 46 is closed.

The LED lamp 84 functions as a notification means for informing the operator of the status of the printer unit 40. The LED lamp 84 is provided on the front surface 41 of the printer unit 40. The LED lamp 84 is controlled to light up in green when the printer unit 40 is in a printable state, and is controlled to light up in red when the printer unit 40 is in a print-prohibited state.

The receipt roll sensor 85 detects that the receipt roll is properly installed in the printer unit 40. The jam sensor 86 detects that a receipt paper jam has occurred in the printer unit 40. The receipt roll sensor 85 and the jam sensor 86 function as abnormality sensors that detect abnormalities in the printer unit 40.

The storage sensor 87 detects the storage state of the printer unit 40 in the housing 10. In other words, the storage sensor 87 detects that the printer unit 40 is properly installed in the storage section 12 of the device 100. Specifically, the storage sensor 87 detects that the printer unit 40 is installed in the storage section 12, and detects that the printer unit 40 is in the state shown in Figures 2 and 3, in which it is pulled out from the housing 10 of the device 100.

The open/close sensor 88 detects whether the cover 46 of the printer unit 40 is open or closed. Specifically, the open/close sensor 88 detects whether the cover 46 is in the closed position that blocks the opening 44 of the printer unit 40, and also detects whether the cover 46 is in the open position shown in FIG. 3 that fully opens the opening 44.

The cover 46 can be opened as shown in FIG. 3 with the printer unit 40 pulled out to the position shown in FIG. 2. In other words, the cover 46 cannot be opened when the printer unit 40 is housed in the housing 12 of the device 100.

The operation panel 50 is connected to the interface unit 89 via, for example, a communication cable. The interface unit 89 transmits and receives various data to and from the operation panel 50. The interface unit 89 can be, for example, a ready-made device that complies with a well-known standard such as USB (universal serial bus).

The transmission path 90 includes an address bus, a data bus, and control signal lines, and transmits data and control signals between each connected component.

A first operation example of the printer unit 40 will now be described with reference to FIGS .

When the printer unit 40 is set to an operational state capable of issuing receipts in response to a request from the operation panel 50, the processor 81 executes the information processing described below in accordance with the firmware or application program stored in the main memory 82.

In Act 1, the processor 81 determines whether the receipt paper is out. A sensor that detects receipt paper is provided in the path along which the receipt paper is transported, and whether the receipt paper is out is determined based on the output of this sensor. Alternatively, whether the receipt paper is out can be determined by checking the remaining amount of receipt paper on the receipt roll stored in the printer unit 40 and comparing it with a preset threshold value. In this case, the remaining amount of receipt paper can be calculated, for example, by counting the number of receipts issued by the device 100 after replacing the receipt roll with a new one, and multiplying the number of receipts issued by the preset average length of receipts. If the processor 81 determines that the receipt paper is out in Act 1 (Act 1; YES), it proceeds to Act 3.

If it is determined in Act 1 that the receipt paper is not out (Act 1; NO), in Act 2, the processor 81 detects the presence or absence of a jam via the jam sensor 86 and determines whether a receipt paper jam has occurred in the printer unit 40. If the processor 81 determines in Act 2 that a jam has occurred (Act 2; YES), it proceeds to Act 3. On the other hand, if it is determined in Act 2 that a jam has not occurred (Act 2; NO), the processor 81 returns to Act 1.

In Act 3, the processor 81 first prohibits the printer unit 40 from printing on receipt paper. Next, in Act 4, the processor 81 turns on the LED lamp 84 in red and sends a signal to the operation panel 50 to display an error on the operation screen 51. At this time, the error display notifies the operator that the receipt roll has run out or a jam has occurred.

Then, in Act 5, the processor 81 determines whether the printer unit 40 has been pulled out from the storage section 12 of the housing 10 to replace the receipt roll or clear a jam. At this time, the processor 81 detects via the storage sensor 87 whether the printer unit 40 has been pulled out to the pulled-out position shown in FIG. 2. If it is determined in Act 5 that the printer unit 40 has been pulled out (Act 5; YES), the processor 81 proceeds to Act 6.

In Act 6, the processor 81 determines via the open/close sensor 88 whether the cover 46 of the printer unit 40 is open to the state shown in FIG. 3. After determining that the cover 46 is open in Act 6 (Act 6; YES), in Act 7, the processor 81 determines via the open/close sensor 88 whether the cover 46 of the printer unit 40 is closed. Until the processor 81 determines in Act 7 that the cover 46 is closed (Act 7; NO), i.e., while the cover 46 is open, the operator replaces the receipt roll or clears a jam.

When it is determined in Act 7 that the cover 46 is closed (Act 7; YES), the processor 81 determines in Act 8 whether the receipt roll is properly installed in the specified position in the printer unit 40 via the receipt roll sensor 85. Also, when it is determined in Act 7 that the cover 46 is closed (Act 7; YES), the processor 81 checks in Act 9 via the jam sensor 86 that there is no receipt paper jam in the printer unit 40.

Then, if it is determined in Act 8 that the receipt roll is properly installed and it is determined in Act 9 that there is no jam (Act 8; YES, Act 9; YES), the processor 81 cancels the printing prohibition set in Act 3 and allows printing on the receipt roll in Act 10, and proceeds to Act 11.

In Act 11, the processor 81 turns on the LED lamp 84 in green and transmits a signal to the operation panel 50 to end the error display that was being displayed via the operation screen 51. This causes the LED lamp 84 to turn on in green.

In this state, the printer unit 40 remains pulled out to the position shown in FIG. 2, but is ready to print onto the receipt roll and issue receipts. In other words, according to the first operation example, if the printer unit 40 is ready to issue receipts and the cover 46 is closed, receipts can be issued with the printer unit 40 still pulled out, allowing receipts to be issued promptly to customers.

In addition, according to the first operation example, even if the printer unit 40 is pulled out, if the cover 46 is closed while there is nothing wrong with the printer unit 40, the LED lamp 84 lights up in green to indicate that receipts can be issued. This allows the operator to determine that the printer unit 40 is operating normally before storing the printer unit 40 in the storage section 12, and to know at an early stage when the receipt roll replacement work or jam clearing work is complete. This eliminates the need to check the operation of the printer unit 40 after pushing it into the storage section 12, and allows receipts to be issued to customers promptly.

Next, a second operation example of the printer unit 40 will be described with reference to Fig. 7 and Fig. 8. Note that Act 1 to Act 11 are substantially the same as the first operation example described above, and therefore most of the description thereof will be omitted here.

In the second operation example, the processor 81 determines in Act 8 that there is a receipt roll and in Act 9 that there is no jam, and then in Act 10, cancels the printing prohibition set in Act 3 and allows the issuance of only one receipt. At this time, the processor 81 allows the issuance of only one receipt based on the code information of the product scanned immediately before prohibiting printing in Act 3, and proceeds to Act 11.

Then, in Act 11, the processor 81 turns on the LED lamp 84 in green, sends a signal to the operation panel 50 to end the error display that was being displayed via the operation screen 51, and proceeds to Act 12. In Act 12, the processor 81 issues only one receipt, and proceeds to Act 13.

Then, in Act 13, the processor 81 prohibits the printer unit 40 from printing on receipt paper, and proceeds to Act 14. Then, in Act 14, the processor 81 determines via the storage sensor 87 whether the printer unit 40 has been stored in the storage section 12, and if the printer unit 40 has been stored in the storage section 12 (Act 14; YES), the processor 81 proceeds to Act 15.

Finally, in Act 15, the processor 81 releases the print-prohibited state set in Act 13 and returns to Act 1.

As described above, in the second operation example, the printing of only one receipt is permitted while the printer unit 40 is pulled out, so receipts can be quickly issued to customers who are waiting for the receipt roll replacement or jam clearance to be completed.

In addition, according to the second operation example, after a receipt is issued once, printing by the printer unit 40 is prohibited until the printer unit 40 is accommodated in the accommodation section 12, so that processing can be prevented from continuing with the printer unit 40 pulled out.

According to the embodiment of the product data processing device described above, after replacing the receipt roll or clearing a jam in the printer unit 40, receipts can be issued with the printer unit 40 pulled out of the housing 10. This allows receipts to be issued quickly after replacing the receipt roll or clearing a jam, improving convenience.

The above-described embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above-described embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The above-described embodiments and their modifications are within the scope of the invention and its equivalents as described in the claims, as well as the scope and spirit of the invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, an LED lamp 84 is used as a notification means for informing the operator that issuance of a receipt has been permitted. However, this is not limited to this, and a speaker that generates audio guidance may also be used as the notification means.
The invention as described in the claims of the present application as originally filed is set forth below.
[1]
A printer unit;
a housing that accommodates the printer unit in a removable manner;
an opening/closing sensor for detecting an opening/closing state of a cover of the printer unit;
a control unit that allows the printer unit to issue a receipt if the printer unit is capable of issuing a receipt when the open/close sensor detects that the cover is closed with the printer unit pulled out from the housing; and
A product data processing device having the following.
[2]
The device further includes a notification means for notifying an operator that the control unit has permitted issuance of a receipt.
[1] A product data processing device.
[3]
The notification means is provided in the printer unit.
[2] A product data processing device.
[4]
The cover is provided on the top of the printer unit and includes a print head that prints on the receipt roll.
[1] A product data processing device.
[5]
When the control unit detects via the open/close sensor that the cover is closed, if receipt production by the printer unit is possible, the control unit permits the printer unit to produce a receipt only once, and thereafter prohibits receipt production.
[1] A product data processing device.
[6]
A printer unit;
a housing that accommodates the printer unit in a removable manner;
a housing sensor that detects a housing state of the printer unit in the housing;
an opening/closing sensor for detecting an opening/closing state of a cover of the printer unit;
an abnormality sensor for detecting an abnormality in the printer unit;
a control unit which prohibits printing by the printer unit in response to the abnormality being detected by the abnormality sensor, and which permits printing by the printer unit when the housing sensor detects that the printer unit is not housed in the housing and the open/close sensor detects that the cover is open, and then the open/close sensor detects that the cover is closed and the abnormality is not detected by the abnormality sensor;
A product data processing device having the following.
[7]
the control unit, after permitting printing, prohibits printing by the printer unit from being performed by the printer unit to produce one printed sheet until the accommodation sensor detects that the printer unit is accommodated in the housing.
[6] A product data processing device.

10...housing, 11...front, 12...storage section, 30...scanner unit, 40...printer unit, 42...ejection outlet, 43...rail, 44...opening, 46...cover, 50...operation panel, 51...operation screen, 81...processor, 82...main memory, 83...print head, 84...LED lamp, 85...receipt roll sensor, 86...jam sensor, 87...storage sensor, 88...opening/closing sensor, 89...interface unit, 90...transmission path, 100...product data processing device, S...work space.

Claims (6)

A printer unit;
a housing that accommodates the printer unit in a removable manner;
an opening/closing sensor for detecting an opening/closing state of a cover of the printer unit;
A display unit that displays an error;
a control unit that detects that the cover is closed via the open/close sensor while the printer unit is pulled out of the housing, and sends a signal to end the error display that is being displayed on the display unit when the printer unit is capable of producing a receipt ;
the control unit detects via the open/close sensor that the cover has been closed with the printer unit pulled out from the housing, and, if receipt production by the printer unit is possible, allows the printer unit to produce a receipt with the printer unit pulled out from the housing.
Product data processing device. When the control unit detects via the opening/closing sensor that the cover has been closed with the printer unit pulled out from the housing, determines that the receipt roll is properly installed in a predetermined position within the printer unit, and determines that there is no receipt paper jam within the printer unit, it notifies the user that receipts can be issued with the printer unit pulled out from the housing.
The product data processing device according to claim 1. The printer unit further includes a notification means for notifying an operator that a receipt can be produced by the printer unit.
The product data processing device according to claim 1 or 2 . The cover is provided on the top of the printer unit and includes a print head that prints on the receipt roll.
The product data processing device according to claim 1. the control unit detects via the open/close sensor that the cover has been closed while the printer unit is pulled out from the housing, and if receipt production by the printer unit is possible, permits the printer unit to produce a receipt only once, and thereafter prohibits receipt production.
The product data processing device according to claim 1. A printer unit;
a housing that accommodates the printer unit in a removable manner;
a housing sensor that detects a housing state of the printer unit in the housing;
an opening/closing sensor for detecting an opening/closing state of a cover of the printer unit;
an abnormality sensor for detecting an abnormality in the printer unit;
A display unit that displays an error;
a control unit which, in response to the abnormality being detected by the abnormality sensor, inhibits printing by the printer unit and transmits a signal for displaying an error message via the display unit, and transmits a signal for ending the error message being displayed on the display unit when the housing sensor detects that the printer unit is not housed in the housing and the open/close sensor detects that the cover is open, and then the open/close sensor detects that the cover is closed and the abnormality sensor does not detect the abnormality ,
the control unit notifies the user that a receipt can be issued with the printer unit pulled out of the housing, permits the printer unit to print a receipt, and prohibits the printer unit from printing until the housing sensor detects that the printer unit is housed in the housing after the printer unit has printed a single sheet of printed matter.
Product data processing device.