DATA TERMINAL AND METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING AUTHORIZED OPERATION THEREOF

Abstract: A cash register includes a removable and replaceable cash till (20) mounted in a drawer (22). The till (20) carries a coded identification in the form of at least one aperture positioned in the rear wall (44) of the till (20). The or each aperture in said wall (44) is sensed by an associated one of a plurality of switches (39-42) which is adapted to sense the aperture by means of a spring-loaded plunger which projects through the aperture. In order to identify authorized operation by a particular operator of the cash register when employing a particular till (20), the following steps are carried out: a first code identifying the operator is entered in the cash register, the code identifying the till (20) is read by the switches (39-42) in association with a processor (43), and this last-mentioned code is compared with a list of valid codes associated with the operator identified by said first code.

Description: DATA TERMINAL AND METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING AUTHORIZED OPERATION THEREOF Technical Field This invention relates to data terminals, such as electronic cash registers, having cash receptacles, and to a method for identifying authorized operation of such data terminals. Background Art Over the years, mechanical and electromechanical cash registers have been replaced gradually be electronic cash registers which provide faster and more efficient operation in retail establishments. As in the case of mechanical or electromechanical cash registers, electronic registers also use a cash drawer arrangement which includes a removable cash till. The cash drawer is normally constructed to move outwardly from the cash register housing at the front thereof generally upon completion of each and every transaction. The removable cash till is 'positioned within the cash drawer and functions as a receptacle for cash or checks received by the operator of the register. In recent years the supermarket has become a dominant part of the retail establishment and a plurality of cash registers or terminals are employed in the market. Dependent upon the operation of the business or the activity thereof, a number of operators may be assigned to each terminal, or one operator may be assigned to more than one terminal. In effect, the operation may be designed to employ more than one cash till per operator or more than one operator per cash till for a particular terminal. In certain types of retail operations, if an error is made in the amount of the sale or if the operator makes an error in refunding change, it is difficult to identify the operator or the cash till involved in such a transaction. It is also seen that if a cashier transfers from one terminal to another, it is difficult to compare the amount in a cash till with an amount which should be accountable to the operator. While there have been ways and means for identifying, checking, comparing and crediting amounts of money received and disbursed relative to a particular operator or a particular terminal, it is desired that a closer control of the operations be accomplished and maintained. Disclosure of the Invention It is an object of the invention to provide a data terminal having a cash receptacle, and a method of operating such terminal, which enable a close control of the operation of such terminal to be accomplished. According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a method for identifying authorized operation by a ~ operator of a data terminal having a cash receptacle, characterized by the steps of entering into the terminal a first code identifying the operator, reading a second code carried by and identifying said receptacle by sensing means included in said terminal, and comparing said second code with a list of valid codes associated with the operator identified by said first code. According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a data terminal having a removable cash receptacle as a component thereof and operable by an operator to move said receptacle from an open position to a closed position, characterized by identifying means carried by and identifying said receptacle, and sensing means included in said terminal for generating a signal identifying said - 3 - receptacle in response to the sensing of said identifying means when said receptacle is in an operational position in said terminal. A method and terminal in accordance with the present invention have application, for example, to stores or like businesses that utilize an arrangement of more than one cash receptacle or till per operator, or an arrangement of more than one operator per cash till. It should be understood that the sensing means of a terminal or method according to the invention may provide for an identity of the cash receptacle when it is placed into operation at the start of a tour or period of duty by an operator, or may provide for an identity of the cash receptacle with each operation of the terminal. A reconciliation of the contents of the cash receptacle or of the operations of the terminal or register may occur hourly, daily, weekly or even monthly, dependent upon the capacity of the cash receptacle, the extent of the tour of duty of an operator, or the amount of activity for a specified period of time. The sensing means may provide output signals by means of an unsolicited message to a central processor or terminal in respect of the first approved use of the associated cash receptacle in a particular cash register or terminal. When the identification of a particular cash receptacle is made at a certain terminal, all of the information or data regarding the various transactions may then be transmitted to the central processor or terminal. In a preferred arrangement of the present invention, the operator code or number (the number assigned to the specific operator) is keyed into the cash register or terminal. The operator number and the code or number read by the sensing means for identifying the cash receptacle are sent to a central - 4 - processor or terminal. At the central processor or terminal, the combination of operator number and cash till number is compared against a list of valid combinations and the result of the comparison is returned to the sending terminal. The sending terminal then either prevents or allows the operator access to the particular terminal. In the present cash receptacle/operator identification scheme, the actual amount of money in the receptacle is recorded by count, by journal tape, by CRT or like recording mechanism for the particular operator and cash receptacle. When the cash till is removed by the operator and taken to a central office or like place to compare the actual amount of money with the recorded amount, such comparison can be performed by means of counting, CRT display or like means. Brief Description of the Drawings Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a cash till and associated parts of a cash register in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of part of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevational view, partly in section, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a flow chart showing operator sign- in at a register without use of a coded cash till? Fig. 5 is a flow chart showing operator sign- in at a register using a coded cash till; Fig. 6 is a flow chart showing reconciliation without use of a coded cash till; Fig. 7 is a flow chart showing reconciliation using a coded cash till; and Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view of a modification of a cash till identifying means. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawing, there is shown a top or plan view of a cash till 20 for use in a cash register, only a portion 21 of the register being shown. The cash till 20 is formed to removably and replaceably fit in a box-like drawer 22 that is constructed to open and close or move in and out in slidable manner on suitable rails or like elements, not shown but which may be included in the portion 21 of the cash register. This particular construction is considered to be well-known art and need not be described in detail. The drawer 22 includes a front side or wall 24, a right hand side 26, a left hand side 28 and a rear wall 29 for enclosing and for containing the cash till 20. The cash till 20 includes a plurality of coin pockets, as at 30, for containing different denominations of coins and is formed to enable easy retrieval of the coins by the operator when giving change in retail transactions. The cash till also includes a plurality of bill or check pockets, as at 32, for containing different denominations c. bills, along with associated bill holders 34 which swing upwardly and which may be spring loaded or urged to provide pressure against the bills in the pockets. Of course, it is also known that in certain cases the cash till 20 may be raised to provide space thereunder for other or unusual bills or checks on the floor 35 (Fig. 3) of the drawer 22. The drawer portion 36, rearward of the cash till 20, is formed to hold or contain certain control mechanism, wiring and the like for the cash register. Such control mechanism may include drawer latching means, actuating means for releasing the drawer 22 - 6 - upon completion of a transaction, or other mechanism. In the present embodiment the portion 36 also provides space for a plurality of switches 39, 40, 41, and 42 (Fig. 2) connected to a processor 43 located in the sending terminal. The switches 39,40,41 and 42 are "on-off* type and are connected to the processor 43 in the manner as shown in Fig. 1. Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate the rear wall 44 of the cash till 20 which is associated with the switches 39, 40, 41, 42, the switches being supported by a support member floor portion 46 and an upstanding portion 48. The switches each include a spring-loaded plunger 50 which is continually urged in the outward direction or towards the left in Fig. 3. The rear wall 44 of the cash till 20 is provided with at least one aperture 52 and preferably two apertures therein, as shown in Fig. 2. The switches are supported by the support member portions 46 and 48 relative to the rear wall 44 of the cash till 20 in a manner wherein the or each aperture 52 allows the plunger 50 of an associated one of the switches 39, 40, 41 and 42 to protrude through the aperture 52. The switches 39, 40, 41, 42, of course, include terminals, as at 54, for connecting to the wires, as shown in Fig. 1. As seen in Fig. 2, there are two apertures 52 through which the plungers 50 protrude and there are two plungers 50 which contact the rear surface 56 of the wall 44 of the cash till 20. In the arrangement as shown, it is seen that the apertures 52 allow the plungers 50 of switches 40 and 42 to extend through the apertures in an "on" condition thereof, and that the plungers 50 of switches 39 and 4.1 are prevented from extension by the surface 56 of the wall 44 of the cash till 20 and, in effect, maintain the switches in an "off" condition. It is also within the scope of the invention to provide switch means, the operation of which may be opposite from the "on-off" arrangement just described. - 7 - While Fig. 2 shows one arrangement for encoding the cash till 20, it is understood that other codes are available with all the different combinations of apertures (or no apertures) associated with the plungers 50. Slots or other recesses in the rear wall 44 of the cash till 20 may be used in place of the apertures 52. In this manner, a cash till 20 can be associated with one or more operators, or one or more cash tills can be associated with one operator. The cash tills can be tagged with identifying numbers and each operator can be given an identification number for the purpose of keeping and maintaining a record of the use of a particular till by a particular operator. It should be understood that in the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 3 the processor 43 is arranged to generate a signal identifying the till 20 when the till is in an operational position in the cash register, the identifying signal being determined by which of the switches 39, 40, 41 and 42 are in an "on" condition. Fig. 4 shows a simple flow chart of identification wherein the number of the operator (or other operator identification) is accepted by the sensor or other receiving means and such number is compared to a table of valid operator numbers. If the operator's number does not match with any one valid number, the operator will not be allowed to sign-in as an operator of a particular or specified cash register, whereas if there is a match of a valid number with the operator's number, the operator can sign-in for operation. In this diagram there is only a comparison of an operator's number with a table of valid numbers for identification purposes in allowing or disallowing sign-in of the operator. Fig. 5 illustrates a flow chart of an arrangement involving a coded cash till wherein the number of the operator is accepted by the sensing or receiving means and is compared to a table or file of valid operator numbers. Again, if the operator's number does not match with any one valid number, the operator will not be allowed further access to a particular register. If there is a match of the operator number with one of the valid numbers, the cash till number or code or other identifying means is read and compared with a list of valid codes for this operator. The cash till number or code may also be read and compared with a list of valid codes for the cash till, if such arrangement is satisfactory. If there is a match of the code or other identifying means of the operator with one of a list of valid codes for the operator and the cash till, the operator can continue and sign in for duty. If there is no match at this stage of the identifying process the operator will not be allowed to sign-in and the store manager will be alerted to such condition. Fig. 6 shows a simple arrangement for reconciliation of the amount in a particular cash till for a specified operator at the end of a tour of duty. It is seen that during a tour of duty involving use of a particular cash till, the correct amount to be accountable is the initial amount in the cash till plus the amount received minus any amount paid out. Later on or after the tour of duty, the actual amount of money in the cash till is compared to that amount for which the operator is responsible or that amount which is recorded for such operator. Fig. 7 illustrates an arrangement wherein the recorded amount for which the operator is accountable during a tour of duty involving use of a particular cash till is seen to be generally the same as in Fig. 6. Later, the actual amount of money in the cash till is compared to that amount for which the combination of the identified operator and cash till is responsible. The operator/drawer combination involves and effects the use of a coded cash till in a reconciliation of the amount of money for a particular operator. While the switch-and-aperture arrangement is preferred in the present invention. Fig. 8 shows a modification wherein an upper line of marks 60 or the like and a lower line of marks 62 are provided on the side of a cash receptacle 64. The upper line of marks represent an encoding arrangement wherein one or more of the marks may be darkened for sensing by a code sensor 66. The lower line of marks represent timing marks to be read by a timing sensor 68. The lines of marks 60 and 62 may be placed on the right side wall 26 of the drawer 22 and the sensing means may be supported from the fixed portion 21 of the cash register, the marks 60 and 62 being sensed during movement of the drawer 22 relative to the portion 21. The coding or encoding concept of the present invention may include alternative arrangements such as snap in or glued fillers in certain recesses in the rear wall 44 of the cash till 20, or the till may be identified with use of magnets operable with mechanical or Hall-effect sensing switches. It is thus seen that herein shown and described are a method and apparatus of operator/drawer identification wherein a coded cash till or drawer is utilized in the operation.

Claims: CLAIMS : 1. A method for identifying authorized operation by an operator of a data terminal having a cash receptacle (20), characterized by the steps of entering into the terminal a first code identifying the operator, reading a second code carried by and identifying said receptacle by sensing means (39-42) included in said terminal, and comparing said second code with a list of valid codes associated with the operator identified by said first code. 2. A method according to claim 1, characterized by the additional step of- comparing said first code with a list of valid codes. 3. A method according to either claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that said receptacle (20) is movable between open and closed positions and in that- said second code is read during movement of said receptacle (20) relative to a fixed portion (21) of said terminal. 4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said second code is read by switch means (39-42) arranged to sense at least one aperture (52) formed in said receptacle (20). 5. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that said second code is read by simultaneously sensing a line of code marks (60) and a line of timing marks (62) carried by said receptacle (20). 6. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by the additional steps of recording the amount of money accountable to said operator and to said receptacle (20), as identified by said first and second codes, during a period of duty, said amount consisting of an initial amount, an amount received, and an amount paid out, and comparing the actual amount in said receptacle (20) at the end of said period of duty with the expected amount as determined by said amount accountable to said operator and to said receptacle (20). 7. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said receptacle (20) is removable from said terminal. 8. A data terminal having a removable cash receptacle (20) as a component thereof and operable by an operator to move said receptacle from an open position to a closed position, characterized by identifying means (52) carried by and identifying said receptacle (20), and sensing means (39-43) included in said terminal for generating a signal identifying said receptacle (20) in response to the sensing of said identifying means when said receptacle is in an operational position in said terminal. 9. A data terminal according to claim 8, characterized in that said identifying means comprises at least one aperture (52) positioned in a wall (44) of said receptacle (20), and said sensing means includes a plurality of switch elements (39-42) for sensing the or each aperture in said wall. 10. A data terminal according to claim 9, characterized in that each of said switch elements (39-42) includes a spring-loaded plunger (50) adapted to sense an aperture (52) in said wall (44) by protruding through said aperture (52).

Inventors: MEYERS THOMAS JEFFREY, MEYERS, THOMAS, JEFFREY
Applicants: NCR CO, NCR CORPORATION
Application year: 1987
Main classification: G07G1
IPC codes: G07C9, G07G1, G07G3