Patent Publication Number: US-2019188673-A1

Title: Commodity information reading apparatus

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-240895, filed in Dec. 15, 2017, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     FIELD 
     Embodiments described herein relate generally to a commodity information reading apparatus. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In the related art, a wireless tag storing commodity identification information is attached to a commodity and a commodity information reading apparatus executes a sales registration processing for selling the commodity based on wireless tag information received from the wireless tag in response to a signal transmitted from the commodity information reading apparatus. Such a commodity information reading apparatus transmits a reading signal to wireless tags respectively attached to a plurality of commodities placed in one place, and receives the wireless tag information of the wireless tag that responded. 
     However, if there is a commodity of a container of material that does not allow radio waves to pass through such as metal among the placed commodities (hereinafter referred to as “non-passing commodity”), there is a possibility that the signal transmitted from the commodity information reading apparatus or the wireless tag information transmitted from the wireless tag that responded, is blocked by the non-passing commodity. When the signal or the information is blocked, the commodity information reading apparatus may not be able to receive the wireless tag information of all the placed commodities. Therefore, an operator needs to confirm whether the number of pieces of the wireless tag information received by the commodity information reading apparatus coincides with the number of the commodities placed on sale. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing an appearance of a self-checkout POS terminal according to at least one embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the self-checkout POS terminal. 
         FIG. 3  is a memory map showing a part of a commodity master of the self-checkout POS terminal. 
         FIG. 4  is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of the self-checkout POS terminal. 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart showing control processing in the self-checkout POS terminal. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     An object of embodiments is to provide a commodity information reading apparatus that can reliably receive wireless tag information from a wireless tag attached to a commodity. 
     In general, according to at least one embodiment, there is provided a commodity information reading apparatus including a first placing unit configured to place a commodity to be read, and a wireless tag receiving unit (receiver) that is located at an upper part of the first placing unit (support), includes an antenna for transmitting and receiving a signal, and is configured to receive first commodity identification information identifying the commodity that responds to the signal transmitted from the antenna, from a wireless tag attached to the commodity moved within a predetermined receivable area provided in the upper part of the first placing unit from the first placing unit. 
     Hereinafter, with reference to the attached drawings of  FIGS. 1 to 5 , a commodity information reading apparatus according to at least one embodiment will be described. In the at least one embodiment, a self-checkout point of sales (POS) terminal in which a customer performs a registration operation and an accounting operation will be described as a commodity information reading apparatus. Note that, the invention is not limited by the embodiments described below. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing an appearance of a self-checkout POS terminal  1 . The self-checkout POS terminal  1  includes a registration unit that reads a commodity code (second commodity identification information) identifying a commodity to be purchased, and an accounting unit that performs an accounting operation based on commodity information corresponding to the read commodity code. Both the registration operation at the registration unit and the accounting operation at the accounting unit are performed by the customer. The commodity code is code information for identifying a commodity. The self-checkout POS terminal  1  executes a sales registration processing based on the registration operation performed by the customer. The self-checkout POS terminal  1  also executes an accounting processing based on the accounting operation performed by the customer. 
     The sales registration processing is a processing of displaying and storing commodity information such as a commodity name and a price of a corresponding commodity based on an inputted commodity code. The accounting processing is a processing of displaying a total amount for transactions based on commodity information on which the sales registration processing is performed, accounting based on a deposit received from the customer, and issuing a receipt. A transaction processing includes the sales registration processing and the accounting processing. Transaction information includes the commodity information and accounting information. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the self-checkout POS terminal  1  includes a first housing  41  and a second housing  42 . The first housing  41  houses a coin change machine and a bill change machine (collectively referred to as “change machine  27 ”) and the like therein. The change machine  27  stores coins and bills deposited from the customer by denomination. The change machine  27  also pays out changes to the customer. 
     The first housing  41  includes a first door  411  and a second door  412  both of which can be opened and closed. The first door  411  pivots vertically about a hinge unit  411   a.  The second door  412  pivots horizontally about a hinge unit  412   a.  The first door  411  interferes with the second door  412 , and in order to open the second door  412 , the first door  411  needs to be opened in an upward direction. The second door  412  cannot be opened alone, when both the first door  411  and the second door  412  are closed. 
     As the first door  411  pivots upward, an upper inside of the first housing  41  is opened, and the change machine  27  is exposed. Also, as the second door  412  pivots rightward, a lower inside of the first housing  41  is opened, and a control device (not shown) is exposed. 
     The first door  411  includes a deposit slot  271 , a coin output slot  273 , and a receiving tray  272 . The deposit slot  271  is located on an upper surface of the first door  411  and is a slot serving as an inserting port of coins for depositing in the change machine  27 . The coin output slot  273  is a slot that opens a dispensing port for paying out the coins from the change machine  27 . The receiving tray  272  is a tray for receiving change coins paid out from the change machine  27 . 
     The first door  411  includes a deposit slot  274  and a withdraw slot  275 . The deposit slot  274  is a slot serving as an inserting port of bills for depositing in the change machine  27 . The withdraw slot  275  is a slot serving as a dispensing port for paying out change bills paid out from the change machine  27  in an upward direction. 
     The second housing  42  is provided on an upper portion of the first housing  41 . The second housing  42  houses a code reading unit  23 , a printing unit  24 , a card unit  28 , and a wireless tag receiving unit  30  therein. The code reading unit  23  (code reader) reads a symbol (for example, a bar code or a two-dimensional code) attached to a commodity located in a readable area that is in front of the code reading unit  23 . The code reading unit  23  also optically reads a symbol attached to a commodity passing through the readable area that is a space in front of the code reading unit  23 . The readable area is located at an upper part of a placing table  25  and a placing table  26 , which will be described later. The code reading unit  23  acquires a commodity code identifying a commodity based on the read symbol. Hereinafter, a processing of reading a symbol and acquiring a commodity code based on the read symbol is simplified and described as “read a commodity code”. The readable area is a space in a predetermined range (for example, 30 cm) in front of the code reading unit  23  (near side in  FIG. 1 ). 
     The wireless tag receiving unit  30  includes a planar antenna that transmits and receives signals. The wireless tag receiving unit  30  receives wireless tag information (first commodity identification information) including a commodity code attached to a commodity by the antenna. The wireless tag receiving unit  30  radially transmits signals from the antenna toward the wireless tag. Since the signal is a weak radio wave, the signal transmitted from the wireless tag receiving unit  30  can be received only by the wireless tag which is located in front of the antenna of the wireless tag receiving unit  30 , and located in a predetermined receivable area within a predetermined range (for example, 30 cm) from the wireless tag receiving unit  30 . The receivable area is located at an upper part of the placing table  25  and the placing table  26 , which will be described later. The signal transmitted from the wireless tag receiving unit  30  can be received only by the wireless tag that passes through inside the receivable area within the predetermined range from the wireless tag receiving unit  30 . The wireless tag receiving the signal transmits the wireless tag information to the wireless tag receiving unit  30 . The wireless tag information includes an individual identification number of a commodity identifying the particular commodity (individual identification numbers are different if individuals are different, even though commodities have the same commodity code) and a commodity code identifying the commodity. That is, the wireless tag information is information for identifying a commodity. The wireless tag receiving unit  30  receives the wireless tag information transmitted from the wireless tag. 
     Note that, a part or all of the readable area in which a symbol can be read by the code reading unit  23  and the receivable area in which signals transmitted from the wireless tag receiving unit  30  by the wireless tag can be received, overlap each other. That is, in an overlapped area, the code reading unit  23  is capable of reading a symbol and the wireless tag receiving unit  30  is capable of receiving wireless tag information. 
     The printing unit  24  prints commodity information and accounting information of a commodity purchased by the customer and issues a receipt. The card unit  28  reads customer identification information from, for example, an inserted credit card. The self-checkout POS terminal  1  executes the accounting processing based on the customer identification information read by the card unit  28 . 
     The second housing  42  includes a display unit  22  at an upper portion. The display unit  22  displays commodity information of a commodity in which a registration operation is performed by the customer. The display unit  22  also displays accounting information in which the self-checkout POS terminal  1  executed an accounting processing in accordance with an accounting operation by the customer. The display unit  22  also displays a guidance for the customer to appropriately perform the registration operation and the accounting operation. In addition, the display unit  22  displays a cancellation method for a misoperation and a calling method of an attendant. 
     The display unit  22  includes a touch panel  21  on a surface. The touch panel  21  serves as a key. By operating the touch panel  21  at positions corresponding to various keys displayed on the display unit  22 , the keys are operated. 
     The second housing  42  includes a cylindrical pole  46  extending to an upper portion, at a rear. At an upper end portion of the pole  46 , a light emitting unit  29  that emits a light when the customer performs an operation to call an attendant is provided. 
     The first housing  41  includes the placing table  25  (first placing unit or first support) and the placing table  26  (second placing unit or second support) on the left side and the right side. The placing table  25  includes a first measuring unit  251 . The placing table  26  includes a second measuring unit  261 . 
     The placing table  25  is a table on which a basket containing a commodity to purchase or a commodity is placed. When the basket containing the commodity is placed on the placing table  25 , the first measuring unit  251  measures a total weight of the placed basket and the commodity in the basket. When the commodity is directly placed on the placing table  25 , the first measuring unit  251  measures a total weight of the placed commodities. The placing table  26  is a table on which the commodity taken out from the placing table  25  is placed. The second measuring unit  261  measures a total weight of the commodities placed on the placing table  26 . 
     The placing table  26  includes two supporting posts  47  extending upward from an upper surface of the placing table  26 , a temporary placing table  44  formed on the supporting posts  47 , and two extending rods  45 . The extending rod  45  is a rod on which a bag such as a plastic bag (not shown) which contains a commodity in which a commodity code is read by the code reading unit  23 , is hooked. The bag is opened with a handle hooked on the extending rod  45 , and a customer can easily insert the commodity. The temporary placing table  44  is a table for temporarily placing commodities (tofu or eggs) which are easily broken in shape among the commodities in which the commodity code is read by the code reading unit  23 . The commodity placed on the temporary placing table  44  is put in the bag at the end. 
     The commodity has a symbol attached. The commodity also has a wireless tag affixed. Note that, it is preferable that the wireless tag is affixed in a vicinity of the symbol. The wireless tag is affixed in the vicinity of the symbol means that the wireless tag affixed to the commodity is affixed to a position facing a direction of the wireless tag receiving unit  30 , when an operator, who is a customer, performs a symbol reading operation with the symbol attached to the commodity facing a reading window (not shown) of the code reading unit  23 , for example. In at least one embodiment, both the code reading unit  23  and the wireless tag receiving unit  30  are provided on a front face  421  side. Accordingly, the wireless tag is affixed in the vicinity of the symbol means that the wireless tag is also affixed so as to face the front face  421 , when the operator directs the symbol attached to the commodity to face the front face  421  so that the code reading unit  23  can read the symbol. The wireless tag need not be affixed in the vicinity of the symbol, and the wireless tag may not be affixed in the vicinity of the symbol as long as the wireless tag receiving unit  30  can receive the wireless tag information located in the receivable area when the operator takes out the commodity placed on the placing table  25  and performs a series of operations of causing the code reading unit  23  to read the symbol or when the code reading unit  23  reads the symbol of the commodity in the readable area. 
     The customer takes out the commodity placed on the placing table  25  and makes the commodity pass through the readable area of the front of the code reading unit  23  and the receivable area near the wireless tag receiving unit  30  to be described later. Thereafter, the customer inserts the commodity into the bag set on the placing table  26 . The first measuring unit  251  measures a weight reduced when the commodity is taken out of the basket placed on the placing table  25  (that is, the weight of the taken out commodity). The second measuring unit  261  measures a weight increased when the commodity is put on the placing table  26  (that is, the weight of the inserted commodity). Depending on whether both weight changes are equal or not, a control unit  100 , which will be described later, determines whether the customer is correctly operating. 
     A hardware configuration of the self-checkout POS terminal  1  will be described from here.  FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the self-checkout POS terminal  1 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the self-checkout POS terminal  1  includes a central processing unit (CPU)  11 , a read only memory (ROM)  12 , a random access memory (RAM)  13 , a memory unit  14 , and the like. The CPU  11  is a control subject. The ROM  12  stores various programs. The RAM  13  loads various data. The memory unit  14  stores various programs. The CPU  11 , the ROM  12 , the RAM  13 , and the memory unit  14  are connected to each other via a data bus  15 . The CPU  11 , the ROM  12 , and the RAM  13  configure the control unit  100 . That is, the control unit  100  executes a control processing to be described later by operating the CPU  11  according to a control program stored in the ROM  12  or the memory unit  14  and loaded in the RAM  13 . 
     The RAM  13  has a commodity information unit  131 . The commodity information unit  131  stores commodity information of a commodity performed the sales registration processing. The memory unit  14  is configured to a nonvolatile memory such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a flash memory that retains stored information even when a power is turned off, and includes a control program unit  141  that stores a control program. The memory unit  14  includes a commodity master  142 . The commodity master  142  will be described later with reference to  FIG. 3 . 
     The control unit  100  is connected to the touch panel  21 , the display unit  22 , the code reading unit  23 , the printing unit  24 , the first measuring unit  251 , the second measuring unit  261 , the change machine  27 , the card unit  28 , the light emitting unit  29 , and the wireless tag receiving unit  30  via the data bus  15  and a controller  16 . 
     The control unit  100  is connected to a communication unit  43  via the data bus  15 . The communication unit  43  transmits and receives information with another self-checkout POS terminal  1  or an attendant PC or an upper server (neither is shown) via a communication line NT 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a memory map showing a part of the commodity master  142  (storage unit). The commodity master  142  stores various kinds of information relating to the commodity. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the commodity master  142  includes a commodity code unit  1421 , a commodity name unit  1422 , and a pricing unit  1423   
     The commodity code unit  1421  stores a commodity code for identifying a commodity. The commodity name unit  1422  stores a commodity name of the commodity identified by the commodity code in association with the commodity code. The pricing unit  1423  stores a price of the commodity identified by the commodity code in association with the commodity code. 
     A functional configuration of the self-checkout POS terminal  1  will be described from here.  FIG. 4  is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the self-checkout POS terminal  1 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , by following the control program stored in the ROM  12  or the control program unit  141  of the memory unit  14 , the control unit  100  (controller) functions as a code reading determination unit  101 , a wireless tag receiving determination unit  102 , a priority determination unit  103 , a code sales registration processing unit  104 , and a wireless tag sales registration processing unit  105 . 
     The code reading determination unit  101  determines whether or not the code reading unit  23  read the commodity code. 
     The wireless tag receiving determination unit  102  determines whether or not the wireless tag receiving unit  30  received the wireless tag information. 
     The priority determination unit  103  determines whether or not the wireless tag receiving unit  30  received the wireless tag information for the same commodity and the code reading unit  23  read the commodity code. Generally, when the commodity passes through, since the wireless tag receiving unit  30  receives wireless tag information faster than the code reading unit  23  reads a commodity code, if the wireless tag receiving unit  30  received the wireless tag information at the time when the code reading unit  23  reads the commodity code, it is determined that the wireless tag receiving unit  30  received the wireless tag information on the same commodity and the code reading unit  23  read the commodity code. 
     When the priority determination unit  103  determines that the code reading determination unit  101  determined the commodity code was read and the wireless tag receiving determination unit  102  determined that the wireless tag information was not received, the code sales registration processing unit  104  executes the sales registration processing based on the commodity code read by the code reading unit  23 . That is, based on the commodity code read by the code reading unit  23 , the code sales registration processing unit  104  reads the commodity name and the price associated with the commodity code from the commodity master  142  and stores the commodity name and the price in the commodity information unit  131 . 
     When it is determined that the wireless tag receiving unit  30  received the wireless tag information, the wireless tag sales registration processing unit  105  executes the sales registration processing based on the commodity code included in the wireless tag information received by the wireless tag receiving unit  30 . That is, based on the commodity code included in the wireless tag information received by the wireless tag receiving unit  30 , the wireless tag sales registration processing unit  105  reads the commodity name and the price associated with the commodity code from the commodity master  142 , and stores the commodity name and the price in the commodity information unit  131 . When the priority determination unit  103  determines that the code reading determination unit  101  determined the commodity code was read and the wireless tag receiving determination unit  102  determined that the wireless tag information was received, the wireless tag sales registration processing unit  105  executes the sales registration processing based on the commodity code included in the wireless tag information received by the wireless tag receiving unit  30 . 
     A control processing of the self-checkout POS terminal  1  will be described from here.  FIG. 5  is a flowchart showing the control processing in the self-checkout POS terminal  1 . 
     The code reading determination unit  101  determines whether or not the code reading unit  23  read the commodity code (Act  11 ). When the code reading determination unit  101  determines that the code reading unit  23  did not read the commodity code (No in Act  11 ), the wireless tag receiving determination unit  102  determines whether or not the wireless tag receiving unit  30  received wireless tag information (Act  14 ). 
     When the priority determination unit  103  determines that the code reading determination unit  101  determined the commodity code was read (Yes in Act  11 ), the wireless tag receiving determination unit  102  determines whether or not the wireless tag information was received for the same commodity (Act  12 ). When the priority determination unit  103  determines that the wireless tag receiving determination unit  102  determined the wireless tag information was not received for the same commodity (No in Act  12 ), the code sales registration processing unit  104  executes the sales registration processing based on the commodity code read by the code reading unit  23  (Act  13 ). Then, the control unit  100  terminates the processing. 
     On the other hand, when the priority determination unit  103  determines that the wireless tag receiving determination unit  102  determined the wireless tag information was received for the same commodity (Yes in Act  12 ), the wireless tag sales registration processing unit  105  executes the sales registration processing based on the commodity code included in the wireless tag information received by the wireless tag receiving unit  30  (Act  15 ). Then, the control unit  100  terminates the processing. 
     When the wireless tag receiving determination unit  102  determines that the wireless tag receiving unit  30  received the wireless tag information (Yes in Act  14 ), the wireless tag sales registration processing unit  105  executes the sales registration processing based on the commodity code included in the wireless tag information received by the wireless tag receiving unit  30  (Act  15 ). That is, the control unit  100  executes the sales registration processing on a commodity that does not read a commodity code for some reason, based on the commodity code included in the wireless tag information received by the wireless tag receiving unit  30  (Act  15 ). Then, the control unit  100  terminates the processing. 
     When the wireless tag receiving determination unit  102  determines that the wireless tag receiving unit  30  did not receive the wireless tag information (No in Act  14 ), the control unit  100  determines whether a termination button (not shown) provided on the touch panel  21  is operated (Act  21 ). When the control unit  100  determines that the termination button is operated (Yes in Act  21 ), the control unit  100  executes the accounting processing based on the commodity information stored in the commodity information unit  131  (Act  22 ). Then, the control unit  100  terminates the processing. When the control unit  100  determines that the termination button is not operated (No in Act  21 ), the control unit  100  returns to Act  11 . 
     According to the self-checkout POS terminal  1  of at least one embodiment, when the operator lifts up a commodity placed on the placing table  25 , searches for a symbol, and performs an operation to pass through the front of the code reading unit  23  toward the code reading unit  23 , the wireless tag receiving unit  30  receives the wireless tag information from the wireless tag affixed to the commodity that passed through the receivable area. Therefore, if the operator performs an operation to cause the code reading unit  23  to read the symbol attached to the commodity toward the code reading unit  23 , the wireless tag information corresponding to the commodity can be received from the wireless tag affixed to the commodity. 
     According to the self-checkout POS terminal  1  of at least one embodiment, since the readable area and the receivable area are partially overlapped or entirely overlapped, if the operator performs an operation to read the symbol attached to the commodity in an overlapped area, the wireless tag information corresponding to the commodity can be received from the wireless tag attached to the commodity at the same time. 
     According to the self-checkout POS terminal  1  of the embodiment, when the code reading unit  23  read the commodity code and the wireless tag receiving unit  30  received the wireless tag information for the same commodity, the sales registration processing is executed based on the wireless tag information received by the wireless tag receiving unit  30 . Therefore, management of each particular commodity can be performed based on the individual identification number included in the wireless tag information. 
     While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein maybe made without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the inventions. 
     For example, in at least one embodiment, the self-checkout POS terminal  1  is described as an example of a commodity information reading apparatus. However, without being limited to this, for example, a commodity information registration apparatus of a semi self-checkout POS including a commodity information registration apparatus operated by a store clerk and an accounting apparatus operated by a customer may be used as the commodity information reading apparatus. A commodity sales data processing apparatus for the store clerk to perform a sales registration operation and an accounting operation may be used as the commodity information reading apparatus. 
     In at least one embodiment, the code reading unit  23  optically reads the symbol to acquire the commodity code. However, without being limited to this, the code reading unit  23  may capture a symbol and acquire a commodity code based on the captured symbol. 
     In at least one embodiment, the commodity code is described as an example of the second commodity identification information. However, without being limited to this, the second commodity identification information may be information other than a code as long as the information identifies a commodity. 
     At least one embodiment includes the code reading unit  23  for reading the commodity code and the wireless tag receiving unit  30  for receiving the wireless tag information. However, without being limited to this, the code reading unit  23  is not an essential configuration. In short, the wireless tag receiving unit  30  may receive wireless tag information when the operator performs an operation to hold a symbol over the wireless tag receiving unit  30 . 
     Note that, a program executed by the self-checkout POS terminal  1  of the embodiment is provided by being recorded in a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, a digital versatile disc (DVD) or the like in a file in installable format or executable format. 
     The program executed by the self-checkout POS terminal  1  of at least one embodiment may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network. The program executed by the self-checkout POS terminal  1  of at least one embodiment may be provided or distributed via the network such as the Internet. 
     In addition, the program executed by the self-checkout POS terminal  1  of at least one embodiment may be provided by being incorporated in a ROM or the like in advance.