Patent Publication Number: US-2021174770-A1

Title: Displays of point of sale devices

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Point of sale (POS) devices provide the ability for businesses to interact with their customers. As an example, in retail environments, an associate may be located on one side of a POS device, and customers may be located on another side of the POS device, for example, opposite from the associate. In addition to a display panel being available for an associate to conduct a transaction with a customer on the POS device, a display panel may be required for the customer as well, for example, to view information about the items being purchased during the transaction, such as the quantity &amp; price of each item. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1A-B  illustrate a POS device with a secondary display to reflect information from a primary display, according to an example; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a side profile of the POS device, according to an example; 
         FIGS. 3A-B  illustrate sample content displayed on the primary display, and content illustrated from a section of the primary display that may also be reflected by the secondary display, according to an example; and 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a POS device with the primary display and secondary display, according to an example. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Examples disclosed herein provide the ability for a secondary display of a POS device to reflect information projected from a primary display of the POS device. As an example, the secondary display may correspond to a heads-up display (HUD) directed towards customers, which reflects a virtual image of the information projected from the primary display facing the associate. As will be further described, the information reflected from the primary display onto the HUD may be information relevant for customers to complete a transaction. Rather than having to introduce mechanisms to switch the primary display between the associate and customer, or including an additional electronic display for the customer, which may both be cost-prohibitive, a transparent display provided by the HUD may simply reflect a virtual image of the relevant information to the customer from the primary display. 
     With reference to the figures,  FIGS. 1A-B  illustrate a POS device  100  with a secondary display  104  to reflect information from a primary display  102 , according to an example. The primary display  102  illustrates content in a first direction, illustrated in  FIG. 1A , for example, facing a merchant or associate. As will be further described, the secondary display  104  reflects a virtual image of the content illustrated from the primary display  102 , in a second direction opposite the first direction, illustrated in  FIG. 1B , for example, facing customers. 
     As an example, the secondary display  104  is a HUD including a transparent display to reflect content illustrated from the primary display  102 . The transparent display may be a transparent glass panel or transparent acrylic panel, with a reflective film or coating to appropriately reflect content illustrated from the primary display  102 . The secondary display  104  may be coupled to a frame  106  that may be adjustable, in order to angle the secondary display  104  with respect to the primary display  102 , for example, in order for customers to clearly view the information reflected from the secondary display  104 . As an example, the secondary display  104  may be adjusted to be oblique with respect to the primary display  102 . However, the angle of the frame  106  with respect to the primary display  102  may be fixed at an angle that is appropriate for viewing. Placement of the secondary display  104  may vary as well. For example, the secondary display  104  may be on either end of the frame  106 , in order to reflect content on either the upper left or upper right section of the primary display  102 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a side profile of the POS device  100 , according to an example. As illustrated by the arrows on either side of the frame  106 , the frame  106  may be adjustable, for example, at pivot point  206 , in order to angle the secondary display  104  with respect to the primary display  102 . For example, the secondary display  104  may be adjusted to be oblique with respect to the primary display  102  (e.g., 45 degrees plus or minus 15 degrees). As will be further described, content illustrated from the primary display  102  in a first direction  202  may be reflected by the secondary display  104  in a second direction  204  opposite to the first direction  202 , to be viewable by customers, as illustrated. Tilt adjustments made to the frame  106  may adjust the viewing angle. As will be further described, as the adjustments are made to the frame  106  in order to angle the secondary display  104  with respect to the primary display  102 , corresponding adjustments may be made to the placement of the content illustrated by the primary display  102 , according to the amount the frame  106  is adjusted. 
       FIGS. 3A-B  illustrate sample content displayed on the primary display  102 , and content illustrated from a section  302  of the primary display  102  that may also be reflected by the secondary display  104 , according to an example. As an example, in order for the content illustrated from section  302  of the primary display  102  to be reflected properly, as illustrated on secondary display  104  in  FIG. 3B , the content illustrated from section  302  may be horizontally flipped, or flipped around a vertical axis, as illustrated in  FIG. 3A . Otherwise, the virtual image reflected by the secondary display  104  may be backwards. Referring to  FIG. 3A , as section  302  includes the content horizontally flipped for the secondary display  104  to reflect, another section  304  of the primary display  102 , different from the first section  302 , may include the same content as the content illustrated in the first section  302 , but in the correct orientation for an associate facing the primary display  102  to read. As a result, the first content from the first section  302  may correspond to the second content from the second section  304 , but in a horizontally flipped manner, wherein the first content is the second content flipped around a vertical axis. As an example, a controller associated with the POS device  100  illustrates content between the first and second sections  302 ,  304 , and any other sections, in addition to horizontally flipping any content. 
     As previously mentioned, as the frame  106  containing the secondary display  104  may be adjusted, for example, from a first position to a second position, placement of the first content in the first section  302  may be adjusted accordingly, for example, according to the amount the frame  106  is adjusted. The controller associated with the POS device  100  may make determinations with regards to adjustments to be made to the placement of the first content in the first section  302  of the primary display  102 . As a result, the virtual image reflected by the secondary display  104  may include the relevant information viewable for customers facing the secondary display  104 . 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a POS device  400  with the primary display  102  and secondary display  104 , according to an example. As described above, the primary display  102  illustrates content in a first direction, for example, facing a merchant or associate, and the secondary display  104  reflects content illustrated from the primary display  102 , in a second direction opposite the first direction, for example, facing customers. The secondary display  104  may be coupled to a frame that may be adjustable, in order to angle the secondary display  104  with respect to the primary display  102 , for example, in order for customers to clearly view the information reflected from the secondary display  104 . 
     The POS device  400  depicts a processor  406  and a memory device  408  and, as an example of the POS system  400  performing its operations, the memory device  408  may include instructions  410 - 412  that are executable by the processor  406 . Thus, memory device  408  can be said to store program instructions that, when executed by processor  406 , implement the components of the POS device  400 . The executable program instructions stored in the memory device  408  include, as an example, instructions to illustrate content from a section of primary display  102  ( 410 ), and instructions to flip the content to illustrate in another section of the primary display  102  ( 412 ). 
     Instructions to illustrate content from a section of primary display  102  ( 410 ) represent program instructions that when executed by the processor  406  cause the POS device  400  to illustrate content from a section of the primary display  102 , for example, viewable for an associate facing the primary display  102 . Referring back to  FIG. 3A , content from the second section  304  of the primary display  102  may correspond to the section viewable for the associate. 
     Instructions to flip the content to illustrate in another section of the primary display  102  ( 412 ) represent program instructions that when executed by the processor  406  cause the POS device  400  to flip the content around a vertical axis. Referring back to  FIG. 3A , content from the first section  302  of the primary display  102  may correspond to the other section containing the horizontally flipped content. As a result, content from section  304  is viewable from the primary display  102  for the associate, and the horizontally flipped content from section  302  is reflected by the secondary display  104  to be viewable by customers opposite the associate. 
     Memory device  408  represents generally any number of memory components capable of storing instructions that can be executed by processor  406 . Memory device  408  is non-transitory in the sense that it does not encompass a transitory signal but instead is made up of at least one memory component configured to store the relevant instructions. As a result, the memory device  408  may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. Memory device  408  may be implemented in a single device or distributed across devices. Likewise, processor  406  represents any number of processors capable of executing instructions stored by memory device  408 . Processor  406  may be integrated in a single device or distributed across devices. Further, memory device  408  may be fully or partially integrated in the same device as processor  406 , or it may be separate but accessible to that device and processor  406 . 
     In one example, the program instructions  410 - 412  can be part of an installation package that when installed can be executed by processor  406  to implement the components of the POS device  400 . In this case, memory device  408  may be a portable medium such as a CD, DVD, or flash drive or a memory maintained by a server from which the installation package can be downloaded and installed. In another example, the program instructions may be part of an application or applications already installed. Here, memory device  408  can include integrated memory such as a hard drive, solid state drive, or the like. 
     It is appreciated that examples described may include various components and features. It is also appreciated that numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the examples. However, it is appreciated that the examples may be practiced without limitations to these specific details. In other instances, well known methods and structures may not be described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the examples. Also, the examples may be used in combination with each other. 
     Reference in the specification to “an example” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the example is included in at least one example, but not necessarily in other examples. The various instances of the phrase “in one example” or similar phrases in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same example. 
     It is appreciated that the previous description of the disclosed examples is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present disclosure. Various modifications to these examples will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other examples without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.