Patent Publication Number: US-2011058321-A1

Title: Settlement terminal and control method for the same

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-204881, filed on Sep. 4, 2009, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     FIELD 
     Embodiments described herein relate generally to a settlement terminal used for accounting at an article selling store or a service providing store, and a control method for the same. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Recently, as a settlement system for commercial transactions, card settlement using a credit card or the like is broadly used instead of settlement by cash. With the use of card settlement, customers no longer need to carry cash and stores no longer need to prepare a large amount of small coins for change. Because of such advantages, card settlement is expected to be more widely used in the future. 
     However, despite the foregoing advantages, there is also a disadvantage that unauthorized use of cards by non-owners can occur. In view of this circumstance, input of authentication information that is set in advance for each card is required for settlement in order to guarantee security of cards. Normally, authentication information used in card settlement includes a personal identification number (PIN) of approximately four digits and is inputted by an operation of a numerical keypad provided on a customer side of a settlement terminal such as POS (point of sales) terminal or an operation of a PIN pad connected to the settlement terminal via a general-purpose interface. 
     There is a risk that, when inputting a PIN number in the card settlement, the PIN number might become known to people around the operator of the numerical keypad or PIN pad on the basis of the movement of the operator&#39;s fingers. Moreover, the operator might be concerned about the eyes of the people in the surroundings and might not be able to input the PIN number without anxiety. In view of this circumstance, several techniques for peep prevention in PIN number input are proposed. For example, JP-A-2001-109953 describes a settlement terminal on which a cover over a numerical keypad is provided in such a manner that the cover can open and close, in order to make it difficult to visually recognize the numerical keypad for PIN number input from the surroundings. This cover usually covers the entire numerical keypad to limit customer&#39;s operations. At the time of settlement, the cover is rotated upward or downward about its supporting shaft and thus surrounds the numerical keypad from above or below and on both lateral sides. 
     The cover provided on the settlement terminal described in JP-A-2001-109953 includes a flat plate which covers the numerical keypad and opens and closes in the direction of the customer&#39;s standing position. For accepting an operation of the numerical keypad, the flat plate stands still in the state of protruding toward the operator from the terminal body. Therefore, the operability and visibility of the numerical keypad covered by the cover is significantly lowered depending on the proper field of vision and standing position of the customer as the operator. For example, when the cover opens upward, it is more difficult for a taller operator to visually recognize the numerical keypad since the top surface of the cover becomes an obstacle. Also, irrespective of whether the cover opens upward or downward, a part of the cover protrudes toward the operator&#39;s standing position at least in certain timing during the opening. Therefore, the cover might contact and hurt the operator or the cover itself might be damaged. Moreover, when the cover protrudes toward the operator&#39;s standing position at the time of opening, the operator may have to move back in order to operate the numerical keypad. 
     In this manner, while the conventional settlement terminal is successful in enhancing security for secret information including PIN numbers, there is still room for improvement in operability of the secret information input interface and visibility from the operator. 
     In view of the foregoing circumstances, a settlement terminal is demanded which enables prevention of peeping of input contents from the surroundings while maintaining operability of an interface used to input secret information including PIN numbers and visibility from the operator. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of appearance showing a settlement terminal according to a first embodiment, as viewed from the side of a salesclerk&#39;s standing position. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of appearance showing the settlement terminal according to the first embodiment, as viewed from the side of a customer&#39;s standing position. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of appearance where a cover member provided on the settlement terminal according to the first embodiment is moved up. 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram showing a control circuit of the settlement terminal according to the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  shows an example of an input screen displayed on a customer-side display unit of the settlement terminal according to the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  is a flowchart showing the processing executed by a CPU in accounting using the settlement terminal according to the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  shows an example of the input screen displayed on the customer-side display unit of the settlement terminal according to a second embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In general, according to one embodiment, a settlement terminal includes a terminal body, an input unit, a cover member, an elevating unit, and a controller. The input unit is provided on the terminal body and for an operator to operate to input secret information. The cover member is shaped to cover at least both lateral sides of the input unit, as viewed from the side of the operator&#39;s standing position. The elevating unit moves the cover member up and down inside and outside the terminal body. The controller drives the elevating unit to move the cover member up to a periphery of the input unit from inside the terminal body, at least when processing involving input of the secret information is executed. 
     First Embodiment 
     A first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. 
     In this embodiment, a settlement terminal placed on a checkout counter in an article selling store such as a retail store or a service providing store such as an eating and drinking place is described as an example. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of appearance showing a settlement terminal  1  according to this embodiment, as viewed from the side of the salesclerk&#39;s standing position.  FIG. 2  is a perspective view of appearance showing the settlement terminal  1 , as viewed from the side of the customer&#39;s standing position. 
     The settlement terminal  1  includes a body  2  and a display unit  3  attached to the body  2  via a bent elongate connection member  6 . 
     The body  2  includes a customer-side display unit  4  (input unit) with a touch panel which is equipped with a control unit inside and is provided at an upper part on the side of the customer&#39;s standing position, and an electronic settlement unit  5  provided below the customer-side display unit  4 . 
     The display unit  3  has a tilt mechanism, not shown, in a casing on the back side, and one end of the connection member  6  is attached to the display unit  3  via the tilt mechanism. The other end of the connection member  6  is attached to the body  2  via an attachment mechanism  7  provided on the top side of the body  2 . The attachment mechanism  7  employs, for example, a swivel mechanism and fixes the connection member  6  in such a manner that the display unit  3  can freely turn horizontally with respect to the top side of the body  2 . 
     The customer-side display unit  4  is fitted in the body  2 , with the front side of its display surface inclined upward on the side of the customer&#39;s standing position. A slit  8  of a shape that is open to the side of the customer&#39;s standing position is provided around the customer-side display unit  4 . Through this slit  8 , a cover member  30  which is shown together with the settlement terminal  1  in  FIG. 2  moves up and down. The cover member  30  has a folded-plate structure in which a flat plate  30   a  and flat plates  30   b  and  30   c  arranged to the left and right of the flat plate  30   a  are integrally formed. This cover member  30  is attached to a supporting plate  31 . In order to achieve a peep prevention effect, the flat plates  30   a ,  30   b  and  30   c  are made of a material with translucency that is low enough to prevent at least clear visual recognition of the facing side. 
     Below the supporting plate  31 , a hydraulic elevating unit  32  is attached which includes a rod  33  fixed to the supporting  31 , a cylinder  34  supporting the rod  33  in such a manner that the rod  33  can freely appear and disappear, and a pump (not shown) which supplies oil to the cylinder  34 . This elevating unit  32  drives the pump to adjust the pressure of oil within the cylinder  34  and thus moves the rod  33  or the cover member  30  up and down in a direction substantially perpendicular to the installation surface of the settlement terminal  1 . Therefore, in any process of moving the cover member  30  up and down, the cover member  30  does not protrude toward the operator side from the lateral sides of the body  2  or lines extended from the lateral sides, on the side of the standing position of the customer as the operator of the customer-side display unit  4 . 
     The upper sides of the flat plates  30   b  and  30   c  are processed in a sloped shape along the shape of the casing part where the slit  8  is provided. When the cover member  30  is moved down, the upper surface of the cover member  30  housed in the slit  8  is flush with the casing surface around the slit  8 . 
     When the cover member  30  is moved up, the periphery of the customer-side display unit  4  is surrounded by the flat plates  30   a ,  30   b  and  30   c  in the state where the side of the standing position of the customer as the operator and the upper side are left open, as shown in  FIG. 3 . Therefore, the customer as the operator can visually recognize the vicinity of the display screen of the customer-side display unit  4  irrespective of whether the cover member  30  is moved up or down. However, when the cover member  30  is moved up, it is difficult for other people than the customer as the operator to visually recognize the vicinity of the display screen of the customer-side display unit  4 . 
     Next, a control circuit of the settlement terminal  1  will be described. 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram showing the control circuit of the settlement terminal  1 . On a mother board loaded within the body  2 , a CPU (central processing unit)  10  functioning as a control center, and a memory  11  including a ROM (read only memory) and RAM (random access memory) are installed. A bus line  12  such as address bus or data bus is connected to the CPU  10  via a chip set, not shown. An HDD (hard disk drive)  13 , a display  3   a  and a touch panel  3   b  of the display unit  3 , a display  4   a , a touch panel  4   b  and a display controller  4   c  of the customer-side display unit  4 , the electronic settlement unit  5 , a scanner interface  14 , a card reader interface  15 , and the elevating unit  32  are connected to the bus line  12 . 
     In this embodiment, the CPU  10  functions as a controller which drives the elevating unit  32  to move the cover member  30  up and down. 
     The memory  11  forms various work memory areas according to processing situations. Particularly, when an accounting application  21 , which will be described later, is executed, the memory  11  forms a work memory area to register article data on an article for which a PLU (price lookup) code is inputted. 
     The HDD  13  stores a database such as a PLU file  20  and an application file such as the accounting application (AP)  21 . The PLU file  20  stores article data including the name and unit price of each article in association with the PLU code allocated to each article. The accounting application  21  is an application to carry out a series of accounting processes. 
     The display  3   a  of the display unit  3  is a display such as LCD (liquid crystal display), CRT (cathode ray tube) or OEL (organic electro-luminescence). The display  3   a  selectively displays an application screen, article data of a registered article, or information such as the total amount in a transaction in response to a command from the CPU  10 . 
     The display  4   a  of the customer-side display unit  4  is a display such as LCD, CRT or OEL, similarly to the display  3   a  of the display unit  3 . The display  4   a  selectively displays the total amount in a transaction, article data of an article for which a PLU code is inputted, store or article advertisement information, or a PIN number (secret information) input screen in response to a command from the CPU  10 . 
     The touch panel  3   b  of the display unit  3  and the touch panel  4   b  of the customer-side display unit  4  are, for example, resistive touch panels. A voltage drop occurs according to the position touched by the user with a finger or touch pen. The quantity of the voltage drop is detected and the coordinates of the touched position are calculated. 
     The display controller  4   c  lowers the brightness of the display  4   a  from a default value when the PIN number input screen is displayed on the display  4   a  of the customer-side display unit  4 . 
       FIG. 5  shows an example of the PIN number input screen displayed on the display  4   a  of the customer-side display unit  4 . This input screen  100  has a numerical keypad including numeric keys  110  to  119  to input numbers  0 ,  1 ,  2 , . . .  9 , a display area  120 , a cancel key  130 , and a finalize key  140 . The keys are arranged in four rows with three keys each. That is, the numeric keys  111 ,  112  and  113  are arranged from left to right in the top row. The numeric keys  114 ,  115  and  116  are arranged from left to right in the second row. The numeric keys  117 ,  118  and  119  are arranged from left to right in the third row. The cancel key  130 , the numeric key  110  and the finalize key  140  are arranged from left to right in the fourth row. In the input screen  100  with such a configuration, when a touch operation of the numeric keys  110  to  119  is detected by the touch panel  4   b , the numbers corresponding to the operated keys are displayed in the display area  120 . When a touch operation of the cancel key  130  is detected by the touch panel  4   b , all the numbers displayed in the display area  120  are erased. When a touch operation of the finalize key  140  is detected by the touch panel  4   b , the numbers displayed in the display area  120  are finalized as a PIN number. The CPU  10  is notified of the finalized PIN number. 
     The electronic settlement unit  5  has a wireless communication antenna, a transmission unit which transmits radio waves to an electronic money storage medium such as IC card or portable communication terminal via the antenna, and a receiving unit which demodulates response waves sent back from the electronic money storage medium in response to the radio waves transmitted from the transmission unit and thus acquires digital data of electronic money information. The CPU  10  is notified of the electronic money information acquired by the receiving unit. 
     The scanner interface  14  is connected to a scanner  22  as an external device. The scanner  22  optically scans the bar pattern of a barcode attached to an article or label and decodes the bar pattern into a PLU code. The CPU  10  is notified of the PLU code detected by the scanner  22 , via the scanner interface  14 . 
     The card reader interface  15  is connected to a card reader  23  as an external device. The card reader  23  reads card information from a card medium such as credit card or debit card and notifies the CPU  10  of the card information. 
     Next, the operation of the settlement terminal  1  with the above configuration will be described. 
       FIG. 6  is a flowchart showing the accounting executed on the accounting application  21 . The start of this processing is triggered, for example, by the salesclerk&#39;s operation of a PLU key displayed on the display  3   a  of the display unit  3 . 
     First, the CPU  10  executes article data registration (ACT  1 ). In this processing, the CPU  10  specifies article data stored in the PLU file  20  in association with a PLU code which the CPU  10  is notified of by the scanner  22 , and registers the specified article data in the work memory area formed in the memory  11 . During the execution of this processing, a subtotal key to declare the completion of the input of the PLU code is displayed on the display  3   a  of the display unit  3 . When a touch operation of the subtotal key is detected by the touch panel  3   b , the CPU  10  closes the registration of article data, calculates the price of the transaction based on the article data registered in the work memory area, and causes the display  3   a  of the display unit  3  and the display  4   a  of the customer-side display unit  4  to displace the price. 
     As the registration of article data is thus completed, the CPU  10  causes the display  3   a  of the display unit  3  to display a predetermined operation key and accepts the designation of a settlement method for the transaction (ACT  2 ). At this time, the salesclerk can designate which of electronic money settlement, cash settlement, and card settlement is to be used to receive the payment of the price by touch-operating the operation key displayed on the display unit  3 . 
     When the touch operation of the operation key displayed on the display  3   a  is detected by the touch panel  3   b  and the operation designates electronic money settlement or cash settlement as the settlement method (“electronic money, cash” in ACT  2 ), the CPU  10  carries out electronic money settlement or cash settlement in accordance with the designation (ACT  3 ). That is, when electronic money settlement is designated as the settlement method, the CPU  10  shifts the electronic settlement unit  5  to a standby state for communication with the electronic money storage medium. In this case, when the electronic money storage medium is held over the electronic settlement unit  5 , electronic money information is read from the medium and the CPU  10  is notified of the read electronic money information. The CPU  10  carries out electronic money settlement according to known procedures using the provided electronic money information. Meanwhile, when cash settlement is designated as the settlement method, the CPU  10  causes the display  3   a  of the display unit  3  to display the numerical keypad, then accepts the input of a deposit amount that is made by a touch operation of the numerical keypad, subtracts the price from the inputted amount and thus calculates the amount of change, and causes the display  3   a  of the display unit  3  and the display  4   a  of the customer-side display unit  4  to display the calculated amount of change. The CPU  10  also causes a receipt printer, not shown, which is connected to or built within the settlement terminal  1 , to issue a receipt on which the details of the transaction are printed. 
     On the other hand, when the touch operation of the operation key displayed on the display  3   a  designates card settlement (“card” in ACT  2 ), the CPU  10  shifts the card reader  23  to a reading standby state via the card reader interface  15 , then causes the display  4   a  of the customer-side display unit  4  to display a message prompting the reading of a credit card, and waits for the reading of card information by the card reader  23  (ACT  4 ). When card information is read from the credit card by the card reader  23  and the CPU  10  is notified of the card information (Yes in ACT  4 ), the CPU  10  drives the elevating unit  32  to move the cover member  30  up (ACT  5 ). After that, when the cover member  30  is completely moved up, the CPU  10  causes the display  4   a  of the customer-side display unit  4  to display the input screen  100  shown in  FIG. 5  (ACT  6 ) and waits for the input of a PIN number (ACT  7 ). When displaying the input screen  100 , the display controller  4   c  lowers the brightness of the display  4   a  of the customer-side display unit  4  from the normal level and thus reduces its visibility from the surroundings. 
     As described above, when the numeric keys  110  to  119  in the input screen  100  are touch-operated and the finalize key  140  is touch-operated in the state where numbers are inputted in the display area  120 , the numbers inputted in the display area  120  are finalized as a PIN number. At this time, the CPU  10  transmits the PIN number to the online server of the credit card operator via a predetermined communication line in order to authorize the finalized PIN number (ACT  8 ). Then, the CPU  10  determines whether the authentication is done or not, on the basis of a response from the server (ACT  9 ). Consequently, when the authentication of the PIN number fails (“failure” in ACT  9 ), the CPU  10  causes the display  3   a  of the display unit  3  and the display  4   a  of the customer-side display unit  4  to display that the authentication is a failure and waits for the input of a PIN number again (ACT  7 ). 
     Meanwhile, when the authentication of the PIN number is successful (“success” in ACT  9 ), the CPU  10  executes card settlement using the card information that is read from the credit card (ACT  10 ). The CPU  10  then erases the input screen  100  displayed on the display  4   a  of the customer-side display unit  4  (ACT  11 ), drives the elevating unit  32  to move the cover member  30  down into the casing (ACT  12 ), and ends the accounting. When the input screen  100  is erased, the display controller  4   c  restores the brightness of the display  4   a  to the default level. 
     As described above, in the settlement terminal  1  according to this embodiment, when the input screen  100  to input a PIN number is displayed on the display  4   a  of the customer-side display unit  4 , the cover member  30  is moved up to the periphery of the customer-side display unit  4 . With such a configuration, when a customer inputs a PIN number, other customers waiting for their checkout and people standing around the settlement terminal  1  cannot visually recognize the input screen  100  easily. Moreover, the cover member  30  is moved up and down in such a manner that the cover member  30  does not protrude toward the operator side from the lateral sides of the body  2  or the lines extended form the lateral sides, on the side of the standing position of the operator of the customer-side display unit  4 . Therefore, there is no risk that the cover member  30  might contact the customer or might be damaged. 
     The cover member  30  has a shape to surround the customer-side display unit  4  while leaving the operator side and the upper side of the input screen  100  open, when the cover member  30  is moved up to the periphery of the customer-side display unit  4 . Thus, visual recognition of the display  4   a  of the customer-side display unit  4  is not prevented by the cover member  30 , regardless of the position of the operator&#39;s eyes. 
     When the input screen  100  is not displayed on the customer-side display unit  4 , the cover member  30  retreats into the casing of the body  2 . Thus, when the display  4   a  is not used for the input of a PIN number, the visibility of the display  4   a  of the customer-side display unit  4  from the surroundings is not impaired. When the operator carries out an operation which causes no trouble or inconvenience even when visually recognized by people in the surroundings, the cover member  30  does not obstruct the operation, either. 
     Second Embodiment 
     Next, a second embodiment will be described. 
     This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the display controller  4   c  of the customer-side display unit  4  changes the layout of the numeric keys included in the PIN number input screen displayed on the display  4   a , every time the input screen is displayed. The same components as in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described further in detail. 
     The accounting in this embodiment proceeds according to the flowchart shown in  FIG. 6 , as in the first embodiment. That is, when card settlement is designated as the settlement method (“card” in ACT  2 ) and card information is read (Yes in ACT  4 ), the cover member  30  moves up (ACT  5 ) and the input screen  100  having the numeric keys  110  to  119 , the display area  120 , the cancel key  130  and the finalize key  140  as shown in  FIG. 5  is displayed on the display  4   a  of the customer-side display unit  4  (ACT  6 ). 
     However, when displaying the input screen  100  on the display  4   a , the display controller  4   c  carries out processing to decide the layout of the numeric keys  110  to  119  included in the input screen  100 . Then, the input screen  100  in which the numeric keys  110  to  119  are arranged according to the result of the processing is displayed on the display  4   a.    
     This processing uses, for example, random numbers. That is, the display controller  4   c  executes a random number generation program and thus generates random numbers, and decides the layout of the numeric keys  110  to  119  according to the generated random numbers. Various methods can be employed as the method to decide the layout of the numeric keys  110  to  119  according to random numbers. For example, a table prescribing information representing layouts of the numeric keys  110  to  119  to a predetermined number of sectioned numerical value ranges, and the table is stored in the memory  11  or the like. As information prescribed to a numerical value range to which the generated random numbers belong is specified from the table, the layout of the numeric keys  110  to  119  is decided. 
     Alternatively, the display controller  4   c  may be provided with the function of a counter and the value of the counter may be used instead of random numbers. Thus, the layout of the numeric keys  110  to  119  may be decided. 
       FIG. 7  shows an example of the input screen  100  displayed on the display  4   a  after the layout of the numeric keys  110  to  119  is thus decided. In this input screen  100 , the keys are arranged in four rows with three keys each, as in the input screen shown in  FIG. 5 . However, as a result of the foregoing decision process, the numeric keys  113 ,  118  and  115  are arranged from left to right in the top row. The numeric keys  111 ,  116  and  114  are arranged from left to right in the second row. The numeric keys  117 ,  112  and  110  are arranged from left to right in the third row. The cancel key  130 , the numeric key  119  and the finalize key  140  are arranged from left to right in the fourth row. 
     As described above, in the settlement terminal  1  according to this embodiment, the layout of the numeric keys  110  to  119  included in the input screen  110  is changed every time the input screen  100  is displayed on the display  4   a . Thus, it is difficult to conjecture input contents on the basis of the movement of the finger operating the numeric keys  110  to  119 . Therefore, peeping of PIN numbers can be prevented more securely. 
     As a matter of course, this embodiment has advantages similar to the advantages of the first embodiment. 
     Modifications 
     In the above embodiments, the case where the cover member  30  is moved up when the input screen  100  to input a PIN number is displayed on the display  4   a  of the customer-side display unit  4 , is described. However, the display content for the cover member  30  which should be moved up is not limited to the input screen  100 . The cover member  30  may also be moved up when an input screen for secret information including a certain password or personal information is displayed on the display  4   a.    
     In the first embodiment, a mechanical numerical keypad may be provided instead of the customer-side display unit  4 , and the input of a PIN number may be accepted via this numerical keypad. 
     In the above embodiments, the hydraulic elevating unit  32  is used to move the cover member  30  up and down. However, the cover member  30  may be moved up and down using other types of elevating units. For example, a motor that can rotate forward and backward may be provided in the body  2  and the cover member  30  may be moved up and down using the rotary motion of the motor as a driving source. 
     In the above embodiments, the input screen  100  is displayed on the display  4   a  of the customer-side display unit  4  when the cover member  30  is completely moved up, and the cover member  30  is moved down after the input screen  100  is erased. However, the timing of moving the cover member  30  up and down can be appropriately changed in consideration of the circumstances of the store, the type of secret information, the secret information input process and the like. For example, when a series of processing operations include plural processes including the input of secret information, it is possible to move the cover member  30  up only at the time of inputting secret information and to move the cover member  30  down when the input of the secret information is completed. 
     In the above embodiments, the scanner interface  14  is connected to the scanner  22  and the card reader interface  15  is connected with the card reader  23 . However, the scanner  22  and the card reader  23  may be provided on the terminal body, instead of being externally attached to the settlement terminal  1 . 
     In the above embodiments, a predetermined operation key is displayed on the display  3   a  of the display unit  3  and the designation of a settlement method for a transaction is accepted (ACT  2 ). However, a similar operation key may be displayed on the display  4   a  of the customer-side display unit  4  and a settlement method may be designated by the customer&#39;s operation. 
     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 may be 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.