Patent ID: 8037970

Claim:
A checkout counter comprising: a counter base for checkout; a basket placing table that is provided on one side of the counter base, has on an upper surface thereof a placing surface for placing a shopping basket, and is freely raised and lowered between a raised position suitable for placing the shopping basket and a lowered position where the basket placing table does not interfere with a shopping cart stopped along one side of the counter base; a driving unit that drives to raise and lower the basket placing table; a first detecting unit that detects that the shopping cart enters an access area closer to the basket placing table than a predetermined range; a second detecting unit that detects presence or absence of the shopping cart stopped along one side of the counter base; and a control unit that controls to drive, when the first detecting unit detects entrance of the shopping cart into the access area, the driving unit to move the basket placing table to the lowered position and, thereafter, controls to drive, when the second detecting unit does not detect the shopping cart stopped along the counter base, the driving unit to return the basket placing table to the raised position.