Checkout system

Abstract

To provide a checkout system for reducing a burden on an operator.SOLUTION: A checkout system according to an embodiment includes a placing table and a POS terminal. The placing table is a table for placing a commodity. The POS terminal includes a keyboard having a plurality of buttons for receiving an operation related to sales data processing, the keyboard being inclined in a pressing direction in which the buttons are pressed toward the placing table.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention relates to a checkout system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, supermarkets and other retail stores use checkout systems that include a registration device that executes a product registration process to register products for sale and an accounting device that executes a checkout process to pay for the products registered by the registration device. An operator executes the product registration process to register the product for sale by picking up the product and holding the barcode attached to the product over a scanner. The operator then executes the checkout process by pressing keys on the keyboard of the accounting device.

[0003] However, since the operator has to lift the products during the product registration process, this places a great strain on the operator's hands, and therefore there is a need for a technology that can reduce the strain on the operator's hands. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a checkout system that reduces the strain on the operator's hands. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A checkout system according to an embodiment includes a table and a POS terminal. The table is a platform on which products are placed. The POS terminal has a keyboard with multiple buttons for accepting operations related to sales data processing, and the keyboard is inclined toward the table in order to press the buttons. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a checkout system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of the accounting device as seen from the operator's side. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the keyboard as seen from the operator's side. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the appearance of a checkout system according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a checkout system will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the embodiment described below is one embodiment of a checkout system, and is not intended to limit the configuration, specifications, etc. of the checkout system.

[0008] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the exterior of a checkout system 1 according to the first embodiment. Checkout system 1 is a system that executes sales data processing, including a product registration process for registering products for sale and a checkout process for paying for the products registered by the product registration process. More specifically, checkout system 1 has a registration device 10 that executes the product registration process and a checkout device 20 that executes the checkout process. Registration device 10 and checkout device 20 are connected so that they can communicate with each other.

[0009] The registration device 10 executes a product registration process to register products for sale. Furthermore, the registration device 10 may execute a checkout process to pay for the products registered by the product registration process. For example, the registration device 10 may execute the checkout process using a credit card or electronic money. In other words, the registration device 10 may be a POS (Point Of Sales) terminal.

[0010] The registration device 10 is placed approximately in the center of a counter table (placement table) 30 on which products are placed. The counter table 30 is formed in the shape of a horizontally long table that is long in the X-axis direction (horizontal direction). The counter table 30 has a pre-registration area 31 on the right side (one end) as seen from the operator's side, and a post-registration area 32 on the left side (the other end) as seen from the operator's side. In other words, the counter table 30 is a table on which products are placed.

[0011] The pre-registration area 31 is an area where products are placed before being registered by the registration device 10. The post-registration area 32 is an area where products are placed after being registered by the registration device 10.

[0012] The registration device 10 includes a thin, rectangular housing 11. The housing 11 has a reading window 12 on the front side. The registration device 10 includes an imaging device (scanner) 13 behind the reading window 12 provided in the housing 11. The imaging device 13 captures an image of an object in front of the reading window 12 from inside the housing 11. For example, the imaging device 13 captures an image of a product held over the reading window 12.

[0013] The registration device 10 also includes a display device 14 on the upper part of the housing 11. The display device 14 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. The display device 14 also includes a touch panel 15.

[0014] The registration device 10 has a keyboard 16 on the side of the display device 14. The keyboard 16 has a plurality of buttons for accepting operations related to sales data processing such as product registration processing and accounting processing. For example, the keyboard 16 has a subtotal button for accepting an operation to end the product registration processing, a cash button for accepting an operation to calculate change when paying by cash, and the like.

[0015] The registration device 10 includes a card reader.

[0016] The registration device 10 includes a display device 14 on the top of the housing 11. The display device 14 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display.

[0017] The display device 18 displays information to a customer standing on the opposite side of the counter table 30.

[0018] A customer places a first shopping basket 41 containing unregistered products in the pre-registration area 31. The products are affixed with barcodes encoding product codes for identifying the products.

[0019] The operator holds the barcode attached to the product placed in the first shopping cart 41 over the reading window 12. The imaging device 13 captures the barcode held over the reading window 12. The registration device 10 then reads the product code indicated by the barcode. The operator may also use the keyboard 16 to operate product registration. More specifically, the operator may use the keyboard 16 to specify the target product and register the specified target product.

[0020] After the operator has the registration device 10 read the barcode, the operator places the registered product in the second shopping basket 42. The operator places the second shopping basket 42 containing the registered product in the post-registration area 32.

[0021] The checkout device 20 performs checkout processing to pay for the products registered by the registration device 10. The checkout device 20 may also perform product registration processing to register products for sale, similar to the registration device 10. In other words, the checkout device 20 may be a POS terminal.

[0022] The accounting device 20 is placed on a drawer 21 that stores money.

[0023] Here, the counter table 30 is formed in the shape of a horizontally long table on the right side of the checkout table 50. In other words, the counter table 30 is arranged so as to form an L shape with the checkout table 50 on which the accounting device 20 is placed.

[0024] The checkout device 20 has a keyboard 24 on the top surface 23 of the housing 22. The checkout device 20 has multiple buttons that accept operations related to sales data processing. That is, the checkout device 20 has multiple buttons that accept operations related to sales data processing such as product registration processing and checkout processing. For example, the keyboard 24 has a subtotal button that accepts an operation to end the product registration processing, and a cash button that accepts an operation to calculate change when paying by cash.

[0025] The accounting device 20 has a display device 25 located behind the keyboard 24 as seen from the operator who operates the keyboard 24. The display device 25 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display.

[0026] The display device 25 is installed so as to face the operator. The display device 25 also includes a touch panel 26. The touch panel 26 detects the position on the display surface of the display device 25 that is touched by the operator.

[0027] The accounting device 20 is provided with a display device 27 located further back than the display device 25.

[0028] Next, the keyboard 24 of the accounting device 20 will be described in detail.

[0029] Fig. 2 is a front view showing an example of the checkout device 20 as seen from the operator's side. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the keyboard 24 as seen from the operator's side. The keyboard 24 has multiple buttons that accept operations related to sales data processing.

[0030] 3 indicates the horizontal direction. In other words, the auxiliary line L is a line that is approximately parallel to the upper surface of the checkout counter 50. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the upper surface 23 of the keyboard 24 has a gentle slope that slopes downward in the Z-axis direction (vertical direction) as it moves toward the Y-axis direction (the short side direction of the counter counter 30). Furthermore, the keyboard 24 has a gentle slope that slopes downward in the Z-axis direction as it moves toward the Y-axis direction from the counter counter 30 side on which the products are placed.

[0031] More specifically, the top surface 23 of the keyboard 24 gradually slopes in the pressing direction of the button as it moves toward the counter table 30. That is, the top surface 23 of the keyboard 24 gradually slopes in the opposite direction to the pressing direction of the button as it moves from the counter table 30 side to the opposite side. Specifically, the top surface 23 of the keyboard 24 has a gentle slope downward in the Z-axis direction as it moves toward the Y-axis direction from the counter table 30 side on which the product is placed.

[0032] For example, the top surface 23 of the keyboard 24 has an inclination of approximately 3 degrees with respect to the auxiliary line L. The inclination of the top surface 23 of the keyboard 24 is not limited to 3 degrees, and may be between 2 and 4 degrees.

[0033] The direction in which each button on the keyboard 24 is pressed is substantially vertical, that is, the direction in which each button on the keyboard 24 is pressed is downward in the Z-axis direction.

[0034] When an operator places their hands facing the keyboard 24, the index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger are positioned gradually downward in that order. In other words, when using the keyboard 24, the operator's hands tilt downward as they move outward. Therefore, by having the top surface 23 of the keyboard 24 have an inclination that tilts downward as they move outward, the inclination of the operator's hands and the inclination of the top surface 23 of the keyboard 24 in the same direction, it is possible to improve the ease with which the operator can press buttons.

[0035] In the checkout system 1, an operator often grasps an item with his or her right hand and holds it over the reading window 12 to have the imaging device 13 read the barcode. This places a heavy burden on the operator's right hand. The keyboard 24 has an inclination that slopes downward toward the outside, thereby reducing the burden on the operator's right hand. In particular, operators working in retail stores such as supermarkets often register items by repeatedly lifting up customers' items. Operators may register many heavy items, such as 10-kilogram bags of rice or 2-liter PET bottles. This is effective for operators because it allows them to operate keys, such as for checkout processing, which is performed after registering heavy items that place a strain on the hand, without twisting their hands.

[0036] As described above, the checkout system 1 according to the first embodiment includes a counter table 30 on which products are placed, and a checkout device 20. The checkout device 20 has a keyboard 24 with multiple buttons that accept operations related to sales data processing, and the keyboard 24 is tilted in the direction in which the buttons on the keyboard 24 are pressed as the user approaches the counter table 30, which is the side on which the products are placed. In this way, the tilted keyboard 24 reduces the strain on the operator's right hand. Therefore, the checkout system 1 reduces the strain on the operator's hand.

[0037] (Variation 1) The inclination of the keyboard 24 in the direction in which the buttons are pressed is not limited to the keyboard 24 of the accounting device 20, but may also be provided by the keyboard 16 of the registration device 10.

[0038] More specifically, the keyboard 16 is disposed between the pre-registration area 31 and the post-registration area 32. The top surface of the keyboard 16 gently slopes in the direction of pressing the buttons from the post-registration area 32 toward the pre-registration area 31 where the products are placed. That is, the top surface of the keyboard 16 gently slopes in the opposite direction to the pressing direction of the buttons of the keyboard 16 from the side where the products are placed toward the opposite side. Specifically, the top surface of the keyboard 16 has a surface that gently slopes in the opposite direction to the Y-axis direction from the side where the pre-registration area 31, where the first shopping cart 41 containing the products before product registration is placed, is provided, toward the side where the post-registration area 32 is provided.

[0039] Even in this case, when the operator operates the keyboard 16 with his / her right hand, the keyboard 16 can reduce the strain on the operator's hand.

[0040] (Variation 2) The counter table 30 shown in FIG. 1 is placed on the right side of the operator facing the checkout device 20. In other words, the counter table 30 shown in FIG. 1 is placed further in the Y-axis direction than the checkout device 20. The counter table 30 may also be placed on the left side of the operator facing the checkout device 20. The counter table 30 shown in FIG. 1 may also be placed on the opposite side in the Y-axis direction than the checkout device 20.

[0041] In this case, the keyboard 24 of the checkout device 20 has multiple buttons for accepting operations related to sales data processing, and the top surface 23 of the keyboard 24 gently slopes in the direction of button depression as it moves toward the counter table 30. That is, the top surface 23 of the keyboard 24 gently slopes in the opposite direction from the counter table 30 side to the opposite side. Specifically, the keyboard 24 slopes downward in the Z-axis direction as it moves from the counter table 30 side on which products are placed to the opposite side in the Y-axis direction.

[0042] In this way, when the counter table 30 is located to the left of the operator facing the checkout device 20, the operator often grasps a product with his or her right hand and holds it over the reading window 12 to have the imaging device 13 read the barcode. This places a heavy burden on the operator's left hand. The keyboard 24 has an outward inclination, which reduces the burden on the operator's left hand. In other words, because the operator operates the keyboard 24 with the left hand of the same hand that grasps the product, the keyboard 24 reduces the burden on the operator's hand.

[0043] (Second embodiment) The present invention may be applied to a self-service checkout system 1a in which a product registration process for registering products for sale and a checkout process for paying for the products registered in the product registration process are performed by customer operations.

[0044] 4 is a perspective view showing an example of the appearance of a checkout system 1a according to the second embodiment. The checkout system 1a includes a main body 100, a basket stand 110, and a bagging stand 120.

[0045] The main body 100 is a device placed approximately in the center of the checkout system 1a. More specifically, the main body 100 is disposed between the basket stand 110 and the bagging stand 120. The main body 100 has a device that executes a product registration process to register products for sale, and a device that executes a checkout process to pay for the products registered by the product registration process.

[0046] The basket stand 110 is a stand on which a shopping basket containing unregistered products is placed.

[0047] The bagging station 120 is a station for packing registered products into bags.

[0048] The main body 100 has an automatic change dispenser 101 on the front side of the main body 100.

[0049] The main body 100 also has a reading window 102 on the front surface that transmits visible light. The main body 100 has an imaging device 103 inside the reading window 102. The imaging device 103 reads code symbols such as barcodes attached to products, etc. In other words, the imaging device 103 reads the product code indicated by the code symbol.

[0050] The main body 100 also has a printer 104 on the side of the reading window 102. The printer 104 prints a receipt showing the details of the transaction.

[0051] The main body 100 also has a patrol lamp 108 on the rear side of the imaging device 103 and the printer 104.

[0052] The main body 100 also has a display device 106 above the imaging device 103 and the printer 104. The display device 106 is installed so as to face the operator. The display device 106 also has a touch panel 107. The touch panel 107 detects the position on the display surface of the display device 106 that the operator touches.

[0053] The display device 106 displays a keyboard image having a plurality of buttons for accepting operations related to sales data processing. When the keyboard image is displayed, the display device 106 accepts an operation of pressing a button included in the keyboard image via the touch panel 107.

[0054] More specifically, the display device 106 is disposed between the basket stand 110, which is a stand on which products are placed before product registration, and the bagging stand 120, and displays an image of a keyboard that gently slopes in the direction in which a button is pressed as it moves from the bagging stand 120 toward the basket stand 110 on which the product is placed. In other words, the display device 106 gently slopes in the opposite direction to the direction in which a button is pressed as it moves from the side on which the product is placed toward the opposite side. Specifically, the display device 106 displaying the keyboard image has an inclination that slopes in the opposite direction in the Z-axis direction as it moves from the basket stand 110 side on which the product is placed toward the bagging stand 120.

[0055] As described above, the checkout system 1a according to the second embodiment includes a basket stand 110 on which products are placed before being registered, and a main body 100. The main body 100 includes a display device 106 that displays an image of a keyboard having multiple buttons for accepting operations related to sales data processing, and the display device 106 tilts in a direction in which the buttons on the keyboard image are pressed as it approaches the basket stand 110 on which the products are placed. In this way, because the display device 106 tilts in the direction in which the buttons on the displayed keyboard image are pressed, the burden on the operator's right hand can be reduced. Therefore, the checkout system 1a can reduce the burden on the operator's hands.

[0056] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 1, 1a Check-out System 10 Registration device 107 Touch Panel 16, 24 keyboard 20 Accounting Device 23 Top side 30 counter 31 Pre-registration area 32 Post-registration area L auxiliary line [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0058] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-174472

Claims

1. a platform for placing the product; a POS terminal having a keyboard with a plurality of buttons for accepting operations related to sales data processing, the keyboard being inclined in a pressing direction toward the stand, in which the buttons are pressed; A checkout system comprising:

2. the placing table is a counter table on which a registration device for registering products to be sold is disposed, the POS terminal has the keyboard inclined toward the counter table; The checkout system of claim 1 .

3. The placing table has a pre-registration area where the product is placed before product registration, and a post-registration area where the product is placed after product registration, the POS terminal is disposed between the pre-registration area and the post-registration area, and has the keyboard inclined in a pressing direction of the button as it moves from the post-registration area toward the pre-registration area where the product is placed; The checkout system of claim 1 .

4. Further provided is a bagging table for packing the registered products into bags, The placing table is where the product before product registration is placed, The POS terminal is disposed between the table and the bagging table, and has a display device that displays an image of the keyboard that tilts in the direction in which the button is pressed as the display device moves from the bagging table toward the table on which the product is placed. The checkout system of claim 1 .

5. the table is disposed on the right side of the operator, facing the keyboard of the POS terminal; The checkout system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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