Multi-Device POS System with Segmented Displays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing point-of-sale (POS) systems are inefficient in facilitating transactions, as customers often need to guide themselves through the process using a separate interface, and merchants must manually rotate or manipulate displays to interact with customers, leading to slower and less secure transaction processing.
Innovation Solution
A multi-device POS system comprising a merchant-facing device and customer-facing devices that can be configured in various flexible arrangements, allowing merchants to interact with multiple customer-facing devices and vice versa, enabling efficient transaction processing with enhanced customer experience through the execution of both merchant and customer functionalities on the same or different devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single display is used for both merchant and customer interaction, then device complexity is reduced, but transaction processing time increases due to manual rotation and manipulation of the display
Solution Approach 1:
The display system is segmented into separate merchant-facing displays and customer-facing displays. Each display is dedicated to its specific user type, eliminating the need for manual rotation or manipulation. The merchant can view merchant-specific information on the merchant display while the customer interacts with the customer display simultaneously, resolving the time loss caused by single-display manipulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a single-dimensional display (one screen serving both purposes sequentially) to a multi-dimensional display architecture where multiple displays operate in parallel. This spatial dimensionality change allows simultaneous merchant and customer interactions without temporal delays.
2Ease of operation
If customers use a separate customer display to guide themselves through transactions, then merchant workload is reduced, but transaction security and coordination deteriorate due to lack of merchant visibility
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the merchant display receives real-time information from the customer display interactions. The merchant can monitor customer actions, approval requests, and transaction status on the merchant display, maintaining security oversight while allowing customer self-service. This feedback loop ensures the merchant remains coordinated with customer operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The display system serves multiple functions simultaneously: the customer display enables self-service operations while the merchant display provides monitoring and control capabilities. This multi-functionality allows the system to accommodate both customer independence and merchant security requirements in a unified architecture.
3Adaptability or versatility
If rotatable displays are used to enable both merchant and customer interaction, then device versatility is improved, but device complexity and reliability worsen due to mechanical moving parts
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical rotation capability is extracted and removed from the display system. Instead of one display that can physically rotate, the system uses multiple fixed displays positioned for both merchant and customer use. This eliminates mechanical moving parts, reducing complexity and improving reliability while maintaining the versatility of serving both user types.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical rotation system is replaced with an electronic/multi-device system. Rather than physically rotating a single display, the system uses separate electronic displays for merchant and customer facing directions, eliminating mechanical components while achieving the same functional versatility.
4Ease of manufacture
If a single interface is used for both merchant and customer operations, then ease of manufacture is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to sequential rather than parallel processing
Solution Approach 1:
The interface is segmented into separate merchant-facing and customer-facing interfaces displayed on different displays. This allows parallel processing where the merchant can perform operations on the merchant display while the customer simultaneously interacts with the customer display, doubling the transaction throughput compared to sequential single-interface processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from one-dimensional sequential interface processing to two-dimensional parallel interface processing. Multiple displays enable simultaneous operations in different spatial dimensions, increasing productivity while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through standardized display components.
Data Source
AI summary
Temporarily provisioning functionality to a personal device in a multi-device point-of-sale (POS) system is described. In an example, a presence of a personal device operated by, or on behalf of, a merchant can be determined to be within a range of a POS system of a merchant. The POS system can include a merchant-facing device and a customer-facing device that is coupled to the merchant-facing device. Functionality can be provisioned to the personal device that (i) configures the personal device to present a merchant user interface (UI) via a display of the personal device to enable the merchant to interact with one or more customers and (ii) enables the personal device to interact with at least one of the merchant-facing device or the customer-facing device. Responsive to determining an occurrence of an event, the functionality can be de-provisioned from the personal device.