POS Change Payment Control for Cash Shortage and Machine Faults
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Solution Overview
Problem
Point-of-sale (POS) terminals face issues with change dispensing due to shortages of specific denominations or malfunctions in the change machine, leading to failed change payments, which existing technologies struggle to adequately address.
Innovation Solution
An accounting apparatus equipped with a change machine, detection devices, and a controller that detects the status of the change machine and offers alternative payment methods when change cannot be dispensed in cash, allowing customers to select from electronic money charging, point charging, printing a voucher, or refunding via another payment method.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the change machine stocks more cash of specific denominations to prevent shortage, then the reliability of change dispensing is improved, but the device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The accounting apparatus integrates multiple payment methods (cash, electronic money, points, vouchers) into a single system. When cash change is unavailable, the system automatically offers alternative payment methods, making the change machine universal in handling different payment scenarios without requiring separate devices for each payment type.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller acts as an intermediary between the change machine and the customer. It detects cash availability, determines alternative payment methods, and coordinates the transaction completion through different payment channels, eliminating the need for customers to directly interact with the physical change dispensing mechanism.
2Ease of operation
If the change machine dispenses cash change without alternatives, then the ease of operation is improved, but the adaptability to different situations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the payment method based on real-time conditions. The controller detects cash availability and automatically switches between cash dispensing and alternative payment methods (electronic money, points, vouchers), making the system flexible and adaptive to different operational scenarios without requiring manual reconfiguration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the payment parameter from fixed cash dispensing to variable payment methods. When cash is unavailable, the controller modifies the payment parameter to offer electronic money, points, or vouchers, allowing the system to adapt to different situations while maintaining ease of operation through automatic parameter adjustment.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system offers multiple alternative payment methods when cash is unavailable, then the adaptability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple payment processing functions (cash dispensing, electronic money charging, point accumulation, voucher printing) into a single integrated accounting apparatus. The controller coordinates all these functions through a unified system, reducing the need for separate devices while maintaining payment method versatility.
4Productivity
If the change machine continues operation despite cash shortage by recording change amount, then the productivity is improved, but the reliability of immediate cash payment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of cash availability before completing the transaction. The controller detects the cash shortage condition in advance and proactively offers alternative payment methods, allowing the transaction to proceed without interruption while ensuring the customer receives their chosen payment method, thus maintaining both productivity and reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
According to an embodiment, an accounting apparatus includes a change machine, a detection device, and a controller. The controller determines whether or not the change machine is capable of paying change in cash on the basis of a result of a detection by the detection device. The controller accepts, when determining that the change machine fails to pay the change in cash, a payment method selected by a customer from a plurality of change payment methods other than paying in cash.