Unified POS Interface State Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional point of sale systems require additional time and electronics for customers to complete transactions, as they often need to sign physical receipts, electronically approve transactions, or enter PINs, and these systems lack a unified interface for merchants and customers, leading to inefficiencies in guiding both parties through the transaction process.
Innovation Solution
A point of sale system that includes a merchant terminal and a customer terminal, where the merchant terminal can display a user interface window showing the customer terminal's screen, allowing the merchant to guide the customer through the transaction process, with shared control protocols ensuring that either terminal can be in control of the transaction state based on the transaction's status, facilitating seamless communication and interaction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If customers use conventional point of sale systems to complete transactions, then transactions can be conducted with cash, transaction cards, or other transaction instruments, but additional time and electronics are required for customers to sign physical receipts, electronically approve transactions, or enter PINs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the merchant display and customer display into a single unified point of sale interface. This merging eliminates the need for separate customer displays and reduces the transaction steps by allowing the merchant to control the entire transaction flow through one interface, thereby reducing the time required for customers to complete additional transaction steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The unified point of sale interface serves multiple functions: it acts as both a merchant display and a customer display, handles various transaction instruments (cash, cards, other instruments), and manages different transaction actions (signing, approving, entering PINs) through a single system. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional specialized electronics and streamlines the transaction process.
2Ease of operation
If separate customer displays are provided in point of sale systems, then customers can guide themselves through the transaction, but the customer display is not visible to the merchant and customers must guide themselves through the transaction utilizing the customer display or customer interface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the merchant display and customer display into a single unified interface that is visible to both the merchant and the customer. This eliminates the information loss between separate displays while maintaining ease of operation, as the merchant can see what the customer sees and guide them through the transaction accordingly.
Solution Approach 2:
The unified interface provides real-time feedback to the merchant about the customer's actions and the current transaction state. The merchant can see the customer's selections, approvals, and inputs on the same interface, enabling the merchant to guide the customer through the transaction process with full visibility of the customer interface state.
Data Source
AI summary
A merchant terminal or a customer terminal receives first input(s) associated with a first POS transaction with a first customer. Based on the first input(s), it is determined that the first POS transaction is in a first item-input portion and so the merchant terminal is designated as a state control terminal for the first POS transaction. Based on a trigger event occurring for the first POS transaction, it is determined that the first POS transaction is in a payment-input portion, and the customer terminal is designated as the state control terminal. Second input(s) associated with a second POS transaction with a second customer are received prior to receiving payment input to the first POS transaction and while the customer terminal is the state control terminal for the first POS transaction. Based on the second input(s), it is determined that that the second POS transaction is in a second-transaction item-input portion.