Transaction Processing Device Linking Customer and Clerk Terminals

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing transaction processing systems face challenges in registering purchased products due to difficulties in reading barcodes, absence of barcodes on products, or customers being unaware of the operation methods, leading to difficulties for customers to register products independently.

Innovation Solution

A transaction processing device and method that includes a first registration unit for storing transaction contents, a linkage unit for associating user and clerk terminals, and a second registration unit for synchronizing transaction data between terminals, allowing store clerks to temporarily perform operations related to transaction registration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If customers independently register purchased products using their own terminals, then customer autonomy is improved, but registration success rate deteriorates due to barcode reading difficulties and operation complexity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecustomer autonomyVSAvoidregistration success rate

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a store clerk as an intermediary who operates a clerk terminal to assist customers in registering purchased products. The clerk terminal communicates with both the customer terminal and the server, mediating the registration process to overcome customer inability to read barcodes or operate the terminal correctly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system maintains customer autonomy by allowing customers to initiate product registration requests using their own terminals. The customer terminal can scan barcodes and send registration requests to the server, with clerk assistance only when needed, thus preserving self-service capability while providing backup support.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If store clerks are enabled to perform transaction registration operations, then registration success rate is improved, but system complexity deteriorates due to additional terminal types and communication protocols

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveregistration success rateVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent designs both customer terminals and clerk terminals to use the same communication interface and protocol with the server. Both terminal types can independently communicate transaction information to the server, making the system multi-functional while maintaining uniform communication standards that reduce overall complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The clerk terminal replicates the customer terminal's communication capabilities and interface structure. By copying the same communication module and interaction protocol, the system adds clerk functionality without creating new communication standards, thus improving reliability while minimizing complexity increase.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Ease of operation

If multiple terminal types (customer terminal and clerk terminal) are introduced, then ease of operation is improved through clerk assistance, but loss of time deteriorates due to additional linkage and synchronization processes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclerk assistance capabilityVSAvoidtransaction processing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-establishes linkage relationships between customer terminals and clerk terminals before transaction registration begins. The clerk terminal is pre-configured with the customer's terminal information, so when assistance is needed, the clerk can immediately access and operate the customer terminal without time-consuming connection setup.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent enables seamless switching between customer self-operation and clerk assistance modes. The clerk terminal can take over the registration process mid-operation without interrupting the transaction flow, maintaining continuous useful action while providing assistance when needed, thus minimizing time loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS20250104068A1Transaction processing device, transaction processing method, and program recording medium

Publication Date: 2025.03.27 TOSHIBA TEC KK

AI summary

A transaction processing device of an embodiment includes a first registration unit, a linkage unit, and a second registration unit. The first registration unit stores a content of a transaction related to a user in response to a request from a first terminal made by an operation of the user. The linkage unit links the process of storing the content of the transaction related to the user performed by the first registration unit to a second terminal. When the content of the transaction related to the user is sent from the second terminal, the second registration unit stores the content of the transaction sent from the second terminal as the content of the transaction related to the user in the first registration unit by using the association.