Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
This inven-tion relates to a price marking systern
for use with product checkout systems such as those found
in supermarkets. The invention will be described in
connection with retail grocery supermarkets but may be
S used in other kinds of stores, such as department stores.
Products which are shipped to a retail grocery
supermarket are normally received in cases and are stocked
on store shelves for sale in individual units. Usually the
label or packaging of each unit is marked with coded sym-
bols, commonly in accordance with the universal producteode (UPC) in North America. ~Other industry codes may also
be used.) Each set of symbols represents a unique number.
When a product unit is picked up by a consumer and taken to
a checkout counter, the cashier passes the unit over a scan-
ner. The UPC or other code on the unit is read by the sean~ner, whieh is eonnected to a store eomputer. Using the id-
entified number, the compu-ter looks up the product in the
computer memory and retrieves the product`description and
unit price assigned to the product in question. This infor-
mation is then printed on a cash register receipt tape forthe customer and is also displayed on a screen.
The use of the universal or similar product
codes together with scanning systems was intended to
eliminate the need to apply price labels to individual
product units on the store shelves. Application of a
price label to each product unit on a store shelf has
518~2~
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proven extremely costly, not only because of the labour
required, but also because the person marking the prices
may use an out of~date price list, may select the wrong
item on the list, may transpose price numbers, or may
S simply set his pricing machine in error~ The cost of
such a manual price marking system has been estimated
by some to be as much as between 1 and 1.5 percent of
the gross revenues of a retail supermarket.
Unfortunately, although the universal product code
and scanning systems have been available for approximately
14 years, both consumer resistance and government resistance
have in most cases made it impossible to eliminate the use
of individual price labels on each product unit on the
shelves. Some consumer associations have caused local
governmentsto legislate tha-t each product unit be price
marked before it leaves the store.
The invention provides a solution which will
eliminate many of the objections associated with lack
of price markings on individual product units located
on store shelves, and will therefore facilitate the use
of mechanized pricing systems without the need for
individual price marking. According to the invention in
one of its aspects there is provided, for use with a
product checkout system comprising automated means for
scanning one at a time the coded labels on a series of
products and generatiny a product signal therefrom,
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said automated means including receipt tape printer means
responsi.ve to said prodllct signal for producing a price
tape containiny the price of each product scanned and a
total for said prices, the improvement comprising price
receiv.ing means adapted to be connected to said automated
means for receiving therefrom a marking signal indicative
of the price of each said product7 and marking means con-
nected to said price receiving means for marking on each
product the price thereof, said product signal containing
unwanted data which is not to be marked by said marking
means, said price receiving means including memory means
containing an identification of said unwanted data, com-
parison means for comparing the data received from said
product signal with said identification in said memory
means, and processing means for causing said marking
mean~ to mark only when the data received from said prod-
uct signal is not said unwanted data.
Further àspects and advantages of the invention
will appear from the following description, taken togeth~r
with the accompanying drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a supermarket
checkout system according to the invention;
Fig. 2 i5 a block diagram showing the components
o the system o Fig. l;
Fig. 3 is a view o a typical cash receipt tape
produced by the system of Figs. 1 and 2;
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Fig. 4 is a view of a typical label produced
according to the invention;
Fig. 5 is a block diagram of a label printing
and applicator system according to the invention;
Fig. 6 is a block diagram of a modified label
printing and applicator system according to the invention;
Fig. 7 is a block diagram of a still further
modified label printing and applicator system according
98~ ~ ~
to the present invention;
Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a label strip
that may be used with -the invention;
Fig. 9 is a diagrammatie view of the mechanieal
portion of a label printing and applieator system that
may be used with the invention;
Yig. 10 is a view of a portion of the syste~
shown in Fig. 9;
Fig. 11 is a view of a modifieation of the
Fig. 10 system;
Fig. 12 is a diagrammatie view of a further
modified system aceording to the invention;
Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a produet unit
having an area to be printed;
Fig. 14 is a perspective view of a portion of a
modified eheckout eounter aecording to the invention;
Fig. 15 is a top view of a further modified eheek-
out counter according to the invention; and
Fig. 16 is a top view of a still further modified
checkout eounter aeeording to the invention.
Referenee is first ~ade to Fig. 1, whieh shows
an exemplary supermarket eheckout system 10 which ineor-
pora-tes the invention. As shown, the checkout s~stem 10
ineludes a eonveyor 12 on whieh groeeries are depo~ited
by the shopper. The eonveyor 12 forms part of a eheekout
counter 16. The cashier pieks up the products one unit
at a time from -the conveyor 12 and passes eaeh unit over a
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scanner 14 loca-ted in the checkout counter 16. The scan-
ner 14 reads the universal product code on the unit and
sends a signal representa-tive of the particular code
to the store computer 18 (Fig. 2).
The computer 18 next looks up in its memory
the product description and price assigned to the product
in question. This information is then sent by the
computer to a display screen 20 which displays the price
so that it may be seen by the customer. The price and
product description are also sent to a receipt tape
printer 22 where a cash receipt -tape is printed
containing a list of all the products purchased and their
prices, together with a total. The tape usually also
contains an identification of the store, the date, a
record of the cash offered by the customer, the change
returnedr credits due, and of any applicable taxes.
If the produet unit in question does not have an
appropriate product eode marked on it, then the cashier
punches in on keyboard 24 either the price or a price
lookup code and a department code. This information is
again sent to the store computer 18, which then sends a si~-
nal to the display screen 2~ to cause this unit to display
the price, and which also sends a signal to the receipt
tape printer 22 so that the priee and product category
identifieation will be printed on the receipt tape. Bus
lines 25 eonnect the various components.
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When a to-tal price has been calculated and the
cash submitted has been entered, the computer 13 sends a
signal to a cash drawer controller 26 so that the cash
drawer may be opened to receive the cash and so tha
change rnay be provided. ~ typical cash receipt tape pro-
duced by this arrangement, which as so far described is
conventional, is shown at 28 in Fig. 3.
According to the invention in one of its aspects,
a label printer 30, product sensor 32, and label applica-
tor 34 are provided on the checkout counter 13. Thelabel printer 30~ product sensor 32, and label applic~ or
34 are located adjacent but downstream of the scanner 14.
When the cashier passes a product unit over the scanner 14,
causing the computer 18 to generate data indicative of
the product description and price, this data is sent to
the label printer 30 where it is used to print a label
containing the product description and price, and normally
also containing the date of the transaction. The apparatus
used to obtain the information and to print the label
2û w;ll be described shortly. The label is printed virtual-y
instantaneously, within a few milliseconds after the
product unit has been scanned by the scanner 14. A
typical label produced according to the invention is
shown at 36 in Fig. 4 and as discussed includes a product
description 38, a product price 40, and the date 42~
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The label 36 may also include a s-tore identification such
as a store name and number, which is of-ten now printed on
the cash receipt tape (as shown at 43 in ~ig. 3). The
label 36 has an adhesive backing so that it will adhere
to a product unit.
After the cashier has passed the product unit
being purchased over the scanner 14, he or she then
next passes the unit over the product sensor 32 and the
label applicator 34. The product sensor 32 senses the
presence of the product unit and causes the label applicator
34 to apply the label 36 to the product unit. As will be
described, the label applicator 3~ can blow the label onto
the product unit, or it can mechanically apply the label to
the product unit, or in appropriate cases, the information
lS in question can be printed directly onto the product unit
without a label.
After the individual price, product description
and date of purchase have been marked on each product
unit, such product unit is moved to a bagging station 44
where the products purchased are assembled for bagging
or removal by the customer.
The application of a label or price marking to
each product unit just after it has been scanned, at the
point of purchase, has a number of substantial advantages,
which include the following:
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g
1. Customer satisfaction is increased since the
customer can readily determine exactly what price has
been paid for each article, not only at the point of
sale but also later at home, should the customer wish
to compare the price for this article with the price
paid at a later time for similar articles.
2. Store security is improved since all products
which have been through the proper checkout procedure
are clearly marked with labels or price markings prin-ted
thereon. Any articles without such labels or price
markings are known not to have been checked out and paid
forO This reduces the likelihood of so-called "sweetheart"
arrangements, in which a cashier fails to charge for an
ar-ticle "purchased" by an accomplice.
3. One of the major objections to the use of
unpriced products on shelves, namely the inability of
the customer to determine after purchase the price paid
for the product unit, is eliminated so that the cost of
manually price marking individual products units pl~ced
on shelves for sale can in most cases be eliminated,
thus substantially reducing costs to the store and ulti-
mately to the customer.
4. The accuracy of pricing to the customer is
increased, since it is computer controlled and since
there will be no discrepancy between manually applied
price markin~s on each product unit and the computer
determination of the price of the product unit.
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When a number of identical product units have
been purchased, the clerk may pass only one over the
scanner 14 and may use the keyboard 24 to inÉorm the
store computer that more than one unit has been purchased.
In that case only one label 36 will be printed and it
will be applied to one of the identical product units.
The others will be unlabelled but the labelled unit will
normally satisfy customer information requirements.
Reference is next made to Fig. 5, which is a
block diagram of a typical system used to acquire and
print the product description, price and date on each
individual product unit. The Fig. 5 system is used when
it is desired not to make any wiring connections to
the store computer 18 (since such wiring connections may
involve disturbance of the functions of the store computer
and may also affect the manufacturer's warranty and agree-
ment to service the store computer).
The system of Fig. 5 includes an optical
reflec-tor and focussing device 46 mounted adjacent the
display screen 14 (as also shown in Fig. 1) to focus
the display characters appearing on the display screen
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onto an image sensing device 48. The optical reflector
and focussing device ~6 may simply be a mirror or prism.
The image sensing device 48 is conventionally available
as a simple integrated circuit chip.
The image sensing device 46 is connected through
a scanning interface and buffer 50, and through input/output
ports 52 and an input/output interfacing device 54, to a
central microprocessor 56. Also connected to the central
microprocessor 56 are a read only memory (ROM) 58 wnich
is connected through a ROM addressing interface 60 to
the central microprocessor, a random access read/write
memory (RAM) 62 connected through a RAM addressing inter-
face 64 to the central microprocessor, a clock generation
logic circuit 66, a power on reset logic circuit 68,
and a direct memory access control interface 70 (which
contains the system program). An external time clock 72
is also connected to the central microprocessor 56 to
supply the information needed to print the date of t`he
transaction.
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The input/output ports 52 are also connected
through an input/output communication interface 74 to
a printer buffer 76 which in turn is connected -to the label
printer 30. The input/output ports 52 are further con-
nected to the product sensor 32 and to the label applicator34.
The operation of the system described in Fig. 5
is as follows. Firstly the external time clock 72 is
set for the date. Once this clock has been set, it need
not be reset unless the power is turned off. The clock
72 can be conventionally equipped with a battery so that
the date is retained therein.
Next, the scanning interface and buffer 50 is
scanned by the central microprocessor 56 until the
store computer 18 has caused a complete set of characters
to be displayed on the display screen 14. The scanning
method used is typically as follows. As characters are
; being formed (normally in a series of dots) on the display
screen 20 and detected at the scanning interface and
2-0 h~ff^r 50, they are scanned at predetermined intervals
by the central processor 56. Qn the first scan in which
partially formed characters are detected, the data
received from the scan is placed in a first mernory loca-tion
in RAM 62. On the next scan the da-ta from the scan is
placed in a second location in RAM 62 and the data in
the two memory locations is compared. If there is a
difference in the data in the two memory locations,
this indicates that the charaeters on the display screen
20 are still being generated and the scanning by the
central processor 56 continues. When there is no longer
any difference between the data in the two memory locations,
this indicates that the characters on the display screen
20 are the final characters representing the price and
product description for the product unit which has just
been scanned by scanner 14. -
The final characters displayed on the display
screen 20 and now stored in the RAM 62 are next comparedwith the set of characters stored in the ROM 58. The
ROM 58 contains a table listing the information which is
not to be printed on the individual label 36. For example,
items such as introductory information, totals, tax infor-
mation, change and the like are not to be printed on thelabel 36.
If the set of characters in the RAM 62 from
the image sensing device 48 corresponds with the informa-
tion in the ROM 58, then the eentral microprocessor 56
disregards these characters and resumes scannin~ the
seanning interfaee and buffer 50 Eor a new set of
characters. If on the other hand there is no corres-
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pondence between the final characters from the image
sensing device 48 and the information in the RO~ 58,
then the central microprocessor 56 transmits information
representative of the final characters in the RAM 62 to
the prin-ter buffer 76. The microprocessor 56 then
ac-tivates the label printer 30 which prints a label
36 with the final characters in the RAM 62, together
with the contents of the ex-ternal time clock 72 (namely
the date, month and year). Thus, the label 36 has now
been printed with the product description 38, price 40,
and date 42. (Alternatively the ROM 58 can contain a table
of all data to be printed on the label, and then printing
will occur only when the data in the RAM 62 corresponds with
that in the ROM 58.)
Next, when the presence of the product unit
is detected by the product sensor 32 r the central processor
56 activates the label applicator 34, which then applies
the label 36 to the product unit. The system is then
ready for the next product uni-t.
In some cases it may be possible to make connec-
tions directly to the store computer~ A system for ~his
purpose is shown in Fig. 6, where corresponding reference
numerals indicate parts corresponding to those of Fig. 5.
The Fig. 6 system is the same as that shown in Fig. 5,
except that the optical reflector and focussing device 46
and the image sensing device 48 have been eliminated,
and the scanning interface and buffer 50 have been
replaced by a wire tap buffer and control interface 80.
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The buffer and control interface 80 is a high impedance
buffer connected directly to the bus lines 25 which
extend between the store computer 18 and its output
devices such as the receipt tape printer 22 and display
screen 20. The current drawn by the buffer and control
interface 80 is negligible in relation to that drawn
by the display screen ?0 and receipt tape printer 22
so that the buEfer and control interface 80 will in most
cases have no effect on the operation of the computer
18. The remainder of the operation of the Fig. 6 de~ice
is exactly the same as that described in connec~ion with
Fig. 5
In some cases, it may be desired to huild the
system of the invention directly into the store computer
18. In that event, the system shown in Fig. 7 may be
used, in which corresponding reference numerals indicate
parts correspondin~ with those of Fig. 5. The system
shown in Fig. 7 is the same as that shown in Fig. 6,
except that instead of a high impedance wire tap buffer
and control interface 80, a conventional receiver huffer
and control interface 82 is used, which need not be
high impedance. The remainder of the elements shown in
Fig. 7, except for the product sensor 32, the label
printer 30, and the label applicator 34, may now be
incorporated directly into the store computer. The
printer buffer 76 will normally not be rnade part of the
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store computer.
Reference is next made to Figs. 8 to 10, which
5how diagrammatically an e~emplary arrangement which may
be used for applying labels to the items purchased. In
Fig. 8 the labels 36 are shown as located, end to end
and spaced from each other, adhesive side down, on a
silicone release coated backing strip 84. The strip 84
is wider than the labels 36 and extends beyond their
edges to form strip margins 86. Two narrow front strips
8~ are provided, one covering each strip margin 86 and
overlappin~ the front surfaces of the labels 36 at their
sides. The front strips 88 are lightly adhesively
tacked, by dots 90 of adhesive, to the strip margins 86
and to the front surfaces of the labels 36 at the sides
thereof. The front surfaces of the labels 36 at their
sides have a silicone release coating 91 for easy release
of the adhesive dots 90.
The composite label strip 92, COnsiStinCJ of
the labels 36 and strips 84, 88, is supplied in a roll
93, Fig. 9, and is fed from roll 93 over a plate 94. Each
label 36, when it passes over plate 94, is printed by
label printer 30, which may be any suitable commercially
available label printer.
The backing strip 84 then is guided around the
relatively sharp front edge 96 of plate 94 and is
wound up on a takeup roll 98 driven by a motor 100.
882~L
The labels 36 are unable to turn around the sharp edge
96 and continue on, supported by the front strips 88,
over the nozzle 102 of a blower 104. The nozzle 102
is located below an opening 106 in the checkout counter
16, so that a jet of air from nozzle 102 can blow a
label 36 positioned thereover, through the opening 106
into a product unit located over the opening. The
product sensor 32, which can be any conventional object
sensor, is located beside the opening 106 as shown in
Fig. 10. The front strips 88, after the label has been
removed therefrom, are taken up on a takeup roll 108
which is also driven by the motor 100.
In operation, when a product unit is scanned
by the scanner 14, the printer 30 prints the required
information on a label positioned thereunder, as previously
dPscribed. The printer 30 may be a thermal, laser or other
known printer. As soon as the printing has been completed,
within a fe~ milliseconds of the scan, -the motor 100
is operated by an instruction received from the central
microprocessor 56, to move the printed label 36 on its
supporting front strips 88 to a position under opening
106 and over nozzle 102, as shown in Fig. 10. This
movement also moves another label 36 to a position
under printer 30, ready to be printed. Then, when the
product sensor 32 detects the presence of a product unit
to be labelled and feeds a detection signal to the micro-
processor 56, the microprocessor 56 signals the blower
~98~
10~, which produces a short power~ul diverging blast of
air through the noz~le 102, blowing the printed label
36 onto the product unit to be labelled. The process
is then repeated with the next label.
Air jet label applicators are presently available
on the market. For example, such an applicator, used
for producing labels for machines that weigh meat, wrap
it and apply a label are presently available from Weldotron
Corporation of New Jersey, U.S.A., under that company's
designation "Weigh Wrap UPC System 5000".
If dèsired, instead of using a jet label applica-
tor, a mechanical applicator may be used as shown in Fig.
11. Fig. 11 shows diagrammatically an applicator arm
110 having an end plate 112 tipped with a resilient
material 114. The arm 110 is operated by a solenoid
; 116 and is positioned in placeof the noz~le 102 beneath
the opening 106 in the checkout counter 16. The arm 110,
when it is operated by the solenoid 116, moves upwardly
between the front strips 88 to apply the printed label
36 to the product unit positioned on the checkout counter
16 o~er the opening 106.
In appropriate cases, where the product units to
be marked can be printed on directly, the labels can be
eliminated and the product description, price and date
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can be printed directly on the product unit itself.
This situation is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 12,
which shows the printer 30 located in and projecting
slightly from the opening 106 in the checkout counter
16, so that the printer will print directly on a product
unit which is placed thereon and detected by the product
sensor 32. A laser printer is par~icularly appropria-te
for this purpose. Since the produc-t unit 120 is already
labelled with a product code, as indicated at 122 in
Fig. 13, a location 124 beside the product code 122 may
be provided, formed of photo-sensitive material, to
receive the laser printing.
If desired, the label printer 30, label applica-
tor 34 and product sensor 32 can be located remote from
the scanner 14. However it is much preferred that these
units be located in the checkout counter close to the
scanner 14, so that the checkout clerk, after passing
the product unit over scanner 14, can in a continuation
of the movement of the product unit over the scanner 14,
pass the product unit over the label applicator 34 and
product sensor 32. Since only a short continuation of
the movement of the product unit is then needed, very
little additional time is required for the labelling,
thus minimi~ing the need for extra checkout personnel.
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If deslred, the label printer and labe] applicator
may be located as close to the scanner 14 as possible, as
shown in Fig. 14, so that when the product unit is scanned,
it will automatically be in position either for label
application or to be directly printed upon. This minimizes
any additional movement needed by the cashier for label
application or printing. In addition, if the product
surface to be printed is beside the product code and the
product code is facing downwardly over the scanner, then
the product surface to be printed can be located to face
downwardly over the printer if the printer is immediately
next to the scanner. Thus in one short motion the product
unit is both scanned and printed (or labelled).
Alternatively, if positive location of the product
unit is preferred for label application or printing, a
stop such as that shown diagrammatically at 126 in Fig. 15
may be provided. The product unit after being scanned
-is moved along the path indicated by arrow 128 up against
the stop 130 (which can be a post). A pressure sensiti~e
sensor (not shown) in the stop 130 senses the contact of
the product unit and signals the central processor 56 to
actuate the label applicator 32 (or direct printer 30)
provided that a product unit has been previously scanned.
The product unit is then moved on as indicated by arro~
132 to the bagging station. Here a relatively short,
but two step, motion of the product unit is required.
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The label appl.icator or direct printer may be located
in the post or directly in front of it.
If desired, and as shown in FigO 16, the stop
130 may be located at the head of a chute 132 so that
after being labelled, the product unit may travel directly
down the chute 132 to the bagging station 44.
Although a label applicator has been shown
which blows or otherwise moves the label into the product
unit, a label applicator can be used of the kind which
presents the label, sticky side up, on a roller or other
surface so that the cashier can press the product unit
onto the label, thus applying the label.
If desired, the price only can be printed on
each product unit or on a label applied to each product
unit. However, it is much preferred that the product
description and date a.so be applied.
