GB2394105A

GB2394105A - Point of sales system with remote display

Info

Publication number: GB2394105A
Application number: GB0223277A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Matthew John Mitchell Lawman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-10-08
Filing date: 2002-10-08
Publication date: 2004-04-14
Also published as: GB0223277D0

Abstract

An electronic point of sales (EPoS) system, comprises an EPoS terminal (100), with the addition of a remote display device (105) that is adapted to be carried, worn or adorned by a user of the EPoS system, for example on a T-shirt (115). The system is arranged so that information associated with a customer order or sale is communicated to and displayed by the remote display device (105), in a manner by which a customer is able to view on the remote display device (105) details of the transaction they are participating in, during their interactions with the user of the EPoS system, even when they are unable to readily see information displayed by the EPoS terminal (100). Embodiments of the invention find application in addressing the fraud of under-ringing, whereby an unscrupulous member of sales staff steals money from his or her employer by receiving a customer order, registering a cheaper order into the EPoS terminal, charging the customer the full amount for the order and supplying the correct order to the customer, placing into a cash drawer only the sum of money that was previously registered and stealing the difference in cash between the lower amount that was registered and the full amount that was paid by the customer.

Description

2394 1 05

Sales Systems Technical Field

The Cent invention is in the field of sales and relates in particular, but not

5 exclusively, to point of sales (PoS) systems and the like.

Background Art

PoS systems are commonplace particularly in retail sales environments and basically provide a sales point at which a customer may buy or order a product or products. A simple 10 PoS system, such as a stand-alone electronic cash register (ECR), may comprise nothing more complex than a cash drawer coupled to an electronic calculator, arranged to add together the prices of items to be sold to a customer. On the other hand, a more sophisticated system may comprise a large number of ECR connected via a network to central accounting, inventory and order processing systems. The network may be a local area network restricted to the 15 confines of a single store or may be a wide area network, for example as used for flight bookings, which may extend between many countries across the world.

"Under-ringing" is an old and ever increasing fraud whereby an unscrupulous member of sales staff steals money from his or her employer by receiving a customer order, registering (or 'ringing') a cheaper order into a PoS system, charging the customer the full amount of 20 money for the order and supplying the correct order to the customer (so that the customer is unaware of any wrong-doing), placing into the cash drawer only the sum of money that was previously registered and stealing the difference in cash between the lower amount that was registered and the full amount that was paid by the customer.

Unfortunately, this kind of employee fraud is extremely difficult to detect at the time 25 of the theft, unless the employee is observed 'pocketing' the money. Indeed, the fraud may go un-noticed for days, weeks or even months since the registered customer sales will invariably match the amount of money in the cash drawer at any instant. The fraud typically only becomes apparent when a stock audit is undertaken and the amount of stock is less than would be expected by considering the PoS sales data alone.

30 Under-ringing is a particular problem in the hospitality and retail sectors in which transactions are typically paid for in relatively small cash amounts and customers are generally uninterested in obtaining a receipt. For example, public bars and night-clubs, in which a significant amount of cash revenue is made on drinks, suffer from significant under

ringing fraud. It is not uncommon for such establishments to admit that 23% of revenue is lost due to suspected under-ringing. However, underringing has been a recognised problem in many other retail sectors, such as petrol filling stations, supermarkets, newsagents etc. The introduction of sophisticated PoS systems has permitted some sales sectors to

5 address under-ringing. For example, one way of combating such fraud is by automating the sales input operation by using bar code labels on all products and scanning product details into the PoS system using a bar code scanner. For example, in supermarkets, or stores generally, where products can be 'bar-coded', this method can be effective in reducing under-

ringing. However, in hospitality and retail, for example, it remains impractical to attach bar 10 code labels to products such as draft beer by the glass and spirits by the measure.

Various companies provide complex security systems intended to reduce under-ringing fraud in, for example, public bars and night clubs. Known security systems typically involve covert closed circuit television, or CCTV, to view and record images of staff as they go about their sales activities. CCTV-based systems can be designed to cover a myriad of 15 environments in retail situations. One known system employs a CCTV arrangement that is positioned to view staff activity behind a bar and, in addition, is connected to a respective PoS system. The CCTV system super-imposes the PoS system's sales data onto the CCTV footage, thereby allowing concurrent monitoring of the flow of stock over the bar and the PoS cash entries. The intention is that a trained observer would be able to detect discrepancies 20 between products moving across the bar and the respective PoS entries.

Unsurprisingly, known CCTV systems typically require significant outlay on surveillance kit and require personnel, typically management, to spend time watching staff in real time or on recorded CCTV footage.

25 Disclosure of the Invention

In accordance with a first aspect, the present invention provides a point of sale system comprising a point of sale terminal and a remote display device, which is controllable by the terminal to display information relating to a customer order or sale and which is adapted to be carried, worn or adorned by a user of the system.

30 For example, the remote display device may worn by being attached to clothing, such as a T-shirt, pull-over or baseball cap, using a Velcro_ hook and loop fastener system or the like, or may be adorned as a badge, broach or pendant around the neck; or, simply, carried in the hand of the user and produced as required to show the displayed data to the customer.

In relation to under-ringing, an advantage of the invention is that there should be little or no operational management overhead. Indeed, the system is self-policing to the extent that it relies on the simple human nature of a customer to expect the displayed price data to match the price requested by the user. If the customer were asked by the user to pay more than was 5 displayed, even if the price asked was perceived by the customer to be the correct price, the customer would naturally tend to question why the discrepancy existed. Most likely, the customer would believe they were being over-charged and demand an explanation. As such, a user would intrinsically find it more difficult to practice underringing, even in the absence of supervision or complex and expensive CCTV systems.

10 An additional perceived advantage of the invention is that the visual price information augments the customer/user transaction in environments, such as in a busy and loud nightclub or public bar, where it is sometimes difficult for a customer to hear price information relayed verbally by the user to the customer. Similarly, when a customer is not fluent in the spoken language of the user, he or she may not readily understand price information relayed by the 15 user. However, the customer would typically understand a simple, displayed price, even in a foreign currency.

Accordingly, in some environments at least, the invention is likely to improve user efficiency in serving customers. Furthermore, customers will more likely trust that they are not being over-charged.

20 Preferably, the terminal and the remote display device each comprise means to communicate with the other using wireless communications. According to preferred embodiments, the communicating means is arranged to communicate with the display means via optical or RF signals. For example, the system may employ infra-red signalling, using simple infrared diode transmitters and receivers. The infrared signalling may utilise the 25 Infrared Data Association (IrDA_) standard, or a bespoke protocol. Alternatively, the system may employ RF signalling, for example utilising the BlueTooth_ standard or, again, a bespoke protocol.

Alternatively, the terminal and the remote display device each comprise means to communicate with the other via a data lead that is connected between the terminal and the 30 remote display device only while the user interacts with the terminal.

Advantageously, the remote display device is not provided with means whereby the user can modify any information that is available for display by the remote display device. As

such, it is difficult for the user to subvert the display of information in a way which could enable them to practice under-ringing.

The remote display device may be provided with means whereby the user can select display of one or more of plural items of information available for display by the display 5 device.

Typically, the terminal includes a local display by which the user can view information relating to a customer order or sale and means to control the local display to only display particular information associated with a customer order or sale when that information has been communicated to, and displayed by, the remote display device. Thus, the user only sees 10 the information when it has already been displayed by the remote display device.

The remote display device may comprise memory means for storing at least some of the said information and control means for selecting at least some of the stored information for display on the basis of a display instruction from the terminal. Said information may include: total price data; sub-total price data; description data relating to individual items of a

15 customer order; price data relating to individual items of a customer order; the number of items in a customer order; change data; and/or identifier data for the order or for the customer.

The remote display device may comprise memory means for storing phrase data, and means to control the display of a phrase in response to a display instruction from the terminal.

A phrase may comprise standard words arranged in pre-defined relationship with one or more 20 items of information received from the terminal. For example, the memory means may comprise ROM or, maybe more conveniently if the data needed to be changed periodically, EEPROM or Flash memory.

The display means may comprise memory means for storing identity data of the user.

The terminal may comprise means for requesting the identity data from the remote display 25 device before enacting an operation that has been requested by the respective user, and only enacting the operation in the event the identity information is received and valid. This adds an additional element of security to the system in that only registered users can use the system. As such, any problem that is found, for example with the amount of money in the system, is likely to be the fault of a registered user. Of course, registration would not be an 30 essential process for all embodiments of the invention, but the inventor believes that, apart from the added security, an association between an operator and his registered sales transactions may be useful, for example in monitoring performance of operators.

The system may comprise plural PoS terminals and plural users, wherein a plurality of the users carry, wear or are adorned by a remote display device.

According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a method of serving a customer, comprising a user entering information relating a customer order or sale into a PoS 5 terminal and the PoS terminal causing display by a remote display device, which is carried, worn or adorned by the user, of information relating to the order or sale.

According to a third aspect, the present invention provides a remote display device arranged for operation according to the above method.

According to a fourth aspect, the present invention provides a PoS terminal arranged 10 for operation according to the above method.

According to a fifth aspect, the present invention provides PoS program code means adapted to run a PoS terminal according to the above method.

Other aspects and embodiments will become apparent from the following description,

claims and drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a PoS terminal and two alternative 20 arrangements of remote display device; Figure 2 is a functional diagram illustrating a preferred PoS terminal; Figure 3 is a functional diagram illustrating a preferred remote display device; Figure 4 is a flow diagram which illustrates the steps involved in a process for registering an operator to use the PoS terminal of Figure 2; 25 Figure S is a flow diagram which illustrates the steps involved in a process whereby an operator serves a customer and, in doing so, the PoS terminal of Figure 2 interacts with the remote display device of Figure 3; Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating scenario in which a waiter takes a customer order at the customer's table using a hand-held PoS terminal; 30 Figure 7 is a functional diagram illustrating a simple remote display device, which is an alternative to the remote display device illustrated in Figure 3; and Figure 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a distributed PoS terminal arrangement.

Best Mode For Carrying Out the Invention & Industrial Applicability

An embodiment of a system according to the present invention is illustrated schematically in Figure 1. The system comprises a PoS terminal 100 and a remote display device 105, which is attached to a T- shirt 115. Figure 1 in addition illustrates an alternative 5 remote display device 105', which is attached to a baseball cap 110. The remote display devices 105, 105' may, for example, be attached by a Velcro_ hook and loop fastener system or the like.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the PoS terminal 100 comprises the standard features of an operator display 120, a keyboard 125, a cash drawer 130 and a pole display 135. The operator 10 display 120 is a liquid quartz digital (LCD) display and the pole display 135 is a light emitting diode (LED) display. Both displays tend to display the same basic transaction information, such as sub-total and total price. The operator display 120 will, however, tend to display additional detail of the transaction, for example the list of items in an order. For the sake of convenience hereafter, when the description refers to any kind of display by the PoS terminal

15 100, no distinction is made between pole display 135 and operator display 120 and it is assumed that the information displayed is substantially the same on both.

Additionally, according to this embodiment of the invention, the PoS terminal 100 includes, integrated into the pole display body, a transceiver arrangement including a transmitter 140 and a receiver 145. The pole display 135 is thought to be a convenient 20 location for the transceiver arrangement, since signalling could easily take place between either a T-shirt-mounted remote display device or a baseball cap-mounted remote display device. Other sites for the transceiver, on the PoS terminal, or away from the PoS terminal may be found more practical in some circumstances.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the remote display device 105 comprises a display 150, 25 which may for example comprise a segmented, multi-digit LED display or an LED array, and a transceiver arrangement including a transmitter 155 and a receiver 160 to communicate with the transmitter 140 and receiver 145 of the PoS terminal 100. The remote display device 105 is housed in a plastics housing which supports the display 150 and other components as will be discussed with reference to Figure 3.

30 The remote display 150 is large enough for a customer to be able to read information displayed thereon relatively easily at a typical serving distance between an operator and customer in any respective environment and has a sufficient number of characters that at least simple information, such as price information, can be represented.

Nowadays, many PoS terminals tend to be based on general purpose computer systems, for example a computer system based on an Intel_ Pentium_ microprocessor and running under the control of a Microsoft_ Windows_ operating system. The operation and functionality of a PoS terminal is dictated by special PoS terminal software. Various PoS 5 terminal software suites are available on the market today. The fact that a PoS terminal is basically a general purpose computer running PoS terminal software means that it is relatively simple to add functionality, by modifying the software code. Additionally, it is a relatively simple task to add hardware, for example, a cash drawer, a pole display or a transceiver, by simply plugging the hardware into available input/output, or I/O, ports. If more ports are 10 required for additional hardware then, as with a general purpose computer, more ports can simply be added, for example by adding appropriate expansion cards.

With reference to the functional diagram in Figure 2, a PoS terminal according to the present embodiment comprises a central processing unit 200, random access memory (RAM) 205, read only memory (ROM) 210 and an I/O subsystem 215. The CPU 200 communicates 15 with the RAM 205, ROM 210 and I/O subsystem 215 via internal data and addressing buses 220. The I/O subsystem 215 comprises various hardware interfaces, ports and adaptors, for example serial, USB or parallel ports as the situation requires, for connecting the terminal to various peripheral hardware devices including the pole display 135, the keyboard 125, the cash drawer 130, the operator display 120, the transceiver 140, 145, a network 257 and, via 20 the network, to a product database 260. The product database 260 contains information, for example, name and price at least, relating to all items that may purchased by a customer. The PoS terminal 100 may also be connected via the network 257 to various other systems, for example, accounting 265, inventory 270 and order processing systems 275, which are not concerned with the present embodiment of the invention and, as such, need not be discussed 25 in detail herein.

PoS terminal software 280, which controls the operation of the terminal, resides in RAM 205, and is downloaded into RAM from a central server 277 via the network 257 when the PoS terminal is first switched on. Additionally, a copy of the product database 282 is stored in RAM 205, having been downloaded via the network from the product database 260.

30 A bootstrap process 283, which is stored in ROM 210, executes automatically when the PoS terminal 100 is switched on and controls the downloading of the PoS terminal software 280 and product database 282.

A preferred remote display device 105 is illustrated at a functional level in Figure 3.

According to Figure 3, the remote display device 105 comprises four main components, namely: a display 300, a display driver 305, a controller 310 and a transceiver 315.

The remote display device 105 communicates with the PoS terminal 100 via the 5 transmitter 155 and receiver 160 of the transceiver 315 using serial infrared signalling according to the IrDA protocol. In this preferred embodiment, the controller is a single-chip microcontroller running embedded program code 340.

The controller 310 comprises a central processor 320, an interface 325 to connect the controller 310 to other parts of the remote display device 105, ROM 330 and RAM 335. In 10 practice, the ROM 330 and RAM 335 may be internal or external to the controller 310, or a combination of both, depending on specific design and component selection. The ROM 330 comprises electronically erasable programmable read only memory (E2PROM) or Flash memory, in order to facilitate periodic updating of its contents. The contents of the ROM 330 comprise at least the program code instructions 340, which may be loaded into the memory 15 330 during manufacture of the controller 310.

The components in the controller 310 communicate via an internal bus 345, which supports data and addressing signalling. Details relating to the interface 345, which, in reality, typically comprises various pin connections on the controller chip, possibly some additional logic, and links that support both data and control signalling, addressing, timing, 20 interrupts and control logic, commonplace in most if not all microcontrollers, will not be provided herein for the sake of simplicity only. The controller 310 is connected to the transceiver 315 and the display driver 305 via the interface 325.

It should be noted that according to this embodiment, the remote display device 105 does not include any means, for example control switches, reset buttons or the like, by which 25 an operator can change the display: the content of the display being controlled exclusively by the PoS terminal 100. As such, the system would be relatively difficult for an average operator to subvert, at least so far as altering the display is concerned.

The remote display device 105 in addition houses a portable power supply, for example a cell or battery, or even a solar cell, which is not shown for the sake of clarity only.

30 The cell or battery may be replaceable or rechargeable and provides power to all components in the display device 100. In the present embodiment, the power supply is a battery housed in the remote display device casing. However, the power supply could be separate from the display device 105, for example in a separate unit attached to the display device via

appropriate wiring. Such a power supply could be supported on a belt or in a pocket of the operator, for example, and the wiring could run inside the operator's clothing to remain discrete. In operation according to the present embodiment, as will be described below, the 5 remote display device can perform a number of basic functions, as follows: 1. Receiving an instruction from the PoS terminal 100. The transceiver 315 receives an infrared signal carrying instruction data from the PoS terminal 100 and communicates the instruction data to the controller 310. The controller 310 interprets the data as an instruction 10 and responds according to a pre-defined operation or operations.

2. Receiving an instruction and accompanying data from the PoS terminal 100. The transceiver 315 receives an infrared signal carrying the data from the PoS terminal 100 and communicates the data to the controller 310. The controller 310 interprets the data as an instruction with accompanying data and carries out the instruction, which, as will be described 15 below, involves either displaying the accompanying data or storing the accompanying data in a particular area of RAM 335. When required, the accompanying data is displayed by the controller 310 communicating a copy of the data to the display driver 305 in order to cause the display 300 to display the respective data.

3. Sending a response to the PoS terminal 100. The controller communicates 20 response data to the transceiver 315 and the transceiver transmits the data in an infrared signal to the PoS terminal 100.

4. Sending a response and accompanying data to the PoS terminal 100. The controller reads accompanying data from a respective area of RAM 335, communicates response data and the accompanying data to the transceiver 315, and the transceiver 315 transmits the data 25 in an infrared signal to the PoS terminal 100.

Both the PoS terminal 100 and the remote display device 105 support the IrDA protocol. The IrDA protocol supports retransmission of corrupt data, flow control and error detection. Data and control signals are transmitted in Frames. The IrDA protocol is a general 30 purpose, wireless protocol and is capable of supporting many different kinds of hardware having many different functions and capabilities. Of course, as used herein, the IrDA protocol only needs to support a relatively few functions that are required for communications between the PoS terminal 100 and remote display device 105. The IrDA protocol is a communications

standard that is public domain (see http://www.irda.org/ the Infrared Data Association public web site) and need not be discussed in detail herein.

Within the framework of the IrDA protocol, the PoS terminal 100 behaves as a primary station, which initiates a connection with any approaching remote display device 105.

5 A remote display device 105 behaves as secondary station, which only reacts in response to a signal from the PoS terminal 100 and is not responsible for initiating communications with the PoS terminal 100.

According to the present embodiment, before a human operator, or sales assistant, can serve customers, he first needs to register himself with the PoS terminal 100 in order that sales 10 transactions entered by a particular operator can be associated by the PoS terminal 100 with that operator. As has already been indicated, this procedure adds security to the system and enables transactions to be associated with an operator. The registration process will now be described with reference to the flow diagram in Figure 4.

In step 400, an operator approaches the PoS terminal 100 and the PoS terminal lOO 15 establishes a connection with the remote display device 105, which is adorned on the front of the operator's T-shirt. In step 405, the PoS terminal 100 requests the identity and state of the remote display device 105 in a request Frame or Frames 410. The state information informs the PoS terminal 100 of the last act that was carried out by the remote display device 105.

The PoS terminal 100 reacts in various different ways towards the remote display device 105 20 depending on what state information is returned, as will be illustrated below. The remote display device 105 receives the request in step 415, searches its ID area 350 and state area 352 of RAM 350 and fmds no operator ID or state, in step 420. In step 425, the remote display device 105 returns the respective information to the PoS terminal 100 in response Frame or Frames 430. The PoS terminal 100 receives the response in step 435, recognises the lack of 25 ID and state as an unregistered remote display device 105 and displays on the operator display 120 an 'Enter user name' command to the operator in step 440. Accordingly, the operator identifies himself to the PoS terminal 100 by entering his name via the keyboard 125 and, in response, the PoS terminal 100 allocates a unique operator identity code (ID) to that operator in step 445. In this case, the ID is a simple number which increments for each new operator 30 who registers onto the PoS terminal 100 in one session. In step 450, the PoS terminal 100 stores the name and ID in an 'operators' area 284 of RAM 205. Next, in step 455, the PoS terminal 100 reads the name and ID from RAM 205 and transmits, in a name and ID Frame or Frames 460, the data and an instruction to 'register' the operator to the remote display

device 105. The remote display device 105 receives the data in step 465 and, on the basis of the 'register' instruction, stores the name and ID data in the 'ID' area 350 and a new 'ready' state in the 'state' area 352 of its RAM 335, in step 470. In step 475, once the data is successfully stored, the remote display device 105 sends, via a stored Frame or Frames 480, a 5 'stored' signal to the PoS terminal 100. The PoS terminal 100 receives the 'stored' signal in step 485 and, in response, displays a "You are registered" message on the operator display 120, in step 490, in order to inform the operator that the registration process has been successful. Optionally, hereafter, when no other information is required to be displayed, the remote display device 105 displays the name of the operator.

10 After successful registration, the remote display device 105 carries ID data that associates it with only the identified operator and, hence, the operator can begin serving customers and interacting with the PoS terminal 100 as described hereinafter.

Operation during a sales transaction of a PoS terminal 100 and remote display device 105, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, will now be described 15 with reference to Figures 2 and 3 and the flow diagram in Figure 5.

According to Figure 5, in step 500, the operator takes an order from a customer, for example for six drinks. The operator delivers the drinks in step 501 and then approaches the PoS terminal 100 in order to enter the customer order information. In step 502, as the operator approaches the PoS terminal 100, it establishes a connection with the respective 20 remote display device 105, which is adorned on the front of the operatorsT-shirt. In step 503, the PoS terminal 100 transmits in a Frame or Frames 504 a 'request identity and state' instruction to the remote display device 105. The remote display device 105 receives the instruction in step 505 and, in response, in step 506, reads the operator's ID from its 'ID' area 350, and state from the state area 352, of RAM 335 and, in step 507, returns the information 25 to the PoS terminal 100 in one or more Frames 508. At this point, the state is 'ready'. In step 509, the PoS terminal 100 receives the ID and state information and, in step 510, compares the ID with all registered IDs in its 'operators' area 284 of RAM 205 in order to determine whether the operator has been registered. If, in step 511, the operator is unknown to the PoS terminal 100 then an appropriate error message is displayed on the PoS terminal display 120, 30 in step 512, in order that the operator knows there is a problem, and the transaction is halted.

Solving the problem may involve the operator going through the registration procedure described above and continuing the transaction from step 513.

If the operator is known through having been registered, then, in step 513, the PoS terminal 100 interprets the 'ready' state as intent to start a new order. The operator makes a keyboard entry for the first drink in step 514. In step 515, the PoS terminal 100 processes the first drink entry by locating, from its local product database 282, respective drink data. Then, 5 in step 516, the PoS terminal 100 displays the name of the operator and the name of the drink and, in addition, in step 517, stores the new drink item, including the drink name, the drink price and the ID of the operator, in a 'sales' area 286 of RAM 205. In this way, the drink item is associated with the operator who makes the associated drink item entry. It is also important to note that, in this embodiment, the process continues only if the operator is successfully 10 identified. In other words, an unregistered or otherwise unrecognized operator is unable to use the PoS terminal 100.

Next, in step 518, if the operator requests a total by pressing the appropriate key on the keyboard 125, the process continues accordingly. However, in this embodiment, the operator enters the details for the remaining five drinks and the process iterates between step 514 and 15 step 518 until all details have been entered. When all six drinks have been entered into the PoS terminal 100 and the operator requests a total the PoS terminal 100, in step 519, searches through its 'sales' area 286 of RAM 205 for all drink items that have the same ID as the operator. If one or more drink items are found the PoS terminal 100, in step 520, adds the respective price information together, in this example for the six drinks, and stores the total 20 price data accompanied by the ID in a 'total' area 288 of RAM in step 521. Next, in step 522, the PoS terminal 100 transmits to the remote display device 105 the total price data, with a respective instruction to 'display' the total price data, and a new state of 'total' to the remote display device 105 in one or more Frames 523. The remote display device 105 receives the information in step 524 and, in step 525, stores the total price data in the 'display' area 355 of 25 RAM 335, the state data in the 'state' area 352 of RAM 335 and displays the total price data, in step 526. The remote display device 105 then, in step 527, transmits a 'displayed' signal to the PoS terminal 100, in one or more Frames 528, in order that the PoS terminal knows that the remote display device is functioning correctly. The PoS terminal 100 receives the displayed' signal in step 529 and, in response, displays the total on its display 120 in order 30 that the operator can see the total for the first time. It is important to note that, in the present embodiment, the PoS terminal 100 only displays the total price information after the remote display device 105 has received and displayed the same information. This ensures that the

operator cannot accidentally, or intentionally, walk away from the PoS terminal 100 before the total price data has been transmitted to and displayed on his remote display device 105.

When the operator sees the total displayed by the PoS terminal 100, he returns to the customer and asks for payment for the six drinks. As the operator walks away from the PoS 5 terminal 100, the connection between the remote display device 105 and the PoS terminal 100 is interrupted.

In step 531, the operator asks the customer for payment for the six drinks. In step 532, if the requested payment differs from the information displayed by the remote display device 105, the customer naturally questions the integrity of the transaction in step 533.

10If the requested payment and displayed information match, the customer hands over payment in step 534. In step 535, the operator returns to the PoS terminal 100 and the PoS terminal 100 establishes a connection with the remote display device 105. The PoS terminal 100 then, in step 536, requests an ID and state from the remote display device 105 in one or more Frames 537. In step 538, the remote display device 105 receives the request and, in step À 15539, reads the ID and state information from the respective areas of RAM 335. Then, in step 540, the remote display device 105 returns the information to the PoS terminal 100 in one or more Frames 541.

In step 542, the PoS terminal 100 receives the ID and state information. The state information is 'total'. In step 543, the PoS terminal 100 compares the ID with all registered 20 IDs in its 'operators' area 284 of RAM 205 in order to determine whether the operator has been registered. As before, if, in step 544, the operator is unknown to the PoS terminal 100 then an appropriate error message is displayed on the PoS terminal display 120, in step 545 According to the present embodiment, the operator is known and, in step 546, the PoS terminal 100 interprets the 'total' state as an operator returning to the PoS terminal 100 after 25 having obtained payment for a drinks order and searches in the 'total' area 288 of RAM 205 for the previously-stored total price information, which has the accompanying respective ID.

Next, in step 547, the operator enters the amount of payment that he had received from the customer and requests calculation by the PoS terminal 100 of any change due to the customer. In step 548, the PoS terminal 100 calculates the change by deducting the total price 30 from the payment. Then, in step 549, the PoS terminal 100 sends an instruction to 'display' the change, and a new state of 'ready', in one or more Frames 550, to the remote display device 105. The new state of 'ready' primes the remote display device 105 for serving the

next customer. If exact payment was made by the customer, and no change is due, the process still continues.

The remote display device 105 receives the information in step 551 and, in response, stores the change data in the 'display' area 355 of its RAM 335 and the state data in its state 5 area 352 of RAM 335 in step 552. In step 553, the remote display device 105 displays the change information, but only if change is due to the customer. In any event, in step 554, the remote display device 105 returns a 'displayed' signal in one or more Frames 555 to the PoS terminal 100.

When the PoS terminal 100 receives the 'displayed' signal, in step 556, it displays the 10 change information on the operator display 120, for the operator to see, in step 557, and releases the cash drawer to be opened by the operator, in step 558. The operator puts the money received from the customer into the cash drawer in step 559. In step 560, if change is not due to the customer, the operator closes the cash drawer in step 561 and the process ends in step 566.

15 If change is due to the customer, the operator recovers the change from the cash drawer and closes the cash drawer in step 562. Then, the operator returns the change to the customer in step 563. The customer checks that the change received is the same as the change value displayed by the remote display device 105 in step 564. Again, the customer queries the integrity of the transaction if the change returned is different from the change displayed, in 20 step 565.

If there is no customer query, the process ends in step 566.

An enhancement to the preferred embodiment, which may equally find application in other embodiments, is to provide 'phrases' that can be displayed by the remote display device 105. For example, instead of simply displaying a total price or change, the remote display 25 device may cycle though a phrase or phrases, according to the following pseudo- code examples:

EXAMPLE PHRASE 1

1. Display "Please" for 0.5 seconds 30 2. Display "Pay" for O.5 seconds 3. Display {total value} for 2 seconds (where {total value} is the total price of the customer order) 4. goto 1.

EXAMPLE PHRASE 2

1. Display"Your" for 0.5 seconds 2. Display"Change" for 0.5 seconds 5 3. Display {change} for 2 seconds (where {change} is the amount of change due to the customer) 4. Display "Thank" for 0.5 seconds 5. Display "You" for 0.5 seconds 6. goto 1.

EXAMPLE PHRASE 3

1. Display "Half" for 0.5 seconds 2. Display "Price" for 0.5 seconds 3. Display "Beer" for 0.5 seconds 15 4. Display "For" for 0.5 seconds 5. Display"10" for 0.5 seconds 6. Display "Minutes" for 0.5 seconds 7. goto 1 20 The remote display device 105 would display each line of pseudo-code in turn, for the time indicated, to generate the respective phrase.

The first and second exemplary phrases might enhance the customer/operator interaction, for example, by leaving the customer in no doubt what the display means. The third phrase is an example of a possible advertising opportunity, which might be displayed by 25 an operator's remote display device 105 during the time when the customer is making an order. Such an advertisement would be direct to the customer and might prove to be an effective direct marketing tool in certain environments.

Addition of phrases may be implemented in a number of different ways. For example, the first and second phrases above comprise what may be considered as standard 'customer 30 service' words that could accompany any typical transaction. As such, the phrase word data may be stored in a 'phrase' area 365 of ROM 330 of the remote display device 105, for example, during manufacture of the remote display device 105. Of course, as the ROM is in the form of re-writable E2PROM or Flash memory, the words could be added or changed by a

standard memory update process at a later date. In operation, the controller 310 would be arranged to combine the 'total' or 'change' data with the appropriate word or words to generate a phrase at an appropriate time.

An alternative technique for displaying phrases is by enhancing the 'display? 5 instruction. For example, the 'display' instruction from the PoS terminal 100 may be as follows: Display "Half", O.S, "Price", 0.5, "Beer", O.S, "For", O.S, "lo", O.S, "Minutes", repeat 10 The remote display device 105 would recognise the 'display' instruction and interpret the words in quotes as the words to display and the numbers as the time for which the preceding word should be displayed. The 'repeat' instruction causes the phrase to be repeated a fixed number of times, for example, or indefinitely (at least until a 'total price' or 'change' display instruction is received).

15 This latter method for displaying a phrase might be preferred for displaying ephemeral messages, such as EXEMPLARY PHRASE 3, which a manager might wish to publicise in real time in order to boost the sales of a particular product. The message could be input by a manager at a central console (not shown), for example, which instructed all networked PoS terminals to communicate the message to all remote display devices at an appropriate time. In 20 addition, the "10" minute value may be reduced in real time on the display, for example, in the event the remote display device has a timer capability, which is a standard function on many microcontrollers.

A further enhancement to the preferred embodiment, which, again, may equally find application in other embodiments, is to arrange for transmission to the remote display device 25 105 of certain details of each item in a customer order. This information could be communicated automatically to the remote display device 105 as each order item is entered into the PoS terminal 100 by the operator or, instead, the information may be communicated in one message when the 'total' is requested. In either case, the item data is stored in an items' area 360 of the RAM 335. Of course, the remote display device 105 would need 30 additional RAM capacity to cope with, potentially, significant order sizes. This additional item information could cycle automatically according to a method for displaying a phrase described above. For example, the pseudo-code might read:

1. Display "1 beer" for 0.5 seconds 2. Display "2 gin" for 0.5 seconds 3. Display "3 wine" for 0.5 seconds 4. Display "6 drinks" for 0.5 seconds 5 5. Display "Total" for 0.5 seconds 6. Display "ú12.58" for 1 second 7. goto 1 Alternatively, or additionally, the remote display device 105 may be provided with an 10 operator input device, such as a button on the front fascia (not shown). Then, the remote display device 105 could be caused to cycle through the order information by the action of the operator depressing the button repeatedly. In this way, the customer could request a check of the order that the operator entered into the PoS terminal 100 and the operator could oblige by pressing the button. It should be emphasized, though, that the button, or any similar 15 enhancement, should be implemented in a way which does not permit the operator to subvert the integrity of the remote display device 105. In particular, the operator should not be enabled to modify the item, total or change information.

Additional, potentially-useful order information that could be displayed by the remote display device 105 includes, sub-total as items are entered by the operator and the number of 20 items in the order. Number of items in the order, in particular, would be a simple check for a customer that the order is correct. A further item of information, for example which might prove useful in restaurant environments, would be a customer or table identifier, so that a customer would be assured that any order information he received was genuinely for his order and table.

25 According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated pictorially in Figure 6, in restaurants, bars or the like where an operator, or waiter 600, may take orders from a customer 603 at the customer's table 605, it is becoming more common for operators to take orders using handheld, or palm-held, electronic PoS terminal devices 610.

Typically, such devices are standard handheld or palm-held computer systems, for example 30 operating under the Windows_ CE operating system and running PoS software. The ability to take orders directly into a handheld PoS terminal 610 at the customer's table 605 means that waiters 600 are able to work more efficiently and, consequently, customers 603 may enjoy speedier service. Such handheld devices may have remote, cordless operating ranges of

thirty metres or more using RF signalling and customer order information entered into the device would typically be communicated via the handheld's antenna 615 to a central computer system 620, having a corresponding antenna 625, and including a display screen 630, which communicates the customer order to bar staff or chefs, who prepare the order for delivery by 5 the waiter 600 to the customer's table 605.

According to this embodiment, the handheld PoS terminal 610 is accompanied by a remote display device 635, which functions as generally described above, and the handheld PoS terminal 610 incorporates, in addition to its antenna 615, a transceiver 640 for communicating with the remote display device 635. In this embodiment, the handheld PoS 10 terminal 610 transmits information to the remote display device 635, as well as to the central computer system 620, and the remote display device 635 displays the customer order information as it is entered by the waiter 600. Even if the transaction does not require immediate payment by the customer 603, who, for example, may only pay after a meal is finished, the total or sub-total information may be displayed by the remote display device 635, 15 in addition to the order item information, while the order is being taken.

The present embodiment may find particularly beneficial application in foreign language environments, in which a customer 603 may speak little or none of the local language. Under such circumstances, the remote display device 635 could provide a customer 603 with relatively higher confidence that they had managed to communicate the correct order 20 information to the waiter 600. Hence, in this embodiment, communication of information to a customer 603 may be more important than addressing under-ringing. Since operator subversion under such circumstances may be less of an issue, the handheld PoS terminal 610 and remote display device 635 arrangements may be far simpler versions than those of the preferred embodiment described above. An exemplary, simpler remote display device is 25 illustrated functionally in Figure 7. Of course, a simpler PoS terminal, whether standalone or handheld, and remote display device may equally find application in other embodiments of the present invention.

According to the functional diagram in Figure 7, a remote display device 700 according to a simple embodiment of the present invention comprises a receiver 705, an 30 amplifier 710 to amplify signals received by the receiver, a display driver 720 to convert the signals received via the amplifier 710 into signals suitable for driving a display and a display 730 for displaying information on the basis of the display driver's signals. In use, information relating to a customer order is transmitted by a PoS terminal, which may be handheld or in a

fixed location, via its transmitter to the remote display device 700, which simply displays the information. The remote display device 700 is entirely passive in that the communications between the PoS terminal and the remote display device 700 are only one-way from the PoS terminal to the remote display device 700. Clearly, in this embodiment, a PoS terminal would 5 not need to include a receiver for receiving data from the remote display device 700 and the remote display device 700 would not need a transmitter. The receiver 705, amplifier 710 and display driver 720 of remote display device 700 may be embodied in a single chip.

In general, a remote display device can be as simple as that shown in Figure 7 or more complex, for example as shown in Figure 3, as necessary for the application for which it is 10 required. Typically, where underringing is to be addressed, a more complex device, which incorporates measures to minimise the opportunity for subversion, would be sensible.

In practice, a remote display device according to embodiments of the present invention is likely to find application in a distributed PoS terminal environment, as shown schematically in Figure 8. In Figure 8, PoS terminals 800-804 are shown connected to a central server 820 15 via a network 810. Although not shown, it will be appreciated that this PoS terminal arrangement would be used by a plurality of operators each having a remote display device.

Where there are plural networked PoS terminals and plural registered operators, it might be most efficient for identity information relating to registered operators, where this is needed, product data and/or ongoing new order data to be stored on the central server 820 and for the 20 PoS terminals 800-804 to access the data on the central server 820. Alternatively, the data may be stored centrally and copied to each PoS terminal 800-804 whenever the data changes on the central server 820. Whether data should be centralised or copied to each PoS terminal 800-804 depends on the specifics of the environment in which the PoS terminals 800-804 are operating, consideration of which is not relevant to the present invention and is, thus, beyond 25 the scope of the present description.

Generally-speaking, whether the PoS terminal is standalone, with all functionality and hardware in one location, distributed, where different functionality and hardware may be located in different locations and connected by a network, or handheld, does not affect the operation of the invention and reference to a PoS terminal herein may describe a standalone, 30 distributed or handheld PoS terminal arrangement as the situation dictates.

Embodiments of the present invention that have been described so far implement the IrDA communications protocol. In general, IrDA is used to provide relatively cheap, wireless connectivity technologies for devices that would normally use cables for connectivity. IrDA

is a point-to-point, narrow angle (about a 30 degree cone), ad-hoc data transmission standard which operates over a distance of up to one metre and at speeds of 9600bps up to 1 6Mbps. As such, IrDA is ideal for use in the embodiments described. However, there are a number of other communications technologies that could be used in embodiments of the present 5 invention. For example, a technology that is spreading is called Bluetooth_.

Bluetooth is a Radio Frequency (RF) standard for short-range (1-10 metros) , point to (potentially) multi-point data communications, which, as such, can transmit through solid, non-metal objects. In principle, the range may be extended to 100 metres by increasing transmit powers. An advantage of using Bluetooth in place of IrDA may be that you only 10 need one central Bluetooth transmitter and receiver, which need not be co-located with a PoS terminal. Such an arrangement might, for example, be beneficial for transmitting an advert to multiple remote display devices with a single transmission.

As the skilled person would be aware, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to any particular communications protocol, whether wireless or otherwise. As one 15 further example, the invention may be practiced by employing pager technology, for example using a cell phone network to transmit messages to the remote display device. This method would probably not be commercially sensible, but it illustrates the breadth of technology that may be employed to implement embodiments of the present invention.

In fact, although the embodiments that have hitherto been described employ wireless 20 communications, other embodiments of the present invention may be based on a 'wired' link.

For example, a remote display device may be provided with a data lead terminating in a plug, which is designed to plug into and interface with a socket of a PoS terminal. Before an operator inputs customer order information, he would need to plug the lead from the remote display device into the PoS terminal to permit data transfer there between. The lead would 25 only need to be plugged in during operator interactions with the PoS terminal, since that is the time when all communications between the PoS terminal and the remote display device take place. Indeed, some PoS terminals are already arranged so that operators need to insert a security key, usually held on a flexible connector such as a wire or length of resilient plastics, into the PoS terminal to permit operator interaction with the PoS terminal and prevent others 30 accessing the terminal. Embodiments of the present invention could adapt this existing practice by replacing the key and flexible connector with a plug and communications cable to facilitate communications between operator and PoS terminal, without departing from the

present invention, thereby obviating the requirement for a key; an ID of the remote display device possibly being sufficient to ensure security of the PoS terminal.

The skilled person will appreciate that features of the embodiments described above may find application in other embodiments, without departing from the intent of the present 5 invention, even though such application may not have been positively recited herein.

Additionally, it will be appreciated that operation of the relatively complex preferred embodiment, as described with reference to the flow diagram in Figure 5, is just one of many possible processes by which the invention may be practiced, and the process will need to be tuned, or even changed significantly, depending on the particular environment in which the 10 invention is to be used. Such tuning or change is intended to fall within the scope of the present invention as defined exclusively by the claims herein.

Claims

1. A point of sale system comprising a point of sale terminal and a remote display device, which is controllable by the terminal to display information relating to a customer order or 5 sale and which is adapted to be carried, worn or adorned by a user of the system.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal and the remote display device each comprise means to communicate with the other using wireless communications.

10 3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal and the remote display device each comprise means to communicate with the other via a data lead that is connected between the terminal and the remote display device only while the user interacts with the terminal.

4. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the remote display device 15 is not provided with means whereby the user can modify any information that is available for display by the remote display device.

5. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the remote display device is provided with means whereby the user can select display of one or more of plural items of 20 information available for display by the display device.

6. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the terminal includes a local display by which the user can view information relating to a customer order or sale and means to control the local display to only display particular information associated with a 25 customer order or sale when that information has been communicated to, and displayed by, the remote display device.

7. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the remote display device further comprises memory means for storing at least some of the said information and control 30 means for selecting at least some of the stored information for display on the basis of a display instruction from the terminal.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein the said information comprises at least one or more of the following: total price data; sub-total price data; 5 description data relating to individual items of a customer order;

price data relating to individual items of a customer order; the number of items in a customer order; change data; and identifier data for the order or for the customer.

9. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the remote display device further comprises memory means for storing phrase data, and means to control the display of a phrase in response to a display instruction from the terminal.

15 10. A system according to claim 9, wherein a phrase comprises standard words arranged in pre-defined relationship with one or more items of information received from the terminal.

11. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the display means further comprises memory means for storing identity data of the user.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein the terminal comprises means for requesting the identity data from the remote display device before enacting an operation that has been requested by the respective user, and only enacting the operation in the event the identity information is received and valid.

13. A system according to any one of the preceding claims comprising plural PoS terminals and plural users, wherein a plurality of the users carry, wear or are adorned by a remote display device.

30 14. A method of serving a customer, comprising a user entering information relating a customer order or sale into a PoS terminal and the PoS terminal causing display by a remote display device, which is carried, worn or adorned by the user, of information relating to the order or sale.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the terminal and remote display device communicate using wireless communications.

5 16. A method according to claim 14, wherein the terminal and the remote display device communicate via a data lead that is connected between the terminal and the remote display device only while the user interacts with the terminal.

17. A method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the user is unable to modify 10 any information that is available for display by the remote display device.

18. A method according to any one of claims 14 to 17, wherein the user is able to select display of one of plural items of information available for display by the display device.

15 19. A method according to any one of claims 14 to 18, arranged so that certain information relating to the order or sale is displayed on a display that is local to the terminal only after that information has been communicated to, and displayed by, the remote display device.

20. A method according to any one of claims 14 to 19, wherein the said information is stored 20 by the remote display device and displayed by the remote display device on receipt of a display instruction from the terminal.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein the said information comprises at least one or more of the following: 25 total price data; sub- total price data; description data relating to individual items of a customer order;

price data relating to individual items of a customer order; the number of items in a customer order; 30 change data; and identifier data for the order or for the customer.

22. A method according to any one of claims 14 to 21, wherein phrase data is stored on the remote display device and is displayed in response to a display instruction from the terminal.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein a phrase comprises standard words arranged in 5 pre-defined relationship with one or more items of information received from the terminal.

24. A method according to any one of claims 14 to 23, including the step of storing on the remote display device data indicating the identity of the user.

10 25. A method according to claim 24, wherein the terminal requests the identity data from the remote display device before enacting an operation that has been requested by the respective user, and only enacting the operating in the event the identity information is received and valid. 15 26. A method according to any one of claims 14 to 25, wherein the terminal is arranged to request display by the remote display device of an advertisement.

27. A remote display device arranged for operation according to the method of any one of claims 14 to 26.

28. A PoS terminal arranged for operation according to the method of any one of claims 14 to 26. 29. PoS program code means adapted to run a PoS terminal according to the method of any 25 one of claims 14 to 26.

30. A system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying description and/or drawings.

30 31. A remote display device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying description and/or drawings.

32. A PoS terminal substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying description and/ or drawings.