JPH0663818B2 - Weighing inline system - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a weighing in-line system for managing the unit price of fresh food or the like that is sold after being weighted and sold in a supermarket or the like.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is an electronic scale with a label printer having a function of issuing a label after weighing and weighing, as a scale for selling fresh food and the like in supermarkets and the like. In such a scale, various information necessary for issuing labels such as unit price, tare, product name, etc. is stored in advance in the PLU memory for each product as a PLU (price / check / up), and the measured value is actually stored. When attaching, the PLU of the product is called. In many cases, the sales data, especially the unit price, of a product, especially a fresh food, needs to be changed every day. For this reason, a person who manages the unit price may need to change the contents of the PLU memory before the pricing operation. In this respect,
Conventionally, it is possible to change information such as the unit price and tare even after the PLU is called based on the PLU memory provided in each scale.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, considering the usage pattern in large stores such as supermarkets, the weighing and pricing of the same product is not always performed by one scale. We may carry out weighing and pricing. In such a case, according to the conventional method, it is necessary to have the same PLU in each scale, and when changing the unit price, for example, it is necessary to make the same change as in the conventional method a plurality of times for each scale. Takes. Further, even if the same change content is used, a change operation is required for each individual scale, so that a change error such as a change content different between scales is likely to occur. In the end, it lacks the collective controllability in the case of having a plurality of scales.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of such a point, and in the case where the same product is priced and sold by a plurality of scales, a change in the PLU content such as the unit price is handled on the side of the site that handles the scale. The purpose is to obtain a weighing in-line system that can be collectively performed by one change work and has good change workability.

Means for Solving Problems A plurality of scales each equipped with a printer and having a label issuing function, and a file controller for preliminarily storing and collectively managing a plurality of PLUs required by these scales as PLU files are connected inline in real time. However, a change reason memory for storing the change reason of the change content set by the change operation in any scale is provided, and the change content including the change reason stored in the change reason memory is transmitted to the file controller. The corresponding PL in the PLU file
A change notification message setting means for setting a change notification message for changing the contents of U is provided.

Action Multiple scales and file controllers are connected in-line in real time, and even if there are multiple scales that handle the same product, the unit price etc. can be changed on any of the scales and the data is included. By sending the change notification message to the file controller, the PLU in the PLU file is
The contents of the LU are changed, and after this change, the changes act as a PLU file in common for each scale, and only one change operation is required. Since the changes include information about the reason for the changes, the change mistake check, etc. It can be used as a judgment material of, and the adequacy of the change can be rapidly made.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, FIG. 1 shows a system configuration. A plurality of electronic scales 2 and 3 are connected inline to one file controller (FC) 1 by a real-time system (loop system). Here, both the scales 2 and 3 are equipped with a label printer and have a function of issuing a measured and labeled label, but the scale 2 is for backroom and the scale 3 is for store. . In addition, in connection with in-line connection, the in-line cable 4 of this embodiment is connected by HDLC (high level data link control), SDLC (synchronized data link control), or a procedure based on these. In other words, as an in-line system, there is also a multi-drop system in which a scale having a PLU memory is connected to a personal computer or the like by a batch method, but in this type of in-line system, other scales are not interrupted during communication with a specific scale. No, it takes time to process. In this respect, according to the real-time in-line system of the present embodiment, even if there is communication between the specific scale 2 or 3 and the file controller 1, another scale 2 or 3 can interrupt. A personal computer (PC) 5 is connected to such a file controller 1 by a connection line 6 in a BSC procedure or a procedure similar thereto. The personal computer 5 is for performing operations such as setting and changing a PLC file (described later) provided in the file controller 1.

The contents of the PLU file 7 of the file controller 1 are shown in FIG. This PLU file 7
In FIG. 1, one item is configured as a PLU by a PLU number column 8, a product name column 9, a unit price column 10, and other product information (for example, planned production quantity, tare etc.) column 11. Such a PLU file 7 stores a plurality of PLUs used in the scales 2 and 3 in advance and collectively manages them.
PLU can be registered up to 0 items. FIG. 2 shows, as an example, a part of the contents of each PLU for the products “radish”, “tomato”, and “citrus”.

Data processing between the file controller 1 and each of the scales 2 and 3 associated with the weighing and pricing operation in such a configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. First, when a PLU number is entered as a numerical value on any scale 2 or 3, the scale 2 or 3 sends a PLU interim message RPLU to the file controller 1. This interim message RPL
In U, for example, as shown in FIG. 4A, the address of the scale 2 or 3 (for example, 01) and the PLU number to be called (for example, in the case of “tomato” in FIG. 2, 0035)
And information is included. And file controller 1
On the side, when receiving the interim message RPLU, the PLU file 7 is searched for the PLU of the corresponding number and the response data message APLU is transmitted to the interim balance 2 or 3. The response data message APLU includes information of the PLU memory (that is, product name, unit price, planned production quantity, tare quantity, etc.) as shown in FIG. 4B, for example. Here, the planned production quantity is the planned quantity of how many packs a day can be made when selling by weighing and pricing. Then, by receiving this response data message APLU in the balance 2 or 3 which has been in time, the information necessary for issuing the label can be obtained, and this information is displayed on the display unit of the scale 2 or 3. The weighing and pricing work will be performed on the weighed products. In this way, data is exchanged between the scales 2 and 3 and the file controller 1, and the weighing and pricing work is performed.

In this way, basically, the PLU file 7 is provided in the file controller 1 and is in-line connected to each of the scales 2 and 3 in a real-time manner. Even if a label is issued, it is not necessary to provide a PLU memory for the same product in each scale 2 and 3, and the P of the file controller 1
The LU memory 7 can be commonly used and can be collectively or centrally managed.

In this embodiment, however, the unit price, effective date, planned production quantity, etc. can be easily changed. Data processing between the file controller 1 and the scale 2 or 3 in the case of this change work will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7. First, after the PLU is called from an arbitrary scale 2 or 3 as described at the time of weighing and weighing in FIG. 4, the change operation is performed by setting the scale 2 or 3 in the setting mode. Specifically, it is performed by keying in new data regarding a portion to be changed, for example, a unit price or a planned production quantity, while looking at the contents of the PLU that is called and displayed on the display unit. When the contents are changed, the person in charge of the change time and the person in charge of who made the change and the reason for the change are also keyed in and included in the change. Here, regarding the reason for the change, a code corresponding to each reason is set in the table such as 00: None, 01: Sale, 02: Large quantity of goods received: 03: Inventory adjustment: 04: Change of arrival price, etc. Yes, it is done by entering the code. The process of this change work will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 7. First, in the setting mode, the reason for changing the unit price is input (for example, in the case of a large quantity receipt, the change reason code 02 is input). If so, the code is stored in the change reason memory. The unit price change input is stored in the new unit price memory, the effective date change input is stored in the new effective date memory, and the planned production number change input is stored in the new planned production number memory. When the execution key is pressed to instruct the transfer after such setting, as shown in FIG. 6, the scale address, PLU number, new unit price, old unit price,
A change notification message CPLU including the change time, the reason for change, the new planned production number, the old planned production number and the person-in-charge code is created by the change notification message setting means.
Is transmitted to the file controller 1. When the file controller 1 receives the change notification message CPLU, the unit price and the planned production quantity in the corresponding PLU in the PLU file 7 are changed by replacing the old unit price and the old planned production quantity with the new unit price and the new planned production quantity, respectively. . In this way, the change operation is performed in any scale 2 or 3 and the change notification message CPLU is transmitted to the file controller 1 to change the data for the necessary PLU in the PLU file 7 and change the change. After that, the new data is commonly valid for each scale 2 and 3. That is, even if the unit price is changed when the same product is handled by a plurality of scales, one change is performed by one scale 2 or 3 on the side where the actual product is actually handled. The work is sufficient, and the change work is simplified. In particular, for fresh food, etc., the chief class seller at the site often has the right to decide the unit price, the planned production quantity, etc. Therefore, according to the change work like this example, it was actually suitable. Will be things. It should be noted that such a unit price changing operation or the like may be executed in combination with the weighing and pricing operation or the like.

By the way, when the file controller 1 receives such a change notification message CPLU and changes the unit price or the like, in parallel with this, as shown in FIG.
A change content detail file 12 is created based on the content of
And in the management department in supermarkets etc.,
By sucking up the change contents file 12 from the file controller 1 by the personal computer 5 when necessary, the change contents such as the unit price on the scale can be known in detail and the unit price change error or the like can be found early. . In particular, in the present embodiment, since the change contents also include the information about the reason for the change, the contents of the change detail file 12 as shown in FIG. It is possible to judge and manage whether it is a thing. This makes an appropriate judgment also in that it includes information such as a person-in-charge code.

By the way, in the present embodiment, the file controller 1 actually changes the PLU data based on the change work on the scales 2 and 3, which is advantageous in using the scale. In other words, the scales 2 and 3 are required to be in a state in which they can always weigh products, and it is desired that the non-weighing state due to change work is as short as possible. In this respect, the unit price and the like can be changed even if each of the scales 2 and 3 and the personal computer 5 are connected inline, but it takes a long time to be in the inline state and unable to perform the measurement until the change process is completed. However, in this embodiment, the change notification message C is sent from the scale 2 or 3 to the file controller 1.
If the PLU is transmitted, the change process will be performed in the file controller 1 thereafter, and the scales 2 and 3 are immediately ready for weighing without waiting for the completion of the change. In this way, the original measurable state of the scales 2 and 3 can be easily secured.

As described above, the present invention connects a file controller inline with a plurality of balances and a PLU file in a rear-time manner, and when a unit price or the like is changed, the change operation is performed in any scale, and the change is performed. The change notification message is transmitted to the file controller, so even if the same product is weighed with different scales and the label is issued, the change work is done on the site side by one unit. It is possible to manage all scales with the PLU contents after the change, and at this time, since the change contents also include information about the reason for the change, it is possible to judge the change mistake check etc. Used for materials,
The suitability of the change can be promptly made.

[Brief description of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a wiring diagram of the entire system, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a PLU file, FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram of data transfer at the time of weighing and pricing, and FIG.
Figure is a message format diagram, Fig. 5 is a sequence diagram of data exchange at the time of change work, Fig. 6 is a message format diagram, Fig. 7 is a flow chart, and Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram of change details file. Is. 1 ... File controller, 2,3 ... Scale, 7 ... P
LU file, CPLU ... Change notification message

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of scales each having a printer and having a label issuing function, and a plurality of PLUs required by these scales are PLUs.
A change reason memory for storing the change reason of the change contents set by the change work in any of the scales is provided by inline connection with a file controller that is stored in advance as a file and collectively managed in real time. Change notification message setting means for setting a change notification message for transmitting the change content including the change reason stored in the file controller to the file controller to change the content of the PLU in the PLU file. Weighing in-line system.