Self contained point of sale printing system and method

US6293715A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Axiohm Transaction Solutions, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Arthur James · Ithaca, US
• Phillip M. Martinez · Groton, US
• Michael Walls · Kenmore, US
• Keith Jentoft · Circle Pines, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 6, 1997
• Grant date: Sep 25, 2001
• Expiry date: Oct 6, 2017

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G07G5/00
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention features a Point of Sale (POS) printer that includes an encoding module that magnetizes and reads the account and bank information from existing magnetic characters on a check. The encoding module prints the characters in the AMOUNT field of the check, according to ANSI.sup.1, ISO.sup.2, or other standards. The characters are printed with an ink having magnetic particles embedded therein. The POS printer magnetizes and reads these characters after they are printed, in order to verify that the correct amount has been encoded onto the check. The encoding module can include a magnet to magnetize the characters; a read head to read and analyze the signal waveform from each character; and a print mechanism with the capability of using magnetic ink for printing the characters. The method of the invention directs the POS printer to follow a certain sequence of actions in order to accomplish the printing and verification at the point of sale.