Claims
- 1. A retail terminal, comprising:first terminal cabinet; a second terminal cabinet defining an interior cabinet chamber; an interactive customer interface terminal secured to said first terminal cabinet, said interactive customer interface terminal having an interface terminal data port associated therewith; a port expander device secured to said second terminal cabinet, said port expander device having a first expander data port, a second expander data port, and a third expander data port associated therewith; a first retail peripheral device positioned within said interior cabinet chamber, said first retail peripheral device having a first peripheral data port associated therewith; and a second retail peripheral device positioned within said interior cabinet chamber, said second retail peripheral device having a second peripheral data port associated therewith, wherein (i) said interactive customer interface terminal data port is electrically coupled to said first expander data port via a first data cable, (ii) said first peripheral data port is electrically coupled to said second expander data port via a second data cable, and (iii) said second peripheral data port is electrically coupled to said third expander data port via a third data cable, and wherein both said second data cable and said third data cable are completely contained within said interior cabinet chamber.
- 2. The retail terminal of claim 1, wherein:a portion of said first data cable extends outside of said second terminal cabinet, and said portion of said first data cable is coupled to said interactive customer interface terminal data port.
- 3. The retail terminal of claim 1, wherein:both said interactive customer interface terminal data port and said first expander data port are configured as a first interface type, each of said second expander data port, said third expander data port, said first peripheral data port, and said second peripheral data port are configured as a second interface type, and said first interface type is different from said second interface type.
- 4. The retail terminal of claim 3, wherein:said first interface type includes a universal serial bus interface, and said second interface type includes an RS-232 serial interface.
- 5. The retail terminal of claim 1, wherein:said first retail peripheral device includes a currency dispenser, and said second retail peripheral device includes a currency acceptor.
- 6. The retail terminal of claim 1, wherein said first data cable extends between said first terminal cabinet and said second terminal cabinet.
- 7. A retail terminal, comprising:a first terminal cabinet; a second terminal cabinet defining an interior cabinet chamber; an interactive customer interface terminal secured to said first terminal cabinet, said interactive customer interface terminal having an interface terminal data port associated therewith; a port expander device secured to said second terminal cabinet, said port expander device having a first expander data port, a second expander data port, and a third expander data port associated therewith; a first retail peripheral device secured to said second retail terminal, said first retail peripheral device having a first peripheral data port associated therewith; and a second retail peripheral device secured to said second terminal, said second retail peripheral device having a second peripheral data port associated therewith, wherein (i) said interactive customer interface terminal data port is electrically coupled to said first expander data port via a first data cable, (ii) said first peripheral data port is electrically coupled to said second expander data port via a second data cable, and (iii) said second peripheral data port is electrically coupled to said third expander data port via a third data cable, wherein both said second data cable and said third data cable are completely contained within said interior cabinet chamber, wherein a portion of said first data cable extends outside of said second terminal cabinet, and wherein said portion of said first data cable is coupled to said interactive customer interface terminal data port.
- 8. The retail terminal of claim 2, wherein:both said interactive customer interface terminal data port and said first expander data port are configured as a first interface type, each of said second expander data port, said third expander data port, said first peripheral data port, and said second peripheral data port are configured as a second interface type, and said first interface type is different from said second interface type.
- 9. The retail terminal of claim 8, wherein:said first interface type includes a universal serial bus interface, and said second interface type includes an RS-232 serial interface.
- 10. The retail terminal of claim 7, wherein:said first retail peripheral device includes a currency dispenser, and said second retail peripheral device includes a currency acceptor.
- 11. The retail terminal of claim 7 wherein said first data cable extends between said first terminal cabinet and said second terminal cabinet.
- 12. The retail terminal of claim 7, wherein both said first retail peripheral device and said second retail peripheral device are positioned within said interior cabinet chamber.
- 13. A retail terminal, comprising:a terminal cabinet defining an interior cabinet chamber; a controller having a controller data port associated therewith; a port expander device secured to said terminal cabinet, said port expander device having a first expander data port, a second expander data port, and a third expander data port associated therewith; a first retail peripheral device supported by said retail terminal cabinet, said first retail peripheral device having a first peripheral data port associated therewith; and a second retail peripheral device supported by said terminal cabinet, said second retail peripheral device having a second peripheral data port associated therewith, wherein (i) said controller data port is electrically coupled to said first expander data port via a first data cable, (ii) said first peripheral data port is electrically coupled to said second expander data port via a second data cable, and (iii) said second peripheral data port is electrically coupled to said third expander data port via a third data cable, wherein said first data cable, said second data cable, and said third data cable are positioned within said interior cabinet chamber, wherein a portion of said first data cable extends outside of said second terminal cabinet, and wherein said portion of said first data cable is coupled to said controller data port.
- 14. The retail terminal of claim 13, wherein:said controller is a component of an interactive customer interface terminal, and said interactive customer interface terminal is secured to another cabinet structure of said retail terminal.
- 15. The retail terminal of claim 13, wherein:both said controller data port and said first expander data port are configured as a first interface type, each of said second expander data port, said third expander data port, said first peripheral data port, and said second peripheral data port are configured as a second interface type, and said first interface type is different from said second interface type.
- 16. The retail terminal of claim 15, wherein:said first interface type includes a universal serial bus interface, and said second interface type includes an RS-232 serial interface.
- 17. The retail terminal of claim 13, wherein:said first retail peripheral device includes a currency dispenser, and said second retail peripheral device includes a currency acceptor.
- 18. The retail terminal of claim 13, wherein said first data cable extends between said terminal cabinet and said cabinet structure.
- 19. The retail terminal of claim 13, wherein both said first retail peripheral device and said second retail peripheral device are positioned within said interior cabinet chamber.
- 20. The retail terminal of claim 13, wherein:said first retail peripheral device includes a security scale, and said second retail peripheral device includes an electronic payment device.
CROSS REFERENCE
Cross reference is made to copending U.S. patent applications Ser. No. 09/432,638, entitled “Apparatus and Method for Operating a Checkout System Having a Security Scale for Providing Security During an Assisted Checkout Transaction” by Wilfried E. Y. Dejaeger; Ser. No. 09/432,641, entitled “Apparatus and Method for Operating a Checkout System Having a Scanner Which is Rotatable Between an Assisted Scanner Position and a Self-Service Scanner Position” by Wilfried E. Y. Dejaeger, Mark S. Hoffman, Terry M. Glogovsky, and Alfred J. Hutcheon; Ser. No. 09/432,640, entitled “Apparatus and Method for Operating Convertible Checkout System Which Has a Customer Side and a Personnel Side” by Wilfried E. Y. Dejaeger, Alfred J. Hutcheon, John C. Addy, and James Morrison; Ser. No. 09/432,636, entitled “Apparatus and Method for Operating a Checkout System Having a Movable Takeaway Belt Mechanism and Associated System Construction” by Charles K. Wike, Jr., Kurt J. Lippert, and Paul F. Nugent, Jr.; Ser. No. 09/432,635, entitled “Apparatus and Method for Operating a Checkout System Having an Item Set-Aside Shelf Which is Movable Between a Number of Shelf Positions” by Paul F. Nugent, Jr.; Ser. No. 09/432,637, entitled “Apparatus and Method for Operating a Checkout System Having a Power Distribution Architecture Which Conforms to an International Standard” by Robert T. Snyder; Ser. No. 09/432,626, entitled “Apparatus and Method for Operating a Checkout System Having an Electronic Security Deactivation Device Associated Therewith” by Robert T. Snyder and Kurt J. Lippert; Ser. No. 09/432,157, entitled “Apparatus and Method for Operating a Checkout System Which Has a Number of Payment Devices for Tendering Payment During an Assisted Checkout Transaction” by Donald L. Forsythe and Horng Jaan Lin; Ser. No. 09/432,630, entitled “Apparatus and Method for Operating a Checkout System Having a Number of Interface Terminals Associated Therewith” by Kurt J. Lippert, Charles K. Wike, Jr., and Paul F. Nugent, Jr.; Ser. No. 09/432,639, entitled “Apparatus and Method for Operating a Checkout System Having a Display Monitor Which Displays Both Transaction Information and Customer-Specific Messages During a Checkout Transaction” by Wilfried E. Y. Dejaeger; Ser. No. 09/432,628, entitled “Apparatus and Method for Operating a Checkout System Having an RF Transmitter for Communicating to a Number of Wireless Personal Pagers” by Robert T. Snyder; Ser. No. 09/432,631, entitled “Apparatus and Method for Operating a Checkout System Having an RF Transmitter for Communicating to a Receiver Associated with an Intercom System” by Robert T. Snyder and Kurt J. Lippert; and Ser. No. 09/432,627, entitled “Apparatus and Method for Operating a Checkout System Having a Number of Item Sensors for Controlling Operation of an Input Belt Mechanism” by Kurt J. Lippert and Robert T. Snyder; Ser. No. 09/432,629, entitled “Apparatus and Method for Operating a Checkout System Having a Video Camera for Enhancing Security During Operation Thereof” by Kurt J. Lippert, each of which is assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, and each of which is filed concurrently herewith.
US Referenced Citations (36)