Patent Application
20250148884
The present invention relates to a terminal apparatus.
At a retail store and the like, as represented by a POS terminal, a terminal apparatus that performs at least one of product registration processing and settlement processing is used.
Meanwhile, information having a high degree of confidentiality such as an identification number and personal information may be input to a terminal at a public place. For this point, for example, Patent Document 1 describes that a wall for shielding a line of sight is provided on an enclosure that houses a keypad. Further, Patent Documents 2, 3, and 4 describe that a cover is provided on a keypad of an automatic transaction apparatus.
In recent years, in a terminal apparatus being used when at least one of product registration processing and settlement processing is performed, an opportunity to input information having a high degree of confidentiality is increasing. One example of an object of the present invention is to make information less likely to be leaked to another person when information having a high degree of confidentiality is input to such a terminal apparatus.
One aspect of the present invention provides a terminal apparatus that is used when at least one of product registration processing and settlement processing is performed, and includes:
According to one aspect of the present invention, when information having a high degree of confidentiality is input in a terminal apparatus being used when at least one of product registration processing and settlement processing is performed, the information is less likely to be leaked to another person.
The above-described object, the other objects, features, and advantages will become more apparent from suitable example embodiments described below and the following accompanying drawings.
Hereinafter, example embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that, in all of the drawings, a similar component has a similar reference sign, and description thereof will be appropriately omitted.
The terminal apparatus 10 includes a housing 110, a first input device 172, and a shielding portion 300. The first input device 172 is provided on an upper surface of the housing 110, and receives an input of at least one of a character and a number from a user. The shielding portion 300 is provided on the housing 110, and shields a line of sight of the first input device from a person other than a user. The shielding portion 300 includes a first member 302 and a second member 304. The first member 302 is located on one side of the first input device when viewed from a user. The second member 304 is located on another side of the first input device when viewed from a user. Hereinafter, the terminal apparatus 10 will be described in detail.
The terminal apparatus 10 includes the housing 110. An arithmetic processing unit is housed in the housing 110. The arithmetic processing unit performs at least one of, for example, both of the product registration processing and the settlement processing. The arithmetic processing unit may perform a part or the whole of the product registration processing, and may perform a part or the whole of the settlement processing. Further, the arithmetic processing unit may control the first display 130, and a second display 140 and a third display 150 described below.
The first input device 172 and a second input device 174 are disposed on one surface, for example, an upper surface of the housing 110. The first input device 172 and the second input device 174 are operated by a customer, and are thus located closer to a customer side than the center of the upper surface of the housing 110 in a plan view. As described above, the first input device 172 is a device for receiving an input of at least one of a character and a number. One example of the first input device 172 is a numeric keypad. One example of the second input device 174 is a reading apparatus that reads information from a medium. For example, the medium used herein may be a card including an IC chip, may be a portable terminal such as a smartphone, and may be paper on which a code is printed. The code used herein may be a bar code or a two-dimensional code. The second input device 174 may read information from a medium by generating an image, may acquire information by performing short-range wireless communication with a medium, and may acquire information from a magnetic medium in a medium. Note that, the second input device 174 may further have a function of writing information to a medium.
When an input surface of the first input device 172 can be seen from another person, for example, another customer or a salesclerk while a customer is operating the first input device 172, there is a possibility that information input from the customer to the first input device 172 is leaked to another person. In contrast, the terminal apparatus 10 includes the shielding portion 300. As described above, the shielding portion 300 includes the first member 302 and the second member 304.
The first member 302 and the second member 304 are located next to the first input device 172, and include a portion protruding upward from the upper surface of the housing 110. In this way, when there is another person in a lateral direction of the terminal apparatus 10, the another person cannot see an operation surface of the first input device 172. A height from the operation surface of the first input device 172 to an upper end of the first member 302 is, for example, equal to or more than 3 cm and preferably equal to or more than 5 cm, which is not limited thereto. A height from the operation surface of the first input device 172 to an upper end of the second member 304 is also the same.
In a depth direction of the first member 302 and the second member 304, i.e., a left-and-right direction in
Further, the shielding portion 300 includes a third member 306. The third member 306 is located opposite to a customer across the first input device 172. The third member 306 extends from a salesclerk side to the customer side above the first input device 172. In this way, when viewed from a salesclerk, at least the operation surface of the first input device 172 is covered with the third member 306. Further, a height of the operation surface of the first input device 172 is lower than the third member 306. Thus, a space for a customer to operate the operation surface is secured between the operation surface and the third member 306. Therefore, even when the third member 306 is provided, operability of the first input device 172 does not decrease.
In the examples illustrated in
Further, an input device 120 and the first display 130 face the salesclerk side, and the second display 140 and the third display 150 face the customer side.
The input device 120 is operated by a salesclerk. One example of the input device 120 is a keyboard as described above, but may be another input device.
The first display 130 displays an operation screen for a salesclerk, and also displays at least one of information about the product registration processing and information about the settlement processing. There are various operation screens displayed on the first display 130.
The third display 150 is smaller than the second display 140. For example, a width in a height direction of the third display 150 is equal to or more than 0.5 times and equal to or less than 0.8 times a width in a height direction of the second display 140. Further, the second display 140 and the third display 150 face in the same direction. For example, an angle formed by a normal line of the third display 150 and a normal line of the second display 140 is, for example, equal to or less than 30° and, furthermore, equal to or less than 15°.
One of the second display 140 and the third display 150 displays information about the settlement processing of a product, for example, a registered product name, a price, a total payment amount, a payment method, an amount of change, and the like. Further, another of the second display 140 and the third display 150 displays an advertisement. However, the pieces of information displayed on the second display 140 and the third display 150 may be reversed.
Further, as illustrated in
The strut portion 250 has a columnar shape or a cylindrical shape, and is provided upright from the upper surface of the housing 110. The holding portion 210 is fixed to an upper portion of the strut portion 250 via the rotating portion 220, and the holding portion 230 is fixed to the upper portion of the strut portion 250 via the rotating portion 240.
The holding portion 210 is fixed to a back surface of the first display 130. The rotating portion 220 attaches the holding portion 210 to an upper portion of the strut portion 250 in a state where the holding portion 210 can rotate in both of an up-and-down direction and the horizontal direction. Thus, the first display 130 can rotate in both of the up-and-down direction and the horizontal direction with respect to the housing 110.
The holding portion 230 is fixed to a back surface of the second display 140 and a back surface of the third display 150. The rotating portion 240 attaches the holding portion 230 to an upper portion of the strut portion 250 in a state where the holding portion 230 can rotate in both of the up-and-down direction and the horizontal direction. Thus, the second display 140 and the third display 150 can rotate in both of the up-and-down direction and the horizontal direction with respect to the housing 110.
Note that, in the example illustrated in
Further, a capturing unit 160 is attached to the second display 140. An image generated by the capturing unit 160 includes a customer. Then, the image is used when, for example, an advertisement to be displayed on the third display 150 or the second display 140 is selected. Note that, the capturing unit 160 may be attached to the third display 150.
In the example illustrated in
The terminal apparatus 10 further includes a code reader 180. The code reader 180 reads a code of a product, for example, at least one of a bar code and a two-dimensional code. In the example illustrated in
Further, as illustrated in
Particularly in the present example embodiment, as described above, the reading unit 184 extends obliquely upward from an upper portion of the strut 182. A direction in which the reading unit 184 extends is the left-and-right direction in
As described above, according to the present example embodiment, the terminal apparatus 10 includes the shielding portion 300 around the first input device 172. Thus, when information is input to the first input device 172, the information is less likely to be leaked to another person.
The first member 302 is located between a first input device 172 and a second input device 174. Thus, there is a possibility that operability of the second input device 174 decreases due to the first member 302. For example, there is a possibility that a medium for inputting information to the second input device 174 physically comes into contact with the first member 302. In contrast, in the present example embodiment, a region of the first member 302 located on a customer side is lower than another region.
For example, in the depth direction, a first average value being an average of heights of a portion of the first member 302 located closer to the customer side than the center is lower than a second average value being an average of heights of a portion of the first member 302 located opposite to a customer across the center. A height of the first member 302 is defined as, for example, a height from a connection portion between the first member 302 and an upper surface of a housing 110 to an upper end of the first member 302. Then, the first average value is, for example, equal to or less than 0.5 times the second average value, and preferably equal to or less than 0.3 times the second average value. The first average value is, for example, equal to or less than 3 cm, preferably equal to or less than 2 cm, and more preferably equal to or less than 1.5 cm.
Further, when the second input device 174 includes a reading unit (for example, a region where a medium needs to be held up) that reads information from a medium, a part of the first member 302 overlaps the reading unit in the depth direction. In this case, an average value of heights of the region of the first member 302 overlapping the reading unit in the depth direction is preferably lower than the second average value described above. The average value is, for example, equal to or less than 0.5 times the second average value, and preferably equal to or less than 0.3 times the second average value.
Further, in this case, a third average value being an average of heights of the entire first member 302 is lower than a fourth average value being an average value of heights of an entire second member 304. The third average value is, for example, equal to or less than 0.7 times the fourth average value, and preferably equal to or less than 0.5 times the fourth average value.
Note that, when the first average value, the second average value, and the third average value are computed, a region within 5% from each end of the first member 302 in the depth direction may be excluded. Similarly, when the fourth average value is computed, a region within 5% from each end of the second member 304 in the depth direction may be excluded.
Also, according to the present example embodiment, the terminal apparatus 10 includes a shielding portion 300, and thus, when information is input to the first input device 172, the information is less likely to be leaked to another person. Further, a region of the first member 302 located on the customer side is lower than another region. Thus, even when the first member 302 is provided, operability of the second input device 174 does not decrease.
While the example embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings, the example embodiments are only exemplification of the present invention, and various configurations other than the above-described example embodiments can also be employed.
A part or the whole of the above-described example embodiment may also be described in supplementary notes below, which is not limited thereto.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2022/003821 | 2/1/2022 | WO |
