Abstract: A software platform and method are presented for integrating loosely coupled services or offerings provided across a retail environment into self-service terminals configured to perform different type of retail functions. The integration is accomplished with little or no modifications to existing software applications that provide the services or offerings.

Abstract: A flexible financial services terminal and methods of operation is presented. The flexible financial services terminal provides a list of financial services to a customer. The customer selects a financial service and provides requested information related to the selected financial service. After the customer information is entered, a cashier trained in money transfers is called to the terminal to review the information and approve the financial service. Each financial service approved by the cashier is processed by the terminal and a fee is charged to the customer. The terminal further performs a purchase transaction that includes the fee for the financial service and receives payment from the customer for the purchase.

Abstract: A flexible financial services terminal and methods of operation is presented. The flexible financial services terminal provides a list of financial services to a customer. The customer selects a financial service and provides requested information related to the selected financial service. After the customer information is entered, a cashier trained in money transfers is called to the terminal to review the information and approve the financial service. Each financial service approved by the cashier is processed by the terminal and a fee is charged to the customer. The terminal further performs a purchase transaction that includes the fee for the financial service and receives payment from the customer for the purchase.

Abstract: A method of controlling a self-service terminal which makes optimal use of features offered by the self-service terminal. The method includes the steps of monitoring operation of a self-service terminal application, determining features of the self-service terminal application used by operators, storing usage information about the features, identifying triggering information, analyzing the usage information and the triggering information to determine optimal features to enable in the self-service terminal application, and enabling the optimal features.

Abstract: A system and method of displaying information by an electronic price label which uses thresholds to minimize the number of messages to an electronic price label. The system includes a record for an item associated with the electronic price label which contains the thresholds. The thresholds divide the information into a number of ranges including a first range of information and a second range of information.

Abstract: A system and method of displaying information by an electronic price label which uses thresholds to minimize the number of messages to an electronic price label. The system includes a record for an item associated with the electronic price label which contains the thresholds. The thresholds divide the information into a number of ranges including a first range of information and a second range of information.

Abstract: A method of completing a transaction using payment information received from a personal wireless device. The method includes the steps of recording items for purchase, determining a total price of the items, displaying a prompt to provide payment for the total price, and wirelessly receiving payment information from a personal wireless device.

Abstract: A security method for a self-service checkout system with radio frequency identification (RFID) capability. The security method includes the steps of obtaining cart identification information from an RFID label attached to a cart by a security computer at a security station, obtaining first item identification information from a self-service computer transaction record using the cart identification information, obtaining second item identification information from a group of RFID labels attached to a group of items in the cart by the security computer, and comparing the first item identification information in the transaction record to the second item identification information to determine whether the second item identification information equals the first item identification information.

Abstract: An application or print driver on a point-of-sale terminal determines the break point of a transaction record to be printed on two sides of media. The print data is sent to the printer in a particular amount of print data for print on the front side followed by a particular amount of print data for print on the back side. The application or print driver then alternates between the print data on the front and the print data on the back until the end of the transaction record is transmitted. When all print data for the front is transmitted, an end of front data indicator is sent. When all print data for the back is transmitted, an end of back data indicator is sent. When both indicators are sent, the printer is allowed to cut the transaction record.

Abstract: An application or print driver on a point-of-sale terminal determines the break point of a transaction record to be printed on two sides of media. The print data is sent to the printer in a particular amount of print data for print on the front side followed by a particular amount of print data for print on the back side. The application or print driver then alternates between the print data on the front and the print data on the back until the end of the transaction record is transmitted. When all print data for the front is transmitted, an end of front data indicator is sent. When all print data for the back is transmitted, an end of back data indicator is sent. When both indicators are sent, the printer is allowed to cut the transaction record.

Abstract: A software platform and method are presented for integrating loosely coupled services or offerings provided across a retail environment into self-service terminals configured to perform different type of retail functions. The integration is accomplished with little or no modifications to existing software applications that provide the services or offerings.

Abstract: A system and method of refilling a prescription which uses a pharmacy kiosk. One embodiment of the system includes a touch screen located at a pharmacy, an input device in the touch screen or card reader for recording identification information from a customer, a barcode reader located at the pharmacy for reading a barcode containing prescription information from a previous transaction, a card reader or cash acceptor or check reader located at the pharmacy for receiving payment from the customer, and a computer located at the pharmacy for displaying a prompt to enter the identification information and scan the barcode using the touch screen, for recording the prescription information using the barcode reader, for determining corresponding price information for a refill of the prescription, and for processing payment for the refill from the customer.

Abstract: A system and method of determining interactions between medicines which includes a pharmacy kiosk. One embodiment of the pharmacy kiosk includes a display, an input device, and a computer for displaying a prompt to enter medicine identification information for a medicine, for recording the medicine identification information, for obtaining interaction information between the medicine and other medicines, and for displaying the interaction information. The computer may additionally record operator identification information, obtain prescriptions of the operator for the other medicines using the operator identification information, obtain interaction information between the medicine and the other medicines, and display the interaction information.

Abstract: A method of displaying information by a network kiosk which causes different information to be displayed when someone passes within a predetermined distance of the kiosk. The method includes the steps of sensing a person within a predetermined distance of the kiosk, displaying first information, timing a time period, and displaying second information if the person did not begin use of the kiosk within the time period.

Abstract: A system for processing payment of bills from multiple bill providers which establishes connections to bill provider computers through APIs unique to each bill provider. The system includes a display for displaying a list of bill providers, an input device for recording customer selections of a number of the bill providers from the list, a payment accepting device, such as a check reader, card reader, or cash acceptor, and a processor for establishing connections to computers of the bill providers through the APIs which are resident on the kiosk in response to the customer selections, for sending customer identification information to the computers, for receiving and displaying customer account information from the computers, for recording the payments from the payment accepting device, and for sending payment information to the computers.

Abstract: A system and method of managing data for electronic price label overlays which automates printing of new and changed overlays. The method determines electronic price label information and price look-up file descriptions that have been added or changed for particular electronic price labels. Additions and changes in overlay data are marked and identified by the marks to create a print data file. Alternatively, additions and changes are identified by a comparison of a first file with a second file containing the additions and changes. The system includes a number of storage media for storing the PLU file and the EPL data file, and a computer which determines a change in the PLU file or the EPL data file and which creates the print file for printing an overlay for the change in the PLU file and EPL data file.

Abstract: A system and method of tracking bill payment methods which stores details about payment to develop promotions. The system includes a touch screen, keyboard, or other device for recording customer identification information. A display displays payment method options based upon the customer identification information. A touch screen or keyboard for records bill payer selection of one of the payment options. A cash acceptor, check reader, or card reader receives payment in accordance with the one payment option. Finally, a processor determines predetermined details about the payment and stores the details.

Abstract: A method to provide directions to customers requesting information about the location of products in a store that brings the customer into the vicinity of other products in which the customer may have an interest to purchase receives customer identification data and product selection data, determines customer interest data from the customer identification data, and generates a customer path to a location corresponding to the product selection data that includes a location corresponding to the customer interest data. A customer following the generated path comes into the vicinity of one or more products in which the customer may have an interest to purchase. A customer may enter the identification data through a keypad or through a scanning device that reads a customer token. Preferably, the customer token may be a smart card or a card bearing a magnetic stripe. A keypad or touch screen may be used to provide product selection data.

Abstract: A method controlling an application from a web page. The method includes the steps of recording activation of an interface button associated with the application on the web page, determining whether the application is already active, and calling the application if the application is not already active. The method further includes the step of passing command line parameters to the application if the application is a non-web application.

Abstract: A system and method of transferring information between a first software application and a second software application which employ an isolation layer. The system includes a client computer system provided by a first seller of computer systems, including a client software application, and a server computer system provided by a second seller of computer systems different from the first seller of computer systems, including a server software application which provides information from the server computer system to the client computer system. The system additionally includes isolation layer software, either at the client computer system or at the server computer system, which facilitates communication between the client software application and the server software application to transfer the information.