International Business Machines Corporation

Other

Irving L Miller

Martin E Chamoff

Wayne L Lemmon

Michael Lawrence Nordstrom

Robert Frederick Herald

Donald LeRoy Thorson

Don W Piller

Deanna C Taylor

Glen E Rollings

James Roland Dillinger

Donald L Thorson

Carrie L Harney

James A Schablitsky

Harry L Baldwin

Eugene P Wojtczak

Gerald D Murray

LaVern F Peterson

Max J Robinett

Beryl D Bergschneider

Ronald G Elshaug

Thomas W Suther, Iii

Johnnie D Shanklin

Anthony V Steinman

Irwin Miller

LindaMay P Allen

Darrel C Walberg

Customized instructions for installation of a device having multiple variable components is described, and are generated by an instruction generator program. A device description file lists a desired set of components for the device. Each of the components is broken down into one or more installation tasks, and the tasks are sequenced in a desired order for installation of the device. Text and graphic modules for inclusion in the instructions are varied based on the physical characteristics of the components, and their interconnection. Scaled line drawings are also generated based on information about each component and its placement in the device.

Customized instruction generator

A standalone point-of-sale terminal in a unitary physical package has input/output devices for communicating transaction data between the terminal and an operator, and also has a cash drawer. These devices and a direct-access storage are controlled by a programmable processor which executes low-level routines from read-only addressable memory and serially replaceable high-level applications programs from read/write addressable memory. Both applications programs and transaction data are stored on a single non-volatile, removable storage medium.

Electronic point-of-sale system using direct-access storage

A reconfigurable clustered system of data-entry terminals includes a plurality of physically separate data-entry terminals coupled to a communications link in a cluster. Each of the terminals includes a programmable digital processor for transferring data and programs over the communications link. Each of the terminals further includes entry devices for communicating information between an operator and the programmable processor. At least two of the terminals are media terminals further including a storage for containing both data from the terminals and programs for all of the terminals in the cluster. Selection circuitry is provided to designate any one of the media terminals as a primary media terminal, such that all other terminals in the cluster, including others of the media terminals, exchange both data and programs with the primary media terminal. The selection circuitry is operable to designate different ones of the media terminals as the primary media terminal without the requirement of any physical reconfiguration of the cluster of terminals.

Reconfigurable cluster of data-entry terminals

A printer of the wire type including 8 print wires disposed in a row and each actuatable by an electromagnet for printing individual characters defined by eight dots high and seven dots wide on a longitudinally movable ticket medium. The printing mechanism is also capable of printing fractions including numerators defined by the top six print wires and denominators defined by the bottom six wires together with a diagonally extending slash mark the printed dots of which lie within the seven dot wide character areas and a three dots wide normally blank area between characters. The printing mechanism may be so controlled either by a hardware embodiment of control or a micro controller.

Printing mechanism

Growing community of inventors

Pine Island, MN, United States of America

Irving L Miller