Method and system for handling a queue

Abstract

The invention concerns a system designed for handling a queue at store checkouts and similar. Instead of one queue at each check-out counter all counters have one common single-line queue. At the front of the queue there is a display showing the status for each of the checkouts and indicates when the next customer in the queue should proceed to an available counter. The display shows the status of the checkout counters and thereby indicates to the next customer in the queue that it is time to proceed to an available checkout counter. The checkout counters and the central processing units are interconnected such that the display, upon the occurrence of specific triggering events associated with transaction events from a checkout counter, is arranged to automatically indicate a change in status and update the status for said checkout counter. The invention also relates to a method for handling a queue as referred above.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.