Point of sale apparatus

Apparatus for monitoring and recording commercial transactions, comprising:

• point of sale housing means for positioning at the situs of said transaction;
• first keyboard means mounted upon said housing means and manually actuable to provide a select first key output representing a point of sale transaction;
• second keyboard means manually actuable to provide a select second key output representing a general computer function input;
• keyboard output port means for receiving and transmitting keyboard data signals including said first key output and said second key output;
• switch means coupled between said keyboard output port means and said second keyboard means and controllable to assume non-conducting and conducting conditions for effecting a select transmission of said second key output from said second keyboard means to said keyboard output port means;
• microprocessor means mounted with said point of sale housing means including read/write memory, processor memory retaining a unique key code corresponding with said first key output of said first keyboard means and representing an aspect of said transaction, clock means for providing a processor clock signal of predetermined frequency,
• said microprocessor means responsive to said first key output of said first keyboard means for accessing said processor memory for said unique key code and retaining said unique key code in said read/write memory,
• said microprocessor means responsive in the absence of said second key output of said second keyboard means for controlling said switch means to provide said non-conducting condition and for effecting transmission of said unique key code and processor clock signal as said keyboard data signals from said keyboard output port means,
• said microprocessor means responsive in the presence of said second key output of said second keyboard means to provide said switch means conducting condition to permit transmission of said second key output as said keyboard data signals from said keyboard output port means;
• a general purpose computer mounted with said point of sale housing means, having an operator system and including an input designated port coupled with said keyboard output port means and having output designated ports, memory means for retaining a device driver program within a basic input-output system high priority location thereof and a preloaded predetermined sequence of code program at memory applications region positions without said basic input-output system high priority locations, said operating system being:
• said general purpose computer responsive to said keyboard data signals corresponding with said unique transmitted key codes to access said device driver program to establish a vector interrupt corresponding with said keyboard data signals representing said unique transmitted key codes to access said memory means retained code programs on a priority basis and effect the execution thereof to derive a corresponding operation output of predetermined said designated output ports, and
• said general purpose computer responsive to said transmitted keyboard data signals corresponding with said select second key outputs to derive a corresponding said operation output at predetermined said designated output ports;
• first display means mounted with said housing including a video generator circuit and a first visual display, said video generator circuit being coupled with a said output designated port and responsive to a said operation output for generating a perceptible output at said first visual display;
• and
• printer means coupled with a said output designated port and responsive to said operation output for providing printed text corresponding therewith.

Apparatus for monitoring and recording commercial transactions, comprising:

• housing means for positioning at the situs of said transaction;
• first keyboard means mounted upon said housing means and manually actuable to provide a select key output;
• keyboard output port means for receiving and transmitting keyboard data signals;
• microprocessor means mounted with said housing means, including a processor memory retaining a unique key code corresponding with said select key output, configured as a unique memory address and representing an aspect of said transaction, said microprocessor means having clock means for providing an output of predetermined frequency, and responsive to said select key output for accessing said processor memory unique key code for effecting transmission of said unique key code and clock output as said keyboard data signals from said keyboard output port means;
• a general purpose computer mounted with said housing means, having an operating system and including an input designated port coupled with said keyboard output port means and having output designated ports, memory means for retaining a device driver program within a basic input-output system location thereof and a preloaded predetermined sequence of code programs at memory jump address locatable positions without said basic input output system locations, said operating system being responsive to said unique transmitted key codes to access said device driver program to establish a vector interrupt as a function of said unique transmitted key codes to substantially prioritize access to said memory means retained said code programs and effect the execution thereof to derive a corresponding operation output at predetermined said output ports,
• first display means mounted with said housing including a video generator circuit and a first visual display, said video generator circuit being coupled with a said output designated port and responsive to a said operation output for generating a perceptible output at said first visual display;
• and
• printer means coupled with a said output designated port and responsive to said operation output for providing printed text corresponding therewith.