Electronic cash register having auxiliary file containing information which is transferrable to an article file to reduce operator entries

Claim 2

An electronic cash register comprising: memory means for storing an article file in which a plurality of first article data for various articles are filed; and circuit means for performing sales registration on the basis of the article file stored in said memory means; said memory means having an auxiliary file stored therein and means for filing a plurality of second article data, each of said second article data containing an article code and an article name; and said circuit means includes: input means for inputting at least an article code and information related to one of said articles; and processing means for reading out that one of said plurality of second article data from the auxiliary file which is identified by an article code input from said input means, for producing first article data by appending predetermined items of information input from said input means to the article code and the article name contained in the read second article data, and for setting the produced first article data in said article file.

Claim 3

The electronic cash register of claim 1, wherein: said memory means includes a random access memory having a first area for storing said article file and a second area for storing said auxiliary file; and said processing means includes means for deleting from said auxiliary file the second article data which has been read by said processing means and left in said auxiliary file to vary the ratio between the sizes of said first and second areas.

Claim 4

The electronic cash register of claim 1, wherein: each second article data filed in said auxiliary file contains candidates for the predetermined items of information along with the article code and the article name; and said processing means further includes means for displaying the candidates contained in the read article, and means for correcting unacceptable candidates according to predetermined items of information input only for the unacceptable candidates.

Claim 5

The electronic cash register of claim 3, wherein said processing means includes means for omitting said correction when an instruction for accepting the displayed candidates is input from said input means.

Claim 6

The electronic cash register of claim 1, wherein said memory means includes: a random access memory for storing said article file; and a memory medium other than the random access memory, for storing said auxiliary file.

Claim 7

The electronic cash register of claim 1, wherein said processing means includes: means for searching said article file for first article data identified by an article code input from said input means; and means for performing the sales registration on the identified first article data.

Claim 8

The electronic cash register of claim 6, wherein said processing means includes: means for searching said auxiliary file for second article data identified by the input article code when the identified first article data is detected to be absent in said article file; means for reading the identified second article data from the auxiliary file, for producing first article data by appending predetermined items of information input from said input means to the article code and the article name contained in the read second article data; and means for setting the produced first article data in said article file.

Claim 9

The electronic cash register of claim 7, wherein said processing means includes: means for producing first article data by combining an article code, an article name, and predetermined items of information input from said input means when the identified second article data is detected to be absent in said article file; and means for setting the produced first article data in said article file.

Claim 10

The electronic cash register of claim 7, wherein: said memory means includes a random access memory having a first area for storing said article file and a second area for storing said auxiliary file; and said processing means includes means for deleting from said auxiliary file the second article data read by said processing means from said auxiliary file to vary the ratio between the sizes of said first and second areas.

Claim 11

An electronic cash register comprising: file memory means for storing an article file in which article data items of first articles are filed, each of the code and an article name, and for storing an auxiliary file in which article data including data items of second articles are filed, each of the article data of said second articles including an article code and an article name; input means for inputting article data including at least an article code and information related to an article; and processing means for reading out article data of an article corresponding to the article code input via said input means from the article file, and for processing the readout data; wherein said processing means further includes setting means for reading out article data of a second article filed in the auxiliary file when said article data of the second article is not stored in the article file, and for setting the readout article data in the article file along with data input via said input means; and said setting means including deleting means for deleting article data from said auxiliary file which was used for setting-up the article file and which was left in the auxiliary file.

Claim 12

An electronic cash register comprising: file memory means for storing an article file in which article data items of first articles are filed, each of the code and an article name, and for storing an auxiliary file in which article data including data items of second articles are filed, each of the article data of said second articles including an article code and an article name; input means for inputting article data including at least an article code and information related to an article; and processing means for reading out article data of an article corresponding to the article code input via said input means from the article file, and for processing the readout data; wherein said processing means further includes setting means for reading out article data of a second article filed in the auxiliary file when said article data of the second article is not stored in the article file, and for setting the readout article data in the article file along with data input via said input means; and said setting means including deleting means for deleting article data from said auxiliary file which was used for setting-up the article file and which was left in the auxiliary file.

Claim 13

An electronic cash register comprising: file memory means for storing an article file in which article data items of first articles are filed, each of the article data items of said first articles including an article code and an article name, and for storing an auxiliary file in which article data including data items of second articles are filed, each of the article data of said second articles including an article code and an article name; input means for inputting article data including at least an article code and information related to an article; and processing means for reading out article data of an article corresponding to the article code input via said input means from the article file, and for processing the readout data; wherein said processing means further includes setting means for reading out article data of a second article filed in the auxiliary file when said article data of the second article is not stored in the article file, and for setting the readout article data in the article file along with data input via said input means; and said setting means including modifying means for modifying part of the article data of a second article read out from the auxiliary file on the basis of data input via said input means, before setting the read out article data in article file.

Claim 14

An electronic cash register comprising: file memory means for storing an article file in which article data items of first articles are filed, each of the article data items of said first articles including an article code and an article name, and for storing an auxiliary file in which article data including data items of second articles are filed, each of the article data of said second articles including an article code and an article name; input means for inputting article data including at least an article code and information related to an article; and processing means for reading out article data of an article corresponding to the article code input via said input means from the article file, and for processing the readout data; wherein said processing means further includes setting means for reading out article data of a second article filed in the auxiliary file when said article data of the second article is not stored in the article file, and for setting the readout article data in the article file along with data input via said input means; and said setting means including modifying means for modifying part of the article data of a second article read out from the auxiliary file on the basis of data input via said input means, before setting the read out article data in article file.

Claim 15

An electronic cash register comprising: file memory means for storing an article file in which article data items of first articles are filed, each of the article data items of said first articles including an article code and an article name, and for storing an auxiliary file in which article data including data items of second articles are filed, each of the article data of said second articles including an article code and an article name; input means for inputting article data including at least an article code and information related to an article; and processing means for reading out article data of an article corresponding to the article code input via said input means from the article file, and for processing the readout data; wherein said processing means further includes setting means for reading out article data of a second article filed in the auxiliary file when said article data of the second article is not stored in the article file, and for setting the readout article data in the article file along with data input via said input means; said processing means further including switching means for selectively setting at least a registration mode and a setting mode; said setting means including detecting means for detecting in at least said setting mode that article data of an article corresponding to the input article code input via said input means is not present in the article file and is present in the auxiliary file, and transfer means for reading out the article data detected by the detecting means from the auxiliary file and setting the readout article data in the article file with data input via said input means; and said processing means further includes settling means for registering the article code input by said input means as a sold article in the registration mode and settling the sold article based on the article data set in the article file by said transfer means.

Claim 16

An electronic cash register comprising: file memory means for storing an article file in which article data items of first articles are filed, each of the article data items of said first articles including an article code and an article name, and for storing an auxiliary file in which article data including data items of second articles are filed, each of the article data of said second articles including an article code and an article name; input means for inputting article data including at least an article code and information related to an article; and processing means for reading out article data of an article corresponding to the article code input via said input means from the article file, and for processing the readout data; wherein said processing means further includes setting means for reading out article data of a second article filed in the auxiliary file when said article data of the second article is not stored in the article file, and for setting the readout article data in the article file along with data input via said input means; said processing means further including switching means for selectively setting at least a registration mode and a setting mode; said setting means including detecting means for detecting in at least said setting mode that article data of an article corresponding to the input article code input via said input means is not present in the article file and is present in the auxiliary file, and transfer means for reading out the article data detected by the detecting means from the auxiliary file and setting the readout article data in the article file with data input via said input means; and said processing means further includes settling means for registering the article code input by said input means as a sold article in the registration mode and settling the sold article based on the article data set in the article file by said transfer means.

Claim 17

An article cash register according to claim 12, wherein said setting means further includes modifying means for modifying part of the article data read out from the auxiliary file on the basis of data input via said input means, before setting the read out article data in the article file.