Improved distribution chain, more especially concerning 'self-service' style retailing, especially in stores known as 'supermarkets' or the like

摘要

The present invention is intended to improve distribution chains by allowing, on the one hand, immediate totalling of the price of the articles purchased, thus avoiding the client waiting at the cash desks, and, on the other hand, acquisition of data relating to these same articles, promoting better awareness of the sale as well as easier inventory control. The brief description of the invention is as follows; it comprises: 1. trolleys for use by the customers 1 equipped with a label reader and with a totalling counter C fitted with a memory M storing the information read from the labels E; 2. special labels E containing coded information and printed passive resonance circuits allowing control of the "reading"; 3. a radio transmitter EH with variable frequencies associated with a detector D provided to make the passive resonant circuits printed on the labels pass into resonance if they have not been "read" by the "reader", thus detecting possible theft; 4. an electronic member OC available to the cashiers allowing them to transfer the data temporarily stored in the counters CD of the trolleys into the memories of a central computer MC. IMAGE