EP0837438A2 - Elektronisches Preisschildsystem - Google Patents

Elektronisches Preisschildsystem Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0837438A2
EP0837438A2 EP97305770A EP97305770A EP0837438A2 EP 0837438 A2 EP0837438 A2 EP 0837438A2 EP 97305770 A EP97305770 A EP 97305770A EP 97305770 A EP97305770 A EP 97305770A EP 0837438 A2 EP0837438 A2 EP 0837438A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
epl
electronic price
address
epls
label
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP97305770A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
John Coker Goodwin, Iii
Toshiro Yamasaki
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
NCR International Inc
Original Assignee
NCR International Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by NCR International Inc filed Critical NCR International Inc
Publication of EP0837438A2 publication Critical patent/EP0837438A2/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09F—DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
    • G09F9/00—Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to shelf label systems, and more specifically to a method of assigning addresses to electronic price labels (EPLs).
  • EPLs electronic price labels
  • EPL systems typically include a plurality of EPLs for each merchandise item in a store.
  • EPLs typically_display the price of corresponding merchandise items on store shelves and are typically attached to a rail along the leading edge of the shelves.
  • EPLs may include a semi-transparent LCD.
  • a store may contain thousands of EPLs to display the prices of the merchandise items.
  • the EPLs are coupled to a central server from where information about the EPLs is typically maintained in an EPL data file. Price information displayed by the EPLs is obtained from the PLU file.
  • the EPLs are coupled to a central server from where prices for all of the displays can be changed.
  • Each EPL has an assigned address which is typically stored within a register or memory location in the EPL.
  • the server addresses a price change message to an EPL.
  • the EPL compares the address in the price change message to its own internally stored address. If the message address and the internal address match, the EPL executes the instructions in the message. If the message address and the internal address do not match, the EPL ignores the instructions in the message, or goes into an alternate mode to reflect information from other EPLs.
  • EPL systems use item information as a basis for assigning an address to an EPL.
  • Item information is typically an order number or a price look-up file number.
  • positive acknowledgment systems typically include instances in which one PLU file item is positioned at more than one location in a store and in which multiple EPLs must be assigned to the same PLU file item, the originating EPL or EPLs of any acknowledgment messages cannot be determined.
  • an electronic price label system comprising a plurality of addressable electronic price labels (18A-18C) for a plurality of products characterized in that at least one of the electronic price labels is arranged with an address which is independent of the product to which the electronic price label is assigned.
  • a price label system as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 including a data file having separate entries for identifying products and for identifying electronic price labels.
  • store system 10 includes EPL system 16 and transaction processing system 40.
  • EPL system 16 includes EPL computer 12, storage medium 20, and EPLs 18a-c.
  • EPL computer 12 executes EPL software 30, which processes messages to and from EPLs 18a-c and which maintains the contents of EPL data file 32.
  • Messages to EPLs 18a-c include price change messages and status messages.
  • Price change messages instruct EPLs 18a-c to change their displayed prices.
  • Status messages test the operation of EPLs 18a-c by asking them to respond in a predetermined way, which may be as simple as returning an acknowledgment signal.
  • EPL software 30 addresses messages to EPLs 18a-c using addresses assigned in accordance with the method of the present invention.
  • EPL data file 32 contains identification information, item information, and price information for each of EPLs 18a-c.
  • the identification information includes addresses assigned to EPLs 18a-c by EPL software 30.
  • EPL system 16 includes groups of EPLs.
  • Group 19 represents a single PLU file item 23 which is located at two different places within the store and which requires multiple EPLs 18b-c.
  • Group 21 represents a single PLU file item 25 which is located at one place within the store and which requires only one EPL 18a.
  • EPL system 16 includes a plurality of EPLs assigned to PLU file item 22.
  • EPLs 18a-c are preferably wireless EPLs, each including a transceiver.
  • EPL computer 12 couples to a plurality of transceivers throughout a store. EPLs connected to EPL computer 12 via cables are also envisioned.
  • Transaction processing system 40 includes transaction processing server 46 and storage medium 42.
  • Transaction processing server 46 processes requests for price and item information from individual checkout terminals 48.
  • Storage medium 42 contains PLU file 44, which contains the price and item information for item 22.
  • EPL data file 32 includes a line entry for each of EPLs 18a-c in EPL system 16. Each line entry has an item identification entry (ITEM ID), an EPL identification entry (EPL ID), and an EPL price checksum value entry (EPL CHECK). Known EPL systems do not maintain separate values for items and EPLs.
  • Entry ITEM ID identifies a store item and is preferably obtained and sometimes validated from PLU file 44.
  • Entry EPL ID identifies which EPL is assigned to the item and is used by EPL computer 16 as an address for transmitting messages to the EPL. Entry EPL ID is a "number" which may be any combination of numerals and letters. Each of EPLs 18a-c stores its EPL ID in an internal register. When EPL computer 12 transmits a message, each EPL compares its internally stored EPL ID with one or more EPL IDs in the message.
  • Entry EPL CHECK is a checksum value of the digits of the price information that is displayed by EPLs 18a-c.
  • EPL serial numbers are numbers assigned to EPLs 18a-c at the factory where EPLs 18a-c were manufactured.
  • an EPL ID of 4733 corresponds to the address of EPL 18a.
  • An EPL ID of 0301 corresponds to the address of EPL 18b.
  • An EPL ID of 030D corresponds to the address of EPL 18c, which in this example has an EPL serial number with the same last four digits, 0301, as EPL 18b.
  • EPL software 30 changed the last digit to a "D" to prevent two EPLs from having the same address.
  • EPL software 30 may read an electronic list of EPL serial numbers which is provided by the manufacturer on a portable storage medium, such as a floppy disk, or which is transferred to EPL computer 12 over a telephone line using modems.
  • EPL software 30 may replace, automatically or under operator control, one of the numbers, such as the last number, with a unique and arbitrary hexadecimal number.
  • EPL software 30 Another method envisioned by the present invention is for EPL software 30 to use a random number generator to assign addresses to EPLs, or to use the next available number in sequence. This method would additionally require that the derived number be dissimilar to any other EPL identification number.
  • the method of the present invention assigns identification numbers to EPLs 18b-c that are not related to item 23, which allows EPL software 30 to manage EPLs 18b-c separately.
  • EPL software 30 can receive and process positive acknowledgment messages from each of EPLs 18b-c.
  • an EPL system that addresses EPLs using item information cannot determine whether all of the multiple EPLs assigned to a single item have successfully received and acknowledged a message from EPL computer 12. Multiple EPLs having the same address all acknowledge at the same time and EPL computer 12 cannot determine how many EPLs have acknowledged.
  • the method of the present invention may also be combined with systems that use item information to allow such systems to assign multiple EPLs to single PLU file items.
  • a cross reference table an EPL system that identifies EPLs using item information can be converted.
  • This cross reference table allows software to be written to translate the item information into an EPL identification.
  • the disadvantage associated with this approach is that more communication to change an item results.
  • the advantage is that the EPL computer 12 can guarantee that each EPL associated with an item changed. This advantage justifies EPL system 16 through pricing accuracy.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Cash Registers Or Receiving Machines (AREA)
  • Devices For Indicating Variable Information By Combining Individual Elements (AREA)
EP97305770A 1996-10-15 1997-07-31 Elektronisches Preisschildsystem Withdrawn EP0837438A2 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US73072796A 1996-10-15 1996-10-15
US730727 1996-10-15

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0837438A2 true EP0837438A2 (de) 1998-04-22

Family

ID=24936589

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP97305770A Withdrawn EP0837438A2 (de) 1996-10-15 1997-07-31 Elektronisches Preisschildsystem

Country Status (6)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0837438A2 (de)
JP (1) JPH10228247A (de)
AU (1) AU3422697A (de)
CA (1) CA2210925A1 (de)
NZ (1) NZ328510A (de)
ZA (1) ZA977478B (de)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0973110A1 (de) * 1998-07-15 2000-01-19 Ncr International Inc. Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Anbringen von Preisänderungen in einem elektronischen Preisauszeichnungssystem
GB2369918A (en) * 2000-12-08 2002-06-12 Ncr Int Inc Electronic price label networks
US6516302B1 (en) 1999-05-26 2003-02-04 Incentech, Inc. Method and system for accumulating marginal discounts and applying an associated incentive upon achieving one of a plurality of thresholds
US6993498B1 (en) * 1999-07-15 2006-01-31 Midnight Blue Remote Access, Llc Point-of-sale server and method

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2802693B1 (fr) * 1999-12-15 2002-08-02 Store Electronic Systems Techn Systeme perfectionne d'etiquettes electroniques notamment pour l'affichage de prix sur lieux de vente
JP4873868B2 (ja) * 2005-02-09 2012-02-08 ルネサスエレクトロニクス株式会社 パッシブ型ｒｆｉｄ用の半導体装置、ｉｃタグ、ｉｃタグの制御方法及び通信方法

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0973110A1 (de) * 1998-07-15 2000-01-19 Ncr International Inc. Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Anbringen von Preisänderungen in einem elektronischen Preisauszeichnungssystem
US6553349B1 (en) 1998-07-15 2003-04-22 Ncr Corporation System and method of applying price changes in an electronic price label system
US6516302B1 (en) 1999-05-26 2003-02-04 Incentech, Inc. Method and system for accumulating marginal discounts and applying an associated incentive upon achieving one of a plurality of thresholds
US6609104B1 (en) 1999-05-26 2003-08-19 Incentech, Inc. Method and system for accumulating marginal discounts and applying an associated incentive
USRE45006E1 (en) 1999-05-26 2014-07-08 Midnight Blue Remote Access Llc Method and system for accumulating marginal discounts and applying an associated incentive upon achieving threshold
US6993498B1 (en) * 1999-07-15 2006-01-31 Midnight Blue Remote Access, Llc Point-of-sale server and method
US8712836B2 (en) 1999-07-15 2014-04-29 Midnight Blue Remote Access Llc Point-of-sale server and method
GB2369918A (en) * 2000-12-08 2002-06-12 Ncr Int Inc Electronic price label networks

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
NZ328510A (en) 1997-10-24
JPH10228247A (ja) 1998-08-25
CA2210925A1 (en) 1998-04-15
ZA977478B (en) 1998-02-19
AU3422697A (en) 1998-04-23

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