JP4110936B2 - Label issuing system for shelf labels - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a shelf label issuing system used as a price display of products to be displayed in a retail store such as a supermarket. Specifically, a product name or the like that is attached to an electronic shelf label that displays a price on a liquid crystal display. The present invention relates to a system for issuing printed labels.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Electronic shelf labels that display the price of goods on a liquid crystal display are rapidly spreading due to the convenience of price changes and the prevention of misprinting. The use of the electronic shelf label is particularly effective in a retail store such as a supermarket with many product items. However, in retail stores such as the supermarket described above, the number of electronic shelves needs to be as low as possible because the number used is enormous. For this purpose, a 7-segment liquid crystal display is used for the display unit for displaying the price and the like on the electronic shelf label, and only the numbers are displayed on the liquid crystal display. Therefore, product names, barcodes, etc. cannot be displayed on the liquid crystal display. Therefore, the product name and barcode are separately printed on a label, and the label is attached to the side of the liquid crystal display in the electronic shelf label.
[0003]
Then, in order to avoid discrepancies between the content printed on the product and the label affixed to the electronic shelf label, enter the product data on the spot while looking at the product displayed on the sales floor. Labels were issued by hanging printing devices.
In addition, the applicant is ignorant about the existence of literature information on the above-mentioned conventional label issuing system for shelf labels.
[0004]
Recently, however, many types of electronic shelf labels with different sizes are often used, and as a result, there are several types of labels for the above-mentioned shelf labels with different sizes. Then, several types of printing mechanisms are required accordingly, and as a result, the printing apparatus is too heavy and has a problem that it is difficult to suspend and carry.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems of the prior art, and the object of the present invention is to easily move the printing means to the label issuing site and to increase the size of the electronic shelf label in the site. An object of the present invention is to provide a label issuing system for a shelf label that can smoothly print and issue labels.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the technical means taken by the present invention is a system for issuing a label on which at least a product name is printed, which is affixed to a shelf label having a function of displaying the price of a product. Multiple types of printing means corresponding to different types of label paper, a management device that displays prices on each electronic shelf label based on a product file that can set product code, product name, price, printing means switching data, and the corresponding product A control unit that reads a product code attached to the printer, communicates with the management device, receives at least product name data and printing unit switching data, and prints a label on the corresponding printing unit; and the plurality of types of printing units And a carriage that carries the control means and moves (Claim 1).
The printing means switching data may be any of, for example, an identification number assigned to each printing means (printer) or data representing the type of label.
The plural types of printing means include, for example, two types of first label printing means for printing on the first label paper (small label) and second label printing means for printing on the second label paper (large label). (Claim 2).
With the above configuration, it is possible to easily issue a plurality of types of labels having different sizes by moving to the site where the products are displayed. In addition, the switching of the printing means can improve the workability of label issuance because the label having a size suitable for the electronic shelf label is automatically selected and printed by inputting the product code. The product code can be input by reading the barcode attached to the product with a barcode scanner (handy terminal). In this case, it is possible to simplify the input of the product code by reading the barcode attached to the product with a barcode scanner, and to call and print the product data of the product by inputting the product code. . Therefore, it is possible to prevent a mismatch between the actual product and the printed contents of the shelf label.
[0008]
Further, the management apparatus and each of the electronic shelf labels, the data communication management device and said control means, both may be performed by infrared (claim 3). Thereby, the communication equipment on the management apparatus side can be configured at low cost.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a hardware configuration of a mobile issuing device A in a shelf label issuing system according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 is a first printing means for printing on a first (small size) label paper L1. 2 is a second printing means for printing on the second (large size) label paper L2, 3 is a control means for switching control of the printing means 1 or 2, and 4 is a scanner section 4a for reading a bar code attached to a product. Handy terminal 5 having a communication unit 4b capable of infrared communication with a battery, 5 is a battery, these are mounted on a cart 6 that can be moved by hand, and each member described above is electrically connected by a cable. .
Reference numerals 7 and 7 ′ denote electronic shelf labels attached to the commodity display shelf 8, and the electronic shelf labels 7 and 7 ′ and the handy terminal 4 are managed by infrared rays via a transceiver 9 disposed on the ceiling or the like. The product data can be received from.
[0010]
As shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b), the electronic shelf labels 7, 7 'contain a liquid crystal display 7a for displaying a price and an infrared transmission / reception unit 7b in the case, and are arranged outside the case. Along with the liquid crystal display 7a, a label L1 ′ or L2 ′ printed with a product name, a product barcode or the like is attached. The electronic shelf labels 7 and 7 'have large and small dimensions, and are selectively used depending on the product.
The liquid crystal display 7a is generally a 7-segment display and displays only numbers. Here, “yen” and “yen discount” are notched characters and cannot be changed.
[0011]
The price of the product displayed on the liquid crystal display 7a of the electronic shelf labels 7 and 7 'is, as shown in the system diagram of FIG. 2, a store controller comprising a computer having a server function that stores a product file 12 and the like. 10 is configured so that price data is supplied and displayed by infrared communication through a management apparatus (shelf label controller) 11 and a transceiver 9 connected via LAN.
[0012]
In the product file 12 stored in the store controller 10, as shown in FIG. 4, for each product, a product code, a shelf label ID (an identification number as a shelf label), a product name, a unit price, a printer number (a printing means) Items such as (identification number) can be set.
The store controller 10 is connected to each register 13 installed at each sales floor via a LAN so that data can be exchanged.
[0013]
The management device (shelf label controller) 11 uses the store controller 10 to send product data to each electronic shelf label 7 by infrared rays via a plurality of transceivers 9 arranged at appropriate positions on the ceiling in the store. 7 'and the mobile issuance apparatus A are transmitted to the handy terminal 4 so that price display and shelf label L1', L2 'can be issued.
[0014]
Next, the shelf label issuing process by the mobile issuing device A will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
First, the data of each item shown in FIG. 4 is set for each product in the product file, and a new product is displayed on the display shelf, and an electronic shelf label suitable for the product is attached to the corresponding part of the display shelf. It is assumed that And the process which prints and issues the label affixed on the electronic shelf label of the new product is performed.
Step 1: The operator moves the movement issuing device A by pushing it to the front of the newly displayed product.
Step 2: The bar code attached to the corresponding product is scanned by the scanner unit 4a of the handy terminal 4, and the product code of the product is read.
Step 3... The handy terminal 4 transmits the read product code to the management device (shelf label controller) 11.
Step 4... The management device 11 reads the corresponding product data from the product file 12 via the store controller 10 based on the received product code. And since it is transmitted to the handy terminal 4, the handy terminal 4 receives the transmitted commodity data.
Step 5: The handy terminal 4 labels the barcode data and the product name (and shelf label ID) converted from the product code on the corresponding printing unit 1 or 2 via the control unit 3 according to the printer number in the received product data. Print on paper and issue a label.
Step 6... The operator attaches the shelf label L1 ′ or L2 ′ printed and issued from the printing means 1 or 2 to the label application location of the corresponding electronic shelf label 7 or 7 ′. This completes the label issuing process for one sheet.
[0015]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be changed without changing the gist of the present invention.
(1) The size of the label affixed to the electronic shelf label is not limited to the two types shown in the figure, but may be three or more. In that case, a printing means (printer) is added according to the type of label.
(2) The printing means switching data is not limited to the printer number, and may be data representing the type of label, for example. In that case, it is only necessary that the mobile issuing device A is associated with the printing means (printer).
(3) The electronic shelf label is not limited to the horizontally long type shown in the figure, but may be a vertically long type. In this case, as a matter of course, the label may be vertically long.
[0016]
【The invention's effect】
The label issuing system for shelf labels according to the present invention can perform a plurality of types of label issuing with different sizes by moving them in front of the displayed goods. Moreover, since the label is automatically issued in a size suitable for the electronic shelf label, workability can be improved.
Also, you can simplify the input of goods code, yet the input of the commodity code, calling the commodity data corresponding products can be printed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a mismatch between the actual product and the printed contents of the shelf label.
Furthermore, according to the configuration of the third aspect, the communication equipment on the management apparatus side can be configured at low cost.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of a label issuing system for shelf labels according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a system diagram showing the system.
FIGS. 3A and 3B show the appearance of an electronic shelf label. FIG. 3A shows a small electronic shelf label with a small label, and FIG. 3B shows a large electronic shelf label with a large label.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the contents of a product file.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of label issuing processing.
[Explanation of symbols]
A: Movement issuing device 1, 2 ... Printing means 3 ... Control means 4 ... Handy terminal (barcode scanner)
6 ... Dolly 7, 7 '... Electronic shelf label 9 ... Transmitter / receiver 11 ... Management device 12 ... Product file L1, L2 ... Label paper

Claims (3)

A system that issues a label with at least the product name printed on a shelf label that has a function of displaying the price of the product,
A plurality of types of printing means corresponding to a plurality of types of label paper of different sizes;
A management device for displaying the price on each electronic shelf label based on a product file in which product code, product name, price, printing means switching data can be set;
Control means for reading a product code attached to the corresponding product with a scanner, communicating with the management device, receiving at least product name data and printing means switching data, and printing a label on the corresponding printing means;
A carriage that carries the plurality of types of printing means and control means and moves;
A label issuing system for shelf labels characterized by comprising:   2. The shelf label according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of types of printing means are a first label printing means for printing on a first label paper and a second label printing means for printing on a second label paper. Label issuing system. The management apparatus and each of the electronic shelf label, the management apparatus and the data communication between the control means, the label issuing system for shelf label according to claim 1 or 2 which also comprises carrying out the infrared.

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