JPH10232613A - Display method of merchandise information message by electric price tag and apparatus therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently display merchandise information at a low cost without using paper display means. SOLUTION: Merchandise information messages are stored together with merchandise information indicators to be unequivocally identified into the electric price tag addition data file 28 of a memory 24 of an electric price tag computer 12. In the case the merchandise information message is displayed on the electric price tag 14 associated with specific merchandise, the merchandise information indicator corresponding to the message is inputted to the record corresponding to the merchandise in a price retrieval (PLU) file 36. The control message addressed to the electric price tag is formed by reading the merchandise information indicator out of the PLU file and reading the corresponding merchandise information message out of the electric price tag addition data file 28. The control message is transmitted to the electric price tag and the merchandise information message is displayed on a display 22 of the electric price tag. There is no need for installing paper labels, price tags or handbills in order to send the information messages to customers.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an electronic price tag (EP).
L), and more particularly to a method and apparatus for displaying a product information message on an electronic price tag.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Electronic price tag systems are typically associated with a plurality of items associated with a particular item, which are displayed in a large retail store, such as a supermarket or department store. Including electronic price tags. Electronic price tags are typically mounted on rails along the front edge of the display shelf where related goods are placed and the price of the item is displayed. In the case of a large retail store, thousands of individual EPLs may be used to show the price of all the products that can be purchased in the store. Each EPL in a retail store typically connects to a central EPL computer in which information about the EPL is stored in the memory of the EPL data file. The price information displayed by the electronic price tag is a price index (P
LU) file is stored in the memory.

[0003] In retail stores, special offers are frequently made, in which case certain products are sold at a price lower than the normal retail price, and when a product is purchased, a special prize or prize may be attached. . For other products,
The sale may be subject to legal restrictions. For example,
In many countries, the sale of alcohol is not permitted to persons under a certain age, and the sale of alcohol is prohibited at certain times or days. If you purchase alcohol, tobacco, and certain solvents, laws may require you to show your ID to clerks. In some countries, various foods are protected by government aid programs. For example, when purchasing a certain product, a government-issued voucher may be required, or a certain product may be able to be purchased cheaply according to an infant plan.

Conventionally, in all of the above examples, individual products that are subject to promotions, sales restrictions, or government plans have special price tags or labels, and in some cases, provide customers with information about the product. A large banner or leaflet will be placed on or adjacent to the display shelf where the product is located to display. Appropriate information must be printed or displayed on the price tag and paper price tag, banner or leaflet, and the clerk must install it manually. This procedure is time consuming, inefficient and costly.

One object of the present invention is to provide an efficient and inexpensive method for displaying product information without using paper display means such as price tags, labels, banners or other leaflets. That is.

[0006]

According to a first aspect, the present invention stores a merchandise information message to be displayed and a merchandise information indicator associated with the merchandise information message in a first location of a retail system. And storing a product information indicator for the product at a second location in the retail system; reading the product information indicator for the product from the second location; and Generating a control message addressed to an electronic price tag associated with the product, including the step of reading a product information message associated with the product information indicator for the product; and transmitting the control message to the electronic price tag. Receiving a control message by means of an electronic price tag; The tag, and wherein the step of displaying the product information message, a method for displaying the product information message by the electronic price tag retail system (EPL).

According to another aspect, the present invention provides a first memory means for storing a merchandise information message and a merchandise information indicator associated with the merchandise information message, and a merchandise information indicator for a certain merchandise. From the second memory means and from the second memory means,
Means for retrieving a product information indicator for the product, and from the first memory means, a means for retrieving a product information message related to the product information indicator, an electronic price tag associated with the product, Control means for generating the addressed control message; receiving means for receiving the control message; and display means for displaying the product information message. Means for sending a message, the retail system comprising an electronic price tag (EPL) associated with the product.

[0008] Several embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are by way of example only.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIG. 1, the retail system 10 of this figure includes an electronic price tag computer 12 associated with a memory unit 24 and in communication with a plurality of electronic price tags 14 (EPL). In this figure, only one electronic price tag is shown. Retail system 10 further includes a transaction server 32 associated with input device 30 and memory unit 34. Transaction server 32 communicates with EPL computer 12.

Each electronic price tag 14 includes a control circuit 16, a memory unit 20, and a display unit 22. The control circuit 16 controls the internal operation of the electronic price tag 14, receives a command from the electronic price tag computer 12,
A response command is transmitted to the electronic price tag computer 12.
The control circuit 16 also controls the operation of the display unit 22 to display price and additional merchandise information. The memory unit 20 stores product information and other data necessary for the operation of the electronic price tag 14. The display unit 22 is preferably a liquid crystal display (L
CD), and the electronic price tag 14 displays the price of the related product and other product information.

The electronic price tag computer 12 stores the electronic price tag 1
4. Record all commands, including price change and diagnostic commands, create and send schedules,
The status command from the electronic price tag 14 is analyzed. The communication between the electronic price tag computer 12 and the individual electronic price tags 14 may be remote communication such as wireless or infrared communication, may be by cable, or may be a combination of both. You may.

The memory unit 24 of the EPL computer 12 includes an EPL basic data file 26 and an EPL additional data file 28. The EPL basic data file 26 includes a record of all EPLs of the retail system 10 that store general merchandise information, identification data, merchandise price verifier data, and status data regarding the merchandise to which the EPL relates. The electronic price tag additional data file 28 stores a product information message 38 and a related product information indicator 39 that uniquely identifies each product information message 38. Product information message 3
8 may relate to goods included in a merchandise promotion, government aid program, and may include text and / or special graphic images.

The promotional message identifies the merchandise sold at a discounted price, or other merchandise with an extra bonus, for example, two usually three at the same price. The sales regulation message identifies goods whose sale is regulated by law, such as alcohol, tobacco, solvents, and the like. The law may regulate that the product must not be sold to customers at certain times of the day or under a certain age, or it may require that clerks be presented with identification. The government program message identifies products that are restricted from sale by a special government program, such as a meal voucher program or an infant program.

The product information message 38 and the product information indicator 39 are stored in the electronic price tag additional data file 28.
Is stored in the form of a table. Some examples of the above table and the merchandise information message 38 contained therein are shown below. Table 1 is the product promotion data file,
Table 2 is a sales restriction data file, and Table 3 is a government program data file.

Table 1 Indicator sales promotion information message 00 (no information) 01 (icon) 02 One extra (flashing) 03 Bargain 04 (displays 01 and 03 information simultaneously) Table 2 Indicator sales restriction information message 00 (no information ) Please provide 01 ID.

[02] 02 15:00-18:00 ban on sales 03 Refusal to sell under 18 years old 04 (displays 01 and 03 information simultaneously) Table 3 Indicator Government Program Information Message 00 (no information) 01 Purchase requires a food ticket 02 Infant program 03 (displays 01 and 02 information simultaneously) Trading server 32 is a host computer and individual trading terminals within the retail system (not shown in FIG. 1).
Communicate with The primary function of the transaction server 32 is to communicate price and product information from a price index file (PLU) 36 stored in a memory unit 34 of the transaction server 32 to a transaction terminal. It should be understood that electronic price tag computer 12 and transaction server 32 may include one computer. PLU
The file 36 also includes a product information indicator 39 for a preselected product. The operator can manually input these product information indicators 39 to the PLU file 36 through the input device 30. Input device 3
0 may be a keypad or any other suitable input device.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, this figure is a detailed view of the electronic price tag 14. In the case of FIG. 2, when the customer purchases the product, a sales restriction information message 38 for notifying the clerk that the ID must be presented to the sales clerk is displayed on the display unit 22 of the electronic price tag 14. Is displayed. This sales restriction information message 38 is stored in the electronic price tag additional product data file 28.
It is related to the product information indicator “01” in (Table 2). In the case of FIG. 3, a sales promotion information message 38 for notifying that the product is on sale at a discount.
Is displayed on the display unit 22 of the electronic price tag 14. This promotion information message 38 is associated with the product information indicator “03” in the electronic price tag added product data file 28 (Table 1).

A method of displaying a product information message will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The method starts at step 40 where all EPL product information messages 38 are stored in the additional product data file 28 of the memory unit 24 of the EPL computer 12 at step 42. Step 44
In, the operator inputs, through the input device 30 of the transaction server 32, a merchandise information indicator for a specific stored merchandise to which a merchandise information message is displayed. In the case of a promotion, new price information for the item may also be entered at this step. In step 46, the merchandise information indicator 39 and any new price information are processed by the transaction server 32 and the PL of the memory unit 34 is processed.
It is stored in the record of the U file 36 associated with the product.

The PLU file 36 is read by the electronic price tag computer 12 at step 48,
The product information indicator 39 and any new price information are retrieved therefrom. This product information indicator 39
The new price information is stored in the EPL basic data file 26 of the EPL computer 12 in a record of the EPL 14 associated with the product. In step 50, the EPL basic data file 26 is periodically read by the EPL computer 12 to retrieve any merchandise information indicator 39 entered therein. Step 5
In the electronic price tag computer 12, the product information indicator 39 of the electronic price tag basic data file 26 is used.
Is read from the electronic price tag additional product data file 28 to search for a product information message 38 corresponding to the product information indicator 39, thereby generating a control message addressed to the EPL 14 associated with the product.

In step 54, the merchandise information message 38 is transmitted by the electronic price tag computer 12 to the control circuit 16 of the addressed EPL 14 (ie, the electronic information associated with the particular merchandise for which the merchandise information message is to be displayed). To the control circuit 16 of the price tag 14).
In step 56, the product information message 38 is
The search is performed by the control circuit 16 of the EPL 14 and an approval signal is transmitted to the EPL computer 12. Step 5
8, the merchandise information message 38 indicates the electronic price tag 1
The control circuit 16 controls the display unit 22 of the electronic price tag 14 to display a product information message 38 associated with the product information indicator, stored in the memory unit 20 of FIG. The product information message 38 is a permanent message (ie,
(Non-flashing message) or as a flashing message, and may be displayed together with or separately from the price information normally displayed by the electronic price tag 14. In step 62, the method ends.

[0021] The method of the present invention, together with related merchandise information, provides a particular price tag,
The advantage is that there is no need to print or mark labels, banners or other leaflets, and there is no need to place paper price tags, labels, etc. near specific products.
Therefore, considerable time and cost savings can be made.

The electronic price tag computer 12 and the transaction server 32 and associated memory units and input devices can be combined into a single computer that can control both all electronic price tags and transaction servers in a retail store. I want to be understood.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a retail system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an electronic price tag for displaying a product information message.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an electronic price tag for displaying a product sales promotion message.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method for displaying a product information message by an electronic price tag.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A product information message (38) to be displayed,
The merchandise information indicator (39) associated with the merchandise information message is stored in the first location (2) of the retail system (10).
8) storing a product information indicator (39) for a product at a second location (26, 36) of the retail system (10); and from the second location (36, 26). Reading the product information indicator (39) for the product; and reading the product information indicator (3) from the first location (24).
Reading the item information message (38) associated with the item (9).
4) generating a control message addressed to 4); transmitting the control message to the electronic price tag (14); receiving the control message by the electronic price tag (14); The above product information message (3
8) displaying a commodity information message (38) by the electronic price tag (14) of the retail system (10). 2. A first memory means (28) for storing a product information message (38) and a product information indicator (39) associated with the product information message (38), a product information indicator for a product. A second memory means (26, 36) for storing (39); a means for reading a product information indicator (39) for the product from the second memory means (36, 26); A product information message (3) related to the product information indicator (39) from one memory means (28).
8) means for generating a control message addressed to the EPL (14) associated with the product, including means for retrieving the item; and means for transmitting the control message to the EPL (14). The electronic price tag (14) includes a receiving means (16) for receiving a control message and a product information message (3).
8) A display device for displaying a product information message (38) using an electronic price tag (14), comprising a display means (22) for displaying (8).