System and method for restocking and repricing merchandise

• US 20020147597A1
• Filed: 04/05/2001
• Published: 10/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Connors, Daniel Patrick, Sachar, Howard E., Mackay, John D.
• Application Number:
  US09/825,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20020147597A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A system restocking and repricing merchandise includes a shelf label holder having an illuminating function, and a hand-held unit which remotely causes the shelf label holder to illuminate under predetermined conditions. The system may also include a host controller for directing the operation of the hand held unit and shelf label holder.

Claims

1. A system for restocking and repricing merchandise, comprising:

a shelf label holder having an illuminating function; and

a hand-held unit which remotely causes said shelf label holder to illuminate under a predetermined condition.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a host controller for storing merchandise data and planogram data, processing said data and remotely controlling an operation of said hand-held unit and said shelf label holder.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said shelf label holder comprises:

a shelf control unit for controlling an illumination of said shelf label holder; and

an illuminating section for illuminating as directed by said shelf control unit.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein an identifying section of said shelf label is inserted into said shelf control unit.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein said shelf control unit comprises:

a receptacle for receiving said identifying section of said shelf label; and

a transceiver for transmitting signals to said host controller and said hand held unit and receiving signals from said host controller and said hand held unit.

6. The system according to claim 3, wherein said hand held unit comprises:

a transceiver for transmitting signals to said host controller and said shelf control unit and receiving signals from said host controller and said shelf control unit;

a display device for displaying merchandise data and planogram data;

at least one of a bar code scanner and a keypad for inputting said data into said hand held unit; and

a memory for storing said data.

7. The system according to claim 3, wherein said host controller comprises:

a memory for storing planogram data and merchandise data;

a display device for displaying said data;

at least one of a bar code scanner and a keypad for inputting said data; and

a transceiver for transmitting signals to said shelf control unit and said hand held unit and receiving signals from said shelf control unit and said hand held unit.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said merchandise information comprises vendor information data, pricing data and inventory data, and wherein said planogram data comprises correct merchandise shelf locations.

9. The system according to claim 2, wherein said host controller transmits planogram data and merchandise data to said hand held unit and said hand held unit displays said data.

10. The system according to claim 4, wherein said identifying section comprises at least one of a bar code, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and a magnetic identification tag.

11. The system according to claim 3, wherein said illuminating section comprises at least one of a light-emitting diode, an organic light emitting diode, a liquid crystal display element, a plasma display element, an incandescent light bulb and a light pipe.

12. The system according to claim 5, wherein said signals comprise at least one of a radiowave signal and infrared signal.

13. The system according to claim 2, wherein said merchandise data comprises merchandise restocking and repricing information.

15. The system according to claim 14,

wherein said shelf control unit transmits a signal to said handheld unit and said host controller, and receives a signal from said hand held unit and said host controller,

wherein said hand-held unit transmits a signal to said shelf control unit and said host controller, and receives a signal from said shelf control unit and said host controller, and

wherein said host controller transmits a signal to said shelf control unit and said hand held unit, and receives a signal from said shelf control unit and said hand held unit.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said merchandise data comprises one of restocking data and repricing data.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

storing said planogram data and said merchandise data in said host controller; and

storing said merchandise data in said hand held unit and said shelf label holder.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein said merchandise data is input into one of said host controller and said hand held unit using one of a keypad and a bar code scanner.

14. A system for restocking and repricing merchandise, comprising:

a host controller;

a shelf label holder comprising;

a shelf control unit for controlling an operation of said shelf label holder, said shelf control unit comprising;

a memory device for storing data;

a receptacle for receiving an identifying section of a shelf label; and

a transceiver for transmitting and receiving signals; and

an illuminating section for illuminating under direction of said shelf control unit; and

a hand-held unit comprising;

a memory device for storing data;

at least one of a display device and a bar code scanner for inputting data; and

a transceiver for transmitting and receiving signals

wherein said host controller, comprises;

a memory for storing data;

a processor for processing data;

at least one of a display device and a bar code scanner for inputting data; and

a transceiver for transmitting and receiving signals,

wherein said host controller remotely prompts said hand-held unit to display data, and

wherein said host controller and said hand-held unit remotely control said shelf control unit.

16. A method for restocking and repricing merchandise using a system having a shelf label holder, a hand held unit and a host controller, said method comprising:

inputting planogram data into said host controller;

inputting merchandise data into one of said hand held unit and said host controller; and

remotely causing said shelf label holder to illuminate a section of said shelf label holder corresponding to a correct location for said merchandise.

20. A programmable storage medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method for at least restocking and repricing merchandise using a system having a shelf label holder, a hand held unit and a host controller, said method comprising:

inputting planogram data into said host controller;

inputting merchandise data into one of said hand held unit and said host controller; and

remotely causing said shelf label holder to illuminate a section of said shelf label holder corresponding to a correct location for said merchandise.