Remote controlled separable electronic price tag

• US 20060163348A1
• Filed: 01/26/2005
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tagcorp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tagcorp, Inc.
• Inventors: Ophir, Roy S., Yoked, Yehuda
• Granted Patent: US 7,178,727 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07703 the interface being visual
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07747 at least one of the integrated circuit chips being mounted as a module
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card

Abstract

An electronic price tag is composed of separable internal and display modules and is adapted for wireless adjustment. The ID module is mounted to the goods at, for example, a point of manufacture for the goods, and contains a transponder and CPU, a receiver/decoder module, for example a horn, mounted to the placard for receiving signals from a remote location and decoding same to be inputted to the price display field and an electrically controlled latching mechanism to temporarily hold the modules together. The display module consists of a display placard, a plurality of price display fields on the placard. The separated ID module is capable of performing security and inventory functions where display is not needed. The display module is reusable and may contain a rechargeable battery.

Claims

1-23. -23. (canceled)

24. A separable electronic price tag system adjustable by one or more signals from a remote location, comprising

an ID module comprising

an attachment to mount the ID module to a product;

an adjustment assembly comprising

A receiver for the signals from a remote location;

a filter to identify signals from the receiver to which the electronic price tag will respond;

a decoder having encoded data and connected to the filter to identify a product code in a signal from the filter corresponding to the encoded data and to send decoder signals;

a signal processor that receives one or more decoder signals and converts data in the decoder signals to digital data and sneds processor signals;

a processing unit that receives processor signals;

a separable display module comprising

a transponder assembly comprising

an antenna for receiving a wireless signal;

a filter connected to the antenna to filter out wireless signals to which the electronic price tag is non-responsive;

a decoder connected to the filter to identify a product code in the signal corresponding to encoded data in the decoder;

a standby element interconnecting the filter and the decoder for determining whether to provide an actuating signal to the price tag sufficient to adjust the price of the product;

a signal processor connected to the decoder for converting data in the wireless signal to digital data;

a central processing unit (CPU) connected to the signal processor;

a support platform having

a tag display comprising display elements

one or more driver elements for activating corresponding display elements in the separable display module;

said ID module and separable display module capable of being temporarily connected by a latch system, said latch system comprising

a receiver in said ID module for a connector in said separable display module.

securing means in said ID module biased to secure said connector to said receiver;

a power source mounted to one of the modules for powering the electronic price tag to display price information and to energize the latch in at least one module and, when said ID module is connected to said separable display module by said latch, to power the CPU and other electronic components of at least one of the modules.

25. The separable electronic price tag system of claim 24, wherein said ID module further comprises a transponder to respond to signals without being powered by said power source when said latch is not engaged.

26. The separable electronic price tag system of claim 24, said latch system comprises a connector control and electrical connectors completing a circuit path when said latch is engaged.

27. The separable electronic price tag system of claim 24, wherein said modules communicate with each other via wireless signals.

28. The separable electronic price tag system of claim 24, wherein said modules communicate with each other via an intermediary by wireless signals.

29. A separable two piece/module electronic price tag system adjustable by a wireless signal from a remote location, comprising

an ID module comprising

an attachment to mount the ID module to a product at a point of manufacture/distribution for the product;

a transponder assembly comprising

an antenna for receiving the wireless signal;

a filter connected to the antenna to filter out unintended wireless signals,

a decoder connected to the filter to identify a product code in the signal corresponding to encoded data in the decoder;

a standby element interconnecting the filter and the decoder for determining whether to provide an actuating signal to the price tag to adjust the price of the product;

a signal processor connected to the decoder for converting data in the wireless signal to digital data;

a processing unit connected to the signal processor;

a separable display module comprising

a transponder assembly comprising

an antenna for receiving the wireless signal;

a filter connected to the antenna to filter out unintended wireless signals,

a decoder connected to the filter to identify a product code in the signal corresponding to encoded data in the decoder;

a standby element interconnecting the filter and the decoder for determining whether to provide an actuating signal to the price tag sufficient to adjust the price of the product;

a signal processor connected to the decoder for converting data in the wireless signal to digital data;

a central processing unit (CPU) connected to the signal processor;

a support platform having

a front surface, and

a back surface,

a tag display comprising

liquid crystal displays (LCDs),

a connector control, and

a power source,

a plurality of driver elements, for activating corresponding liquid crystal displays (LCDs) in the separable display module;

said ID module and separable display module being temporarily connected by a latch system, said latch system comprising

a receiver in said ID module for a connector in said separable display module.

an electromagnetic plunger in said ID module biased to secure said connector to said receiver;

said power source mounted to the back surface of the support platform for powering the electronic price tag to display the price information and to energize the electromagnetic plunger in said ID module and, when said ID module is connected to said separable display module by said latch system, to power said ID module,

said latch system comprising

electrical connectors completing a circuit path only when said latch is engaged, said circuit path comprising

slip ring brush type connectors,

a power control wire, and

a ground negative wire,

said ID module further comprising a transponder to respond to signals without being powered by said power source when said latch is not engaged.

30. The separable electronic price tag system of claim 29, wherein said battery is a rechargeable battery.

31. A separable electronic price tag system adjustable by a wireless signal comprising

an ID module comprising

an electronic adjustment assembly comprising

an antenna for receiving the wireless signal;

a signal processor connected to the decoder for converting data in the wireless signal to digital data;

a processing unit connected to the signal processor;

a separable display module comprising

a transponder assembly comprising

an antenna for receiving the wireless signal;

a filter connected to the antenna to filter out unintended wireless signals,

a decoder connected to the filter to identify a product code in the signal corresponding to encoded data in the decoder;

a standby element interconnecting the filter and the decoder for determining whether to provide an actuating signal to the price tag sufficient to adjust the price of the product;

a signal processor connected to the decoder for converting data in the wireless signal to digital data;

a central processing unit (CPU) connected to the signal processor;

a tag display,

a connector control, and

a power source,

said ID module and separable display module being temporarily connected by a latch system, said latch system comprising

a receiver in said ID module for a connector in said separable display module,

said latch system comprising

electrical connectors completing a circuit path only when said latch is engaged,

said ID module further comprising a transponder to respond to signals without being powered by said power source when said latch is not engaged.

32. The separable electronic price tag system of claim 31, wherein said ID module further comprises an attachment to mount the ID module to a product at a point of manufacture/distribution.

33. The separable electronic price tag system of claim 32, wherein said electronic adjustment assembly further comprises a filter connected to an antenna to filter out wireless signals to which the electronic price tag is non-responsive.

34. The separable electronic price tag system of claim 33, wherein said electronic adjustment assembly further comprises a decoder connected to the filter to identify a product code in the signal corresponding to encoded data in the decoder.

35. The separable electronic price tag system of claim 34, wherein said electronic adjustment assembly further comprises a standby element interconnecting the filter and the decoder for determining whether to provide an actuating signal to the price tag sufficient-to adjust the price of the product.

36. The separable electronic price tag system of claim 31, wherein said separable display module further comprises a support platform having a front surface, and a back surface.

37. The separable electronic price tag system of claim 31, wherein said tag display comprises liquid crystal displays.

38. The separable electronic price tag system of claim 31, wherein said tag display comprises a plurality of driver elements.

39. The separable electronic price tag system of claim 31, wherein said latch system further comprises an electromagnetic plunger biased to secure said connector to said receiver.

40. The separable electronic price tag system of claim 36, wherein said power source is mounted to the back surface of the support platform for powering the electronic price tag to display information.

41. The separable electronic price tag system of claim 40, wherein said power source powers said CPU and other electronic components of said ID module when the display module is connected to the ID module.

42. The separable electronic price tag system of claim 31, wherein said circuit path comprises slip ring brush type connectors, a power control wire, and a ground negative wire.

43-49. -49. (canceled)