Product control system for supermarkets and the like

• US 4,521,677 A
• Filed: 12/02/1983
• Issued: 06/04/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sarwin, Herbert S.
• Original Assignee: Sarwin, Herbert S.
• Inventors: Sarwin, Herbert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitts, Harold I.
• Application Number:
  US06/557,626
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385, 235/383, 235/472
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10861 sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/145 PLU-management
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/00 Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements in which the variable information is permanently attached to a movable support G09F11/00; abacus G06C1/00; slide-rules G06G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/04 Electronic labels

Abstract

A supermarket or like vending establishment equipped with a computer having a bar code reader at a checkout counter or terminal. The various shelves for the various items are provided with respective bar codes equipped with individual electronic displays linked to the computer so that these displays can display data at least in part coordinated with the bar code of the respective items stored there above so that the individual items need not be provided with price labels or the like.

Claims

1. In a product handling system for a vending establishment comprising a computer, a checkout terminal linked to said computer, a bar code reader at said checkout terminal for identifying a purchased item, the improvement which comprises a respective electronic display at each of a plurality of shelving rotations for respective items having bar codes, each of said displays being linked to said computer for displaying indicia at least in part assigned to the bar codes of the items stored at the respective shelf sections.

2. The improvement defined in claim 1, further comprising input means for said computer including at least one bar code reader responsive to the bar codes on said items for correspondingly setting said displays.

3. The improvement defined in claim 1, further comprising a patron checking terminal provided with at least one bar code reader and a further electronic display responsive to the bar code reader for displaying indicia corresponding to the indicia of the respective section for a particular item upon the scanning of the bar code of said item by the bar code reader of the patron checking terminal.

4. The improvement defined in claim 2, further comprising a patron checking terminal provided with at least one bar code reader and a further electronic display responsive to the bar code reader for displaying indicia corresponding to the indicia of the respective section for a particular item upon the scanning of the bar code of said item by the bar code reader of the patron checking terminal.

5. The improvement defined in claim 1, further comprising a wireless information transmitting link between said display and said computer.

6. The improvement defined in claim 1, further comprising a cable forming an information transmitting link between said displays and said computer.

7. The improvement defined in claim 5, further comprising a patron checking terminal provided with at least one bar code reader and a further electronic display responsive to the bar code reader for displaying indicia corresponding to the indicia of the respective section for a particular item upon the scanning of the bar code of said item by the bar code reader of the patron checking terminal.

8. The improvement defined in claim 1, further comprising an optical fiber information transmitting tube between said displays and said computer.

9. The improvement defined in claim 6, further comprising a patron checking terminal provided with at least one bar code reader and a further electronic display responsive to the bar code reader for displaying indicia corresponding to the indicia of the respective section for a particular item upon the scanning of the bar code of said item by the bar code reader of the patron checking terminal.