Price marking system

• US 4,529,871 A
• Filed: 09/29/1982
• Issued: 07/16/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Loblaw Companies Limited (George Weston Limited)
• Original Assignee: Loblaw Companies Limited (George Weston Limited)
• Inventors: Davidson, Brian Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAFTON, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US06/427,103
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 235/383, 235/385, 364/403, 364/464, 364/479, 346/94, 40/2 R
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/28 Air-blast devices
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/36 Wipers; Pressers
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/46 Applying date marks, code marks, or the like, to the label during labelling manually-controlled or operable apparatus having printing equipment B65C11/02; ticket printing and issuing G07B1/00 ; apparatus for ticket validating or cancelling G07B11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/121 by printing code marks applying code marks to labels B65C9/46; marking or coding completed packages B65B61/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 using printers
• 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 2215/0097 Printing on special media, e.g. labels, envelopes

Abstract

A price marking system for use with a product checkout system such as a supermarket checkout system. In the price marking system a label printer and label applicator are located in the checkout counter immediately downstream of the product scanner. When the checkout clerk passes the product unit over the scanner, causing the store computer to provide to the display screen and receipt tape printer signals indicative of the product description and price, this information is also fed to the label printer which prints for each product unit a label containing the product description, price and date of purchase. The product unit is then moved to the label applicator which applies the printed label to the product unit. Alternatively the information can be printed directly on the product unit.

Claims

1. For use with a product checkout system comprising automated means for scanning one at a time the coded labels on a series of products and generating a product signal therefrom, said automated means including receipt tape printer means responsive to said product signal for producing a price tape containing the price of each product scanned and a total for said prices, the improvement comprising price receiving means adapted to be connected to said automated means for receiving therefrom a marking signal indicative of the price of each said product, and marking means connected to said price receiving means for marking on each product the price thereof, said product signal containing unwanted data which is not to be marked by said marking means, said price receiving means including memory means containing an identification of said unwanted data, comparison means for comparing the data received from said product signal with said identification in said memory means, and processing means for causing said marking means to mark only when the data received from said product signal is not said unwanted data.

2. For use with a product checkout system comprising automated means for scanning one at a time the coded labels on a series of products and generating a product signal therefrom, said automated means including receipt tape printer means responsive to said product signal for producing a price tape containing the price of each product scanned and a total for said prices, the improvement comprising price receiving means adapted to be connected to said automated means for receiving therefrom a marking signal indicative of the price of each said product, and marking means connected to said price receiving means for marking on each product the price thereof, said product signal containing unwanted data which is not to be marked by said marking means, said price receiving means including memory means containing an identification of data which is to be marked by said marking means, comparison means for comparing the data received from said product signal with said identification in said memory means, and processing means for causing said marking means to mark only when the data received from said product signal corresponds to said identification in said memory means.

3. For use with a product checkout system comprising automated means for scanning one at a time the coded labels on a series of products and generating a product signal therefrom, said product signal including an identification of each said product, said automated means including receipt tape printer means responsive to said product signal for producing a price tape containing the price of each product scanned and a total for said prices, the improvement comprising price receiving means adapted to be connected to said automated means for receiving therefrom a marking signal which is indicative of the price of each said product, and which signal includes an identification of each said product, said price receiving means including means identifying the date of purchase of each said product, and marking means connected to said price receiving means and including printing means, for printing said price, product identification and data of purchase on a label, and applicator means for applying said label to said product, said applicator means comprising pneumatic means for blowing said label onto a product.