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Apparatus for communicating price changes including printer and display devices

  • US 5,172,314 A
  • Filed: 05/03/1991
  • Issued: 12/15/1992
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1991
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. Price updating means for use in a price display system including both individually addressable information display devices and printed price indicators disposed to display prices, and having a data source, a communications channel connecting said data source with said information display devices, and a printer connected to the data source, said printer disposed to print said printed price indicators in response to print commands, the data source comprising a first data file of records corresponding to product locations, each record containing product information indicative of the product associated with the location corresponding thereto, each record also containing information indicative of whether the location corresponding thereto is associated with an information display device or with a printed price indicator, the price updating means comprising:

  • input means for receiving update data indicative of a product for which a price change is desired and the changed price therefor;

    lookup means responsive to the update data for looking up among records in the first data file those matching records, if any, for which the product information matches the product for which a price change is desired;

    first posting means responsive to a matching record having information indicative of its respective location being associated with an information display device, for posting the changed price to the associated information display device;

    queueing means responsive to a matching record having information of its respective location being associated with a printed price indicator, for storing a print command capable of causing the printer to print a printed price indicator illustrative of the changed price; and

    means responsive to said stored print command to activate said printer to print the price indicator.

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