Technique for locating electronic labels in an electronic price display system
First Claim
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1. A rail for detecting location of a display device having a plurality of terminals, said rail comprising:
- mechanical means for mounting said device on said rail;
an interface having a plurality of electrical contacts for electrically connecting a combination of said terminals to said interface, said electrical contacts being unevenly spaced so that said combination of said terminals changes when said device displaces by more than a predetermined distance along said rail; and
means for transporting a signal indicative of said combination of said terminals electrically connected to said interface, said signal being generated by said device.
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Abstract
In a system for displaying prices in a retail store, improved rail arrangements are disclosed to permit improved accuracy in confirming the physical location of an improved display device on one such rail arrangement. A response from the device to a host, or central computer, indicates a particular position of the device on the rail arrangement.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A rail for detecting location of a display device having a plurality of terminals, said rail comprising:
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mechanical means for mounting said device on said rail; an interface having a plurality of electrical contacts for electrically connecting a combination of said terminals to said interface, said electrical contacts being unevenly spaced so that said combination of said terminals changes when said device displaces by more than a predetermined distance along said rail; and means for transporting a signal indicative of said combination of said terminals electrically connected to said interface, said signal being generated by said device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A display device comprising:
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mechanical means for mounting said device on a rail, which rail includes an interface having a plurality of unevenly spaced electrical contacts; a plurality of terminals, a combination of said terminals electrically connecting said device to one or more of said electrical contacts of said interface; and means for generating a signal indicative of said combination of terminals electrically connected to said interface. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An arrangement comprising:
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a rail including an interface having a plurality of electrical contacts; at least one display device, each display device comprising; mechanical means for mounting said device on said rail; a plurality of terminals, a combination of said terminals electrically connecting said device to one or more of said electrical contacts of said interface, said electrical contacts being unevenly spaced so that said combination of said terminals electrically connecting said device to said interface changes when said device displaces by more than a predetermined distance along said rail; and means for generating a signal indicative of said combination of said terminals electrically connected to said interface. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method for use with a display device comprising a plurality of terminals, said method comprising the steps of:
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mounting said device on a rail which includes an interface having a plurality of unevenly spaced electrical contacts; electrically connecting said device to one or more of said electrical contacts of said interface through a combination of said terminals; and generating a signal by said device indicative of said combination of terminals electrically connected to said interface. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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Specification