Shelf price label verification apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A method of shelf price verification for a store of the type utilizing checkout scanners and shelf pricing, comprising the steps of:
- a) placing shelf price labels for each of a plurality of items in the store, each label having at least an item identification printed in barcoded form, and a price presented in both barcoded and human-readable form;
b) scanning the shelf label, reading at least the item identification and shelf price;
c) looking up an item record from a store checkout scanner price database using the item identification, the item record containing at least the price for the item which would be used by the store checkout scanner;
d) comparing the shelf price from the scanned label to the price from the store checkout scanner price database;
e) if the shelf price from the scanned label is not equal to the price from the store checkout scanner price database, presenting an indication of a price error to an operator.
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Abstract
A price verification method for retail stores using shelf pricing, and apparatus therefor, in which the shelf labels are provided with an extended bar code having the item number and price of the item. A remote unit scans the item number and price, and uses the item number to look up the item in a database which is identical to the store checkout scanner database, and compares the shelf price to the database price. If they are not the same, a new shelf label may be printed immediately. The method and apparatus described herein are easily adapted to allow government inspections of stores for shelf price accuracy. A further embodiment of the invention provides for a portable totalizer with which a shopper can total purchases as they are selected, enabling the shopper to check the scanner at the checkout register.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method of shelf price verification for a store of the type utilizing checkout scanners and shelf pricing, comprising the steps of:
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a) placing shelf price labels for each of a plurality of items in the store, each label having at least an item identification printed in barcoded form, and a price presented in both barcoded and human-readable form; b) scanning the shelf label, reading at least the item identification and shelf price; c) looking up an item record from a store checkout scanner price database using the item identification, the item record containing at least the price for the item which would be used by the store checkout scanner; d) comparing the shelf price from the scanned label to the price from the store checkout scanner price database; e) if the shelf price from the scanned label is not equal to the price from the store checkout scanner price database, presenting an indication of a price error to an operator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A portable shelf price verification unit, for use in a system wherein a plurality of items in a store are identified with shelf price labels, each label having at least an item identification printed in barcoded form, and a price presented in both barcoded and human-readable form, comprising:
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a) scanner means for reading at least the item identification and shelf price from the barcode on the shelf price label; b) memory means for storing at least the scanned item identification and the scanned shelf price from the barcode on the shelf price label; c) database means for storing a plurality of item records, each record representing an item and containing at least an item identification and store checkout scanner price; d) indicator means for communicating with the operator of the verification unit, e) processor means for controlling the scanner means, memory means, indicator means and database means, such that when the scanner means has scanned a shelf price label, the processor means loads the item identification into the memory means, looks up the item identification in the memory means in the database means, retrieves the associated item record for the item identified by the item identification, and compares the scanned shelf price and the price from the item record, and, if the shelf price and item record prices are not equal, provides a price error indication to the operator of the verification unit using the indicator means. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification