System for recognizing display devices

• US 5,461,561 A
• Filed: 09/10/1991
• Issued: 10/24/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Electronic Retailing Systems International, Inc. (Systems Holding, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Electronic Retailing Systems International, Inc. (Systems Holding, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ackerman, Marvin, Berluti, Vincent, Poland, Terrell, Waldron, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Bowler, Alyssa H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Donaghue, L.
• Application Number:
  US07/757,675
• Time in Patent Office: 1,505 Days
• Field of Search: 395/325, 395/800, 395/575, 395/162, 395/118, 364/401, 364/403, 364/464.01, 235/383, 235/385
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/046 using the shaking brought about by the locomotion of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/04 Electronic labels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40045 Details regarding the feeding of energy to the node from the bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]

Abstract

In a system for displaying prices in a retail store, improved system architecture and stored programs are disclosed to permit improved accuracy in confirming the physical location of display devices called labels. A response from a label to the host, or central computer, has appended to it an additional message by an appender, one of a plurality of appenders located throughout the architecture. The appender'"'"'s message permits localization of the labels. A power-on status flag in a response from the labels permits the central computer to determine, through global inquiries to all the labels, whether any of the labels has had an interruption of power. A dongle or RF-linked bar-code scanner permits store personnel to send messages to the central computer to request that labels in a particular subarea of the store display alternative information such as the amount of inventory for items in that subarea.

Claims

1. An electronic display device for use in displaying information in a system having an address/data bus, the system defining bus addresses corresponding to particular electronic display devices, each display device comprising:

a display;

a connector connectible to the bus through which the device receives power from the bus and through which the device may send and receive data;

electronic means for receiving data indicative of information via the connector and for controlling the display to display the information;

said electronic means further comprising an address decoder for detecting a condition of a received item of data containing an address matching the address corresponding to the device;

said electronic means further comprising means for setting a flag, said means responsive to an application of power for setting the flag, said means further responsive to a first predetermined item of received data for clearing the flag;

said electronic means responsive to a condition of the flag being set, and to receipt of a second predetermined item of received data, irrespective of whether the address contained in the item of received data matches the address corresponding to the device, for sending a third predetermined item of data to the bus; and

a case mechanically interconnecting the display, the connector, and the electronic means.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the electronic means comprises a microprocessor executing a stored program, and wherein the flag is a storage location in a memory location of the microprocessor.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the bus comprises power, data, and ground wires, and wherein the data wire transports bidirectional serial data.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the electronic means further comprises means further responsive to the condition of the flag being set, to receipt of a fourth predetermined item of received data including an address, and to detection, by the address decoder, of a match between the included address and the address of the device, for sending a fifth predetermined item of data to the bus.

5. Apparatus for displaying information provided by a computer, said apparatus comprising:

a display;

means for receiving, from said computer, a first message which contains a particular address identifying said apparatus;

means responsive to a receipt of said first message for transmitting, to said computer, a second message which contains information indicative of an occurrence of interruption of power followed by restoration of power in said apparatus;

means for receiving, from said computer, a third message which contains a particular address identifying said apparatus and contains information indicative of information to be displayed by the display; and

means responsive to a receipt of said third message for displaying the information on the display.

6. Apparatus for displaying information provided by a computer, said apparatus comprising:

a display;

means for receiving, from said computer, a first message;

means responsive to a receipt of said first message for transmitting to said computer, in the event of an occurrence of interruption of power followed by restoration of power in said apparatus, a second message which contains information indicative of the occurrence of interruption of power followed by restoration of power in said apparatus and which contains a particular address identifying said apparatus;

means for receiving, from said computer, a third message which contains a particular address identifying said apparatus and contains information indicative of information to be displayed by the display; and

means responsive to a receipt of said third message for displaying the information on the display.

7. A method for use in an apparatus for displaying information provided by a computer, said apparatus comprising a display;

said method comprising the steps of;

receiving from said computer a first message which contains a particular address identifying said apparatus;

transmitting to said computer, in the event of the first message being of a first type and in the event of am occurrence of interruption of power followed by restoration of power in said apparatus, a second message which contains information indicative of the occurrence of interruption of power followed by restoration of power in said apparatus; and

displaying, in the event of the first message being of a second type, information derived from information in the first message.

8. A method for use in an apparatus for displaying information provided by a computer, said apparatus comprising a display;

said method comprising the steps of;

receiving, from said computer, a first message;

transmitting to said computer, in the event of the message being of a first type and in the event of an occurrence of interruption of power followed by restoration of power in said apparatus, a second message which contains information indicative of the power outage of said apparatus and which contains a particular address identifying said apparatus; and

displaying, in the event of the first message being of a second type and in the event of the first message containing a particular address identifying said apparatus, information derived from information in the display.