Display system with section addressability

• US 5,467,474 A
• Filed: 03/17/1994
• Issued: 11/14/1995
• 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, LARRY D
• Application Number:
  US08/210,163
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 365/325, 365/800, 365/575, 365/200, 364/401, 364/402, 364/403, 364/404, 235/383, 235/385, 340/825.38, 340/825.55, 380/825.38, 380/825.55
• US Class Current: 705/22
• 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. A system for display of information regarding items which are arranged in an area, the system comprising:

a central computer;

a bus connected to the central computer;

a multiplicity of display devices connected to the central computer, each display device having a unique address on the bus and being physically connectible to the bus in a multiplicity of locations, each display device capable of displaying data in response to a message from the central computer;

means within the central computer for maintaining records of the physical connection locations of the display devices, the records defining subareas within the area;

request detection means responsive to receipt of a display change request, for identifying the particular subarea corresponding to the request and transmitting on the bus at least one message relating to the display devices connected at locations in the particular subarea, whereby substantially all display devices in the particular subarea change from displaying any previously displayed data to displaying changed data in response to the request, and whereby substantially all display devices not in the particular subarea continue displaying previously displayed data.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the bus comprises a main bus and bus extensions, and each bus extension comprises a rail having electrical contacts along its length, said contacts electrically connected to the central computer.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the system further comprises a plurality of appenders located on the main bus, each appender having a unique address on the bus, each appender being associated with a geographic portion of the area and permitting bidirectional communications between the main bus and a particular bus extension associated with that appender.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the system is further characterized in that a plurality of the display devices are connected with each bus extension;

and each display device comprising a housing, a processor, and a connector, said connector being connectible to the rail at any of the multiplicity of locations along its length and having contacts corresponding to the contacts of the rail and being electrically engageable therewith, the processor operatively connected with the connector for receiving messages on the bus.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the request detection means comprising a dongle, said dongle comprising a housing, a processor, and a connector, said connector connectible to the rail at any of a multiplicity of locations along its length and having contacts corresponding to the contacts of the rail and electrically engageable therewith, the processor operatively connected with the connector for receiving messages on the bus.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the maintaining means further comprises means for maintaining records of the physical connection locations of the appenders.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the display change request is realized by connecting the dongle to a rail at a particular location and transmitting a message by the processor of the dongle to the central computer via the bus.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein each appender is responsive to an occurrence of sending of a message by the dongle on the bus extension associated therewith, for sending an append message subsequent to the conclusion of the message sent by the dongle, the append message containing information indicative of the unique address of the appender;

and wherein

the request detection means further comprises;

means for receiving the message sent by the dongle,

means for receiving the append message containing information indicative of the unique address of the appender, and

means for determining, based on the records of the physical connection locations of the display devices and the appenders, the subarea within which the dongle was connected to a rail.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the central computer further comprises a radio frequency receiver connected operatively thereto;

and

the maintaining means further comprises means for maintaining records of scannable data items associated with respective display devices.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the request detection means comprises a portable device which comprises a scanner and a radio frequency transmitter operatively connected thereto.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the display change request comprises a message containing information indicative of a scannable item of data associated with a display device.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the request detection means further comprises means for determining, based on the records of the physical connection locations of the display devices and of the scannable data corresponding thereto, the subarea within which the display device corresponding thereto is located.

13. A method for use in a computer in a displaying system where said computer is operatively connected to a bus, and a plurality of display devices are electrically connectible to said bus in a plurality of locations thereon;

said method comprising the steps of;

defining geographic areas by grouping ones of said locations;

receiving a request for changing displays of the display devices connected at the locations in a particular geographic area, the request containing information indicative of a subarea from which said request was originated;

identifying said geographic area from said information, said subarea being within said particular geographic area; and

transmitting, in response to the request, on said bus at least one message to the display devices located in said particular geographic area so that substantially all of those display devices change to displaying data different from what was previously displayed.

14. A method for use in a system for displaying information, said system comprising:

a dongle, a bus comprising a main bus and bus extensions;

a computer operatively connected to said main bus;

a plurality of display devices electrically connectible to said bus extensions in a plurality of locations therein; and

a plurality of appenders each connected with one of said bus extensions and with said computer through said main bus;

said method comprising the steps of;

defining geographic areas by grouping ones of said locations;

electrically connecting said dongle to a particular bus extension in one of said locations in a particular geographic area;

transmitting a request from said dongle on said particular bus extension for changing displays of the display devices connected in locations in said particular geographic area;

transmitting a message from a particular appender connected to said particular bus extension after transmission of said request, said message containing an address identifying said particular appender apparatus on said bus;

receiving by said computer said request and said message;

identifying by said computer said particular geographic area from said address in said message; and

transmitting by said computer, in response to said request, on said bus at least one message relating to the display devices located in said particular geographic area so that substantially all of those display devices change to displaying data different from what was previously displayed.

15. A method for use in a system for displaying information, said system comprising:

a scanner having a radio frequency transmitter, a bus;

a computer operatively connected to said bus and to a radio frequency receiver; and

a plurality of display devices electrically connectible to said bus in a plurality of locations therein;

said method comprising the steps of;

defining geographic areas by grouping ones of said locations;

scanning by said scanner first information indicative of a geographic area;

transmitting a request from said scanner via the radio frequency transmitter, for changing displays of the display devices connected in locations in said particular geographic area, the request containing the first information;

receiving by said computer said request and said first information;

identifying by said computer said particular geographic area from said first information in said request; and

transmitting by said computer, in response to the request, on said bus at least one message relating to the display devices located in said particular geographic area so that substantially all of those display devices change to displaying data different from what was previously displayed.