Method of diagnosing communication problems of electronic price labels

• US 5,758,064 A
• Filed: 03/26/1996
• Issued: 05/26/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Haynes, Christopher M., Goodwin, John C. III, Zimmerman, Terry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUA, LY
• Application Number:
  US08/622,484
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 395/183.19, 395/214, 235/383, 235/385, 340/825.35, 340/825.17, 340/825.54, 340/825.49, 455/67.7, 364/574
• US Class Current: 340/10.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test

Abstract

A method of diagnosing communication problems of electronic price labels in a transaction establishment which identifies the probable locations of the problems. The method includes the steps of assigning the electronic price labels to groups based upon their ability to receive a message from a computer, locating the electronic price labels, mapping locations of the electronic price labels, identifying a predetermined group of electronic price labels having the reception problems, and determining the cause of the reception problems.

Claims

1. A method of managing groups of electronic price labels in a transaction establishment comprising the steps of:

(a) assigning the electronic price labels to the groups based upon their ability to receive a message from a computer;

(b) locating the electronic price labels within the groups;

(c) mapping locations of the electronic price labels and their groups;

(d) identifying a predetermined group of electronic price labels having problems receiving messages from a computer; and

(e) determining the cause of the reception problems using the locations of electronic price labels within the one group.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises the substeps of:

(b-1) mapping locations of receiving antennae within the transaction establishment to a map;

(b-2) transmitting a number of messages to each electronic price label;

(b-3) transmitting return messages by a number of the electronic price labels;

(b-4) receiving the return messages by a number of receiving antennae;

(b-5) determining signal characteristics of the number of return messages at the number of receiving antennae; and

(b-6) determining locations of the number of electronic price labels relative to the locations of the number of receiving antennae from the map from the signal characteristics.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein substep (b-6) comprises the substeps of:

(b-6-A) using radar tracking methods to determine a location of one of the electronic price labels if a plurality of receiving antennae receive a return message from the one electronic price label.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises the substeps of:

(b-1) transmitting a message to the electronic price labels instructing the electronic price labels to load their memories with information identifying the groups they are in; and

(b-2) recording a location for each electronic price label and its group.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises the substeps of:

(a-1) transmitting a number of messages to each electronic price label;

(a-2) transmitting return messages by a number of the electronic price labels;

(a-3) receiving the return messages;

(a-4) determining a signal characteristic for each of the return messages;

(a-5) establishing a plurality of groups based upon a plurality of signal characteristic thresholds;

(a-6) determining a highest signal characteristic threshold for each electronic price label; and

(a-7) assigning each electronic price label to a group corresponding to its highest signal characteristic threshold.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein substep (a-7) comprises the substeps of:

(a-7-1) determining a number of times the return messages from an electronic price label exceed a highest signal characteristic threshold;

(a-7-2) if the number exceeds a predetermined pass rate for the highest signal characteristic threshold, assigning the electronic price label to the group corresponding to the highest signal characteristic threshold;

(a-7-3) if the number is less than the predetermined pass rate for the highest signal characteristic threshold, determining a number of times the return messages from an electronic price label exceed each signal characteristic threshold below the highest signal characteristic threshold until the number exceeds one of the signal characteristic thresholds below the highest signal characteristic threshold; and

assigning the electronic price label to the group corresponding to the one signal characteristic threshold.

7. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the signal characteristic comprises a signal-to-noise ratio.

8. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein step (e) comprises the substeps of:

(e-1) identifying additional groups of electronic price labels between an antenna and the predetermined group of electronic price labels;

(e-2) identifying additional signal characteristic thresholds between the additional groups and between a first additional group and the predetermined group;

(e-3) determining a difference value between the first signal characteristic threshold of the first additional group and the signal characteristic threshold of the predetermined group, and between successive additional groups, until a predetermined threshold difference value is reached;

(e-4) determining an area including portions of the groups between which the predetermined threshold difference value occurred; and

(e-5) identifying a communication barrier in the area.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises the substeps of:

(c-1) establishing a reference grid on a floor plan of the transaction establishment;

(c-2) plotting the locations of the electronic price labels on the reference grid.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the reference grid is two-dimensional and comprises a first plurality of parallel reference lines oriented in a first direction and a second plurality of parallel reference lines oriented in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises the substeps of:

(d-1) transmitting a number of messages to each electronic price label;

(d-2) transmitting return messages by a number of the electronic price labels;

(d-3) receiving the return messages;

(d-4) determining a signal characteristic for each of the return messages;

(d-5) establishing a plurality of groups based upon a plurality of signal characteristic thresholds, wherein a lowest signal characteristic threshold represents a poorest performance; and

(d-6) identifying a group meeting only the lowest signal characteristic threshold.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein step (e) further comprises the substeps of:

(e-1) identifying a communication barrier between the predetermined group and an antenna.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the antenna is a receiving antenna.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the antenna is a transmitting antenna.

15. A method of assigning electronic price labels to groups comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting a number of messages to each electronic price label;

(b) transmitting return messages by a number of the electronic price labels;

(c) receiving the return messages;

(d) determining a signal characteristic for each of the return messages;

(e) establishing a plurality of groups based upon a plurality of signal characteristic thresholds;

(f) determining a highest signal characteristic threshold for each electronic price label; and

(g) assigning each electronic price label to a group corresponding to its highest signal characteristic threshold.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein substep (g) comprises the substeps of:

(g-1) determining a number of times the return messages from an electronic price label exceeds a highest signal characteristic threshold;

(g-2) if the number exceeds a predetermined pass rate for the highest signal characteristic threshold, assigning the electronic price label to the group corresponding to the highest signal characteristic threshold;

(g-3) if the number is less than the predetermined pass rate for the highest signal characteristic threshold,

determining a number of times the return messages from an electronic price label exceed each signal characteristic threshold below the highest signal characteristic threshold until the number exceeds one of the signal characteristic thresholds below the highest signal characteristic threshold; and

assigning the electronic price label to the group corresponding to the one signal characteristic threshold.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the signal characteristic comprises a signal-to-noise ratio.

18. A method of locating one group of electronic price labels out of a number of groups of electronic price labels comprising the substeps of:

(a) mapping locations of receiving antennae mounted within the transaction establishment to a map;

(b) assigning the electronic price labels to the groups based upon their ability to receive messages from a computer;

(c) transmitting a number of the messages to electronic price labels, including a command to load their memories with information identifying the groups they are in;

(d) transmitting return messages by a number of the electronic price labels within the one group;

(e) receiving the return messages by a number of the receiving antennae;

(f) determining signal characteristics of the number of return messages at the number of receiving antennae;

(g) determining locations of the number of electronic price labels within only the one group relative to the locations of the number of receiving antennae from the map from the signal characteristics; and

(h) recording a location for each electronic price label in the one group.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein substep (f) comprises the substeps of:

(g-1) using radar tracking methods to determine a location of one of the electronic price labels if a plurality of receiving antennae receive a return message from the one electronic price label.

20. A method of managing groups of electronic price labels in a transaction establishment comprising the steps of:

(a) assigning the electronic price labels to the groups based upon their ability to receive a message from a computer, including the substeps of (a-1) transmitting a number of messages to each electronic price label;

(a-2) transmitting return messages by a number of the electronic price labels;

(a-3) receiving the return messages;

(a-4) determining a signal characteristic for each of the return messages;

(a-5) establishing a plurality of groups based upon a plurality of signal characteristic thresholds;

(a-6) determining a highest signal characteristic threshold for each electronic price label; and

(a-7) assigning each electronic price label to a group corresponding to its highest signal characteristic threshold;

(b) locating the electronic price labels within the groups;

(c) mapping locations of the electronic price labels and their groups;

(d) identifying a predetermined group of electronic price labels having problems receiving messages from a computer; and

(e) determining the cause of the reception problems using the locations of electronic price labels within the one group.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein substep (a-7) comprises the substeps of:

(a-7-1) determining a number of times the return messages from an electronic price label exceed a highest signal characteristic threshold;

(a-7-2) if the number exceeds a predetermined pass rate for the highest signal characteristic threshold, assigning the electronic price label to the group corresponding to the highest signal characteristic threshold;

(a-7-3) if the number is less than the predetermined pass rate for the highest signal characteristic threshold, determining a number of times the return messages from an electronic price label exceed each signal characteristic threshold below the highest signal characteristic threshold until the number exceeds one of the signal characteristic thresholds below the highest signal characteristic threshold; and

assigning the electronic price label to the group corresponding to the one signal characteristic threshold.

22. A method of assigning electronic price labels to groups comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting a number of messages to each electronic price label;

(b) transmitting return messages by a number of the electronic price labels;

(c) receiving the return messages;

(d) determining a signal characteristic for each of the return messages;

(e) establishing a plurality of groups based upon a plurality of signal characteristic thresholds;

(f) determining a highest signal characteristic threshold for each electronic price label; and

(g) assigning each electronic price label to a group corresponding to its highest signal characteristic threshold, including the substeps of (g-1) determining a number of times the return messages from each electronic price label exceeds a highest signal characteristic threshold;

(g-2) if the number exceeds a predetermined pass rate for the highest signal characteristic threshold, assigning the electronic price label to the group corresponding to the highest signal characteristic threshold; and

(g-3) if the number is less than the predetermined pass rate for the highest signal characteristic threshold, determining a number of times the return messages from an electronic price label exceed each signal characteristic threshold below the highest signal characteristic threshold until the number exceeds one of the signal characteristic thresholds below the highest signal characteristic threshold, and assigning the electronic price label to the group corresponding to the one signal characteristic threshold.

23. A method of diagnosing a reception problem of a target group of electronic price labels (EPLs) comprising the steps of:

determining locations of the EPLs within the target group;

determining a location of an antenna which transmits messages to the EPLs within the target group;

determining whether additional groups exist between the antenna and the target group; and

if additional groups exist,

determining locations of EPLs within the additional groups;

determining first differences between retry levels of adjacent groups between the target group and the antenna;

determining whether a second difference which exceeds a predetermined number of retry levels exists within the first differences; and

if a second difference exists,

correlating the second difference with the locations of the EPLs within the groups to determine a location of the reception problem.

24. The method as recited in claim 23, further comprising the steps of:

if a second difference does not exist, servicing transmitter circuitry coupled to the antenna.