EPL price verification system and method

• US 5,794,211 A
• Filed: 06/13/1995
• Issued: 08/11/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Goodwin, John C. III, Zimmerman, Terry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weinhardt, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US08/490,041
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.35, 345/1, 345/2, 235/383, 235/385, 364/464.01, 395/201, 395/216, 395/220, 395/223, 395/228
• US Class Current: 705/23
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/201 Price look-up processing, e.g. updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• 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: G07G 1/145 PLU-management

Abstract

An electronic price label (EPL) price verification system which ensures that a price for an item obtained from a price look-up (PLU) file by a bar code scanner is equal to another price displayed by an electronic price label (EPL) for the item. The EPL price verification system includes a computer system coupled to the EPL, which includes a terminal and a storage medium coupled to the terminal. The storage medium contains an EPL data file, which contains EPL identification information and an EPL price verifier. The computer terminal executes a price verification program which reads the PLU file to obtain the price of the item, calculates another price verifier from the price of the item in the price file, reads EPL data file to obtain the one price verifier, compares the one and the other price verifiers to determine whether they are equal, and changes the displayed price to the price in the PLU file if the one and the other price verifiers are different.

Claims

1. A method of ensuring that a price for an item obtained from a price file by a bar code scanner is equal to another price assigned to an electronic price label for the item for display by the electronic price label, comprising the steps of:

(a) reading an electronic price label data file to obtain identification information and a price verifier for the item;

(b) reading the price file to obtain the price of the item using the identification information obtained from the electronic price label data file;

(c) calculating another price verifier from the price of the item in the price file;

(d) comparing the one and the other price verifiers to determine whether they are equal; and

(e) changing the displayed price to the price if the one and the other price verifiers are different.

2. A method of ensuring that a price for an item obtained from a price look-up (PLU) file by a bar code scanner is equal to another price assigned to an electronic price label for the item for display by the electronic price label, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an electronic price label data file including a record associated with the electronic price label;

(b) storing identification information for the item in the record;

(c) determining a price checksum value for the item from the displayed price;

(d) storing the price checksum value in the electronic price label data file;

(e) reading the record in the electronic price label data file to obtain the identification information and the price checksum value for the item;

(f) reading the price file to obtain the price of the item using the identification information obtained from the electronic price label data file;

(g) calculating another price checksum value from the price of the item in the price file;

(h) comparing the one and the other price checksum values to determine whether the one and the other price checksum values are equal; and

(i) changing the displayed price to the price if the one and the other price checksum values are different.

3. A system for ensuring that a price for an item obtained from a price look-up (PLU) file by a bar code scanner is equal to another price assigned to an electronic price label (EPL) for the item for display by the EPL, comprising:

a computer system coupled to the EPL, including a terminal and a storage medium coupled to the terminal;

wherein the storage medium contains an EPL data file, which contains identification information and an price verifier for the item;

wherein the computer terminal reads the PLU file to obtain the price of the item, calculates another price verifier from the price of the item in the price file, reads the EPL data file to obtain the one price verifier, compares the one and the other price verifiers to determine whether they are equal, and changes the displayed price to the price in the PLU file if the one and the other price verifiers are different.

4. A system for ensuring that a price for an item obtained from a price look-up (PLU) file by a bar code scanner is equal to another price assigned to an electronic price label (EPL) for the item for display by the EPL, comprising:

a computer system coupled to the EPL, including a terminal and a storage medium coupled to the terminal;

wherein the storage medium contains an EPL data file including a record associated with the EPL;

wherein the computer terminal stores identification information for the item in the record, determines a price checksum value for the item from the displayed price, stores the price checksum value in the EPL data file, reads the record in the EPL data file to obtain the identification information and the price checksum value for the item, reads the price file to obtain the price of the item using the identification information obtained from the electronic price label data file, calculates another price checksum value from the price of the item in the price file, compares the one and the other price checksum values to determine whether the one and the other price checksum values are equal, and changes the displayed price to the price if the one and the other price checksum values are different.