Electronic price label price synchronization system and method

• US 5,918,212 A
• Filed: 07/29/1997
• Issued: 06/29/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Goodwin, John C. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Stamber, Eric W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALLEN, AKIBA KANELLE
• Application Number:
  US08/902,023
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 705/20, 705/23, 705/16, 186/59, 186/61
• US Class Current: 705/20
• 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 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

An electronic price label (EPL) price synchronization system and method which increase price reliability while conserving system bandwidth. A storage medium contains an audit file containing scheduled price change messages. The storage medium may additionally contain an EPL data file containing correct price information or a price file containing correct price information. A computer terminal reads the audit file to obtain an item identification number for an item associated with the EPL from a price change message addressed to the EPL, determines the correct price of the item from either the EPL data file or the price file, sends the correct price information to the EPL, receives a comparison result from the EPL following comparison of the correct price information to displayed price information by the EPL, determines from the comparison result whether the displayed price equals the correct price, and if the correct price is not equal to the displayed price sends another price change message containing the correct price to the EPL.

Claims

1. A method of ensuring that a price displayed by an electronic price label (EPL) is a correct price of an item, comprising the steps of:

(a) reading a record of a price change message to the EPL to obtain an item identification number for the item;

(b) determining the correct price of the item;

(c) comparing the correct price to the displayed price by the EPL; and

(d) if the correct price is not equal to the displayed price, sending another price change message to the EPL to change the displayed price to the correct price.

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

(b-1) determining the correct price from a price file.

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

(b-1) determining the correct price from an EPL data file.

4. A method of ensuring that a price displayed by an electronic price label (EPL) is a correct price of an item, comprising the steps of:

(a) reading a record of a price change message to the EPL to obtain an item identification number for the item by a computer;

(b) determining the correct price of the item from a price file by the computer;

(c) sending the correct price to the EPL by the computer;

(d) comparing the correct price to the displayed price by the EPL to produce a comparison result;

(e) sending the comparison result to the computer by the EPL;

(f) determining from the comparison result whether the displayed price equals the correct price by the computer; and

(g) if the correct price is not equal to the displayed price, sending another price change message containing the correct price to the EPL by the computer.

5. A method of ensuring that a price displayed by an electronic price label (EPL) is a correct price of an item, comprising the steps of:

(a) reading a record of a price change message to the EPL to obtain an item identification number for the item by a computer;

(b) determining the correct price of the item from an EPL data file by the computer;

(c) sending the correct price to the EPL by the computer;

(d) comparing the correct price to the displayed price by the EPL to produce a comparison result;

(e) sending the comparison result to the computer by the EPL;

(f) determining from the comparison result whether the displayed price equals the correct price by the computer; and

(g) if the correct price is not equal to the displayed price, sending another price change message containing the correct price to the EPL by the computer.

6. A method of ensuring that a price displayed by an electronic price label (EPL) is a correct price of an item, comprising the steps of:

(a) reading a record of a price change message to the EPL to obtain an item identification number for the item by a computer;

(b) determining whether an EPL data file containing correct price exists;

(c) if the EPL data file exists and contains correct price, obtaining the correct price from the EPL data file before proceeding to step (f);

(d) if the EPL data file exists, but does not contain correct price, obtaining the correct price from a price file before proceeding to step (f);

(e) if the EPL data file does not exist, obtaining the correct price from a price file;

(f) sending the correct price to the EPL by the computer;

(g) comparing the correct price to the displayed price by the EPL to produce a comparison result;

(h) sending the comparison result to the computer by the EPL;

(i) determining from the comparison result whether the displayed price equals the correct price by the computer; and

(j) if the correct price is not equal to the displayed price, sending another price change message containing the correct price to the EPL by the computer.

7. A system for ensuring that a price displayed by an electronic price label (EPL) is a correct price of an item 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 EPL identification information and correct price information, and an audit file containing scheduled price change messages;

wherein the computer terminal reads the audit file to obtain an item identification number for the item from a price change message addressed to the EPL, determines the correct price of the item from the EPL data file, sends the correct price information to the EPL, receives a comparison result from the EPL following comparison of the correct price information to displayed price information by the EPL, determines from the comparison result whether the displayed price equals the correct price, and if the correct price is not equal to the displayed price sends another price change message containing the correct price to the EPL.

8. A system for ensuring that a price displayed by an electronic price label (EPL) is a correct price of an item comprising:

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

wherein the storage medium contains a price file, which contains correct price information, and an audit file containing scheduled price change messages;

wherein the computer terminal reads the audit file to obtain an item identification number for the item from a price change message addressed to the EPL, determines the correct price of the item from the price file, sends the correct price information to the EPL, receives a comparison result from the EPL following comparison of the correct price information to displayed price information by the EPL, determines from the comparison result whether the displayed price equals the correct price, and if the correct price is not equal to the displayed price sends another price change message containing the correct price to the EPL.