EPL price change verification system and method

• US 6,012,040 A
• Filed: 06/20/1997
• Issued: 01/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Inventors: Goodwin, John C. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel Todd
• Assistant Examiner(s): KALINOWSKI, ALEXANDER G
• Application Number:
  US08/879,736
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 705/20, 705/16, 705/21, 735/377, 735/378, 735/385, 364/478.01, 364/478.02, 364/478.03, 364/478.07, 364/478.13
• US Class Current: 705/20
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/201 Price look-up processing, e.g. updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A price change verification system and method for an electronic price label (EPL) system which verifies that price changes have been implemented by associated EPLs. A storage medium contains a record associated with the EPL. The record includes a price change time and a new price for the EPL. An EPL computer sends a price change message containing the new price to the EPL at a time substantially equal to the price change time. The EPL computer additionally verifies that the EPL is displaying the new price by reading the record to determine the price change time, obtaining a currently displayed price from the EPL, and comparing the currently displayed price to the new price.

Claims

1. A method of verifying that a first price displayed by an electronic price label (EPL) has been replaced by a second price comprising the steps of:

reading a record associated with the EPL to determine a price change time;

sending a price check message to the EPL after the price change time; and

if a return message indicates the EPL is not displaying the second price, sending a price change message to the EPL to command the EPL to display the second price.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

if a return message is not received from the EPL, providing an error indication to an operator.

3. A method of verifying that a first price display by an electronic price label (EPL) has bcen replaced by a second price comprising the steps of:

storing a price change time in a record associated with the EPL by an EPL computer;

sending a price check message to the EPL after the price change time;

if a return message is not received from the EPL, providing an error indication to an operator; and

if a return message is received from the EPL indicating the EPL is not displaying the second price, sending a price change message to the EPL to command the EPL to display the second price.

4. A price verification system for an electronic price label (EPL) system comprising:

a storage medium containing a record associated with an EPL, wherein the record includes a price change time and a new price for the EPL; and

an EPL computer which sends a price change message containing the new price to the EPL at a time substantially equal to the price change time;

wherein the EPL computer additionally verifies that the EPL is displaying the new price by;

reading the record to determine the price change time;

sending a price check message to the EPL after the price change time; and

verifying that a return message from the EPL indicates the new price is currently being displayed.

5. An electronic price label (EPL) system comprising:

a plurality of EPLs;

a storage medium containing a record associated with the EPLs, wherein the record includes price change times and new prices for a number of EPLs; and

an EPL computer which sends price change messages containing the new prices to the number of EPLs at times substantially equal to the price change times;

wherein the EPL computer additionally verifies that the number of EPLs are displaying the new prices by;

reading the record to determine the price change times;

sending a number of price check messages to the number of EPLs after the price change times; and

sending a price change message to each EPL which indicates in a return message that it is not displaying the new price.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the EPL computer provides an error message to an operator if the return message is not received from each EPL.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the EPL computer logs a response error in the record if the return message is not received from each EPL.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein each of the plurality of EPLs contains a data register and a display.

9. The system of claim 5 wherein each of the plurality of EPLs is located on a store shelf in a location adjacent to a corresponding plurality of items.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising a price-lookup (PLU) file which contains a plurality of prices corresponding to the plurality of items.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising a bar code scanner adapted to access the PLU file.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising a point of sale terminal communicatively connected to the bar code scanner.