Product monitoring system particularly useful in merchandising and inventory control
First Claim
1. A product monitoring system for monitoring a variety of products grouped according to their identities on shelves, comprising:
- a central computer having storage means for storing the identification of each group of products on the shelves;
a plurality of electronic shelf labels, each located adjacent to a shelf for a group of products, each of said electronic shelf labels including communication means for communicating with said central computer via a first communication link between the central computer and the electronic shelf labels, storage means for storing the identification of the respective group of products, an electrically changeable display for displaying information relating to the respective group of products as communicated to it from said central computer via said first communication link, and an activatable read-out device for reading out, when activated, the product identification and price information of the respective group of products;
a plurality of portable units each to be carried by a user of the system;
and a record memory for each of said portable units;
each of said portable units including a read-in device capable of communicating via a second, separate short-range communication link with the readout device of each of said electronic shelf labels for reading in the product identification and for recording same in the record memory for the respective portable unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A product monitoring system for monitoring a variety of products grouped according to their identities on shelves, includes a central computer storing the identification of each group of products on the shelves; a plurality of electronic shelf labels, each located adjacent to a shelf for a group of products, communicating with the central computer, storing the identification of the respective group of products, displaying information relating to the respective group of products, and reading out the identification of the respective group of products; a plurality of portable units each to be carried by a user of the system; and a record memory for each portable unit. Each portable unit includes a read-in device capable of establishing a short-range communication link with the read-out device of each electronic shelf label for reading in the product identification and for recording same in the record memory for the respective portable unit.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A product monitoring system for monitoring a variety of products grouped according to their identities on shelves, comprising:
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a central computer having storage means for storing the identification of each group of products on the shelves; a plurality of electronic shelf labels, each located adjacent to a shelf for a group of products, each of said electronic shelf labels including communication means for communicating with said central computer via a first communication link between the central computer and the electronic shelf labels, storage means for storing the identification of the respective group of products, an electrically changeable display for displaying information relating to the respective group of products as communicated to it from said central computer via said first communication link, and an activatable read-out device for reading out, when activated, the product identification and price information of the respective group of products; a plurality of portable units each to be carried by a user of the system; and a record memory for each of said portable units; each of said portable units including a read-in device capable of communicating via a second, separate short-range communication link with the readout device of each of said electronic shelf labels for reading in the product identification and for recording same in the record memory for the respective portable unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A product monitoring system for monitoring a variety of products grouped according to their identities on shelves, comprising:
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a central computer having storage means for storing the identification of each group of products on the shelves and price information for each group of identical products; a plurality of electronic shelf labels, each located adjacent to a shelf for a group of products, each of said electronic shelf labels including communication means for communicating with said central computer via a first communication link between the central computer and the electronic shelf labels, storage means for storing the identification of the respective group of products and price information regarding the products on the respective shelf, an electrically changeable display for displaying price information relating to the respective group of products as communicated to it from said central computer via said first communication link, and an activatable read-out device for reading out, when activated, the product identification and price information of the respective group of products; a plurality of portable units each to be carried by a user of the system; and a record memory for each of said portable units; each of said portable units including a read-in device capable of communicating via a second, separate short-range communication link with the read-out device of each of said electronic shelf labels for selectively activating the read-out devices to read-out the product identification and price information of the respective group of products;
for reading in the product identification and price information via said second communication link; and
for recording same in the record memory for the respective portable unit. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification