System and method of verifying graphically displayed relative information

• US 6,301,565 B1
• Filed: 05/14/1999
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Goodwin, III, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kramer, Dean J.
• Application Number:
  US09/312,456
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 705/16, 705/20, 705/23, 705/400, 705/22, 705/21, 40/5, 404/48, 345/1, 345/2, 345/87, 235/383, 235/385, 340/5.91
• 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 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

An electronic price label relative information verification system which ensures that first business information for an item is equal to second business information assigned to the electronic price label for display. The system includes a computer system coupled to the electronic price label, including a terminal and a storage medium coupled to the terminal. The storage medium contains a data record for the item, which contains identification information and a verifier for the item. The computer terminal obtains the first relative information for the item from the business information source, calculates another verifier from the first relative information for the item, reads the data record to obtain the one verifier, compares the one and the other verifiers to determine whether they are equal, and changes displayed business information to the first relative information if the one and the other verifiers are different.

Claims

1. A method of ensuring that first relative information for an item obtained from a business information source is equal to second relative information assigned to an electronic price label for the item for display by the electronic price label, comprising:

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

(b) obtaining the first relative information from the business information source using the identification information obtained from the data record;

(c) calculating another verifier from the first business information;

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

(e) changing displayed relative information to the second relative information if the one and the other verifiers are different.

2. A method of ensuring that first business information for an item obtained from a price file is equal to second business information assigned to an electronic price label for the item for display by the electronic price label, comprising:

(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 checksum value for the item from the second business information;

(d) storing the 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 checksum value for the item;

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

(g) calculating another checksum value from the first business information for the item in the price file;

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

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

3. A method of ensuring that first display information for an item is equal to second display information assigned to an electronic price label for the item for display by the electronic price label, comprising:

(a) reading a data record for the electronic price label to obtain an identification information number for the item and a verifier determined from the second display information;

(b) obtaining the first display information including business information from a business information source and a price from a price file using the identification information obtained from the data record;

(c) calculating another verifier from the business information and the price;

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

(e) sending a message to the electronic price label with a command to display the business information and the price if the one and the other verifiers are different.

4. A method of ensuring that first display information for an item is equal to second display information assigned to an electronic price label for the item for display by the electronic price label, comprising:

(a) reading a data record for the electronic price label to obtain an identification information number for the item and a verifier determined from the second display information;

(b) obtaining the first display information including

(b-1) obtaining a list of a number of display segments to be activated in order to display a level of business information associated with the item from a business information source, wherein the display segments are linearly arranged as a relative scale in a first portion of a liquid crystal display within the electronic price label; and

(b-2) obtaining a price for the item from a price file;

(c) calculating another verifier from the first display information;

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

(e) sending a message to the electronic price label with a command to display the first display information if the one and the other verifiers are different.

5. A system for ensuring that first relative information for an item obtained from a business information source is equal to second relative information assigned to an electronic price label for the item for display by the electronic price label, comprising:

a computer system coupled to the electronic price label, including a terminal and a storage medium coupled to the terminal;

wherein the storage medium contains a data record for the item, which contains identification information and a verifier for the item;

wherein the computer terminal obtains the first relative information for the item from the business information source, calculates another verifier from the first relative information for the item, reads the data record to obtain the one verifier, compares the one and the other verifiers to determine whether they are equal, and changes displayed business information to the first relative information if the one and the other verifiers are different.

6. A system for ensuring that first business information for an item obtained from a price file is equal to second business information assigned to an electronic price label for the item for display by the electronic price label, comprising:

a computer system coupled to the electronic price label, including a terminal and a storage medium coupled to the terminal;

wherein the storage medium contains a data record for the item, which contains identification information and a verifier for the item;

wherein the terminal stores identification information for the item in the record, determines a checksum value for the item from the second business information, stores the checksum value in the record, reads the record to obtain the identification information and the checksum value for the item, obtains the first business information from the price file using the identification information obtained from the record, calculates another checksum value from the first business information in the price file, compares the one and the other checksum values to determine whether the one and the other checksum values are equal, and changes displayed business information to the first business information if the one and the other checksum values are different.

7. A system for ensuring that first display information for an item is equal to second display information assigned to an electronic price label for the item for display by the electronic price label, comprising:

a computer system coupled to the electronic price label, including a terminal and a storage medium coupled to the terminal;

wherein the storage medium contains a data record for the item, which contains identification information and a verifier determined from the second display information for the item;

wherein the computer terminal obtains the first display information including business information from a business information source and a price from a price file, calculates another verifier from the business information and the price, reads the data record to obtain the one verifier, compares the one and the other verifiers to determine whether they are equal, and changes the second displayed information to the first displayed information if the one and the other verifiers are different.

8. An electronic price label system comprising:

an electronic price label assigned to an item including

a memory; and

a liquid crystal display including first and second display portions and which displays first information in first display segments within the first portion and second information, including price or promotional information, in second display segments in the second portion, wherein the first display segments are linearly arranged as a relative scale; and

a computer which determines a first verifier from the first and second information and stores the first verifier in a data record for the electronic price label, determines a second verifier from new first and second information, compares the first and second verifiers, and if the first and second verifiers are not equal, sends a message to the electronic price label to display the new first and second information.