Remote controlled electronic price tag

• US 6,307,919 B1
• Filed: 05/29/1998
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tagcorp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tagcorp, Inc.
• Inventors: Yoked, Yehuda
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Diane I.
• Application Number:
  US09/086,839
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 235/383, 235/385, 235/378, 235/454, 235/492, 235/380, 364/464.01, 364/478.01, 364/478.03
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/208 Electronic labels, Labels integrating electronic displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/04 Electronic labels

Abstract

An electronic price tag is adapted for wireless adjustment, which consists of a display placard mounted to the goods at, for example, a point of manufacture for the goods; a plurality of price display fields on the placard; a receiver/decoder horn mounted to the placard for receiving signals from a remote location and decoding same to be inputted to the price display field. Additionally, the price tag of the present invention permits the retailer to maintain in confidence and secrecy price information pertaining to the specific goods, i.e. the goods are not routed through a supplier or other third parties that would obtain knowledge of the retailer'"'"'s pricing strategy.

Claims

1. An electronic price tag adjustable from a remote location, consisting of:

support means for attachment to a specific product at a point of manufacture/distribution for the product for which the electronic price tag is associated;

electronic display means mounted on the support means for displaying adjustable pricing information;

power supply means mounted on the support means for supplying power to the electronic display means;

said electronic price tag further consisting of a longitudinal member having a recess formed therein for receiving the power supply means, the longitudinal member constructed and arranged for being mounted to a surface of the support means for sandwiching the-power supply means between the longitudinal member and the support means surface opposite to a surface to which the electronic display means is mounted on the support means.

2. The electronic price tag according to claim 1, wherein the electronic display means further consists of:

receiving means mounted on said support means for receiving remotely transmitted pricing signals; and

means for processing said remotely transmitted pricing signals and selecting only signals associated with the specific product,

said processing means actuating said electronic display means for displaying said adjustable pricing information.

3. The electronic price tag according to claim 2, further consisting of:

stand-by means for applying remotely transmitted signals to actuate said processing means only for signals associated with the specific product.

4. The electronic price tag according to claim 1, wherein said electronic display means consists of at least one liquid crystal display device for displaying adjustable pricing information.

5. The electronic price tag according to claim 1, wherein the support means further consists of:

a panel of non-conductive material.

6. The electronic price tag according to claim 1, wherein the support means further consists of:

an aperture extending therethrough for receiving a strap for attachment to the product.

7. The electronic price tag according to claim 1, wherein the support means further consists of:

adhesive at an exterior surface of the support means for attaching the support means to the product.

8. The electronic price tag according to claim 1, wherein the electronic display means consists of a liquid crystal display (LCD) region.

9. The electronic price tag according to claim 8, wherein the LCD region consists of a plurality of LCD display fields for displaying successive changes in pricing information.

10. The electronic price tag according to claim 1, further consisting of:

printed indicia displayed on a surface of the support means, the printed indicia identifying a retailer, the product, and characteristics of the product to which the support means is attached.

11. The electronic price tag according to claim 1, further consisting of:

a sheet of adhesive material mounted to a surface of the support means to sandwich the power supply means between the adhesive material sheet and the support means.

12. An electronic price tag adjustable from a remote location, consisting of:

support means for attachment to a specific product at a point of manufacture/distribution for the product for which the electronic price tag is associated;

electronic display means mounted on the support means for displaying adjustable pricing information;

power supply means mounted on the support means for supplying power to electronic display means; and

a longitudinal member having a recess formed therein for receiving the power supply means,

the longitudinal member constructed and arranged for being mounted to a surface of the support means for sandwiching the power supply means between the longitudinal member and the support means surface opposite to a surface to which the electronic display means is mounted on the support means.

13. An electronic price tag adjustable from a remote location, consisting of:

support means for attachment to a product at a point of manufacture/distribution for the product for which the electronic price tag is associated,

said support means having a surface receptive to the printing of indicia from external means;

display means mounted on the support means and actuated by electronic signals corresponding to the product for displaying adjustable pricing information for the product; and

power supply means mounted on the support means for supplying power to the display means.

14. A price tag adjustable from a remote location, consisting of:

a container having a front surface and a rear surface;

a space in the container disposed between the front and rear surfaces; and

an electronic display package for indicia pertaining to a product, the electronic display package constructed and arranged to be disposed in the space of the container for displaying indicia pertaining to the product to which the tag is attached, and

responsive to wireless signals with data encoded corresponding to the product to which the tag is associated for actuation of the electronic display package.

15. A method of manufacturing a price tag adjustable from a remote location, the method consisting of the steps of:

assembling a paperboard package having a space therein;

disposing in the space an electronic package for electronically displaying

indicia specific to a product and to which the tag is mounted; and

enclosing the electronic display package in the space within the paperboard

package, the electronic display package responsive to wireless signals corresponding to the product for displaying the indicia to an exterior of the price tag.