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Arrangement for and method of expediting commercial product transactions at a point-of-sale site

  • US 6,308,888 B1
  • Filed: 04/13/2000
  • Issued: 10/30/2001
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1987
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A method of labeling articles with an integrated reader/printer unit, comprising the steps of:

  • a) storing product identity information of products having attributes and data corresponding to the attributes of each product in a data base of a computer;

    b) associating a tag bearing coded indicia having parts of different light reflectivity with each of the products, each coded indicia representing the identity of a respective product;

    c) electro-optically scanning and reading the coded indicia on the tag associated with a product visually selected by a human operator by moving the unit relative to, and at a distance away from, the coded indicia to position thereon a light beam emitted exteriorly of the unit and movable across the coded indicia to automatically identify the product selected by the operator to the computer on a real-time basis;

    d) accessing on a real-time basis the data base subsequent to the reading step to automatically retrieve the stored data corresponding to the attributes of the product selected;

    e) printing a bar code symbol representing the retrieved data on a label with a printer associated with the unit;

    f) applying the printed label to an article; and

    g) automatically reading the symbol on the printed label applied to the article.

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