Communication device and method for electronic price label systems

• US 6,311,308 B1
• Filed: 12/03/1999
• Issued: 10/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Inventors: Adamec, Andrew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tu, Christine T.
• Application Number:
  US09/454,929
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 714/811, 714/812, 714/746, 714/748, 714/749, 705/18, 705/43, 705/5, 705/16, 705/20, 705/21, 705/25, 455/39, 455/45, 455/53.1, 455/69, 455/70, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 714/811
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A communication device and method for electronic price label (EPL) systems which use EPL components. The device includes a microcontroller, a first EPL circuit enabled by the microcontroller which sends a first signal to an EPL computer in response to a first polling signal from the EPL computer indicating that data from the microcontroller is ready for transmission, a number of second EPL circuits which store the data from the microcontroller and which send the data to the EPL computer in response to a second polling signal from the EPL computer, a third EPL circuit which receives a second signal from the EPL computer acknowledging receipt by the EPL computer of the data, and which signals the microcontroller of the receipt of the data, a keypad coupled to the microcontroller for recording the data from an operator, and a display for displaying the data as it is recorded and for displaying an indication of the receipt of the data.

Claims

1. A communication device for communicating with an electronic price label (EPL) computer utilizing existing EPL system infrastructure by reflectively modulating signals received from the EPL computer, the communication device comprising:

a control processor;

a data entry mechanism coupled to the control processor for user input; and

communication circuitry transmitting data to the EPL computer by reflectively modulating signals received from the EPL computer;

wherein the EPL computer communicates with a plurality of EPLs operating within a predetermined frequency range; and

wherein the communication device operates within the predetermined frequency range to transmit data to the EPL computer.

2. A communication device for communicating with an electronic price label (EPL) computer utilizing existing EPL system infrastructure by reflectively modulating signals received from the EPL computer, the communication device comprising:

a control processor;

a data entry mechanism coupled to the control processor for user input; and

communication circuitry for transmitting data to the EPL computer by reflectively modulating signals received from the EPL computer;

wherein the EPL computer executes EPL data scheduler software which schedules price change messages to be sent to EPLs and schedules polling and computer acknowledgment messages to be sent to the communication device.

3. A communication device for communicating with an electronic price label (EPL) communication system, the EPL communication system including an EPL computer, a communication base station (CBS) and a plurality of EPLs, each of the EPLs identified by a unique EPL identifier, the EPL computer wirelessly communicating with the plurality of EPLs utilizing the CBS, the communication device comprising:

a control processor;

a data entry mechanism coupled to the microcontroller for entering data;

a display coupled to the control processor; and

communication circuitry for wirelessly transmitting at least a portion of the data to the EPL computer utilizing the CBS;

wherein the EPL computer executes CBS manager software which schedules price change messages transmitted to EPLs and polling messages transmitted to the communication device.

4. A method of sending data from a remote control device to an electronic price label (EPL) computer utilizing existing EPL system infrastructure, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a first polling signal from the EPL computer to the remote control device utilizing existing EPL system infrastructure

transmitting an acknowledgement signal from the remote control device to the EPL computer by reflectively modulating the first polling signal;

transmitting a second polling signal from the EPL computer to the remote control device; and

transmitting data from the remote control device to the EPL computer by reflectively modulating the second polling signal.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the remote control device is identified by an EPL identification number.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the acknowledgment signal indicates that data is ready for transmission.

7. The method of claim 4 further comprising, before the step of transmitting a first polling signal, the step of:

entering data to be transmitted into the remote control device by an operator of the communication device.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the remote control device is handheld and portable.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein the transmitted data includes a command to be executed by the EPL computer, the method further comprising the step of:

executing by the EPL computer the command transmitted by the remote control device.

10. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of:

transmitting a second acknowledgement signal from the EPL computer to the remote control device, the second acknowledgement signal indicating that the data has been received by the EPL computer.