Electronic price label system promotional information verifier

• US 6,662,165 B1
• Filed: 09/01/1998
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Saliceti, Joseph, Zimmerman, Terry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): NORMAN, MARC E
• Application Number:
  US09/144,947
• Time in Patent Office: 1,925 Days
• Field of Search: 705/20, 705/16, 705/1, 705/400, 705/27, 235/383
• US Class Current: 705/20
• 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 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

An electronic price label (EPL) promotional information verification system which ensures that promotional information for an item obtained from a promotional information file is equal to other promotional information displayed by an electronic price label (EPL) for the item. The EPL promotional information verification system includes a computer system coupled to the EPL, which includes a computer terminal and a storage medium coupled to the terminal. The storage medium contains an EPL data file, which contains EPL identification information and an EPL promotional information verifier. The computer terminal executes a promotional information verification program which reads the promotional information file to obtain the promotional information for the item, calculates another promotional information verifier from the promotional information in the promotional information file, reads EPL data file to obtain the one promotional information verifier, compares the one and the other promotional information verifiers to determine whether they are equal, and changes the displayed promotional information to the promotional information in the promotional information file if the one and the other promotional information verifiers are different.

Claims

1. A method of ensuring that promotional information for an item obtained from a promotional information file is equal to other promotional information assigned to an electronic price label for the item for display by the electronic price label, comprising the steps of:

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

(b) reading the promotional information file to obtain the promotional information for the item using the identification information obtained from the electronic price label data file;

(c) calculating another promotional information verifier from the promotional information in the promotional information file;

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

(e) assigning the promotional information from the promotional information file to the electronic price label if the one and the other promotional information verifiers are different.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the substeps of:

(f) storing the promotional information in a price look-up (PLU) file; and

(g) establishing the PLU file as the promotional information file prior to step (a).

3. The method of claim 1 wherein step (e) further comprises the substep of:

transmitting a display change request message to the electronic price label instructing the electronic price label to change the displayed promotional information to the promotional information contained in the promotional information file, if the one and the other promotional information verifiers are different.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein step (e) further comprises the substep of:

updating the promotional information verifier in the electronic price label data file, if the one and the other promotional information verifiers are different.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the promotional information verifier is a checksum of the promotional information assigned to the electronic price label.

6. A method of ensuring that promotional information for an item obtained from a promotional information file is equal to other promotional information assigned to an electronic price label for the item for display by the electronic price label, comprising the steps of:

(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 promotional information checksum value for the item from the assigned promotional information;

(d) storing the promotional information 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 promotional information checksum value for the item;

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

(g) calculating another promotional information checksum value from the promotional information for the item in the promotional information file;

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

(i) if the one and the other promotional information verifiers are different,

(i-1) assigning the promotional information from the promotional information file to the electronic price label; and

(i-2) instructing the electronic price label to display the promotional information from the promotional information file.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the substep of:

(i-3) storing the other promotional information checksum value in the record of the electronic price label data file.

8. A system for ensuring that promotional information for an item obtained from a promotional information file is equal to other promotional information assigned to an electronic price label (EPL) for the item for display by the EPL, comprising:

a computer system coupled to the EPL, including a terminal and a storage medium coupled to the terminal;

wherein the storage medium contains an EPL data file, which contains identification information and a promotional information verifier for the item;

wherein the computer terminal reads the promotional information file to obtain the promotional information for the item, calculates another promotional information verifier from the promotional information in the promotional information file, reads the EPL data file to obtain the one promotional information verifier, compares the one and the other promotional information verifiers to determine whether they are equal, and, if the one and the other promotional information verifiers are different, assigns the promotional information from the promotional information file to the electronic price label, and instructs the electronic price label to display the promotional information from the promotional information file.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the computer terminal updates the electronic price label data file with the other promotional information verifier.

10. A system for ensuring that promotional information for an item obtained from a promotional information file is equal to other promotional information assigned to an electronic price label (EPL) for the item for display by the EPL, comprising:

a computer system coupled to the EPL, including a terminal and a storage medium coupled to the terminal;

wherein the storage medium contains an EPL data file including a record associated with the EPL;

wherein the computer terminal stores identification information for the item in the record, determines a promotional information checksum value for the item from promotional information displayed by the EPL, stores the promotional information checksum value in the EPL data file, reads the record in the EPL data file to obtain the identification information and the promotional information checksum value for the item, reads the promotional information file to obtain the promotional information for the item using the identification information obtained from the electronic price label data file, calculates another promotional information checksum value from the promotional information in the promotional information file, compares the one and the other promotional information checksum values to determine whether the one and the other promotional information checksum values are equal, and changes the displayed promotional information to the promotional information if the one and the other promotional information checksum values are different.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the computer terminal updates the record with the other promotional information checksum value, if the one and the other promotional information checksum values are different.

12. A method of ensuring that promotional information for an item obtained from a promotional information file is equal to other promotional information assigned to an electronic price label for the item for display by the electronic price label, comprising the steps of:

(a) reading an electronic price label data file to obtain identification information and the other promotional information for the item;

(b) reading the promotional information file to obtain the promotional information for the item using the identification information obtained from the electronic price label data file;

(d) comparing the promotional information from the promotional information file to the other promotional information from the electronic price label data file to determine whether they are equal; and

(e) assigning the promotional information from the promotional information file to the electronic price label if the promotional information from the promotional information file and the other promotional information from the electronic price label data file are different.

13. A electronic price label (EPL) system comprising:

an EPL associated with an item and displaying promotional information relating to the item, the EPL including an EPL register storing the promotional information; and

a host computer system including a first record containing a checksum of the promotional information stored in the EPL register, and a second record containing second promotional information, the host computer system operating to calculate a checksum of the second promotional information and to determine if the checksum contained in the first record is equal to the calculated checksum.

14. The EPL system of claim 13 wherein the host computer transmits a display change request message to the electronic price label instructing the electronic price label to change the displayed promotional information, if the checksum contained in the first record is not equal to the calculated checksum.

15. The EPL system of claim 14 wherein the display change request message instructs the electronic price label to display the second promotional information.

16. The EPL system of claim 15 wherein the EPL receives the display change request message and updates the register with the second promotional information.

17. The EPL system of claim 16 wherein the host computer updates the first record with the calculated checksum, if the checksum contained in the first record is not equal to the calculated checksum.

18. The EPL system of claim 17 wherein the first record is contained in an EPL data file.

19. The EPL system of claim 18 wherein the second record is contained in a price look up (PLU) file.

20. The EPL system of claim 19 wherein the PLU file contains an entry for each item sold in a transaction establishment.

21. The EPL system of claim 20 wherein the EPL data file contains an entry for each EPL in the EPL system.