Automatic price display control by emulation of electronic cash register price lookup

• US 7,997,487 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2008
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Philip Morris USA Incorporated (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Philip Morris USA Incorporated (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sweeney, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rudy; Andrew Joseph
• Application Number:
  US12/230,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20080319865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,085 Days
• Field of Search: 711/100, 235/375, 235/376, 235/379, 235/383, 709/203, 709/223, 709/226, 455/456.3, 340/5.91, 340/10.34
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/201 Price look-up processing, e.g. updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/145 PLU-management

Abstract

A system and method for distribution of product price and/or sales data in a retail establishment. Product price and/or sales data is stored locally, either in a central computer or master electronic cash register (ECR) or remotely at a master computer. The product price data is stored in the form of a price look-up (PLU) table. The price data can be pushed from the master ECR, local or master computers to and ECR emulation hub to an ECR emulation hub. Similarly, the ECR emulation hub can request product price data from the master ECR, local or master computers. Once the product price data arrives at the ECR emulation hub, it can be processed and sent to a display, which will be located near the appropriate product. The ECR emulation hub can also record and/or transmit prices actually charged for products over time to allow for automatic auditing of promotional pricing offers such as those made by manufacturers of the product. The ECR emulation hub acts like an ECR, thereby requiring no special software or hardware modifications to existing pricing display systems that already support ECRs.

Claims

1. A system for the distribution and display of product information in a retail establishment, comprising:

one or more electronic cash registers connected to a communication bus of the retail establishment;

an electronic price display unit connected to the communication bus;

a central computer having a communication interface for communicating product information with the one or more electronic cash registers over the communication bus; and

an electronic cash register emulation hub that monitors communications between the one or more electronic cash registers and the central computer over the communication bus for product information associated with supported merchandise, wherein the emulation hub translates the associated product information in a universal price code format to an electronic price display unit format.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications interface comprises a wireless local area network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications interface comprises:

a wired network.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the wired network comprises:

an ethernet transmission system.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the wired network comprises:

an RS 232 twisted pair transmission system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic cash register emulation hub comprises:

a first part; and

a second part,

wherein the first part comprises;

a first part processor having the capability of receiving product information in a first format, and re-formatting the product information in a second format;

a first part communication interface;

a first memory;

a first part first internal communications bus; and

a first part second internal communications bus, and wherein the second part comprises;

a second part first communication interface;

a second part processor having the capability of receiving product information in the second format;

a second memory; and

a second part second communication interface for transmitting the product information in the second format to the electronic price display unit.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first format is a universal product code format.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the second format is a universal serial bus format.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic cash register emulation hub comprises:

a first processor that receives the product information in a first format, and reformats the product information in a second format;

a first processor communication interface;

a memory that stores a master price look-up table;

a first processor first internal communications bus;

a first processor second internal communications bus;

wherein the first communication interface transmits the product information in the second format to the electronic price display unit.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first format is a universal product code format.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the second format is a universal serial bus format.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic price display unit comprises:

a receiver interface for receiving product information in a second format;

a first part, wherein the first part displays fixed information; and

a second part capable of receiving product information in a second format and displaying it in a third format.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the third format is the English language.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic price display unit comprises:

a receiver interface for receiving price and sales information in a second format; and

a display for displaying price and sales information in a third format.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein product information comprises price information, sales information, or, price and sales information.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a primary wireless LAN transceiver connected to the central computer; and

a plurality of secondary wireless LAN transceivers, in wireless communication with the primary wireless LAN transceiver, connected to the one or more electronic cash registers,

wherein the electronic cash register emulation hub is connected to both the one or more electronic cash registers and electronic price display unit.

32. The system of claim 1, wherein the central computer comprises:

memory that stores a master price look-up table.

17. A system for the distribution and display of product information in a retail establishment, comprising:

one or more electronic cash registers connected to a communication bus of the retail establishment;

an electronic price display unit connected to the communication bus;

a master electronic cash register having a communications interface for communicating product information with the one or more electronic cash registers over the communication bus; and

an electronic cash register emulation hub that monitors communication between the one or more electronic cash registers and the master electronic cash register over the communications bus for product information associated with supported merchandise, the electronic cash register emulation hub translates the associated product information in a universal price code format to the electronic price display unit format,

wherein the master electronic cash register includes at least

a processor;

an internal communications bus; and

a memory containing a master price look-up table.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the communications interface comprises:

a wireless local area network.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the communications interface comprises:

a wired network.

20. The wired system of claim 19, wherein the wired network comprises:

an ethernet transmission system.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the wired network comprises:

an RS 232 twisted pair transmission system.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the electronic cash register emulation hub comprises:

a first part, and a second part, the first part comprising;

a first part processor having the capability of receiving product information in a first format, and re-formatting the product information in a second format;

a first part communication interface;

a first memory;

a first part first internal communications bus; and

a first part second internal communications bus; and

, the second part comprising;

a second part first communication interface;

a second part processor having the capability of receiving product information in the second format;

a second memory; and

a second part second communication interface for transmitting the product information in the second format to the electronic price display unit.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the first format is a universal product code format.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the second format is a universal serial bus format.

25. The system of claim 17, wherein the electronic cash register emulation hub comprises:

a first processor having the capability of receiving product information in a first format, and re-formatting the product information in a second format;

a first processor communication interface;

a memory;

a first processor internal communications bus; and

a first processor second internal communications bus;

wherein the first processor communication interface transmits the product information in the second format to the electronic price display unit.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the first format is a universal product code format.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the second format is a universal serial bus format.

28. The system of claim 17, wherein the electronic price display unit comprises:

a receiver interface for receiving product information in a second format;

a first part, wherein the first part displays fixed information; and

a second part capable of receiving product information in a second format and displaying it in a third format.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the third format is the English language.

30. The system of claim 17, wherein the electronic price display unit comprises:

a receiver interface for receiving price and sales information in a second format; and

a display for displaying price and sales information in a third format.

31. The system of claim 17, wherein product information comprises price information, sales information, or, price and sales information.