System and method of displaying information by an electronic price label

• US 8,504,430 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2005
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Inventors: Goodwin, III, John C., Zimmerman, Terry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Application Number:
  US11/032,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20050125298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,130 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 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

Abstract

A system and method of displaying information by an electronic price label which uses thresholds to minimize the number of messages to an electronic price label. The system includes a record for an item associated with the electronic price label which contains the thresholds. The thresholds divide the information into a number of ranges including a first range of information and a second range of information. The system further includes a computer for scheduling messages for transmission to the electronic price label, wherein the computer obtains first information associated with the first range and displayed by the electronic price label, obtains second information which is more recent than the first information, determines whether the first information equals the second information, and if the first information does not equal the second information, obtains the second range, determines whether the first information is within the second range, and sends a message to the electronic price label containing the second information and a command to display the second information instead of the first information if the first information is outside the second range.

Claims

1. A method of displaying information by an electronic price label comprising:

(a) dividing the information into ranges;

(b) determining first information within a first range being displayed by the electronic price label;

(c) determining second information more recent than the first information in a second range;

(d) determining whether the first information equals the second information;

(e) if the first information does not equal the second information,

determining whether the first and second ranges are equal, and

if the first and second ranges are not equal, sending a message to the electronic price label containing the second information and a command to display the second information instead of the first information; and

otherwise

if the first and second ranges are equal, allowing the electronic price label to continue displaying the first information even though the first information is not so accurate as the second information.

2. A method of displaying information about a product by an electronic price label comprising:

(a) dividing the information into ranges;

(b) obtaining first information displayed by the electronic price label;

(c) obtaining second information which is more recent than the first information;

(d) determining a first range containing the second information;

(e) determining third information associated with the first range for display;

(f) determining whether the first information equals the third information; and

(g) if the first information does not equal the third information, sending a message to the electronic price label containing the third information and a command to display the third information instead of the first information; and

(h) if the first information does equal the third information, allowing the electronic price label to continue displaying the first information.

3. A method of displaying information about a product by an electronic price label comprising:

(a) dividing the information into ranges;

(b) displaying first information associated with a first range in a range table;

(c) obtaining second information which is newer than the first information;

(d) determining a second range containing the second information from the range table;

(e) determining third information associated with the second range for display in the range table;

(f) determining whether the first information equals the third information;

(g) if the first information does not equal the third information, sending a message to the electronic price label containing the third information and a command to display the third information instead of the first information; and

(h) if the first information equals the third information, allowing the electronic price label to continue displaying the first information.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the business information comprises sales information about the product.

5. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the business information comprises revenue information about the product.

6. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the business information comprises order information about the product.

7. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the business information comprises inventory information about the product.