AUTOMATIC PRICE DISPLAY CONTROL BY EMULATION OF ELECTRONIC CASH REGISTER PRICE LOOKUP

• US 20150269548A1
• Filed: 06/03/2015
• Published: 09/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philip Morris USA Incorporated (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Philip Morris USA Incorporated (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sweeney, William R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,652,757 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 method for distribution of product price and/or sales data in a retail establishment. Product price and/or sales data is stored locally in a central computer or master electronic cash register (ECR), or remotely at a master computer. 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 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. 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 method for the distribution and display of product information in a retail establishment, comprising the steps of:

requesting product information located in a master database from an electronic cash register emulation hub;

transmitting product information from a master database to an electronic cash register emulation hub;

transferring the product information from the electronic cash register emulation hub to an electronic pride display unit; and

displaying the product information on the electronic price display unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting product information from a master database to an electronic cash register emulation hub comprises:

transmitting product information from a master database to a central database located at a retail establishment; and

transmitting the product information from the central database to the electronic cash register emulation hub.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transferring the product information from the electronic cash register emulation hub to an electronic price display unit comprises:

translating product information from a universal price code format to an electronic price display unit format in the electronic cash register emulation hub; and

transmitting the translated product information from the electronic cash register emulation hub to the electronic price display unit.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of requesting product information from a master database by an electronic cash register emulation hub located at a retail establishment, comprises:

requesting product information according to a scheduled transmission.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of requesting product information from a master database by an electronic cash register emulation hub located at a retail establishment, comprises:

requesting product information according to a customer request.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein product information comprises price information, sales information, or, price and sales information.

6. A method for the distribution and display of product information in a retail establishment, comprising the steps of:

requesting product information from a master electronic cash register by an electronic cash register emulation hub located at a retail establishment;

transmitting product information from a master electronic cash register to an electronic cash register emulation hub;

transferring the product information from the electronic cash register emulation hub to an electronic price display unit; and

displaying the price and sales information on the electronic price display unit.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of transferring the product information from the electronic cash register emulation hub to an electronic price display unit comprises:

translating product information from a universal price code format to an electronic price display unit format in the electronic cash register emulation hub; and

transmitting the translated product information from the electronic cash register emulation hub to the electronic price display unit.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of requesting product information from a master electronic cash register by an electronic cash register emulation hub located at a retail establishment, comprises:

requesting product information according to a scheduled transmission.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of requesting product information from a master electronic cash register by an electronic cash register emulation hub located at a retail establishment, comprises:

requesting product information according to a customer request.